{"id":2273,"date":"2016-10-14T14:07:46","date_gmt":"2016-10-14T12:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/?p=2273"},"modified":"2022-01-28T13:35:21","modified_gmt":"2022-01-28T11:35:21","slug":"graduate-job-search-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips","title":{"rendered":"Job Search Tips for Graduates: The Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The transition period between finishing school and embarking on <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">job search <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">can be one of the most boring and wasted period in most graduate\u2019s lives if not carefully planned. This should not be the case. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">searching for a job <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">can be a full time job in itself, with its attendant frustrations and stress, this period can also be an opportunity that can be greatly Utilised to improve yourself and acquire the skills and knowledge you could not get during your busy schooling days. In fact, if well planned, you could actually take yourself out of a job search and create employment. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here are things you can do to improve yourself when you are still job searching.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f32034e6fc1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f32034e6fc1\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#1_Develop_your_hobby\" >1. Develop your hobby<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#2_Start_a_Business\" >2. Start a Business<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#3_Build_Your_Personal_Brand\" >3. Build Your Personal Brand<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#4_Take_Online_Courses\" >4. Take Online Courses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#5_Apply_for_Scholarships_to_further_your_education\" >5. Apply for Scholarships to further your education<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#6_Attend_Free_SeminarsWorkshops\" >6. Attend Free Seminars\/Workshops<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#7_Volunteering_and_Internships\" >7. Volunteering and Internships<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#1_A_messy_social_media_presence\" >1. A messy social media presence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#2_Dressing_Unprofessionally\" >2. Dressing Unprofessionally<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#3_Making_pidgin_language_your_first_language\" >3. Making pidgin language your first language<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#4_Keeping_Visible_tattoos_Piercings_and_Crazy_hair-do\" >4. Keeping Visible tattoos, Piercings and Crazy hair-do<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/graduate-job-search-tips\/#5_Applying_For_Every_Job_You_Come_Across\" >5. Applying For Every Job You Come Across<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Develop_your_hobby\"><\/span>1. Develop your hobby<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/develop-your-hobby.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2324\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/develop-your-hobby-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"develop-your-hobby\" width=\"687\" height=\"387\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most of us take formal education too seriously. The pride of most Ghanaian parents is to see their children graduate from a tertiary institution and get inducted into the \u201csuit and tie fraternity\u201d. Whiles education in itself isn\u2019t a bad thing, not everyone is cut out for the higher glory that our parents envision. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We all have inborn talents and skills that can earn us a decent income if properly honed. So whilst you\u2019re still on a job search, don\u2019t forget your God-given talent. Put on your athletics spikes, polish those keyboard skill, join a local soccer team, get some fabrics and start designing your dream futuristic clothing line. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whatever your hobby or passion is, dedicate hours every week to indulge in it. Who knows, you could represent Ghana in the next Olympic Games. You may even break doors and open up new job avenues for yourself by just following what you were naturally wired to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Start_a_Business\"><\/span>2. Start a Business<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The mention of the word \u201cBusiness\u201d will most likely be met with the usual hue and cry about the \u201cno-money syndrome\u201d. The quickest way you could start becoming your own boss is to take on freelance work online and sell your skills. Some of the online freelance sites you could register for free are <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"http:\/\/www.odesk.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Odesk<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"http:\/\/www.freelancer.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Freelancer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"http:\/\/www.peopleperhour.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">PeoplePerHour<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The good thing is, you\u2019re paid in US Dollars! You don\u2019t need to be an expert in any field to work as a freelancer online. For example, If you like writing, you can register as a content writer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Adobe-Spark8.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2325\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Adobe-Spark8-300x157.jpg\" alt=\"start a business\" width=\"701\" height=\"367\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you\u2019re a creative person, you can register as a graphic designer. The internet is a vast ocean with all manner of people requiring almost every kind of skill imaginable. Funny as it may sound, there are actually people willing to pay others to do things like audio transcription, or give instructions on how to install a software. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Truth is, it can become frustrating getting your first client because there\u2019s massive competition from countries like India, Pakistan, Singapore etc. However, keep applying and polishing your skills. Remember, you can always learn whatever you want to from google and YouTube. Once you land your first client and get good ratings, you\u2019ve literally gamed the system.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Build_Your_Personal_Brand\"><\/span>3. Build Your Personal Brand<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Free time on your hands during the job search period means that you can make use of the internet, social media and online blogs to build up your personal brand. Create a personal blog and pour your knowledge in there. Be known for what you do. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">By constantly writing and sharing articles about a certain field or specialisation , you get noticed on social media and people will start reaching out to you for your opinion. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot of media companies; TV, radio and online news sites are hungry for information and are constantly scouting the internet for fresh unique content. You will get found online, you will become an authority in your field, your blog will become the go-to place for information in your field, and you can become an online superstar within a short period of time. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building an online brand also means you have to be circumspect in what you put out there. Don\u2019t engage in petty online political scuffles. Don\u2019t engage in obscene topics, unless of course, that\u2019s what you want to build your brand around. The general rule of thumb is, do what you love, have fun and be consistent.