By Career Advice Writer/ConnectNigeria.com
So you have recently failed a job test or perhaps you were not invited for a job interview? Or you have finished your NYSC or graduated for years now and still have no job? Are you frustrated or depressed? Have you decided to give up and accept failure and perhaps say: “Nigerian employers or interviewers are very biased”?
Hey wait, before you decide to jump off a cliff, a mountain or a window, there are important things to consider. Here are some helpful suggestions for you:
- Ask yourself: Why Did I Fail?
Perhaps you haven’t asked yourself these questions:
Why did I fail this job test or why was I not selected for that job? Sometimes a self-scrutiny is helpful in this stage and process of your career development. If you fail a job test, for example, it might be that you didn’t prep yourself up with the likely questions to be asked. Or maybe you did, but you didn’t give the right answers. After all, many people finish a University exam and say: “Ah, that’s an ‘A’ for me”! Only to find out later that they got a C grade or worse.
If you can identify some reasons why you failed the job test after a careful analysis of your job search (or job hunting, if you like), you might find areas where you made mistakes and discover ways to improve next time. Thus, now that you have failed the job test, you now have the opportunity to succeed by finding out before hand the likely job test questions and preparing for the big challenge.
- Have a positive outlook
Don’t think that it is the end of your career journey! Believe that your failure has given you an opportunity to succeed next time. Worrying over your past failures will prevent you from living in the present (and maximizing the moment) which give you no hope for the future. So always have a positive outlook and your positive state of mind would likely work for you in your next challenge.
- Prepare yourself for the next challenge
If you really have a career plan, purpose or goal, and you are passionate about your career goal, then you should start preparing for the next job test or interview in your career preference. Talk with people who have knowledge of your career environment. They could be personnel of the company you wish to work for or they might know people who are having a successful career in that company.
Your goal should be to get that dream job at all cost. Be focused and don’t relent! If you like Rugby, watch some games. You will notice that it takes as many ‘tries’ as possible to win a match. In the game of Rugby, a try (or try at goal) gives your team five points and a possible two points from a conversion (kick at goal).
So friends, you need as many ‘tries’ as possible to win your dream job or lift your career trophy.
- Look for any part-time job
While you are still preparing yourself for your next job test, take up any part-time job that would keep you busy. The job doesn’t have to be something around your career focus, nor does it have to pay well. It is better than staying at home. If you’re fortunate to find a job in your career choice, that will be fantastic.
For example, if you are interested in a career as an accountant in the Nigerian banking sector, you can take up a cashier or sales job in a restaurant, hotel, etc while you are waiting for your next career step.
Or perhaps you can take up a teaching job in your field of study, and if you’re a computer whizkid (guru if you like), you can start writing programmes, softwares (that’s how Bill Gates started at age 13 or so), or take up an Internet cafe job. There’s always something to do out there, people!
- Celebrate your achievements
Learn to celebrate your achievements in your job or career search. Sometimes we get frustrated when no one recognizes our achievements not realizing that the person that should be celebrating is you. So celebrate your strengths, your successes; your abilities, your achievements; and remember to celebrate your failures too!
Hoping that one day you will get your dream job or make the right career choice.
For more career-related tips and advice, download the FREE eBook: Personal Guide to Career Freedom by Loy Okezie
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This article was first published on 8th October 2010 and updated on January 19th, 2016 at 10:05 am
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