Why Personal Branding Matters in 2023: Insights from Inspirational Black Women
In a world where standing out is key, building a strong personal brand has never been more important. Let’s delve into the top four reasons why personal branding matters, drawing wisdom from influential black women who have paved the way. “Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability.” – Kathy Calvin Authenticity is Your Superpower Unveil the words of Janelle Monáe: “The most powerful thing you can do is be yourself.” Among a sea of voices and personalities, authenticity sets you apart. Your personal brand is an embodiment of your unique story, values, and passions. Embrace your individuality, allowing it to radiate through your brand. Stay true to yourself, and watch as the right opportunities and connections align with your authentic self. Your Voice Deserves to Be Heard Audre Lorde once said, “I am my best work – a series of road maps, reports, recipes, doodles, and prayers from the front lines.” Personal branding provides a platform to amplify your voice and share your expertise. Whether through writing, speaking engagements, or social media, your personal brand empowers you to impart knowledge, insights, and experiences to the world. Embrace the courage to speak your truth and create an impact with your unique perspective. Building Trust is Key Trust serves as the glue of life, as Oprah Winfrey aptly states. A strong personal brand nurtures trust with your audience. Consistency, transparency, and delivering value are vital in establishing trust. By consistently showing up, sharing valuable content, and engaging with your audience, you forge genuine connections that foster trust. Trust becomes the bedrock for lasting relationships, collaborations, and business opportunities. Leave a Legacy In the words of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” Personal branding enables you to create a lasting legacy. Leave a mark and make a difference in your industry or field. Establish yourself as an expert, thought leader, or influencer, inspiring others and paving the way for future generations. Your personal brand becomes a testament to your achievements and impact, extending a legacy beyond your immediate sphere of influence. As you embark on your personal branding journey in 2023, draw inspiration from these influential black women. Embrace authenticity, amplify your voice, build trust, and leave a lasting legacy. Unleash your personal brand and make a remarkable impact in this new era.
4 Reason Why You Should Start Networking and Building Relationships
It’s never too late or too early to start networking. Whether you’re a woman in business, climbing the corporate ladder or still in your “figuring it out” era. It’s important to invest time in building meaningful connections that will help you reach your goals. I’ll be sharing my top 4 reasons why networking and building relationships are important for YOU and offer some tips on how to effectively and practically start networking. Why a boss-lady like you should start networking? Networking… builds a supportive community The beauty of networking lies in meeting people and building relationships, you get to connect with like-minded and completely different individuals that can provide a strong support system and access to mentorship opportunities. Where do you find these individuals? By attending events and conferences, you can connect with potential clients, investors, mentors, and collaborators that can provide a strong support system and mentorship opportunities. If you’re wondering where to start looking for networking events, start by signing up for an events “gig guide”. Networking… opens doors We’ve all heard the quote, “your network is your net worth.” and this quote has stood the test of time. Being associated with someone can get you into boardrooms, meetings and spaces that may be difficult to approach on your own. Networking… gives you access to resources “Networking is not only about trading information, but also serves as an avenue to create long-term relationships with mutual benefits.”- Forbes Knowing people who have certain skills and expertise makes life easier. If you need help with a legal issue and you have an attorney or lawyer within your network, you can simply reach out to them for help. You could need funding for your business and meet someone who can assist you in getting a meeting with “the right” person, there is an abundance of opportunities when it comes to networking and building a community. Networking… establishes your brand Building a personal brand is what I call “social currency” or “social leverage”, networking can be an effective way to build your personal brand and establish yourself as an expert in your field or a thought leader. Positioning yourself as someone who can offer valuable insight and knowledge often builds trust within your network and potentially leads to more clients, collaborations and opportunities. “HOW DO I ACTUALLY NETWORK?” There’s a framework I use called: The 3 P’s of networking (Prep, Pursue and Post-networking) P= Prepare: Don’t go in completely unprepared; research who will be attending and whom you’d like to approach. Prepare 2-5 standard questions you can repetitively ask each person. Remember to be yourself and seek genuine connections. P= Pursue Step 1: Greet, Compliment, Ask and Listen Tone and body language are very important: be friendly, genuine and make direct eye contact Step 2: Authentically Pitch While they were speaking did you notice something that resonated with your business/career/interests mention it and sway the conversation in your favour Step 3: Add Value Here’s where you exchange business cards and do it on the premises of adding value, this is your differentiator. P= Post networking You have to reach out after you’ve made the connection and maintain it through communication. Tip?: Ask them to follow you on social media and vice versa or send a message there a then so you have direct contact. Lastly, always remember to give back: Offer your expertise or resources to them,hether it’s through service exchange, mentorship, volunteering, or offering to connect them with someone in your network. Giving back can help you build stronger relationships and establish yourself as a valuable member of the community. In summary, networking, building relationships and communities are essential for boss babes who want to grow their businesses and corporate climbers who want to achieve their goals. By attending events, joining online communities, hosting events, following up, and giving back, you can build strong relationships that will help you access new opportunities, gain mentorship and support, establish your personal brand, and access a valuable resource.
