When it comes to answering why you should be hired, it’s important to think about the combination of skills, experience, and qualifications that make you the perfect fit for the job. You may have had various roles in your career, but when put together they create something that no other candidate can offer. It’s this unique blend of knowledge and experiences that makes you stand out and makes hiring you the right decision.
Whether it’s about customer service or problem-solving, you should be confident that you can bring something special to the position and make an impact for the company.
Here’s what to consider when answering“Why should we hire you?”
1. Your message
The best answer to “Why should we hire you?” is:
Because I am the best person for this job.
The second-best answer to “Why should we hire you?” is:
Because I am passionate about what I do, and that shows in my work.
The third-best answer to “Why should we hire you?” is:
Because my past experience shows that I can handle any task thrown at me with ease and professionalism.
2. What makes you different?
Here are a few things that you can highlight to show how different you are.
You have a unique perspective on the job, based on your background and experience. This can be useful in helping you understand the company better, and it can also help inform your solutions for their challenges.
Your skillset is different from other candidates —and it’s more than just technical expertise. You might have specialized knowledge about how to solve problems that other people don’t know about yet (or might not even recognize as problems). Or maybe there’s something else about what makes up who you are as an individual that makes working with you easier than anyone else. For example, being friendly. Whatever it is, if this leads to better results than anyone else could deliver then they’ll be happy too (and ultimately happier employees = happy customers).
3. How will you make a difference in the organization?
You will have a positive impact on the organization. Your skills and experience will help your company reach its goals, which means that you’ll be able to make an important contribution toward its success.
If you’re serious about getting hired, it’s important to demonstrate how your skills can benefit your potential employer because there’s no way around it: If they don’t think hiring someone like yourself would bring value – in terms of both financial return and productivity, then chances are good that they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon themselves.
4. Highlight the benefits of working with you
Some of the benefits you can share include:
You’re a good fit for the job. Your background and experience will help you to be effective right away, and your skill set will grow as we work together.
You can help the company grow and succeed in a variety of ways. For example, by building relationships with other employees, sharing ideas on how we can improve processes or systems within the organization, or even just bringing some fun into our day-to-day lives.
5. You can’t just say you’re great, but show it so well that they want to know more.
If the answer is simply “because I’m great at what I do,” then this is not going to be compelling enough. You need to show them why they should hire you and how your skills will make a difference in their company or organization.
When asked this question during an interview, my first instinct was always: “I can do anything” But as soon as I started thinking about how much time it would take me just to figure out who does what at our company (and how could someone like me possibly fit into all those roles), my answer became less about being able to do anything and more about my ability to work within these systems effectively so that everyone gets results from their efforts together.
Conclusion
Now that you know the best way to answer the “Why should we hire you?” interview question, it should be easy to impress your interviewer. Remember, being able to sell yourself is one of the most important skills for any job candidate and you can use this article as a guide.
Are you curious to know if there’s a science to landing a job that not only pays well but leads to exponential career growth?
For a long time, I sure was. I read hundreds of articles and books and watched countless videos and webinars from so-called career experts. But, still, something was missing.
I wanted to hear directly from people like you and me — real professionals working toward that common goal of finding their dream jobs.
So, I spent the last 8 months diving deep into the research. I reviewed 67 LinkedIn polls, studied surveys from 29 career sites, interviewed 237 HR Managers, and paid a research firm $800 to survey 10,000+ job seekers. In total, the number of participants in all the data I gathered exceeded 250k!
In this article, I’m sharing what I found as well and debunking some popular myths. Specifically, we’ll be looking at statistics on:
CV and cover letters
How to find and apply to jobs
Job interviews
Career satisfaction
Before we proceed, it’s important to note that I’ll be using the term CV and resume interchangeably although there are some minute differences in their definitions. In certain countries and cultures, both terms are one and the same.
Let’s begin!
CV and Cover Letter Statistics
How many pages should a CV be?
2 pages max. 90% of the HR professionals I interviewed told me they believe a CV should not be more than 2 pages regardless of how much professional experience you have.
Similarly, 83% of a recent LinkedIn poll with 1202 respondents agreed that resumes of 1 or 2 pages are ideal.
Generally, the standard is 1 page if you’re very early on in your career. As you get further into your career, your resume can extend to the second page if you really can’t fit all of your relevant experience on one page.
Why is this important to know?HR professionals spend very little time reading through a resume extensively. On average, they spend just 7 seconds reviewing your resume the first time.
And even if you’re shortlisted for an interview, they spend less than a minute going through the resume that took you about half an hour, if not more, to prepare.
As a job seeker, your focus should be on having the most important sections of your resume on the first page. Make sure you’re including specific information that showcases your skills and accomplishments relative to the job you’re applying for.
Should you put your picture on your resume?
In our discussion with 74 HR managers, almost all agreed that there’s no need for a photo on a resume except if it’s required for the position you’re applying for.
Why not? A photo increases bias. And that’s never a good thing during the hiring process. 54% of over 6000 Linkedin users believe that their level of attractiveness has cost them a job.
In my research, I also found a trend that indicates there’s an inverse relationship between men and women based on looks and the type of jobs that they land. Attractive women sometimes get entry-level positions faster but in roles that could stifle their careers in the long run. Such roles include many front-facing roles such as customer service, executive assistant, sales professional, hostess, newscaster, and so on.
On the other hand, I’ve found that men that are taller and considered more attractive are likely to land more senior-level positions at Fortune 500 companies, whilst women of similar attraction usually don’t get those roles.
Of course, there are other factors to be considered when dissecting such research, which goes beyond the scope of this article. So, let’s get back to the stats!
Finally, we also found from a survey of 2,500 HR managers that 88% of CVs with photos get discarded.
In summary, don’t put your photo on your resume. There’s little to no benefit.
Which part of a resume is the most challenging to write?
35% of 3,086 surveyed respondents find it most challenging to write about key accomplishments in the professional summary and work experience sections.
20% struggle to incorporate the keywords hiring managers, recruiters, and applicant tracking systems are looking for when writing those sections.
17% of respondents find keeping the resume concise and selecting the right format to be the most challenging.
How often should you update your resume?
Here’s the simple answer: it depends on whether you are passively or actively searching for a job.
53% of our respondents to our survey stated that they updated their resume in the last month, whilst 35% of respondents mentioned it was within the last 3 – 6 months.
Since our survey was dominated by job seekers, whether passively or actively job seeking, the data indicates that almost 90% of this group make changes to their resume every 6 months.
Which resumes get shortlisted by hiring managers?
86% of the 203 surveyed HR managers mentioned that resumes with keywords closest to the job requirements are likely to be shortlisted to the next stage of the hiring process.
Those same HR managers also reported looking closely at the applicant’s location, prior work experience and accomplishments, professional summary and relevant competencies.
Finally, they also reported giving importance to the company and university institutions you’ve attended to get additional context on your competitiveness in the job market.
What happens if you lie on your resume?
75% of 2500 HR Managers confirmed that they caught job candidates lying on their resumes. A lot of the lies are caught at the initial job interview or assessment tests. This is one of the biggest reasons why candidates are quickly eliminated from the hiring process.
How often do applicants submit cover letters to a job listing?
Cover letters aren’t always necessary or mandatory to apply for a job. But, if a cover letter option exists, 38% of the 20,000 respondents from 3 different Linkedin polls indicated that they submit a cover letter.
On the other hand, surveyed hiring managers estimated that less than 15% of applicants submit optional cover letters.
Do employers read cover letters?
From our group of surveyed hiring managers, 179 mentioned that they read cover letters a lot less than they read resumes.
Those hiring managers are more likely to read a cover letter if the resume was above average and they wanted to know more about the candidate.
With that in mind, it’s important that your cover letter doesn’t rehash what’s already in your resume. Instead, it should give the hiring manager a better understanding of your relevant achievements and qualifications, why you’re a good fit for this particular job, and why you want to work at the company.
Job Search Statistics
Should you apply for a job if you don’t meet all the requirements?
When applying for a job, 74% of job seekers believe that they have to meet 85% of the listed job requirements to submit their application. But this is usually not the case.
A lot of times, the job listing is like a wish list. HR Managers are looking for the most qualified candidates based on a specific budget. They also know that acquiring talent of a certain level can be expensive and hard to persuade to switch jobs.
But if the company is not a Fortune 500, regional leader or high-growth venture-backed startup in FinTech, it’s likely that the company is flexible on the job requirements. If you meet 50%-70% of the job requirements, you can and should still apply.
How effective is LinkedIn for finding a job?
LinkedIn has created better tools for hiring managers to find talent and post jobs as quickly as possible. This has led to as much as 34% of 64k surveyed professionals claiming that LinkedIn was the biggest factor for helping them land a job.
What’s the best way to find a job?
Of the 26,000 people surveyed, 37% of professionals believe that referrals are the main factor for landing a job. Alternatively, 34% believe applying directly via job boards and company career pages are the best ways to find a job.
When we ask how people found their last job, 42% mentioned it was through applying to the company directly online, 24% received a call from a recruiter as a result of a referral or their online brand, and 18% found the job via their network and applied directly without anyone reaching out to them.
How do you get a job interview?
55% of the 26,000 respondents mentioned that referrals were a big part of what helped them land a job interview.
39% believed they got the interview as a result of having an excellent CV.
Some respondents also felt that building their online presence and personal brand helped land interview opportunities.
Why is it hard to find a job?
Over 3,300 job seekers stated that they don’t know how to find the right jobs. This goes back to the importance of referrals and building a strong network.
What percentage of jobs are published online?
44% of jobs are not posted online. This could be one of the reasons why people mentioned they need help to find the right jobs. This is another reason to focus on networking and building new professional relationships.
How long does it take to find a job?
It takes roughly 6 months to find a graduate job in the U.S. In emerging countries, such as Nigeria, the average job search takes 9 months if you’re living in a major city. If you live in a less populated area, it could take even longer.