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Take_Online_Courses\"><\/span>4. Take Online Courses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Instead of sleeping the whole day and complaining about the unfair job market, take the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and acquire more skills. The world is moving so fast, to the extent that the courses that are being taught at the universities in this part of the world, are outmoded and cannot get you real world skills. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We\u2019re in the transition to the 4th industrial revolution, the era of cyber-physical systems. This era will fundamentally disrupt the way we work, live and relate to others. Some skills are likely to die out in the next 10 years. For example, machines are already handling customer service jobs in some companies. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sales job will likely become outmoded as virtual reality becomes mainstream and people purchase stuff in the virtual realm. You never know hiring managers might eventually become obsolete because artificial intelligence systems can scout the internet and do due diligence on candidates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/agenda\/2016\/01\/the-10-skills-you-need-to-thrive-in-the-fourth-industrial-revolution\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">World Economic Forum<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the 10 most sought after skills in 2020 will be:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Complex problem solving<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Coordinating with others<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">People management<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Critical thinking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Negotiation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Quality control<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Service orientation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Judgement and decision making<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Active listening<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Creativity<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having these pointers in mind, go out and take free online courses that will polish your skills and knowledge in at least, five of these areas. Websites that offer free online courses include ALISON, Coursera, Udemy, Code Academy and others.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Apply_for_Scholarships_to_further_your_education\"><\/span>5. Apply for Scholarships to further your education<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Apply-for-scholarship.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Apply-for-scholarship-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"apply-for-scholarship\" width=\"691\" height=\"389\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This may look like a default, but some people actually never consider it. If you\u2019re finding a hard time getting a job, why not take the opportunity to further your education? Get a Masters or a PhD. At least your time is not wasted. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">China is currently offering a lot of scholarships to Africans to study in China and learn their language. This is a fantastic opportunity. Chinese companies are exploding in Africa at an alarming rate. Imagine returning from China with competency in Mandarin, your prospects of getting a highly paid job with a Chinese multinational are very high. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Best case scenario, you can easily establish your own Ghana-China desk and help businesses with your services. We have compiled a list of <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/scholarship-opportunities\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">40 scholarship opportunities<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on this blog.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Attend_Free_SeminarsWorkshops\"><\/span>6. Attend Free Seminars\/Workshops<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Trust me, there is good free food and cocktails at some of these seminars so take advantage and broaden your taste. On a more serious note, apart from networking with influential people who can get your foot through the door for a job, you also get access to rare industry knowledge and resources that can change your career.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Volunteering_and_Internships\"><\/span>7. Volunteering and Internships<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Volunteer.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2327\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Volunteer-300x157.jpg\" alt=\"volunteer\" width=\"694\" height=\"363\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is no better way to use your time than to serve your community and underprivileged. Take a month-long leave to your village and mentor kids about choosing the right professions or building career paths. Donate blood, engage in sanitation campaigns, teach kids for free, engage in HIV campaigns. At the end of the day, you don\u2019t know where your luck will shine. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even if you don\u2019t get any personal benefits out of it, the inner satisfaction of being a responsible citizen and serving your community selflessly will not only earn the respect and pride of your parents and siblings, but your community and those underprivileged whom you served will forever have you in their heart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also consider volunteering your skills and expertise to a local organization. You will gain free on-the-job experience and a good recommendation, as well as build your network. This is a win-win for you. <\/span><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: justify\"><b>Things to Avoid While on a Job Search<\/b><\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Avoid the following as much as possible in order to increase your chances of landing a job.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_A_messy_social_media_presence\"><\/span>1. A messy social media presence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First of, if you\u2019re using any funny, crazy nickname on Facebook or LinkedIn, hurry on right now and go change it. This can hurt your chances of a successful job search. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you have completed school, you\u2019re deemed an adult and must behave as such. Don\u2019t go clicking on unsavoury links and inadvertently reposting them on your timeline. If you see any link that shows obscene pictures, don\u2019t allow your curiosity to take the better part of you. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t post pictures of your binge drinking or cosy postures with girls\/boys at the club. Clean up. Post industry related information related to your career on platforms like twitter and facebook, and engage insane conversations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Show your social skills without getting intrusive and engaging in unnecessary keyboard battles with people you barely know. Be free to use your space and engage, but just be cautious how you use that social media space as the world is interconnected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is actually a research done to prove that hiring managers are increasingly relying on social media to make hiring decisions. According to the <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"http:\/\/www.careerbuilder.com\/share\/aboutus\/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?ed=12\/31\/2016&amp;id=pr945&amp;sd=4\/28\/2016\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2015 CareerBuilder nationwide survey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the biggest turnoffs for potential employers are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photos or information.