The Boss-Level Talk From The Confidence in Action Summit Nigeria
Have you ever started a new job and realized you hate it? Are you finding it hard to get your dream job or even a job? Would you like to know how to position yourself as the best job candidate? The Confidence in Action Summit helped the Nigerian Motherland Moguls discover how to build their professional brands and answer the questions above. It was juiced up with the boss-level talk that elevates careers and took place on the 12th of February 2022. SLA partnered with Darling Nigeria to bring the summit to 3 African countries. It kicked off in South Africa, came to Nigeria and now is headed to Kenya. More than 2,900 Nigerian queens showed up to the free, 3hrs of masterclasses, workshops, networking sessions and the keynote speech ‘Bouncing Back From Rejection’ given by Dr Chinny Ogunro. All attendees had direct access to some of Nigeria’s high profile career experts, and it was epic. The career expert speakers and coaches included Isioma Coker, an HR Advisor Team Lead at Shell. Nwamaka Okey-Aguorun, Senior HR Manager at Diageo – Guinness Nigeria. Toun Tunde-Anjous, founder & CEO of The People Practice. Tiwalola Ogunlesi, international speaker, author and founder of Confident and Killing it. If you missed the South African and Nigerian summits, register for the Kenyan summit taking place on the 19th of February 2022. You wouldn’t want to miss out on another chance to build the professional brand of your dreams and grow your network. Here are the Boss-Lady Conversations You’ve Missed We learnt how to revamp our professional profile, make a strategic career plan and build our network. The attendees had the option to be in a masterclass or networking session each hour before the keynote speaker. They were also coached on how to harness communication skills needed to negotiate job offers, ace job interviews and gain strategies to propel their career forward. Masterclass 1: Getting Unstuck When You Feel Trapped In A Job with Isioma Coker. Masterclass 2: How to Position Yourself As The Best Candidate For The Job with Nwamaka Okey-Aguoru. Workshop 1: Do Things & Tell People: Develop Your Professional Brand to Land Your Dream Job with Tiwalola Ogunlesi. Workshop 2: How To Find A Job That You Actually Care About with Toun Tunde-Anjous. We lit things up with Confidence in Action and showed our boss ladies how to launch powerful professional brands! We were captivated by world-class information, tips and advice on owning our careers and being intentional about our career moves, from the beginning to the end. Here’s to raising a glass to all our boss ladies who showed up for the Nigerian summit. They came out in numbers to take in the career gems we had prepared for them, and it was an experience worth watching again. You can watch the masterclasses and keynote speeches on YouTube to get a snippet of how the summit was.