Where do you learn job seeking tips and techniques?
In university, most people don’t learn how to find and apply for jobs. So, where do most people learn about job hunting outside of family, friends, and personal connections?
In our poll of 2018 professionals, we found that 77% of job seekers have either watched YouTube videos to learn about job searching or are planning to do so within the next few months.
Job Interview Statistics
Is it good to make interviewers laugh?
Of 3317 respondents, 66% felt that humour is very important during interviews as it can help lighten the mood and make you more likeable.
Another 32% of respondents felt that it depends on the type of interview and personality of the interviewer. It’s also important to remember that what you might find funny another person could find offensive.
Do professionals like being invited to informational interviews?
In a different poll of 4,128 respondents, 93% stated that they’ll be willing to participate in informational interviews if their schedule permits. This is great to know as informational interviews are a major source of information on companies and industries for job applicants.
How common is it to negotiate salary?
Only 35% of candidates from a pool of 27k admitted to always negotiating salaries. The major reason why most people don’t negotiate their salaries is due to a fear of the offer being pulled back.
Should you ask for feedback after an interview?
89% of respondents in a survey of 25,000 people revealed that candidates are always seeking post-interview feedback. However, hiring managers rarely do this because there’s no upside for them. Only a few companies have included post-interview feedback as part of their hiring culture.
Is it normal to get ghosted after an interview?
65% of job applicants don’t hear back from the company after an interview.
Career Satisfaction Statistics
What motivates employees besides money?
In a survey of 14,450 professionals, 41% felt that having passion for the job keeps them highly motivated.
Nonetheless, it’s important to note that context is important. In diving into what motivates someone, it’s important to understand the nature of their job and how much it currently pays. We say that people who earn considerably higher in jobs where they had the skills were more motivated by finances.
About 30% of respondents agreed that their salary motivated them even if they were not totally satisfied with their job or company. 27% of respondents found opportunities for career advancement at their jobs as a source of motivation.
How often do people switch jobs?
Young professionals, especially millennials, are switching jobs faster than any generation before. A survey of 18,500 professionals found that 55% of the millennial workforce changes jobs every 2-3 years. In addition, 40% of workers have a side gig and another 38% are considering starting one.
Are office romances common?
About half of U.S. employees have engaged in office romance at some point in their careers. The more interesting thing to note is that 1 out 5 were not single at the time the romance occurred.
Do workers prefer working from home?
In a survey of 28,000 workers, 63% would like a mixture of going to the office and working from home. However, if they had to choose between working from home and working at the office, 27% would choose working from home while only 10% would be okay working from the office.
Why do most employees leave their jobs?
People don’t leave bad companies, they leave bad bosses. This is a popular saying in the career world, so we had to ask again.
In our survey of 2,500 professionals, 65% agreed that their boss was the biggest reason for switching jobs. A respondent’s salary accounted for only 15% of the reasons why people left their jobs.
Post-pandemic, 60% of the global workforce also feels that they’ll be interested in looking for new jobs.
How often do people voluntarily leave good, stable jobs?
81% of workers today surveyed from a list of 5,655 are willing to risk a stable job for one with better financial outcomes. 69% of those that said ‘yes’ were men, which seems to show women are less likely to leave stable jobs than men.
What’s an average entry-level salary?
The starting salaries in Nigeria for graduate jobs range between NGN50k monthly ($100) to NGN150k ($300) monthly. Less than 10% of young professionals would earn higher than the aforementioned range on their first job.
If you are about to graduate and think you’ll be the exception, you’d have to aim to work with one of the largest publicly quoted institutions in the country or a multinational. From our survey of 1200 SMEs, less than 1% admitted to paying more than 150k for an entry-level role.
Want to make landing your dream job easier?
Finding and landing your dream job is never easy. But it is possible! And I hope that the statistics and research I’ve shared here will help you make decisions that lead to the results you’re after.
And, if you’re looking for a quick way to create an attractive CV that incorporates all the best resume writing practices mentioned in this post, check out Reventify’s CV Builder!
Are you familiar with the common job search horror story? You know the one. The person is qualified on paper to land a wide variety of jobs. Yet still, for some reason, they struggle for months, sometimes a year, to land a suitable job.
You know the worst part? That situation could have been avoided if they knew the right way to approach job hunting. Luckily, you’re not going to make that same mistake. Because in this article we’re going to share our approach to finding a job in 90 days!
Now, that might sound too good to be true. But once we start going through our 10 step process, we’re sure you’ll see why we know our method is much more effective than the typical way of applying to jobs.
Here’s a quick preview:
Develop a career plan
Create a Master CV
Build your professional network
Conduct informational interviews
Use multiple resources to look for jobs
Tailor your CV to each job application
Apply for multiple jobs
Optimize your LinkedIn profile
Ask for referrals and references
Communicate with hiring managers throughout the hiring process
But before we dive in, we need to answer the question that we know is anxiously running through your mind right now…
Is 3 Months Enough Time to Find a Job?
Yes, 3 months (90 days) is enough time to find a job — even during a global pandemic. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria has an unemployment rate of 33%, therefore 1 out of 3 people in the country don’t have jobs. For those that have a job, the average time taken to land a job offer exceeds 9 months.
The Nigerian job market, similar to that of many developing countries across Africa is highly competitive and therefore, if you’re one of the people reading this article without a job or unsatisfied with your current role, we are going to show you exactly what you need to do over the next 90 days to get at least one job offer.
What you need to promise us is that you’re going to follow these exact steps without fail!
So, let’s begin!
10 Steps to Find a Job in 90 Days
If you’re used to creating one CV and then sending it out to any job that seems vaguely interesting, then it’s time for a change. That method rarely works — as you probably know far too well.
For a better way, follow these 10 steps closely. And by the end of 90 days, you’ll either have a job offer, interviews, or (at least) a solid and effective plan of landing a decent job soon!
Step 1: Develop a Career Plan
Before you even begin to look for jobs, you need to know what you’re looking for. Because you’re not just looking for any job. You’re looking for a job you’ll enjoy — a job that won’t leave you searching for the next one just weeks after starting.
And the best way to find that type of job is to begin your job search with a solid career plan. How do you develop one of those? Self-evaluation.
What are your top hard and soft skills? What job title do you hope to have in 5 years? What about your ideal salary? And if you’re currently employed, what do you like about your current job? What do you dislike? Is it important that you get to continue developing certain skills in your next job?
Once you’ve answered those types of questions, create a plan that includes your goals for the next 90 days. Then, write out actionable steps you’ll take to achieve those goals.
Step 2: Create a Master CV
You’ll need to tailor your CV. Most companies don’t care to see every single work experience you’ve ever had. They only want the information most pertinent to the job at hand.
BUT you should have a record of every career experience that you might include on your CV. This is called a Master CV and it serves two purposes:
It ensures you don’t forget any of your relevant experiences when you’re creating your tailored CVs
It makes it easy to quickly put together those tailored CVs because you can just literally copy and paste without needing to rewrite, reformat, or revise the wording every time
What should go on your Master CV? Good question! Your Master CV should include all of your:
Work and internship experience with bullet points detailing measurable accomplishments (e.g. helped raise revenue by 21%) and core responsibilities
Volunteer and extracurricular experience with bullet points detailing accomplishments and core responsibilities
A list of both your hard and soft skills with examples of how you’ve used them in a work setting
Higher education degrees, career-specific certifications, workshops, and trainings
Honors, awards, grade point averages, and special achievements like presentations or publications
Information about any memberships in career-related groups
Contact information for people you might list as references
This might seem like a lot of effort at first. But you’ll thank yourself for creating a Master CV when you reach step 6!
Step 3: Build Your Professional Network
If you already have a robust network, begin reaching out to people within the industry or companies you hope to work with. Let them know you’re in the process of finding a job. Don’t be afraid to ask if they know of any job openings or if they can connect you with someone who might.
Even if you’re new to networking, there’s a lot of ways you can quickly build the professional network you need to find a job quickly. For example, you can:
Reach out to old classmates and colleagues
Join and contact members of your university’s alumni club
Attend professional meetups, conferences, and workshops online and in-person
Connect with professionals with similar career paths on LinkedIn
Cold email people you admire in your field/dream companies and ask them if they’re available for an informational interview
Step 4: Conduct Informational Interviews
Even if you already have a robust professional network, you should conduct informational interviews. Not sure what that is? No problem.
An informational meeting is a meeting to learn about the experience of someone working in a field, role, or company that interests you. Because informational interviews are 1-on-1, they’re one of the best ways to build meaningful professional connections.
They’re also your opportunity to ask questions about their career trajectory, receive insights about their company’s hiring process, and get advice on how to advance your career. How do you get this information? You ask questions like:
How did you get into your current role?
What do you like most about your job/company?
Where do you see this industry/company headed in the next 5 years?
What was the hiring process like?
What type of person succeeds at your company?
If you were in my position, what would you do to get to where you are in your career now?
Don’t limit your job search to one or two online job boards. Use multiple. But also take your job search efforts offline. According to some estimates, up to 70% of open jobs aren’t listed online.
So, if you’re determined to find a job in 3 months, you’ll need to look in more places than one and use multiple resources. How do you do that? In addition to online job boards, you should also:
Ask your professional network, friends, and family
Look at company career pages and social media pages
Go to career fairs
Contact recruiting agencies
Step 6: Tailor Your CV to Each Job Application
You created a Master CV in step 2. But remember that one is just for your reference. For every job you apply for, you should create a new CV that is tailored specifically to the job and company.
Why do this? Because hiring managers are scanning your resume looking specifically for keywords and phrases that signal you have the right skills and experience for the role. So, you want to make sure you’re only showing them the information they need for that evaluation.
Hiring managers are also usually put off by generic CVs because it shows a lack of effort. According to one study, 54% of recruiters report rejecting resumes or CVs that aren’t tailored to the job. You don’t want that!
