Expert Shares Success Tips at Lagos Fair

At the recent Lagos Career Fair 2024, Otunba Odeyeyiwa Olayemi, Group Managing Director of Repton Group, outlined the essential elements for achieving career advancement.

As the keynote speaker, Olayemi emphasized the importance of passion, focus, diligence, special skills acquisition, strategic positioning, and resilience in today’s competitive job market.

Olayemi highlighted that the digital technology explosion has transformed the job market into a global village, dismantling geographical boundaries and intensifying competition. Job-seekers now face millions of competitors worldwide, making it crucial to stand out.

“You need to sharpen your employability skills, strategically position yourself, and be resilient to stay ahead of competition and achieve accelerated career advancement,” Olayemi said.

Employability skills are critical for career success, according to Olayemi. These skills include:

– Effective Communication
– Interpersonal Skills
– Personal Development and Learning
– Self-Awareness
– Emotional Intelligence
– Problem-Solving and Analytical Skills
– Creativity and Innovation
– Planning and Organization
– Self-Management
– Ethical Awareness
– Leadership Skills
– CV and Cover Letter Writing
– Job Interview Skills

These skills are highly valued by employers and are more important than technical skills for long-term business success.

Olayemi advised job-seekers to build their personal brand and position themselves strategically for recognition and growth. He recommended focusing on unsolicited job applications rather than relying solely on advertised vacancies.

“As a job-seeker or worker, you need to build your personal brand and then position yourself as a good brand for recognition and advancement opportunities and growth,” he stated.

Olayemi also suggested several strategies for strategic self-positioning, including:

– Self-Marketing
– Building Personal Reputation
– Requesting Additional Work
– Having a Mentor
– Maintaining Cordial Relationships with Your Boss
– Maintaining a Strong Online Presence

Olayemi emphasized that even with developed employability and technical skills and strategic positioning, career success might not come as quickly as expected. In such cases, resilience becomes crucial.

“Development of employability and technical skills as well as employment of strategic positioning may still not quickly guarantee career success in some instances as expected. This may lead to the boundary of your patience being overstretched. One potent tool you need to survive such a situation is resilience, the mentality of a winner.”

Otunba Odeyeyiwa Olayemi’s insights at the Lagos Career Fair 2024 provide valuable guidance for job-seekers and workers aiming for career advancement. By focusing on key employability skills, strategic self-positioning, and resilience, individuals can navigate the global job market effectively and achieve their career goals.