Motherland Moguls, here’s what you missed from the Confidence In Action Summit South Africa 2022
As a young ambitious woman, your career choice is one of the most significant decisions you’ll ever make. It is important that you equip yourself with the right information to build the professional career of your dreams. Think about it, would you rather spend your days at a job that leaves you feeling empty? Or where you are fulfilled for the better part of your life? This is why we at SLA partnered with Darling Nigeria to bring you the Confidence In Action Summits. That will take place in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. The summit series kicked off in South Africa, on February 5th and it was a BLAST! More than 1200 Mzansi queens came together to attend a free learning and networking experience. There were masterclasses, workshops and networking sessions where we saw our SA boss ladies make new connections, and then our Keynote Speaker Nicolette Mashile, made her entrance and taught us all about navigating career turbulence. All attendees had direct access to some of South Africa’s high profile career experts, including Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding Lead at PepsiCo SSA Candice Martin, Market HR Cluster Head at Google SSA Avanti Maharaj, Talent Acquisitions Specialist at Nestlé Lebogang Mashabela and founder of Pam Cherry Coaching and Consulting Pamela Cherry. It was 3hrs of interesting talks, coaching and loads of digital connection fun. Our Mzansi mogul ladies showed up, and showed out! So whether you missed the event, or you want to relive the Confidence In Action Summit experience, you can also attend the Nigerian summit on February 12 and Kenyan summit on February 19. Here is how we took over the digital streets in SA We learnt about career/ personal development, professional networking and practical advice on building a professional career of your dreams. The attendees had the opportunity to pick one masterclass or networking session each hour. They were also coached on how to harness communication skills needed to negotiate job offers, ace job interviews and gain strategies to propel their career forward. Masterclass 1: How To Find A Job That You Actually Care About Speaker with Candice Martin. Masterclass 2: How To Position Yourself As The Best Candidate For The Job Speaker with Avanthi Maharaj. Workshop 1: How to Find A Job That Suits You Coach with Pamela Cherry. Workshop 2: How To Position Yourself As The Best Candidate For The Job Coach with Lebogang Mashabela. We Came, put our Confidence In Action and gave out formulas to elevate careers! The summit had a vibe and more. The moment we went live on Zoom, Google Meet, Youtube and Facebook, we learned, unlearned and relearned, while having an unforgettable experience. So here’s raising a glass to all our SA boss ladies who made the time, energy and resources that went into planning the Confidence In Action Summit South Africa totally worth it.
The Winning Resume By Veronica Alfred
Writing a resume can be frustrating, especially when there are a zillion contradicting opinions about what works and doesn’t work. I recently figured why it was tough to write a resume by testing out resume types and personally applying to some companies. This gave me a huge opportunity to measure, analyze, and test the effectiveness of different resume types. In this article, I’ll share what I have learned as well as provide some valuable tips on the best ways to write a winning resume. Over the years, I have read various “how to write a resume” blogs, attended several employability workshops and I realized that most of the advice out there has not been proven against the actual end goal of getting a job. It’s easy to say “one page works best” when you’ve seen it happen a few times, but how does this hold up when we look at 100 theories against resumes from different industries, experience levels, and job titles. Based on my research, here’s what works and what doesn’t work: Quantitative Results/Achievements Most resumes lack them. The goal is to give the recruiter a solid reason to not only look over the full resume but also move you through to the next stage of the interview process. Many of us tend to flood our resumes with a list of job responsibilities/duties forgetting that the recruiter knows what you should have been doing every day on the job. Think about it, the reason for a role is to meet a need, your resume should speak to your knowledge of the need and how you have tackled these challenges successfully. This has been tried and tested by yours truly and I must say, the invitations came within hours of applying. Here’s an example: Executed in-house marketing strategy that resulted in a 15% increase in monthly leads along with a 5% drop in the cost per lead Simple Design These days, it’s easy to get carried away with our mission to “stand out.” I’ve seen colourful Canva resumes from graphic designers, video resumes, and even resumes with images of candidates in very unprofessional outfits. While those can work in very specific situations, we want to aim for a strategy that consistently gets results. The format I saw the most success with was a black and white template with sections in this format: Professional Summary/ObjectiveSkills/Interests Education Experience- focus on achievements) References (Available on request) According to research, hiring managers scan resumes for an average of 6 seconds. If your resume is in an unfamiliar format, those 6 seconds won’t be very comfortable for the hiring manager. Our brains prefer things we can easily recognize and digest so you want to make sure that a hiring manager can get the full scope just by glancing at your resume. Short and Concise Resume As times change, processes change too. Back in the day, we had 3-4 pages of resumes to prove that we had been successful or good enough for a role. We would even go as far as including volunteer, industrial attachments, and summer jobs just to make our resumes lengthy. Today it is the opposite with the introduction of ATS software and focus being on accomplishments and not job duties. As much as possible, you want to make your CV short, simple, straight to the point, and specific to the role you are applying for. Here’s what did not work: Grammatical Issues (typos, spelling errors, & grammatical mistakes) In my research and years of reviewing resumes, I found that close to 60% of resumes have some sort of typo or grammatical issue. Have your resume reviewed on three separate