So, here’s how to tailor your CV to a job:
In your resume summary or resume objective, mention the company by name and use the same job title in the job ad to talk about your experience
Scan the job description using a tool like this one to find the keywords and skills you need to include in your CV
Use those exact skills and keywords in your work experience bullet points, skills section, etc. (This is extremely important since many companies now use ATS software to scan CVs to first decide if they’re worth a human looking at them)
Put your most relevant work experience at the top of your resume
Research the company to make sure you’re aligning your personal brand with the company’s brand
Step 7: Apply for Jobs You’re Qualified For
Tailoring your application and CV to each specific job takes time and effort. And you may be tempted to start throwing your CV at every available job opening in order to increase your chances. Please don’t do this! It never works. Getting a job is not a game of chances, it requires strategic effort on your part.
Yes, you need to apply for multiple jobs but you also need to be selective. Why? According to Glassdoor, the average corporate job receives 250 applications and only 4-6 candidates get called in for interviews. I can assure you that they don’t select applicants based on luck or by random. The hiring manager goes through a pre-defined process that only the top 5% of candidates would get through.
How many jobs should you apply for? There’s no exact number that guarantees success. But, generally, you should be aiming to apply for 4-5 jobs per week.
Yes, that means submitting a job application every working day, which is a substantial amount of work. But, with time, you’ll get faster at putting together the applications. And all that hard work will feel worth it when you start getting interviews and (hopefully) have multiple job offers to consider.
Step 8: Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Don’t undervalue the importance of your LinkedIn profile. It’s not just a digital copy of your resume. It’s a reflection of your personal brand. And hiring managers, recruiters, and potential connections will look at it to evaluate your fit for work opportunities.
To optimize your LinkedIn profile, start by making sure each section is filled out. Make sure it’s clear what your skills and areas of expertise are. And don’t stop there. With a complete profile, you now have a draft to refine and improve further.
Your next steps include things like:
Making sure you’re using the right keywords for your desired role in your LinkedIn headline, work experience, and summary section
Uploading a high-quality profile and cover photo
Listing and getting endorsements for the most desired skills for someone in your field
Reaching out to your contacts for recommendations
Those are just a few examples. For more tips, take a look at this LinkedIn profile guide full of even more tips and examples.
Step 9: Ask for Referrals and References
If you can get a referral from someone working at the company, you can give yourself a huge advantage. Why do we say that? Because companies favor candidates who their trusted employees already see as a good fit for the role and company.
But how do you get a referral if you don’t know someone working at one or more of your dream companies? Networking!
For example, you might be able to get a referral from someone in your existing network or by continuing to build a professional relationship with someone you conducted an informational interview.
Step 10: Communicate with Hiring Managers Throughout the Hiring Process
You never want the hiring manager to doubt your interest in the job. And to do that you need to stay at the top of their mind throughout the hiring process.
That means you’re sending regular follow-up emails, updating them on any new achievements or experiences that make you qualified for the job. You can also be proactive by demonstrating how you might approach some of the core responsibilities of the job if hired.
Final Thoughts
You’re not alone if you think finding a new job is hard and takes a lot of time. It definitely can be. But you can give yourself a good shot of landing a job in as soon as 90 days by following the 10 steps we’ve shared in this article. And if you want even more advice on how to land your dream job, consider signing up to our HR Connect platform, where our network of hiring managers at the companies you dream of working, can walk you through everything from preparing your career plan to developing the profile required for you to get great job offers!
Have you ever experienced interview paralysis when asked what your strengths and weaknesses are? Usually, It’s hard to present your strengths without feeling as if you were bragging or to talk about your weaknesses without painting a bad picture of yourself.
So, yes, it’s usually quite tricky to point out your strengths and weaknesses in an interview with your potential employees. Many job seekers have ruined this interview aspect in more ways than one, trying to appear perfect before potential employees. On the other hand, some would go blank, lacking the slightest idea of what to say.
Why Talk About Your Strength and Weakness in a Job Interview?
First, you should understand why your potential employers tend to demand to know about your strengths and weaknesses. Requesting for these doesn’t mean that they’re trying to put you in an awkward condition. They’re just trying to get to know you and how self-aware you are. They also want to know how much you can utilize your abilities towards the progress of the organization. So relax and give this moment your best shot.
The most suitable approach to the question, “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” doesn’t require you to say the best things about yourself. Instead, it requires that you convince the recruiters that you can promote the interest of the company. Here are a few tips to help you give the best possible answer to this question.
Examples of Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
Communication skills
Writing skills
People skills
Leadership skills
Honesty
Self-motivation
Analytical skills
Computer literacy
Empathy
Patience
Weaknesses:
Self-criticism
Public speaking
Shyness
Lack of confidence
Lack of experience
Inability to delegate
Taking criticisms
Listing your strengths and weaknesses in your CV is also important to increase the chances of getting a job. Create your CV today with the No.1 CV Maker in Nigeria at Reventify.
14 Tips to Tell Strength and Weakness in a Job Interview
Be Self-aware
Before you can answer the strength and weakness questions impressively, you need to have walked the self-discovery path. Recruiters want to know the real you because no one wants to employ someone oblivious to their abilities and inadequacies. Therefore, you must have done some self-search regarding the job.
Take a ride into your world and analyze your positive and negative traits regarding the position you’re applying for. And hey, be truthful to yourself.
Be Clear About Your Skills
Your skills are a clear pointer to what your strengths and weaknesses are. You can create a list of your skills and categorize them into personal qualities, soft skills, and hard skills.
Personal qualities include outspokenness, friendliness, flexibility, punctuality, neatness, organization, reliability, expression, assertiveness, and trustworthiness.
Soft skills refer to the abilities that can help you sustain a particular job or thrive in it. Soft skills include Collaboration, Communication, Problem solving, Innovations, Leadership, and Interpersonal skills.
Hard skills refer to the job-specific abilities you have. Hard skills include knowledge from education, experiences, training, and technical skills that aid your effectiveness at your job.
The good thing is that all skills can be acquired.
Analyze the Job-Specific Strengths
This is where you analyze your strengths and weaknesses with regard to the job you’re applying for. Examine your strengths and see how they blend into the demand of the job. Let’s say you are skillful in leadership or communication; think of how that can promote the organization’s interest for which you are hoping to work.
Analyze the Job-Specific Weaknesses
Now, you should focus on analyzing your job-specific weaknesses. However, there’s something significant to note here. And that is, your weaknesses in relation to the job should not be something you don’t see yourself overcoming.
If your weaknesses do not affect the job per se, you might not need to talk about them. However, if they can affect the job in any way, first ensure that you deal with the weaknesses you’re not comfortable talking about before the interview. Then the weaknesses you can improve on can be skillfully communicated to your employers, provided those weaknesses are not toxic and cannot hinder the organization’s progress.
Research the Organization Thoroughly
Read the job description thoroughly, paying attention to every detail. Learn about the company, its core values, culture, etc. Go to their website, check through their pages and social media handles. Check their activities and the most recent updates to hint at what they expect from their employees.
Now, you should use the information you have gathered to identify which of your strengths can meet their demands and master how you can weave them into your response. You should also find out what weaknesses they detest the most and improve upon them if you have any of these weaknesses.
Be Honest
Make up your mind to be as truthful as possible. Remember that lies cannot be sustained through lies. Communicate your strengths graciously and tactfully spell out your weaknesses with your desire to improve on them.
You don’t have to program your answers to sound acceptable. Remember that your employers are looking for a tone of sincerity in you to win them over. Programming your words might lead to failure because you are trying to act on what you are not. Honesty will boost your confidence to a great extent and save you from future headaches.
You Don’t Have to Be Perfect
Understand that your potential employer doesn’t expect you to sound perfect. Instead, they want you to sound reasonable and sincere. Trying to please them will eventually sweep you off track. Why? Because if someone or something seems too good to be true, they probably are.
Don’t Sound Uncertain
You should never sound uncertain about what your strengths and weaknesses are. Because if you do, it means you’re not yet self-aware. Tones of uncertainties create a vague identity of you in the minds of your interviewers. Words and phrases like, “maybe” “I’m not sure,” “probably,” “I think so” conceals who you want them to perceive you to be. Be firm and assertive about what you say about yourself.
Don’t Lead with a Negative
Beginning your statement with your weaknesses doesn’t make you humble. It’s essential to lead your statement with your positives. So, you don’t necessarily have to begin your answers with the negative aspect of you.
Presenting your weaknesses after your strength makes it not look like you are trying to sound superhuman. However, in communicating your shortcomings, don’t talk about weaknesses that can affect or contradict your role in the organization (you should have improved on them by now).
For instance, applying as a sales manager demands that you’re good at networking with excellent verbal communication skills. Claiming you are weak in this area will drop you massive points. However, you can say you’re not so good in tech areas as this does not impair your role.
Here’s a way to go about stating your weakness in this example.
“I feel I should improve my knowledge of tech, which can also be an advantage in later times. Hence, I recently registered for a part-time course in Information and Communication Technology. So I see myself becoming a tech pro soon.”
Stating your weakness this way communicates your sincerity and shows progressive thinking noting that you love to work on things that help you immensely.
Express Yourself Confidently
While you’re preparing for the interview, you can create a vivid imagination of the words that project your strengths. Say them to yourself with confidence and allow them to register in your mind until they become a part of you. Learn to express yourself confidently, and don’t panic!
Focus on Your Strengths
You should learn to focus on your strengths when in an interview. Remember, you’re not trying to write yourself off, nor are you trying to throw a pity party. Channel your energies to your strength statement rather than the weakness statement.
Tell a Story
Everybody loves stories. So, always remember that your assertions will sound realistic and exciting when you weave them into a story. A story helps you to “show and not just tell.”
For example, instead of just talking about your strengths and weaknesses, you can talk about a time when your strengths helped you achieve an essential professional milestone or when your weaknesses impeded you.