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sites had information about candidate&#8217;s drinking or drug use<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Candidate bad-mouthed a previous employer<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A candidate has poor communication skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Candidate who made discriminatory comments related to race, gender or religion<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Dressing_Unprofessionally\"><\/span>2. Dressing Unprofessionally<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The days of baggy drawn-down trousers or those scanty clothes are over. Start dressing like a responsible adult. First impressions really count. &nbsp;For ladies, your dress must cover down to your knee level, and your top should completely cover your cleavage and your navel. Your waist line must not show. Avoid skimpy tight skirts that show your essentials. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For guys, avoid \u201cbaggy\u201d jeans and sleeveless top. Wear the right size of trousers and don\u2019t wear your shirt more than once without cleaning it because it will stink. Most importantly, use deodorant. Deodorant use ensures you don\u2019t give off bad odour.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Making_pidgin_language_your_first_language\"><\/span>3. Making pidgin language your first language<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This point particularly applies to guys even though ladies are increasingly falling victim to the trend. There is nothing wrong with speaking pidgin with some friends or having a conversion with the trotro mate. However, most young people have lately turned pidgin language into their lingua franca. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The danger of getting too accustomed to pidgin language is that it depreciates the quality of your oral English over time, and subconsciously finds its way into your written language. A lot of us have gotten used to shorthand on mobile and this is creeping into formal written language. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is a story of a gentleman who went for an interview and in the course of the interview, he wanted to prompt the interviewer to repeat a certain question. Instead of saying \u201cpardon me sir I did not hear your question well\u201d, this gentleman rather said \u201cSir, you say weitin?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Keeping_Visible_tattoos_Piercings_and_Crazy_hair-do\"><\/span>4. Keeping Visible tattoos, Piercings and Crazy hair-do<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First of all, know that there are cultural differences between us Africans and the westerners. Don\u2019t believe everything you watch in movies because they\u2019re simply movies. Moreover, we are just culturally different and what is acceptable over there, may not be so cool here. 99% of the time you will be denied a job if you attend an interview with piercings in your nose, tongue or ears (in the case of men). The simple reason is this; those body art and accessories are associated with certain stereotypes in our society.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/inappropriate-tattoos.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2328\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/inappropriate-tattoos-300x157.jpg\" alt=\"inappropriate-tattoos\" width=\"696\" height=\"364\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, assuming you find yourself in a crime scene and you\u2019re the only person with unkept hair and covered in tattoos, you will likely be whisked away by the Police within the blink of an eye. It\u2019s the same for an interview room. You immediately become the most unqualified person once you appear with these things on. If you find it absolutely necessary to wear them, then have them in places you can cover up. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, there are certain exceptions to this rule. The entertainment or creative arts industries, by their very nature, actually embrace creativity, differentiation and unique personal branding. Unless you want to join this industry, do not take the chances. Our corporate world is still very conservative and not open to certain lifestyles.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Applying_For_Every_Job_You_Come_Across\"><\/span>5. Applying For Every Job You Come Across<b style=\"font-family: inherit;font-style: inherit\"><br \/>\n<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While on a job search, you may think applying for every job actually increases your chances of landing a job. This is the strategy most popularly referred to as \u201cspray and pray\u201d. Just imagine for a second that you were a fisherman and you went about casting your net in every puddle you find along the way. What are your chances of catching fish? Good. You must be strategic. Don\u2019t be desperate. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some hiring managers are sceptical about desperate candidates because they never can tell whether you are really into the job or you just need something to keep you going in the short term. Just like any other thing in life, you must plan very well. Identify the industries you want to target, then drill it down to the companies within those industries, and research the job role you think you could become a superstar if given the opportunity. Once you have this planned out, you will realise that your efforts and energy are more focused, and you would make a lot of progress as time goes on. Job Platforms like <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"http:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jobberman Ghana<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (which we own by the way) help you avoid \u201cspray and pray\u201d by sending you targeted job listings once you register on the website.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Embarking on a Job search can be energy draining. With the emergence of technology startups and a redefinition of the workplace, some of the \u201cdont\u2019s\u201d outlined are gradually making their way into the corporate world. Just be circumspect and research about the culture of the organisation &nbsp;and see if it fits your lifestyle. In Ghana where jobs are scarce and job seekers have little or no bargaining chip at all, it is advised you keep to these points so you increase your chances of landing a job. Don\u2019t lose hope. Every good thing takes time and effort. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have any questions to ask? See you in the comments section. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most graduates don&#8217;t know what to do with their time during the transitional period of job search. However that is a good opportunity to gain rare skills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":19145,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[821],"tags":[1124],"content_author":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2273","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-job-search-advice","8":"tag-active-entry-level-candidates"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2273\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2273"},{"taxonomy":"content_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_author?post=2273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}