occasions – by spell-checking software, like Grammarly, by a friend and by a professional. Spell check should be covered if you’re using Microsoft Word or Google Docs to create your resume. Lengthy Resumes As earlier stated, recruiters spend an average of six seconds reviewing your resume and if it’s more than one or two pages, it probably isn’t going to be read. Increase your margins, decrease your font, and cut down your experience to highlight the most relevant pieces for the role. When you’re dealing with recruiters who see hundreds of resumes every day, you want to make their lives as easy as possible. Buzzwords It is important to not use too many buzzwords. Yes, you’re a hard-working innovator with excellent communication skills but so is nearly every job applicant you’re competing with – at least according to their resumes. Instead of using buzzwords, write naturally, use bullets, and include quantitative results whenever possible. Think about it, would you rather hire a salesperson who “is responsible for driving new business across various sectors to help companies achieve their goals” or “drove $15M of new business last quarter, including the largest deal in company history”? An example: ‘Creative,’ ‘outside the box,’ ‘innovative’ What you think it says: “I come up with good, new ideas.” “If you could think ‘outside the box,’ you’d be able to phrase it less blandly,” Scherwin says. These trite descriptors can undermine your case if you don’t back them up with specifics. In addition to the above, I have also found that resumes with a link to a comprehensive LinkedIn profile have a 71% better chance of hearing back, 76% of resumes are discarded for an unprofessional email address. Resumes with a photo have an 88% rejection rate. 58% of resumes have typos. Applicant tracking software typically eliminates 75% of resumes due to a lack of keywords and phrases being present. Now that you know every mistake you need to avoid, the first item on your to-do list is to comb through your current resume and make sure it doesn’t violate anything mentioned above. This experiment led me to understand that If you don’t know what consistently works, you can’t lay out a system to get there.
2021 Workplace Superpowers – The Musthaves
If I was asked what my special skills were a year ago, it would definitely differ from now. 2020 came with a twist and remote work forced every one of us to learn how to Do It Yourself (and I don’t mean cooking). Here are some of the must-have skills for 2021 that will make you more sellable to recruiters, and an asset in your current workplace. Hard Skills for the Workplace 1. Data Analytics: The workplace today requires us to think in data. This requires us to do a bit more research, crunch those numbers, understand raw data and drive business growth based on concrete analysis. 2. Content Creation: Your ability to produce entertaining or educational material that not only caters to the interests and challenges of a target audience but increases engagement and conversions definitely sets you apart from others in your field. The content you produce can take many forms, including blog posts, videos, graphic design and newsletters. 3. Marketing: Businesses worldwide need analytical people who understand what sort of tools are available in the growing digital toolbox, and know how to dig in through trusted channels. 4. Sales: This can pass for both a hard skill and a soft skill as sales involves persuasion, but with a specific commercial end in mind. Your ability to convert leads to revenue would give you a spot in any workplace. 5. Video production: The average person will watch 25 continuous days of video in 2021. Video content is quickly becoming the dominant form of all communication and companies are fighting to create effective digital video assets. 6. Product Development: This involves managing the process of developing a product or enhancing existing products in order to meet customer expectations effectively. If you haven’t noticed, times are changing and the direction of products being developed is too. Soft Skills for the Workplace 1. Creativity: Developing new ideas, applying new solutions to address existing problems. Some people are naturally creative on their own, but a lot of us need to bounce ideas off others to get the creative juices flowing. An ability to learn continuously and willingness to adapt to change is essential to boost your creativity. 2. Communication skills: Interpreting information through speaking, listening and observing is a must-have skill for 2021. Organizing thoughts and data points into a comprehensive, holistic narrative will get you where you need to be in your career. 3. Collaboration: Collaboration suffers when roles and goals are not defined. The next time you take on a group project, strike up a conversation about what success looks like, and who’s doing what. This simple act can get everyone rowing together faster and more effectively. 4. Adaptability: Manage your mindset. The ability to adapt to changing circumstances starts with a mindset that’s willing to adapt to changing circumstances. If you tend to balk at change, reflect on the reasons why — and then see if you can reframe your perspective to help you see things differently. 5. Emotional intelligence: Practicing control, knowing when to push, expressing yourself and observation of interpersonal relationships among people in a workplace is very important when working with people. 6. Leadership: Leadership in the 21st century is much more about influence than authority, learning to appreciate and adapt to people with different perspectives, priorities, and personalities is a key skill to develop. Having a difficult time figuring out your superpowers? Here are three questions you can answer to guide you: What unique contribution do you bring to projects, conversations, and meetings you attend? Why do team members come to you for help? What would be missing if you were to leave your current place of work? If you are unable to answer these questions yourself, ask a colleague or friend. If your answers do not reflect the skills listed above, don’t relent or give up. The internet is packed with so much information, take some short courses, seek guidance from a work buddy, mentor or your boss. A superpower isn’t just a skill but a perspective, a mindset and a way of working that enhances everything you touch. The requirements for success in the workplace are changing and what matters most is your ability to adapt to change/trends as they come.