You can highlight your strength of working under pressure by stating a time when you were able to finish a client’s business proposal despite a last-minute change of plans. You can express how your weakness of stage-fright prevented you from delivering a well-planned presentation to your satisfaction.
Don’t Exaggerate
Recruiters can sense exaggerations from more than a mile away. If you claim to have done something so big, they may doubt you. So, unless you have done something that big, you have no business biting more than you can chew.
Be Brief
Brevity is indeed a virtue. No one expects you to take an eternity to talk about your strengths and weaknesses. Here’s how you can maintain a precise response:
Discuss only the strength relevant to the job and the weakness that doesn’t affect the job.
Give an answer that the listeners can summarize in their minds and associate with you.
An attention-grabbing CV with your strengths and weaknesses can also help you to attract a Recruiter of Your Choice for getting a job. Let’s Get Started with Reventify CV Builder, The No.1 CV Builder in Nigeria.
Four Practical Examples of Presenting Your Strength and Weaknesses
Strengths:
I have strong writing skills and can communicate complex ideas and details in easily digestible pieces. This, coupled with my three years of experience as a technical writer at Aquasure, has made many differences in my professional life. After my third year at the company, I was promoted to an editorial position. My new role helped me to improve my editing skills as well.
Without a doubt, my leadership skills are one of my greatest strengths. When I was a department help, I merged two teams and organized training programs for them. As a result of the training and guidance, we increased sales by 10% after our first month as a new team.
Weaknesses:
I struggle with delegating essential tasks because I fear the tasks will not be executed flawlessly. This increases my workload and puts me under much pressure. So, I’ve gotten around to using software to assign these tasks and also track their completion. This has helped me to focus more on my tasks and trust my co-workers to complete other tasks.
I often struggle with negative criticism and, after receiving one, can become obsessed with perfecting my work. Of course, I appreciate the guidance from supervisors; I just have to learn to be less harsh on myself.
Final Thoughts
Practice! Practice! Practice! With a practical and diligent approach to the tips above, you are off to a great and practical interview session with your employees. So, what are your strengths? And what are your greatest weaknesses?
With over half a billion users, LinkedIn is one of the most efficient specialized networking platforms. Basically, it allows users to build strong and valuable connections with key decision-makers in their industry and access exciting job opportunities.
However, not every LinkedIn user gets job offers from recruiters. In fact, one could be on LinkedIn for over a decade without attracting their choice recruiters – or any recruiter for that matter.
While those who get multiple job offers may be seen as “lucky” or in a “high-demand” niche, it is not necessarily. People who attract recruiters and get various offers on LinkedIn know something that many others don’t. But what do they know?
How to Attract Any Recruiter of Your Choice on LinkedIn
So, how can you attract the recruiters of your choice on LinkedIn? The answer? Well, it all boils down to the first impression they have about you in the split second that they glance at your headline on LinkedIn. It works in the same way a news headline determines whether you read the news or ditch it.
Now, this points us to something: that people who attract recruiters on LinkedIn are no smarter than you. But they know how to create catchy LinkedIn headlines powerful enough to attract iron filings as a magnet does.
That said, attracting recruiters of your choice starts with your ability to write irresistible, killer headlines on LinkedIn. Much like the news headline, getting noticed and landing interviews on LinkedIn begins with your LinkedIn headline.
An attention-grabbing Cv also helps to attract a Recruiter of Your Choice for getting a job. Let’s Get Started with Reventify CV Builder, The No.1 Resume Builder in Nigeria.
Why So Much Fuss About LinkedIn Headlines?
So, why is your LinkedIn headline so important? The answer is probably already apparent. Your headline on LinkedIn is the first thing that people get to see after your name. Interestingly, many hiring managers view people’s LinkedIn profiles even if they didn’t apply for a position via LinkedIn!
Your headline on LinkedIn stands as an essential element. And it gives you a pivotal opportunity to make an excellent first impression and entice the reader to want to know more about you. So it’s super important to get it right.
Therefore, you must strive to make a good impression with your headline. Thus, in this article, I’ll show you 15 hard-hitting, irresistible LinkedIn headline examples for job seekers and expound on how to write them.
Features of the Best and Catchy LinkedIn Headlines
Your LinkedIn headline allows you to sell yourself.
The sweet spot for LinkedIn headlines is about 120-characters (with spaces) – about 18 words. So, the trick here is to condense your character, valuable skills, and unique experiences into 18 – 22 words.
But before we dive deep into the subject at hand, it’s important to highlight some features so that we don’t get lost at sea. Therefore, keep in mind that the best LinkedIn headlines have a few things in common.
A good LinkedIn headline must:
Show your skills and expertise (what you do)
Include your current or past job titles, especially if they are relevant to the job you’re pursuing now.
Communicate the value you bring to a new employer (why they should employ you)
Include at least one keyword or phrase for the type of job you want.
Demonstrate something unique to make your LinkedIn profile stand out
People find it hard to resist unique information.
With this unique formula, you’ll have a catchy LinkedIn headline that grabs the attention you need. It’s easy.
The LinkedIn Catchy Headline Formula
Here’s a simple technique and necessary focus points to help you write the perfect LinkedIn headline.
Job Title
It would be best if you started your headline by stating your job title. You can choose to communicate your area of expertise or specialization instead. This step drives at what it is that you do. You can put your most recent job title if you’re currently employed.
Company Name
State the company you work for. This shows that you’re committed to your employer. You should skip this step if you’re currently unemployed. Instead, focus on your unique selling point with the extra character space.
Unique Selling Point
Use this section to stand out by describing what makes you unique. For example, your USP could be your achievements, ability to solve particular problems, years of experience, etc. Here’s an example of a USP in a LinkedIn headline:
‘Saving companies over $5M since 2010
This is a practical example of how you can make your headline stand out just by creatively describing how you can add value to your prospective employer.
Keywords
Make sure your LinkedIn headline has relevant keywords. Using keywords help you to rank in organic search. So, if you want the hiring managers to visit your profile, ensure your headline is keyword optimized. More often than not, the essential keyword is your job title.
If you’re a project manager with a USP in financial management skills, you can add ‘financial management to your headline. Let’s consider this:
‘Project Manager | DataCom | Delivering 10 M+ Projects for 7+ Years | Financial Management Specialist.’
By inserting “financial management” into the headline, this project manager will rank in a financial management search.
How Recent Grads and Entry-Level Job Seekers Can Approach their LinkedIn Headlines
If you’re a fresh graduate with no experience in your industry, I’d recommend using this headline formula:
Recent ___ graduate with a focus in ___, ___, and ___.”
LinkedIn headline examples entry-level and for fresh graduates:
“Recent Finance graduate with a focus in financial analysis, reporting, and auditing.”
However, if you’re a recent graduate with some relevant work experience (including internship or part-time work), you should highlight that in your LinkedIn headline. That’s some experience and value that employers will care about.
LinkedIn Headline Examples for Job Seekers
LinkedIn Headline Example 1
C.E.O| ESH Enterprise | 50% company growth In 7 years | Built Scalable & Sustainable Organizational-wide processes for 5,000 entrepreneurs.
LinkedIn Headline Example 2
Result-driven Sales Development Manager | Help Startups Generate over 50% ROI In 2 Months Without Spending A Dime on Ads.
LinkedIn Headline Example 3
Public Relations and Marketing Leader | Strategic Problem Solver |Over 60% ROI in 100+ Marketing Campaign for a Dozen Companies
LinkedIn Headline Example 4
Recent Finance Graduate with A Focus in Financial Analysis, Reporting, and Auditing | Proven Competence in Financial Budgeting.
LinkedIn Headline Example 5
Executive Assistant | Increased stakeholders retention rate by 52.1% | ability to lead and organize teammates for maximum productivity.
LinkedIn Headline Example 6
17 New Public Accounting Jobs |Review and Edit Resumes| 80% Guarantee of Getting Your Dream Job.
LinkedIn Headline Example 7
Helping B2B Sales Executive 10x Pipeline Growth | Generating New Leads | Reach Your Sales Target Within 3 Months.
LinkedIn Headline Example 8
Freelance Product Designer | 50+ Satisfied Clients | Expert in Photoshop, Sketch, and Wire Framing | High Converting Product Designs.
LinkedIn Headline Example 9
B2B Inside Sales Rep | $ 1.2m Profit Margin In 2019 | Generated Sales with over 32% ROI for 20+ Companies.
LinkedIn Headline Example 10
Positioning Businesses at the Apex of Their Industry for 10+ Years | Transformation Specialist and Manager.
LinkedIn Headline Example 11
CPM – Certified product manager | 5+ years’ experience in creating value from data | Products used by 5m+ users Worldwide.
LinkedIn Headline Example 12
Public Speaker | Co-operate Communication Strategist | Turning Complex Ideas into Simple Concepts using Effective Communication Techniques.
LinkedIn Headline Example 13
CRO Specialist | Ex. Company | 14% Conversion Increase in 2019 | Using Data & Analytics to Generate Growth for 10 Years.
LinkedIn Headline Example 14
Bestselling Author of the “Passion” Self-Help Book | 8 Million Copies Sold | Former Journalist | Content Marketer
LinkedIn Headline Example 15
Digital Ads manager | 7+ years’ experience | managing 7-figure ads budget for fortune 500 companies | result-oriented (55% ROI in less than 12 months).
Additional Tip: Always take the pain to ensure your LinkedIn profile and headline are consistent with your CV. Remember that recruiters often view LinkedIn profiles immediately after the CV.
Creating a catchy headline is also important in your CV to increase the chances of getting a job. Create your CV today with the No.1 CV Maker in Nigeria at Reventify.
It’s Time to Write Your Catchy LinkedIn Headline!
Now, it’s time to put this info to use! Plug your information into the LinkedIn headline examples for job seekers above and tweak it. If you follow the LinkedIn headline tips above, you’ll have a headline that gets noticed in job searches and land more jobs.
