Dear Candidate

Guest Speaker at TCN EU NCG

Guest Speaker with TCN EU NCG

After an avalanche of rejections over a 2 year period, what did Yemi do differently?

Episode 19 of the Dear Candidate podcast is out!

This episode features my interview with Adeyemi who was able to successfully land a tech job in Europe from Nigeria.

What did Yemi do?

How was he able to position himself?

How did he catch the eye of his recruiters and convince his potential employer that he had what it took to deliver the required value they were looking for?

‘My favourite phrase from our conversation: See Recruiters as your best friends! Oh Yeah Yemi, thank you for that! We are your best friends, Dear Candidate, we want you to nail that interview much more than you can imagine.

I’ll leave you to it!

Have fun listening!

God’s speed!

Welcome to episode 18! The Very First Episode for 2022........whoop whoop 🥳

Salary Negotiation everyone: Such a hot topic right now!

There is a lot of false information about this topic. Now I know this is a pretty controversial topic but it’s one I’m willing to get on because as a recruiter, negotiating and aligning on offers is part of what I do in my 9 to 5 Job.

Additionally, as one who supports candidates outside my 9-5, with their Job search journey, I also have the privilege of having them come to me to say, look Tosin, I’ve been offered this but I think I’m being lowballed and I want to ask for more. So basically I have the advantage to see both sides of the table in a sense and I see how these false narratives are affecting how people approach this topic.

Now make no mistake, some of these things are real and true. Recently we saw a viral post about a recruiter that boasted on social media about low bowling a candidate and these days we see recruiters who also come on social media to announce how they offered 20k+ on top of what candidates asked for and all of that. So for sure some of these things are the reality of the world we live in.

I just recalled a post from someone who by the way is not a recruiter who was publicly announcing to people that if you don’t negotiate any offer you receive, then you are doing yourself a disservice because there is more on the table and they are just waiting for you to ask for it. Does this apply in all cases?

I will like to debunk some myths!

Have fun listening.

This is my last episode for 2021 and I'll like to say thank you to everyone who has listened, shared, sent feedback or offered one support or the other. I'm very grateful and that has inspired me in many ways. So I'll like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year in advance!

How do you convince someone who has little or no interest in meeting or talking to you to talk to you? Think of that for 5 seconds while I count down

Ok, were you able to think of anything? Maybe or maybe not.

The point here is that you need something or someone to pave the way for that to happen. I hope you agree with that?

Now, allow me to make this question a little more relatable.

As a candidate, how do you convince a recruiter or the person reviewing your application documents to invite you to that very first call particularly when your experience and your skillset are not well aligned to the position but you however believe that you can do the job.

Picture this, as the candidate you know in your heart that all you need is just one interview to convince your potential employer of your ability to do the job.

However, on the flip side as a recruiter, I’m staring at your cv, shaking my head and wondering if you sent that cv just to pull my legs because everything in the cv screams wrong wrong wrong. Actually, at this point, I’m wondering if you mistakenly sent in your application because it just seems so out of place.

As a candidate, you need to be proactive. Your voice needs to be heard even when you are not in the room. Now does this work all the time? No but if there is a slight chance that this could work, then one of the biggest questions on my mind is why are candidates not employing this strategy?

Alright people, grab a seat don’t go anywhere as we unpack this further.

Question 6 says: I’m of African descent and I currently live in Europe. I have applied to several Jobs but so far all I get are rejections. I remotely suspect that my colour may be an issue here. Am I being discriminated against because of the colour of my skin? Would like to hear your thoughts.

According to a popular quote, ''Assumption is the lowest form of knowledge" When in doubt, always ask questions. Now, I think that’s a fantastic quote.

Why? Someone might ask, well, here is my take.

It’s super important to avoid making assumptions because there might be many reasons why you may not be seeing the results you want.

However, running off with an assumption in most cases is always counterproductive. Particularly when it relates to something you cannot do anything about. Case in point, your nationality or the colour of your skin.

Now this assumption (and please permit me to call it that) about not landing Jobs because of your nationality or the colour of your skin: dear candidate is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Companies these days are more open to setting up diverse teams and data also shows that diverse teams have the potential to do better in business.

So Dear Candidate, I want your focus to shift to this reality and by this reality, I mean the fact that organisations these days are now actively promoting the concept of having diverse teams.