An HR Executive’s Tips for finding a job during COVID-19
This is by far one of the most challenging times in history. Businesses are shutting down, people have lost jobs and finding a job is even more challenging than ever. As we adjust to life during a global health pandemic, operations departments all over the world are looking for ways to stay lean to weather the storm. While this might seem scary as hell if you are trying to find a job now, the good news is that there are still a lot of opportunities out there. As you try to find a job to help you move on to the next phase of your career during COVID-19, here are some smart things you should do. 1. Restrategize When it comes to finding a job, it might be time for you to go back to the drawing board. Be open to roles outside of your current career path. Think about what you can do today, or in the next 30, 60, and 90 days. It’s fine to take a job outside of your field for a little while, especially if it means it’ll help your personal finances. Expanding your scope of work may even make you more marketable when the crisis is over. Use this time to explore jobs you may have not considered in the past, and perhaps you’ll find opportunities you’d never have thought of. 2. Pick and Choose Your Targets I cannot overemphasize the importance of research. It is very important to keep up with the latest news on companies hit by the crisis. This may not be the best time to be targeting a job in the oil and gas sector or the aviation sector, for instance. Find out which companies and industries are still in operation and may not have been hit as much by the pandemic. Top picks to focus on for me would be logistics, technology, food, entertainment and telecommunication industries. 3. Work Your Network There is no better time to reach out to your network. You may have been in contact with a recruiter, co-founder, or business owner in the past but slowed down on conversations. Now is the time to rummage through those business social media contacts and let them know you’re available. As a recruiter, I can tell you that during these unprecedented times, what matters is value. More than ever, we rely on referrals and direct candidate sourcing versus investing time/resources on probability. 4. Consider Freelancing Freelancing does not mean that you are not good enough or that you stop chasing a full-time job but you need to keep an open mind. Most companies would rather not commit to long term funded projects as there is no clear or specific timeline for when this pandemic will phase out. You can get freelance gigs on African focused sites like NoSweat, Jobvine, CediJob, Hausbuddy. You can also check out global freelance sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Solidgigs. You never know, your first paid gig could be one click away. Join the SLA community! Get support from women like you. First Name Email Country –AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntigua & BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaireBosnia & HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCanary IslandsCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChannel IslandsChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos IslandColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCote DIvoireCroatiaCubaCuracaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreat BritainGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuineaGuyanaHaitiHawaiiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndonesiaIndiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea NorthKorea SouthKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalaysiaMalawiMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMidway IslandsMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNambiaNauruNepalNetherland AntillesNetherlands (Holland, Europe)NevisNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalau IslandPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairn IslandPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRepublic of MontenegroRepublic of SerbiaReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSt BarthelemySt EustatiusSt HelenaSt Kitts-NevisSt LuciaSt MaartenSt Pierre & MiquelonSt Vincent & GrenadinesSaipanSamoaSamoa AmericanSan MarinoSao Tome & PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTahitiTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad & TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks & Caicos IsTuvaluUgandaUnited KingdomUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican City StateVenezuelaVietnamVirgin Islands (Brit)Virgin Islands (USA)Wake IslandWallis & Futana IsYemenZaireZambiaZimbabwe Opt in to receive news and updates. I want in! You’re officially a Motherland Mogul! You’ll get an email in a bit. 5. Know the job description of the position you are applying for It is important that you study the job description to truly understand what the employer is looking for. This is extremely important. While the primary purpose of the job description is to detail the role and entice you to apply, there’s so much more you can do with it. Knowing more about the role helps you come up with possible interview questions and recall past achievements in previous jobs that align with the job description. This is one of the easiest ways to ace your job interview. 