You gave a job interview a few days back, but the “uncertainty” of the result is killing you. You can’t figure out whether you nailed it or failed it. It is easier to deal with a negative result and move on, but only if someone tells you sooner. That wait after a job interview is simply driving you crazy.
How should you tell which way did the job interview go? Are there signs that can help you make an estimated guess? YES. There are signs that you can look out for to know whether you aced the interview or not.
Let’s look at the positive signs that tell you aced the job interview.
Second round interview request – Congratulations on passing the first interview round! You deserve a pat on your back. If you receive a request to come for the second-round interview, it is a good sign. It means you meet the core requirements of the job, and the interviewer liked you. Now, they want to assess whether you are the best fit for the team.
Call back after the interview to ask for further questions – You receive a call back after the interview to either share some more details about the job role or ask you about your comfort level with some aspects of the job. They are spending more time to get to know you better reveals they are genuinely interested in hiring you.
Small talk at the end of the interview – While a job interview is supposed to be related to your professional experience. Still, sometimes the interviewers ask questions to get to know you better as a person. If the conversation turns to small talk, it is a sign that they feel you are a potential fit.
The hiring manager reveals the next steps – The hiring manager tells you about the next steps after the interview. Usually, hiring managers make further plans with strong candidates, so they are prepared accordingly.
The interviewer sells you the position in the second half of the interview – After asking about your skills and experiences, the interviewer starts talking about the company’s performance and future plans, why people love working here, and how the job role will contribute to the company’s success. All this suggests that the interviewer is trying to “sell” the position to you. The interviewer won’t be “selling” to you unless they intend to hire you for the position.
The interview goes beyond the scheduled time – Interviewers have a tight schedule. But, if your interview runs longer than the expected time, it means the interviewer is cutting into their agenda to talk to you because they feel you are the right fit for the job. That’s a good thing.
Request for references – This is an obvious sign. Usually, a reference check is done for serious contenders, and references are not asked until the offer is ready to be made. If there is a request for references, the employer is interested in moving to the next step.
Proposed to meet another senior member of the team after the interview – This is something not done to every candidate being interviewed. If the interviewer asks you to meet another senior member of the team after the interviewer, it means they are impressed with you. It’s equivalent to bringing you aboard the team.
You were escorted out of the building – Not every interview candidate gets this courtesy. Of course, not the ones that the interviewer doesn’t expect to see again. If you are being escorted out of the building, it means the interview wants to build a rapport and leave you with a good impression of them. It’s like they are trying to impress, so you choose to join them.
References are contacted – This is a very good sign. It means you are one of the top choices for the job position. They are taking up the reference check to reinforce their decision.
Alright, maybe you didn’t get to witness many of these positive signs. That’s okay. Sometimes, we aren’t the best selves or external factors that hamper our chances of sailing through the job interview. Not to worry. There will be more interviews and jobs out there.
After reading these positive signs, you aren’t confident about the status of your job interview. Continue reading below. I have listed the negative signs that show you didn’t ace the interview and don’t keep your hopes too high.
Not making much effort to answer your questions in depth – If you asked a question but only received a cursory response. It means that the interviewer isn’t much interested in answering your question and isn’t too inclined to create a good impression or sell the job to you. This is a strong indicator that you aren’t getting the job.
The entire interview seemed rushed – The interviewer hurried through the interview questions or cut it short. This shows the interviewer does not see this interview as a value add, and he/she doesn’t want to waste your time or his/her.
The interviewer’s energy reduced after some time – Well, the interviewer was enthusiastic at the beginning of the interview, but after a couple of questions, you can feel the initial energy has drained down. This means your skills and accomplishments aren’t fit for the job.
The interviewer spent too much time on qualities that you don’t have – The interviewers want to know the candidate’s qualities that can prove to be beneficial for the job and company. You felt like a loser during the interview because the interview kept harping on qualities you don’t have. If you are feeling this way, how do you expect the interviewer to be impressed with you.
You never got a response to your post-interview email – Almost every single candidate who was interviewed for a job position sends a thank you email to the hiring manager. Most of the time, hiring managers respond to people they are interested in hiring. If they aren’t hiring you, they won’t be sure what to say to you, and also, they won’t want to get into any conversation that makes them look awkward later on.
The interviewer mentions they are looking into other candidates – If the interviewer considers you as the best person for the job, they won’t be thinking or talking about another candidate. The mere mention that they are looking into other candidates is a sign that they aren’t leaning in to hire you.
No mention of next steps – The interviewer didn’t tell you the next steps after the interview. “We’ll get back to you” is a polite way of saying you aren’t moving to the next stage in the hiring process.
When you picture yourself working in a job, what visual comes to your mind?
Sitting at a desk and writing a magazine article,
Sanding at a construction site supervising workers, or
Speaking on the phone answering customer queries?
So, you know your dream job, but not sure how to get it. You want to build a career that channelizes your passion and brings you a good income.
The path to your dream job won’t happen on its own. Getting this dream job and building a dream career needs the proper planning and guidance. It requires time and effort in the right direction.
This is the only article you need to read to land a fantastic job. Getting a job requires seven steps only. I have outlined these seven steps in this article. Well, I have included links to other articles that further deep dive into each specific step.
Let’s get started.
1. Personal profile evaluation and career plan
This is the first step. A personal profile is a self-reflection tool that puts together your interests, values, skills, aspirations, and strengths and weaknesses. It describes who you are, what are your values, and what type of jobs are the best fit for your skills. Personal profile and career plan are helpful in making career decisions whether you are finding your first job or trying to build a rewarding career.
Use this toolkit to Create A Career Plan that’s a good fit for your personal and professional interests.
2. Job Research and Informational Interviews
With the vast amount of information available on the internet, you gain first-hand knowledge about various jobs. It is essential to do job research so that you can widen your perspective about possible career paths. If you’ve studied biology, you can choose to be a teacher, wildlife biologist, researcher, health & nutritionist. To make the right career decision, you need to know the possible career paths and what each one takes.
Two good sites that give details of many jobs are Totaljobs and Prospects. There are more than 200 job profiles listed on each of these sites. Take out some time to go through the different job profiles and see if anything catches your interest.
Apart from job research on the internet, you can also do informational interviews. Now, you’ll ask what informational interviews are? An informational interview is a conversation between a job seeker and a professional from a specific career field to gain insights into the job, industry, and company.
Informational interviews need not take place in the professional’s office. You can talk in a café, over the phone, or on Skype.
You must be wondering where to find these professionals. It isn’t tough. Think about all the people you’ve met in the past, maybe through your friends, cousins, and other family members. Contact them.
LinkedIn is another good way to connect with professionals. Don’t expect everyone will respond to your request for an informational interview. But, if you approach in a mature and professional way, most people will do.
I really liked these two articles that give detailed instructions on how to conduct informational interviews:
Remember, the objective of informational interviewing is to get information and advice, not a job. So, don’t ask for a job.
3. Networking with recruiters and HR managers
Do you feel shy about staying in touch with recruiters and HR managers because it makes you feel like a pest?
That’s wrong thinking. Recruiters and HR managers appreciate people who stay in touch with them in a positive and professional way. Of course, if you crib about your current job and keep asking about new job openings, you may come across as a pest. Don’t do that!
If your request for an interaction looks like this, “Hi, I don’t know you but would love to work at your company. Are there any openings for me?” it would definitely meet with a cold response.
There are other constructive ways to network with recruiters and HR managers.
Build an ongoing long-term relationship that goes beyond getting a job. Show the recruiters and hiring managers that you genuinely value your relationship with them.
Connect with them on social media and participate in discussions.
Share your knowledge about different topics.
Join LinkedIn Groups of your interest, and be an active participant in discussions.
When you submit your resume, it is first filtered by an Applicant Tracking System software (ATS) to check whether or not it matches the job requirements. After the ATS, your resume undergoes a 7-second quick scan by the recruiter. It’s only after these two stages that your resume qualifies for the first round of interview.
So, what should you do to get your resume to pass the ATS and 7-second recruiter scan?
Customize your resume for the job position you are applying to show you are a good fit and deserve further consideration.
Don’t worry. There is no need to do a complete overhaul for every job opening. All you need to do is identify the keywords in the job ad and make sure you include those keywords in your CV.
A customized CV tells the recruiter that you have the specific skills and knowledge for the job position.
Wherever possible, do submit a cover letter with your resume. A cover letter is something that is read even before the recruiter opens up your resume attached in the email. This is the point of the first impression and make it a good one.
Instead of reiterating what’s already there in your CV, use a cover letter to highlight your interest in the role and how your skills and experience add value to the company’s culture and performance.
Learn more about how to write a winning cover letter
Are hiring managers different from recruiters? YES
A recruiter is the one who manages the hiring process like screening CVs, scheduling interviews, and sending offers.
A hiring manager is the one who is from the same department in which the new employee is to be hired. The hiring manager is the final decision maker who decides whether to hire or reject a candidate.
Many job seekers are caught in the dilemma of whether to connect or not connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn. Let me tell you from experience it is perfectly fine, rather useful to connect directly with the hiring manager on LinkedIn.
When you take out time to introduce yourself and explain your interest in the company, it shows how proactive and professional you are. Hiring managers appreciate a candidate who goes beyond the normal to stand out from the crowd.
No job process is without an interview. The thought of an upcoming job interview makes most job seekers nervous and anxious. Nailing a job interview isn’t as tough as you may think. I know the struggle the job interviews present. With the right strategy and proper practice, you can ace any job interview.
It is not just the words that you speak in an interview, but the non-verbal cues like a confident smile, handshake, and eye contact, that matter too.
From greeting the receptionist before the interview to sending a thank you email to the interviewer post-interview, you need to follow some simple steps to get the desired results.
A well-written CV can present you as a good contender for a job. It is not just ‘what to include’, but also ‘what not to include’ on your CV that can make or break you chance of winning the job. There are certain things that aren’t meant to be on a CV. If you include them, you are giving the hiring manager/recruiter reasons to knock off your application even before they give it a thorough review.