Today’s episode would be focused on discussing this in more detail to answer the aforementioned question.

Have fun listening! 

I like the popular quote that says, 'Until it’s my turn, I’ll keep clapping for others'.

I know that in practical terms, this may be very difficult for some people particularly if all you see all day, every day on LinkedIn for example, are

announcements about all the big wins happening in different parts of the globe. Usually accompanied with fancy pictures of people having the time of their life with all those fancy office gears.

Yeh! And then on your own side of the universe, the rejection letters or emails are pouring like an avalanche. 

These days, you even get some rejections and you are like, what? Did I actually apply for that, what was I thinking? Lol, I’m speaking from experience so I feel you, Dear candidate :).

Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it, that’s a fantastic quote by John C Maxwell.

Nobody, dear candidate, can intimidate you without your consent so if you feel intimidated, I’m sorry to say (but not sorry really) because it’s the truth, you allowed it to happen. One of the things I don’t get tired of talking about is telling you how valuable you are as a human being. Understanding your value is so important to your existence because it will help you deal with this issue.

Today, I'd like to share 4 quick tips that can keep you from being intimidated by Linkedin success stories.

Have fun listening ✌️

The Job search journey can be very exhausting and sometimes the journey might come off as a never-ending one. Recently I was privileged to write an article for a tech community on tips that entry-level candidates can employ to help them land their first job or internship and putting my thoughts into words took me down memory lane.

I thought about the challenges I faced both in my home country Nigeria and here in Germany during my Job search journey. One of such experiences left me so drained that I recall walking down a busy road with continuous tears streaming down my eyes. I was exhausted. I just wanted a chance to prove myself, I was ready to work for free but nobody was listening. Everyone wanted proof of the experience I was desperately trying to get.

Guess what, the same is still true today. This is why learning how to properly ‘mix and match your experience without lying or exaggerating is super important.

In this podcast, I answer question 5 as I continue my ‘ask_a_recruiter’ series and I also share tips on how you can properly ‘mix and match your experience.

Question 5: I am in desperate need of a Job and I have 5 areas I believe I can add value in. I have tried to apply for roles in these areas using a CV that is adapted to these areas but so far nothing seems to be working

Have fun listening!

(Scroll past the Announcement on the Dear Candidate Slack Community to part 2 for the answer given to the question of the day)

First Part

Announcement on the Dear Candidate Slack Community

We are extremely excited to launch the Dear Candidate Global Slack Community, a safe space where you can inspire and be inspired. some of the channels you’ll find here are:

• General-channel: where you can ask questions, share your challenges and ask for feedback.
• Germany-connect: for those already in Germany.
• Jobs-in-Germany: where everyone can spread the news about positions they find/their companies are hiring for.
• Recruiter-only-channel: where recruiters and aspiring recruiters can learn, share and engage.
• Study-in-Germany tips: for those who want to study in Germany. We are open to adding other countries but would need people who have successfully gone through the process so that that the tips shared would be verified tips.
• Testimonials: where you can inspire us by telling us how you got your Job.
• Events channel: where you can tell us about all the super-cool events taking place both virtually and onsite.

Please Note

We are not a number-driven community, for us, it is Quality over Quantity which is why your request to join the community would pass through a pre-approval phase before you are admitted.

Bottom line

The DC community gives you the opportunity to give and receive value.

Our Community Culture

Our culture is Polite, Friendly, Fun and Engaging.

Code of conduct/Community Guidelines

This is to ensure that we are all on the same page. Please Don’t request to join this community if this is not well aligned with your personal values and career goals/objectives.

Second Part

Question of the day: 

People say Linkedin works but so far Linkedin has not worked for me. I have consistently posted on Linkedin to inform my network about my Job search needs. I also use the open to work banner but so far none of these has yielded any leads. Am I doing something wrong? And what can I do better?

In this episode I emphasised the need to clearly show the value you have to offer when engaging with your network. I also talked about the 'Linkedin All Star profile' and I offered recommendations on how to idenitfy this on your profile + set it up. I also talked about the advantage of having a Linkedin All Star profile.

To conclude I shared the 3 types of connections you have, to help you get the visiblity that would constantly position you for opportunities and these are;

1. Recruiters in your region or the region you want to move to.
2. Career professionals in your industry irrespective of their level (including interns and working students, let me just add that).
3. And finally.  Executive level or C-level professionals in your industry.