6. Sell Yourself Selling yourself involves you doing more than learning about the company. You’ll also need to also focus on the employer’s needs. Learn how to talk about yourself in a meaningful and powerful way. Include testimonials or proof of past achievements to your resume, application, or professional profile. Your resume inspires any recruiter’s first guess, so you want to make sure it’s a compelling portrait of your strengths and skills. The recruiter should not only see what you were responsible for but how well you did it and how you can make that success happen for them. 7. Ask for advice We are humans, not robots. And when things don’t go as planned, we feel very sad. Reach out to colleagues, friends, mentors in similar sectors for moral support and practical advice on the best ways to land that job you seek. Be specific about the ways you want them to help you. Do not be afraid to ask for help. 8. Stay Positive The most important thing when searching for a job in tough economic times is to keep a positive attitude. No matter how hard or how gut-wrenching these times are, my first order of business is to smack myself across the head with the simple message, “I will not give up. Caving in is not an option.” Focus your energy instead on what you can control. Call that person at your dream company who is friends with your friend. Figure out how to use LinkedIn to your advantage. Take an online Excel course to shore up a required skill. Celebrate after each milestone to keep you energised.
How to find a job on LinkedIn
Need a new job? Well in case you didn’t know, LinkedIn can be one of the best places to start. This is why we’ll be taking you through 5 major tips for how to find the job of your dreams on LinkedIn. Play your cards right and you’d be surprised when potential recruiters are the ones reaching out to you! Update your profile Think of LinkedIn as an online CV but with more. Don’t hold back, use this opportunity to detail the work you’ve done and the skills you have. Apart from a brief summary of your work experience, have a LinkedIn bio that’s interesting enough to read through with hobbies and a bit of what you’re passionate about. Set up job alerts You can set up job alerts on your career interests dashboard so that LinkedIn notifies you when a new job is open. With this feature, you can be one of the first to apply for jobs you’re interested in. Build your connections Be sure to connect and engage with things and people that interest you on LinkedIn. Following companies that you’re interested in and connecting with their employees and recruiters is always a good idea. If you have a list of emails of people that you have connections with offline, all you need to do is upload a CSV file of those contacts and LinkedIn will automatically send connection requests to all of them. This can also help to give your LinkedIn profile a little boost. Reach out When you’re looking for a job on LinkedIn, you’ll need to reach out to recruiters in your choice organisations. One way to make this easy is to have a message template that you can tweak Here’s a good example: “Hello Ms. Archer My name is Lerato. My background is in software engineering. I’m exploring job possibilities and at this stage, am thinking that Maverick could be a fit for me because I can design systems exceptionally well. Can we meet for 15 minutes to discuss? Recruiters are busy people so you want to make sure you give at least a week for a reply. Let Recruiters Know You’re Open Showing your profile to recruiters is another great way LinkedIn helps you find a job. To do this, enable the open to job opportunities feature on your LinkedIn profile. You can also choose to opt in to appear in recruiter searches that match your career interests. LinkedIn tries to protect your privacy by not showing your preferences to recruiters in your current organisation but you need to know that it’s not a 100% guarantee that you will not be visible. That’s it! You’re now on your way to applying for the job of your dreams!