Basically, any information that shows you are not qualified, not professional, or not motivated enough to do the job should be left out. Let’s see what these pieces of information that you should never include on your CV are.
Unnecessary personal details
There’s no need to include personal information such as marital status, sexual orientation, age, birth date, photograph, or spiritual beliefs. Such personal details only clutter your document. Moreover, these details don’t affect your ability to the job. Still, they may trigger a negative stereotype in the recruiter/hiring manager, which may hinder your chances of moving to the next step in the hiring process.
Keep out any information that doesn’t tell the hiring manager or recruiter about the skills and competencies you will bring to the job. If you’re unsure whether to include a detail about yourself on your resume, consider if the information is relevant to the job you’re targeting. If it doesn’t demonstrate your qualifications for the role, it doesn’t belong on your resume.
Unrelated skills and certifications
Leave off any skills you have that are not related in any way to the job. Your resume needs to be as lean as possible. To accomplish that goal, you should only list the information that clearly showcases your potential employee value.
Any unrelated skills and certifications will cloud your core skills and detract or confuse the hiring manager/recruiter.
If you apply to many very different jobs, consider creating a unique resume for each job type. This will help you avoid including skills that are not relevant to a position.
Generic hobbies
Generic hobbies on resume are a strict ‘NO’.
When to include a hobby? You may include hobbies that either show you have some transferable skills for the job or emphasize your unique personality and help you stand out from the crowd.
At the most, you may include hobbies that are professionally relevant. For example, if you are applying for the job of a writer or editor, an interest in blog writing; or if you are applying for the job as a digital marketer an interest in photography, graphic designing or visual arts.
The basic premise is that if you are putting any hobbies in your resume, they must show an interest or devotion to the job that you are applying to get.
Generic hobbies like reading, watching Netflix, or watching sports are of no value because they neither demonstrate your personality nor allow your potential employer to see the type of person you are. Instead, these low productivity activities show you lazy.
Are there are any hobbies that you can include on your resume?
Yes. If you have a unique hobby that demonstrates a specific competency, you must include it on your resume.
For example, if you compete in team sports (like football, basketball), it tells the hiring manager that you are a team player, competitive and disciplined.
Some other hobbies that you can include on your resume are:
Playing an instrument because it shows your willingness to learn, dedication and focus.
If you are applying for a job in the creative industry, photography is a great hobby to include. It shows your sense of aesthetics.
Fluency in a foreign or regional language also shows a strong depth of knowledge, ability to learn, and respect for diversity.
Do you volunteer to help out in your local area or take part in community initiatives? Mention it on your resume. It shows your ability to work for the larger good. Plus, volunteering activities also help foster skills like communication, customer service, budgeting, and empathy that are useful in jobs.
References/testimonials
Does the bottom line in your resume outline references and their contact information? Or, have you added that great testimonial from a previous employer, peer, or customer?
If yes, delete it immediately. You must be thinking that these people (your references) can back up everything you mention on your resume, or the testimonials will impress the hiring manager.
However, there is one dig – no one is really interested in reading these references and testimonials in your resume! All that they want to see in your resume is whether you are qualified and experienced enough to move to interview stage.
References and testimonials on resumes are redundant. References are more commonly called after your interviews have gone well, and the employer is in the final stages of deciding whether or not to offer you the job. For many employers, references are used to confirm many of the positive attributes they observed during the interview and to verify details of your work history that you may have shared. For this reason, they aren’t typically a part of the application or early interview process. If you pass the interview stage, the employer will anyways conduct the background checks and directly ask you to provide references. Testimonials are readily available on LinkedIn. So, there is no need to add it to your resume.
Most employers prefer a one-page resume. This means the space on the resume is already limited. Instead of filling it with redundant references and testimonials, you should add some additional achievements and skills relevant to the job. In general, unless asked, don’t put references on your resume.
Average class of degree or GPA
So, you studied hard in high school or college and are very proud of your GPA. That’s great! But GPA scores not always look that great on resumes.
Generally, employers don’t even factor in GPA at all.
GPA on a resume makes sense if you have recently graduated from college and have a GPA score of above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Employers understand that recent graduates have little to no work experience to document their workplace skills. This why they regard exceptional GPAs as high achievement and a sign of similar performance in the future.
So, put GPA on resumes if you are newly entering the job market and have a GPA of 3.0 and above. However, if your GPA is less than 3.0, you may hurt your chances of getting shortlisted for the interview. In that case, isn’t it better not to include it at all?
What if you have some work experience?
The thumb rule is if you have been working for five years of more, GPA loses its charm. Your work experience and skills that you’ve acquired speak more than your old GPA. Let go of the academic success to make way for your recent accomplishments at work.
Showing a GPA even after five years of work experience shows you immature. Definitely, that’s not what you want to showcase to your potential employer.
Attach personal documents
Some job seekers go overboard in showing their excitement and seriousness for getting the job. So, they attach personal documents like date of birth certificate, photo, marriage certificate, academic reports, past salary receipts, and bonus and promotion letters from the previous employers. They do this hoping that the hiring manager will open each of these documents to confirm the details mentioned in the resume.
For a moment, consider yourself as a hiring manager who has received 135 emails in response to a job ad you’d posted. You need to go through each email to download the resumes and enter the basic details of each individual applicant in a spreadsheet. You have finished 65 emails, and there are still 70 more to go in the next 3 hours. You opened this one email which has a long list of some random documents attached. Would you skim through the documents to determine which one is the resume or just close this email to move on to the next one?
In most scenarios, the hiring manager would delete this email and move on to the next one. Therefore, you must understand that the hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes for each job posting. They don’t have so much time to spend on every resume. It’s only the 7-second scan at the first level to shortlist the resumes for the interview.
If they need any additional documents, they will ask you to bring them with you on the day of the interview. Bombarding them with so much uninvited information is only going to work against your chances.
Negative comments about your former employer
Did you leave your last job on a bad note? Or, are you still dissatisfied with your current position? You blame your former or current employer for your dissatisfaction and want to put that in your resume. STOP. Don’t do that.
You might think there’s nothing wrong with being honest, but that’s where you’re wrong. It makes you look unprofessional and untrustworthy, regardless of circumstances.
Whatever issues you had with your former employer, that’s all in the past. Putting that negative comment in the resume won’t change things. Negative comments will only create negative vibes. Instead you should focus on the present, exciting possibilities in the future and how best you can prove your candidature for the job.
Hiring managers view grammatical errors or spelling mistakes as signs of poor language skills and lack of attention to detail. Anything that indicates these on your resume will be considered as signs of a ‘bad candidate’. And, no hiring manager wants to hire a ‘bad candidate’.
The most common grammatical and spelling errors on resumes are:
Mixing up words like “there” and “their”, “two”, “too”, and “to”, or “you’re and “your”, that sound alike but with different spellings and meanings.
Wrong use of apostrophes, especially in plural words. For instance, “supervised a team of 10 employee’s”, here employees is a plural word.
Inconsistent tenses. Switching between past and present tenses throughout the resume looks unprofessional and sloppy.
Subject-verb agreement. When writing sentences for your resume, pay special attention that the subject matches the verb in number and person. These mistakes usually get overlooked.
Wrong punctuation
Random capitalization of words and phrases
Before you submit your CV for the job, take some time to proofread it at least 2-3 times. You may ask a friend or relative who has good language skills to check it for you.
Conclusion
When preparing your resume, make sure your skills, experience, and achievements stand out. Show the recruiter/hiring manager what you could bring to the job. Avoid giving in to the temptation of including wrong and irrelevant information just to embellish your CV. Pay attention to the grammar and spelling. Make sure your resume is error-free. Now that you know what not to include in your CV, take a second look at your resume to make sure it has all the right elements pitch you as the right candidate for the job.
When it comes to salary negotiations, many job candidates don’t know what to ask for and end up leaving money on the table. You don’t have to be one of them. In this article, you will understand how to approach salary negotiations when switching jobs to ensure a better salary.
Data on how a small yearly salary can impact lifetime earnings
Sometimes it is tempting to accept the first job offer that comes your way. But you must know that even a smaller salary can impact your lifetime earnings. It is like a ripple effect. Salary raises and bonuses are given as a percentage of salary, so what you consider as a small difference in the amount compounds to become a substantial difference in lifetime earnings.
It’s just like investing – where you start impacts your total return.
According to Linda Babcock of Carnegie Mellon University, if you don’t negotiate your job offer at the beginning of your career, you lose anywhere between USD 1 million to USD 1.5 million over your lifetime.
Another recent study estimated that a difference of $5000 (1903750 NGN) early in your career could end up costing you as much as $600,000 (228450000 NGN) over 40 years of employment.
Assume an average annual pay increase of 5%, an employee whose starting annual salary was N8m rather than N6m would earn an additional N173m+ over a 40-year career.
This is really a huge loss. By not negotiating salary, you are limiting your lifetime income potential.
The reason why you have more leverage when an offer is given to you
Once you have the job offer in your hand, you can have more leverage in salary negotiation to get a better outcome.
You should never take the first offer that is given to you. One big mistake most people make is they immediately say “yes” and accept the job offer. That’s completely wrong.
You must formulate a counteroffer to see if you can improve the offer. Ask for a higher amount and prepare your reasons for the ask. Tell why you deserve more. Don’t just say, “Because I am the best person for this role”. Give reasons and substantiate with evidence.
If you have not thought beforehand, buy some time. Don’t feel the rush to accept the first offer. Let the recruiter know that you appreciate the offer but need some time to think about it. Don’t be afraid to buy time.
The recruiter has spent weeks or perhaps even months to reach this stage, and they aren’t going to waste it just for few days. It’s absolutely okay to buy time before reverting on the first job offer. Rather, in this situation you have a stronger bargaining power. Recruitment requires a significant investment of resources from the employer. By this time, they are happy that it’s almost over and they are going to get the ‘perfect’ person for the job. Most of the time, they won’t mind giving a bit more salary instead of starting all over again. Plus, this might also get them thinking if you have offers from other employers, and they won’t want to lose you to another company. Also, you must know that most companies set aside money with the expectation that candidates will ask for better compensation packages.
