How I used Linkedin to get job offers. (Interview with Salem Emmanuel)

• Brief Introduction (can we please meet you?)

My name is Salem Emmanuel, proudly African (Nigeria), a B.Sc holder in Business Management, a Business and Data Analyst consultant and a former Project Manager at Utiva where I coordinated and managed all the special projects in partnership with State Governments in Nigeria. I am a very deterministic and optimistic fellow, a creative thinker and a hardworking person. Life has taught me a lot and these lessons have become my strength. 

• How did you stay motivated with a 97% rejection rate in 2017/2018?

I will really try not to get emotional here; sincerely speaking, it was a hard time. I had finished my university degree in 2015/2016 and I was mobilized for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). At the time, my allowance was invested in quite a number of certified courses whilst I still served my fatherland diligently. I even bagged different awards during the time at the state level. With all of these, I never felt I would still receive that number of rejections I received.

I submitted about 80 applications within the time; yes I know this because I was intentional about it. I got 26 Rejection emails and for the rest, no reply. I will be honest to say, some of the rejections I got were due to my unprofessionalism when it comes to applications and proper cv profiling. 

However, I stayed focused. In order not to wallow in depression, I started consulting for small and medium scaled businesses and one of the things that broke the mark for me was volunteering; do not take it for granted. With volunteering, I felt fulfilled and the fact that I was part of a greater cause kept me motivated. Thanks to the Guru Foundation for the opportunity to serve in the capacity of the state coordinator. 

• How did you use LinkedIn to land the offers you spoke about in your post?

 LinkedIn recently has turned out to become a powerful tool for job recruiters and recruitment. I have been on LinkedIn for over 2 years now but I never paid attention to the activities there, not until last year. I was intentional with creating a brand about myself and when I studied the trend on LinkedIn, I realized it was more of a resume and gateway to your next big thing. I started by sharing my success stories, my failures and the lessons I learnt from them. I also shared teamwork and what my team was achieving; at this point, my connection grew, I got more engagements and my reach widened. 

• What did this do? 

It gave the opportunity for Elites and top business influencers I would not come in contact with to see my achievements and what I am capable of. LinkedIn became my CV, my work-life played out here and I put up a smile when a CEO comments on my post saying "keep up the amazing work champ", this is another endorsement and commendation. Before leaving my former company, I have always had entrepreneurs’ send me private messages about how they love what I am doing and how they would like for me to be a part of their team; this happened because I showed what I am capable of. You see, I was not surprised when I got the offers I got; I am only concerned with choosing the best offer (one that will develop me and impact my community) as I am yet to make that decision. 

• Some might say your years of experience already gives you an advantage, what is your response to that?

 I will just smile because that argument is baseless in my case... What experience are we really talking about here? I don’t have up to four years’ experience yet. Some people with ten years of experience struggle to land a new job after leaving their previous job. So, you see, this has got nothing to do with job experience, I will say the ability to stay consistent, energetic, goal-driven, be a creative thinker and a problem solver was what made the difference for me.  

• Your advice to job seekers with no or very limited experience (particularly with respect to Linkedin). 

 I will say, celebrate your small wins, no matter how small. (Read my LinkedIn posts, it will guide you). We are faced with hard times because the jobs available are very limited, but who says you can't land a dream job as well. Don't be scared to start where you are, slow and steady still wins the race'. Also, while you are waiting, take up volunteering roles, it will go a long way to help you build certain relationships, build team spirit; expose you to work ethics and deliverables needed for the 21st-century job. Invest in yourself as well, don't take this part for granted, you can't give what you do not have, it is only a matter of time. 

•  Final words.
• My story will not be complete without saying a big THANK YOU to Utiva, my former company and my boss, Eyitayo Ogunmola, the CEO of UTIVA for believing in me. My stay with Utiva moulded me for the right work culture fit and if you are looking for advancement in your career, Utiva.io is your best plug, check them up to learn a digital premium skill today. Thank you Oluwatosin for the opportunity to share my story, keep up the good work.  I hope this inspires someone to the next phase. 

Cheers!