Listen to the podcast to get the full picture of everything I shared.

Have fun listening. :)

As a candidate belonging to one of the minority groups, should you be concerned about being hired to fill a diversity quota? 

Diversity hiring, (let’s even start from there) what does all that mean? Hold that thought, Dear Candidate.

Now, I carried out a little online research to find out how this all started and interestingly, the topic of workplace diversity started as far back as the second world war.

Now history has it that women had to take up active roles in the workplace because of the heavy involvement of men in the military.

Fast forward to today, the topic of diversity has evolved in different ways.

Let’s go back to the question I asked dear candidate, when hired for a role, sometimes you might be tempted to believe that you were hired to fill a diversity quota particularly because of all the attention that is getting.

Now if you find yourself bothered about something like this, don’t go anyway because today’s podcast is really dedicated to you.

Let's dive in, shall we?

Today's podcast continues the 'Ask the Recruiter Series' and today's question is as follows :

I am a fresher just starting out in my career but I noticed that most of the available Jobs are for experienced candidates. What can I do to increase my chances of getting hired?

The thoughts I share in this episode resonate deeply with me because I can clearly say that I have walked in these shoes as a candidate. I have walked this path two major times in my career. The first time being when I completed my undergraduate education in my home country (Nigeria) and the second was after concluding my master's program here in Germany.

I combine all of my learnings from these two experiences and I share them in 3 practical tips that candidates who fall into this category can employ. 

A little caveat, the tips I share are not a magic formula but they are core strategies that helped me successfully navigate those phases of my job search journey. However, I must say that it pays to have an open mind when learning about what has worked for others because you just might find your missing puzzle.

Key takeaways from today's episode

1. Inform your network about your job search and your interests (offline and online: leverage social media). Be creative with how you do this; communicate value and watch the ones who can recognise value would seek you out.
2. Internships (voluntary internships): actively search for this alongside because the barrier of entry in most cases is pretty low and this opportunity would also help you gain more clarity with respect to your career.
3. Finally, ensure that your application documents are well done. This job market does not look kindly on certain mistakes so be mindful of that.

Have fun listening and remember to send in your questions to dearcandidate01@gmail.com.  

Today's podcast is focused on adding value through your interaction and your engagement on Linkedin because someone who adds value (now real value) is already an employee of choice. By adding value you demonstrate :

1. Proactivity (an entrepreneurial mindset); one who can take initiative because you need to come up with content.
2. Empathy: you show that because you have worked and felt what they are feeling by virtue of your experience and your exposure, you are able to offer help from a place of knowledge.
3. And finally, you amongst other things Resourcefulness: particularly if you are a job seeker going through a hard time yourself.

These are already bonus points that you score even before saying a word in an interview. So please leverage Linkedin dear candidate and watch Linkedin work for you.

The key takeaways from today's episode are to post or engage with content that:

• Informs or educates (in some shape or form). 
• (content that) Inspires people to be the better version of themselves.
• And content that fits the personal style/brand you are building.

Have fun listening!

NB

(To contribute to the question bank I mentioned in this podcast, please email your questions to dearcandidate01@gmail.com)

Episode 8 drops and it is GEM-IFIED (Yeah that’s my own word for saying filled with GEMS)!

In this episode, I interview Dipo, my very first guest on ‘The Dear Candidate podcast’.

Dipo tells us how he navigated through a wave of 150+ rejection messages (not counting the countless companies that never got back) and no interview invites whatsoever to landing a full-time permanent job after months of consistently showing up. Imagine if he gave up the month before he sent that one message that changed his story! Just imagine.

My key takeaways from this episode are :

1. We all need people: so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. The worst you’ll get is a No or No response but at least you tried.
   
2. Create a strategy for your reach out, this would prevent you from sending out random plea messages that communicate only desperation and no value.
   
3. Be prepared: be so prepared that you can readily stand before a panel (in the absence of a Job description) to defend the value that you can bring to the table.
   

Iɴ Dɪᴘᴏ’s ᴡᴏʀᴅs: Lɪɴᴋᴇᴅɪɴ ɪs ᴀ ᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ: ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ Jᴏʙs ɪs ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟsᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ᴀᴅᴅ ᴠᴀʟᴜᴇ.

Have fun listening!