Salary bias between men and women
Although women have made significant inroads in the corporate world, they still face salary bias. There are relative differences in the average gross earnings of men and women within an economy. In 2009, UNDP observes that between 1985 and 2008, inequality in Nigeria worsened from 0.43 to 0.49, placing the country among those with the world’s highest inequality levels. Despite its vast resources, Nigeria ranks among the most unequal countries in the world.
In the past three decades, women in Nigeria have made notable gains in participation in the workplace, including increased labour force participation, substantial gains in educational attainment, employment growth in higher-paying occupations, and significant gains in real earnings. However, notwithstanding these gains, there is still pay gap between males and females across almost all occupations in favour of men.
Women tend to be subject to negative stereotypes concerning their work-related competencies. Women feel less worthy and less entitled to higher pay. The gender wage gap appears to widen as employees climb up the career ladder. They are less likely to negotiate for pay raises – and those who do so may be perceived as pushy.
A study revealed that when men and women get their job offers, only about 7% women attempted to negotiate, while 57% of men did.
Why women don’t negotiate their compensation as much as men
In a survey, 60% of women said they’ve never negotiated with an employer for pay. This raises the question WHY? Aren’t women confident enough to negotiate their compensation?
Most women want to be viewed as hard-working and trustworthy rather than as greedy and selfish. They expect that “one day” someone is going to walk up to them and make them a better offer. They shouldn’t “ask”. That’s how they are conditioned – sacrifice your value in exchange for everyone’s good, with the optimism that others will appreciate their act with “respect,” “love” and “gift.”
Women are more reluctant to negotiate. Women attach a significantly greater social cost with negotiation for higher pay. They get nervous about negotiating for higher pay because they are intuiting that this will create a socially difficult situation for them. However, men aren’t anxious about overplaying their hand and alienating their negotiating counterparts.
Understand the Psychology of negotiating
What is negotiation?
Negotiation refers to discussions between parties who have opposing but also some shared preferences and interests to reach an agreement on important issues. It’s all about using effective communication skills to reach a mutually beneficial decision for both parties.
There are five approaches to negotiation
Competition (I win, you lose)
Avoidance (I lose, you lose)
Accommodating (I lose, you win)
Collaboration (You win, you lose)
Compromise (I win some and lose some)
In the case of salary negotiations, both parties have a common interest and long-term relationship ahead, so what do you do in this situation? You want to take a decision that satisfies all concerned parties and gain strong commitment from both sides. So, ‘collaboration’ is the best strategy where both parties win – the employer gets a talented and committed employee, and you get the best possible employment terms.
So, how do you negotiate for a successful outcome?
In their 1983 classic, Getting to yes – Negotiating agreement without giving in, Roger Fisher and William Ury described four principles of effective negotiation.
Separate people from problem – We tend to become personally involved, so we view the recruiter’s or hiring manager’s resistance to our proposed salary figure as a ‘personal attack’. When you separate yourself and your ego from the issue at hand, you’ll be better able to address the problem.
Focus on interests, not positions – Most time, people waste time focusing on getting their way or finding a compromise point between them. You should try to understand the employer’s underlying interests and motivations – why do they hold the position that they do? For example, when the recruiter asks, “How soon can you join?” their intent is not to put pressure on you, but they need someone to start as soon as possible (probably the position is lying vacant for a long time). Propose solutions that meet their interests – how you’ll bring value with your skillset, knowledge, past experience, and right attitude. Clearly explain the salary figure you have in mind.
Invent options for mutual gain – You need to avoid falling into a win-lose approach: If you get a higher salary, the employer loses, or if you don’t get a higher salary, you lose. Instead, consider the whole deal. For example, if the employer can’t agree to a salary increase, ask for an additional joining bonus or propose joining early if they can extend a salary increase.
Insist on using objective criteria – Instead of arguing on the facts, use objective criteria to settle the differences. For example, you can state the market rate for the particular job position, skills, and number of years of experience.
Do your research on what the company can offer?
Information is power. Do as much research as possible about the company, its employees, and their salaries. This will help you get a benchmark of salaries paid by the company.
Search the Internet
Use your personal network
Connect with other employees of the company through LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter
This will help you come prepared for the salary negotiation.
Some good websites can provide salary information of the people working in the companies.
Glassdoor.com
Payscale.com
Salary.com
You can check individual companies and see the salaries that people in specific positions have earned and the reviews by past and current employees of the companies. Of course, you won’t get exact details, but it would help you set a benchmark to determine what the company should pay you.
Usually, all companies have a salary range for each job grade. Also, don’t feel shy to ask the recruiter about the typical salary range for a position you are being offered.
Include non-monetary compensation by thinking of your recurrent expenses
Even though we say cash is king, we know there is more to the story: the cash alone. Sometimes, the base pay might not be very high, but if you feature in health insurance and a generous retirement plan, it becomes a meaty amount. Non-monetary compensation can equal almost 30-40% of the value of the cash compensation. So, evaluate the non-monetary compensation by thinking of your recurrent expenses.
Non-monetary compensation includes different things like free lunch, free coffee, free transportation, flex-time schedules, onsite childcare, discounted parking, retirement plan, gym membership or onsite gym, in-office Zumba, annual health checkup, and medicare. These can significantly reduce your household expenses.
Negotiation is a two-way street
Negotiation is a two-way street, a give and take exercise. When negotiating, you discuss and not argue. Make sure both the parties are speaking as well as listening in equal amounts.
Keep your composure, and don’t let emotions take over. Pay attention to the face expressions and gestures to assess what the other person is feeling and adjust your language and tone to proceed.
Let the recruiter/hiring manager know that you understand their point of view and how your solution can benefit them. Avoid negative statements like “You are wrong….” “That’s not right….” This may put them on the defensive and may break the negotiation.
Discuss compensation only when you have an offer and not before
A common mistake of candidates for a job is trying to negotiate before they are assured a job offer. Never try to negotiate salary before you have received the written job offer from the employer. The key here is to make sure that a written offer is sent to you by email before you begin any salary discussion. The written job offer serves as evidence that the employer definitely wants you. If the approval is only verbal, a salary negotiation should be put on hold.
Avoid providing any reference to your current or last compensation structure during the and after the interview process
The recruiter might ask you about your current or last compensation structure. What should you do?
You may think that you may appear as a “good” person by giving this information but STOP. It doesn’t benefit you in any way and, it isn’t mandatory to share this information. For one, your salary is a confidential employment agreement you signed with your current employer. Secondly, this cannot be a benchmark for the new job role you are being interviewed.
The new job role might be with greater responsibilities than your last job, or you are making a transition to a larger company. In this sense, if you share your current or past salary details, you might set a very low benchmark for them. This will weaken your bargaining power when the time comes to negotiate salary.
So, what should you do?
When asked about salary history, the best thing is to share information regarding the relevant job position’s market value rather than your salary history. This will tell what you are worth.
If the company pushes you for a more detailed response, give a similar response in different ways. Tell the company, with all due respect, that you don’t think your salary history should affect your prospective salary future at a different company – especially if it’s in a different industry. You could try deflecting the question to focus on what the new job requires and why the old pay would not be a good match.
Why shouldn’t you be negotiating via email?
Congratulations! You got the job offer via email. Pat yourself on the back, and celebrate.
Salary negotiations are emotionally draining. Most people want to avoid doing it on the phone or in-person, so they chose “email” as the best bet. It is a bad idea. If you are going to request a salary increase, flex time, or additional vacation days, it should be done as an open dialog between you and the employer. Writing a list of demands on an email seems like “extortion”.
It’s not a one-day interaction, but (hopefully) an ongoing relationship. Neither you nor the employer wants it to start with any sour feelings.
All that you should do is write a short and sweet email that conveys three things
Acknowledge of the job offer
Enthusiasm for the job
Request for an appropriate time to discuss a few details
Generally speaking, “it’s better to do in person or over the phone. Negotiating in person gives you the opportunity to adjust the script based on the feedback you’re receiving from the hiring manager – not to mention his or her body language, which can be a big tip-off.
Conclusion
Negotiation is a skill. Most people switch jobs to earn a better income. But, if you can’t skillfully negotiate your salary, the switch is nothing but a ‘façade’. Whether you are a man or a woman, you must be adept in the art of salary negotiation to get what you deserve. By not negotiating properly, you are doing a great disservice to your skills and values. So, learn, practice, and develop the skills of salary negotiations when switching jobs.
Are you about to start your career, and are you confused about taking a startup or a corporate job? Should you join a big corporate like Shell, Nestle, Mobil or Standard Chartered Bank, or go for a startup like Stripe, Andela, or Uber?
While startups are known for their flexible and innovative culture, a corporate job promises stability and work-life balance. Both paths are different in their benefits and challenges. So, how do you pick between the two?
Don’t just look at the job position, salary, and perks, the type of organization you join is also important. The key is finding the right work environment where you can thrive.
This article will present an in-depth analysis of a career in startups and corporations to help you make a well-informed decision.
1. Definition of a startup versus corporate jobs
There is an explosion of startups in Nigeria. Yabacon Valley in Lagos is Nigeria’s answer to Silicon Valley. Young tech companies are burgeoning everywhere. As these startups attract funding, they are looking to hire more employees.
But, the first question is, what is a startup?
Investopedia defines a startup as a young company founded by one or more entrepreneurs to develop a unique product or service and bring it to market.
Well, there isn’t any solid ground to define a startup in terms of the number of employees, revenues, and profits. All these may vary between companies and industries.
According to Paul Graham, founder of Y Combinator, “a startup is a company designed to grow fast.” A startup is meant to scale quickly. ‘Unconstrained growth’ is the ambition of startups. A restaurant, florist, a franchise, or a local business are not startups.