Molped Feature on Odunayo Eweniyi: Co-Founder, PiggyVest
Molped sanitary pad is a product from Hayat Kimya Limited (manufacturers of Molfix diapers), and is a skin-friendly, ultra-soft, sanitary pad, designed to make young girls feel as comfortable, soft, and secure as they feel beside their best friends. Molped’s breathable layer keeps young women fresh, and it’s skin-friendly, cottony soft layer does not cause irritation. Molped sanitary pad is every girl’s best friend, helping them be more confident, and supporting them through their periods. Molped has partnered with She Leads Africa to highlight the beauty and importance of valuable female connections. About Odunayo Eweniyi Odunayo Eweniyi is the co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of PiggyVest. She previously co-founded pushcv.com, one of the largest job sites in Africa with the largest database of pre-screened candidates. She has 5 years’ experience in Business Analysis and Operations and is a First-Class graduate of Computer Engineering, Covenant University, Nigeria. She was named one of Forbes Africa 30 under 30 Technology in 2019 and one of 30 QuartzAfrica Innovators 2019. She sits on the advisory board of TrainFuture, an education technology company based in Switzerland, as well as the Gender Lens Acceleration Best Practices Initiative, a collaborative effort of Village Capital, US and the International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (WeFi). In 2019, she was named SME Entrepreneur of the Year West Africa by The Asian Banker’s Wealth and Society and she is the youngest Nigerian on Forbes Africa list of 20 New Wealth Creators in Africa 2019. Odunayo was also one of the featured speakers at the World Bank-IMF Annual Meeting in 2019. She is one of Business Day’s Spark 2019 Women to Watch and made the World Women in Fintech Power List for 2017; the YNaija Most Influential People in Technology 2017 and 2018. She is a 2018 Westerwelle Young Entrepreneurs fellow; and she is a recipient of The Future Africa Awards Prize in Technology 2018. In honour of her work, she was named one of 100 most inspiring women in Nigeria 2019 by Leading Ladies Africa, one of 50 most visible women in Tech by Tech Cabal in 2019. She is also included on the #YTech100 2019 list of the brightest Nigerian technocrats. She is the Her Network Technology Woman of The Year 2019. She was also voted The Most Influential Young Nigerian in Science and Technology 2019. She works to support the inclusion of women in technology by working with hubs and female-focused networks like For Creative Girls, GreenHouse Labs, She Leads Africa, Itanna etc. She is also the cofounder of the women’s community, Wine and Whine Nigeria. You can connect with Odunayo on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. What does friendship mean to you? Well to me, friendship means mutual understanding and reciprocity. I like to think of all my friendships as safe spaces that are characterized by genuineness, shared values and free of ignorance and discrimination. Can you tell us of a time when any of your girlfriends connected you with a career or business opportunity? Yes actually, in a previous life I was a part-time tech journalist and my friend, Dami, connected me with a well-paying, writing gig at an international magazine. I even ended up working there for well over a year. Is there a time when your friend(s) helped you through a difficult situation in your career? I have a young career, so no difficult situations have stood out there, but my friends are constantly helping me out of sticky situations, and outside of work, they always come through for me. How many women do you have in your power circle, and why did you choose them? I have five women in my power circle and the thing is, I wouldn’t say I chose them, as much as they accepted me for who I am. As a person with Asperger’s syndrome, I am definitely an acquired taste. So these five women, who are actually angels really, have moved through life with me with an understanding of who I am and I, them. But in addition to that, we share values, and despite having varied and many different goals, we work towards it together by supporting each other. How do you think young women can network with other women to achieve career success? To be honest, I think that would be much the same as they network with anyone else. There’s really no special way to relate with women. I think if you just treat people in general with empathy and respect, then you’re well on your way. What is your fondest memory of you and your girlfriends, from when you first began your careers? I actually started having girlfriends, or friends at all, after I started my career. So the memories we built, were built after we all started working and were at many different points in our lives. Finally, what advice/tips do you have for young career women, to help them build and maintain valuable relationships with other women? I think this is really general advice to maintain valuable relationships with everyone. It’s this simple, have empathy, have respect and always pay it forward. To add a caveat though, I 100% believe that female friendships save lives, so I definitely encourage young women to have specifically female support systems. But just overall, move through the world treating people fairly, whether you want from them or you’re giving to them. #MyGrowthSquad series is powered by Molped (@MolpedNigeria). Connect with them on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Sponsored Post
How To Position Yourself For The Job Market
Entering the workforce can be an exciting and daunting experience. To become part of the workforce, you’ve got to be tactical and intentional.