I attended a virtual conference a couple of weeks back and the speaker at the event used a very interesting phrase when she spoke about Linkedin; She called it free real estate that is accessible to all.

One of the basic things you learn about when getting a financial education is that there is a clear difference between an asset and a liability.

Real estate is one standard example of what you would call an asset.

Some assets can yield returns all by themselves but some other types of assets would need a bit of investment to get them to the point where they would begin to yield effortlessly.

Linkedin, Dear candidate is like that second category I just described.

Now today's podcast is literally for everybody, irrespective of whether you are looking for a job or not.

Also, if you are someone who finds LinkedIn super boring or unimportant, then you definitely want to stick around as I hopefully seek to convince you on why and how you can hopefully make LinkedIn work for you.

We are challenging ourselves this week and in the weeks to come using the #LIchallenge so join in as we make this a fun-filled week of engagement.

Have fun listening.

Taking the final interview is always accompanied by its own form of nerves irrespective of the role you may be interviewing for and the experience you have with interviewing, particularly if it’s a job you really want. 

The nature of final interviews of course varies from company to company but in most cases, the final interview is a ‘culture fit/ (some call it culture contribution or culture alignment interview’). Companies call it different names however the goal of this interview (nomenclature aside) remains the same. How well do your own values align with the values of the organization? And are you willing to make adjustments where needed?

In this episode, I share tips on how to prepare for this interview and I explain how the main talking points are all linked to answering that one question. 

Have fun listening!

This is stage 3 of the process, it's SHOWTIME!

At this point, your ability to do the job in practical terms will be tested. Can you 'walk' the 'talk'?

This is kind of the make or break point (in actual fact all steps are like this but this one is pretty crucial). From my own experience, this is generally the stage where the second-largest candidate drop-off happens and the reason is not far-fetched. That which you say you can do would be tested at this round so this is not a 'round' to approach lightly.

In this episode, I share tips on how you can properly prepare for this round + the common reason why candidates are dropped at this stage. I also tell you about a strategy for making this a win-win situation irrespective of the outcome of the round. 

Have fun listening!

If you pass the cv screening stage, you will receive a positive response from the company to let you know that you are proceeding to the next round. That’s the kind of news we all love to get righttttt😃but wait! Before you throw that party, I want you to take a step back as we consider what this invitation actually means.

This invitation might be a step closer to the offer, however, you must understand that, to move along in the process, you will need to nail this interview. This next round invitation is indeed an invitation to prove your cv.  It is an invitation to affirm or contradict the suspicion that the recruiter has about your ability to do the job. Much more than an invitation, it is a call to action. If you want the Job, then you absolutely need to rise up to the challenge!

In this episode, I share tips on how you can do just that + 2 common reasons why candidates are dropped at this stage.

Have fun listening!

A typical application process consists of 4 major stages. It can be more or less depending on factors like the seniority of the position, the type of role, internal requirements, and so on. However, for these series, I’ll treat the entire application life cycle as a 4 stage process. Stage 1 is where your application for the role is submitted and at this stage, the review of your cv takes place. If your profile fits what the team is looking for, you will be invited to proceed to the next stage. However, some candidates have found getting past stage 1 to be a herculean task.

What is really responsible for all of these drop-offs? 

Why do I keep getting all those rejection emails without even having the opportunity to speak to a human being? someone might ask.

Listen to this episode to get some clarity on what might be responsible for this and to get some practical tips on how to improve your cv.

The importance of preparing for your interview cannot be overemphasized because as the saying goes,  'the one who fails to plan has already planned to fail'. Today, our focus would be to discuss some practical tips that can help you communicate better during your interview because the truth of the matter is that passing an interview particularly in a well-structured company does not happen by chance.  Therefore, a certain level of intentionality is required from your end. Now someone might ask, what if I prepare as hard as I can and the company still doesn’t hire me, would it not have been a waste of time? Well, my answer to this is  ‘absolutely not’, because whatever you learn would more often than not find some relevance at some point in your future. Listen to this episode as I unpack this further.

Preparing for an interview? Or trying to understand why that process did not work out when you felt it went well from your side? Listen to my thoughts on what may have been responsible for that and the pitfalls to watch out for.

Key takeaways: Don’t over-talk so as not to overwhelm, Don’t under-talk so as not to wear out, and Pace as you speak.

Have fun listening!