Have you seen those co-working spaces occupied by hoodie-wearing youngsters with eyes fixed on a screen? That’s a startup. Typically, the term startup is associated with a business that is technology-oriented and has high growth potential. Thanks to Nigeria’s budding tech ecosystem, the startup community is growing beyond Lagos.
Here are some characteristics of a startup job:
In a startup, nothing is set in stone. There aren’t any best practices, policies, or processes. It’s like “chaos” or “organized chaos” at best. You are expected to maneuver your way around. Someone may wake up one day and say, “this isn’t the right way to do it; let’s do something totally different.”
Startups are smaller with fewer employees, enabling them to build great relationships and freely exchange ideas. Few employees, and many projects or tasks. So, what happens in this situation? A person has to wear multiple hats – carry out different tasks other than the stated job responsibilities.
There is no hierarchy or management structure. Everyone is equal. It’s ideas that matter, not the job title. So, you don’t really get promotions and climb up the ladder because there isn’t any ladder (no hierarchy or management structure). Employees are expected to seek satisfaction from implementing new ideas, seeing the product shape up, and getting acceptance in the market.
Hope this gives you some clarity about what is a startup job. Now, let’s try to understand the definition of a corporate job. A corporate job is any job in which you find yourself working in a large company. Such a company is usually considered stable and there is a defined structure with room for career progression.
Corporate jobs are found within businesses with multiple departments that have assigned roles. Corporate jobs have a chain-of-command type of setup. You report to a manager who will have his or her own superior, who in turn will report to another person higher up and so on. So, it depends on where you exist in this hierarchy.
Take a look at the below hierarchy in a corporation
At a very basic level, we can say that startup jobs are more about passion for creating something new, while corporate jobs are about building a career for oneself.
2. The difference between an early-stage startup and a late-stage startup
We usually hear lots of terms related to startups. The two most common ones are ‘early-stage’ and ‘late-stage’ startups.
What is an early-stage startup?
An early-stage startup is the seed stage of a startup. It focuses on product development, gathering market data, building a customer base, and getting enough funding to support the venture.
Early-stage startup faces a unique set of challenges:
As they are trying to find a foothold for themselves in the industry landscape, they face tough competition from existing players.
It isn’t very easy to hire talented employees when you aren’t paying competitive salaries. They look for the right mix of skills and motivation to join their company.
Costs are high, and funding is low. This means early-stage startups have to balance their finances to avoid unnecessary debts.
Building a product that matches the expectations of customers and growing a small customer base to gain scale.
Keep in mind that overcoming all these challenges can take some time. Despite these challenges, early-stage startups are more adaptable and receptive to change. This is like the “true startup” that you have in mind.
What is a late-stage startup?
Late-stage startups have a well-known product with a strong market presence. Their product has successfully penetrated its initial target market, and they are now exploring opportunities to expand into newer markets. Though they take pride in generating a positive cash flow, but viability is still an ongoing concern. It is quite possible the late-stage startup is positioning itself for an acquisition by a bigger corporation or launching their initial public offering (IPO) to secure funds.
Late-stage startups face the following challenges:
The initial excitement about the new product in the market slowly begins to fizzle down. It’s time to infuse something new, but competitors have become aggressive, and expenses will increase. Though a later-stage startup has secured the initial funding, that isn’t enough to scale up.
Along with the founder CEO, new members on the board (investors) want a say in how things are managed. Teams begin to grow, and slowly hierarchy starts forming to give structure.
A late-stage startup slowly begins to resemble a corporate.
More opportunities to learn, as you need to go beyond your job description.
Working in a stimulating work environment where you can create and innovate.
Flexible working hours. Some startups allow employees to work from home, shorter work weeks, and reduced working hours.
Founders and employees work together, and there is no middle management. This means minimal supervision.
Some startups offer cool and interesting perks like casual workplaces, free food, and drinks, gaming zones, gym facilities, etc.
Job satisfaction is much higher when you can feel your contribution to the company’s success.
Just like anything else, working in a startup isn’t without its drawbacks. Here are some cons of a startup job:
Heavy workload. You’ll be expected to work longer hours and maybe even on weekends or holidays
Uncertain job security. Most startups fail within the first three years. So, you will always feel the anxiety of losing your job.
As most startups have limited funds, you won’t earn a big paycheck.
The “unorganized chaos” of startups causes confusion and ambiguity.
Things will constantly be changing, and you’ll be expected to keep pace.
Coming to the pros and cons of a corporate job.
A corporate job certainly has its benefits.
You have a clear path for advancement in the established management structure.
Of course, the salary is good and consists of benefits like health insurance, paid/unpaid leaves, promotions, bonuses, increments, etc.
A good corporate brand name on your CV itself is a big win. It looks impressive for future jobs and makes job change much easier.
You work as part of a big team and share responsibilities with them. So, the accountability of big projects isn’t just yours.
You need not worry about job stability as long as your performance is up to the mark. There are so many departments, functions, and roles that there will always be something suitable for you.
You’ll always have a manager to direct your actions. Plus, there are standardized processes and policies. So, there is lesser ambiguity and chaos.
There are downsides to a corporate job, as well. Let’s see the cons of working in a corporate job.
Corporates are less open to change. You need to follow set processes and policies as well as take multiple approvals to do things. This may lengthen the completion of projects.
Corporate jobs are often criticized for having highly active office politics. So, even though you worked hard to deliver results, you might not always be chosen for promotions.
You are one of hundreds or thousands of employees. You may feel invisible at times.
4. Traits required to work in a startup environment versus a traditional (corporate) job
At the end of the day, both startup and corporate jobs are great places to work and very advantageous for your career. What it comes down to is where you feel most comfortable working.
Traits for working in a startup job
Comfortable working in chaos
Ability to create a bigger impact
Out-of-the-box thinking
Handle high pressure and multi-task
Care more about the team than just your own self
Ability to take risks and experiment
Bring new ideas to the table
Not scared to try out new things
Passionate about your work and learning
If you feel comfortable working through ambiguity, wearing multiple hats, and embracing change, a startup job is a good choice.
Traits for working in a corporate job
Being sharp and able to connect with different people
Honesty and strong work ethic
Ambitious individual career plan
Know how to manage multiple stakeholders
Follow process and instructions
Ability to collaborate across different stakeholders
If you prefer a nine-to-five role with good compensation, you’ll likely enjoy working in a corporate environment.
5. The myths of working for a startup
Well, we agree that a startup job is different from a corporate job. But it isn’t ‘all bad’. Certain perceptions are notoriously created by the big corporates in the job market to avoid losing talent to startups.
Let’s debunk some myths of working for a startup
a. The pay is low
One of the biggest myths of working in a startup job is you’ll have to accept lower pay. Think for a moment – in a big corporate there are so many jobs and departments which are to be paid. The whole HR budget is to be divided among so many people. But, in startups, there are only a handful of people and everyone is making a clear, measurable impact. Smaller teams mean you are much more visible to the founders and the entire capital is to be divided among fewer employees.
b. Working hours are very long
This is a tricky one. Big companies highlight ‘work life balance’ as a norm in their offices, but most corporate employees burn midnight oil to meet their deadlines.
Startup teams are small, and everyone needs to give 200%. You will be working hard and also at unusual hours (before 9 am or after 5 pm), but the difference will be you’ll be doing it not because you are “forced to,” but because you “want to”. Startups give you the freedom to manage your time. Whether you want to work from home a week, take a mid-week off instead of the weekend, or work reduced hours every day but clock-in the remaining hours on a Saturday, everything is possible in a startup. Most startups offer flexibility in schedule, generous paid time off, and the ability to work remotely to help manage life’s challenges.
c. Everyone is under 25
We often hear stories of teenagers becoming entrepreneurs founding companies which leads to a common misconception that all staff are under 25. This is simply not true. Founders hire people for their skills, attitude, passion, and experience. Many startups have employees in their 40s. According to Entrepreneur.com, the founders of most startups are on an average, 45 years old.
d. No job security
Sure, startups are risky, and the fact that not all of them will survive adds to the insecurity. Having said that, we all hear about employees being laid-off as a result of restructuring or poor performance. It happens all the time! So, even though big corporates are well-established, job security isn’t promised anywhere.
e. It’s all chaos
This chaos stems from the freedom to choose the path to reach the end goal. All employees are part of decision-making, and all ideas are welcome. It’s not the founder or managers who call the shots, and the rest all follow the instructions. If you see it this way, you’ll realize that this chaos is good because it gives people the ability to experiment and choose.
f. No training programs
Probably not, in the traditional sense. But, most of the training programs in big corporate are theoretical, repetitive, and obsolete. Who uses this learning anyhow?
In startups, you get to acquire real-world learning while working on different projects. These are what matter the most. When you go beyond your stated job responsibilities, you learn new skills.
6. The impact on your career over time
It’s great to work in a startup early in your career.
Most startups have blurred boundaries between different roles and functions, which allows employees to perform multiple jobs at the same time. This helps you exercise your potential and understand your capabilities. You might choose to pursue a different skill.
Can you imagine sitting next to the founder CEO in your workplace? This allows you to acquire thinking patterns, work ethics, and industry secrets from the best.
It takes several years to reach managerial positions in a corporate job. On the other hand, startups throw you in the deep end. You are assigned leading roles in cross-functional projects and made responsible for achieving key business objectives.
Working under pressure with tight deadlines will polish your skills and develop your decision-making capabilities. Taking initiatives, accepting failure, and sharing wins is a part of a startup job.
Overall, it’ll make you a much sharper individual as compared to someone in their comfort zone.
When you’ve done all this early in your career, you are indeed more than prepared to take on key responsibilities in a big corporation later on. Over time, you’ll realize it is the on-ground experience and not just the number of years at work that counts. After working for the initial few years in a startup, you become ready to take up a mid-management level role in a big corporation.
