A Human Resource expert, Mr. Tolu Adedayo, has advised Covenant University students from the Department of Biochemistry to focus on career development instead of qualifications as the world has evolved from qualification-focused to career-focused.
He gave this advice during his presentation at the recent Town and Gown Seminar of the Department, where he was a Guest Speaker on the theme, ‘Employability and Career Training’. He admonished the students to stop focusing on the certificate they would get after graduation and start working on skills or talent development alongside their studies.
Mr. Adedayo, a versatile and dynamic Human Resource professional with over 15 years of experience in Human Resource Management, stated that the current situation in the country requires job seekers to keep evolving and learning new skills.
According to him, talents and skills were what sold the most in today’s world as against certificate, as employers focused on results and not necessarily bogus qualifications. He stated, “Right talent gets the job not the most qualified. To get any job, you must become the right talent.”
He pointed out that there was a huge problem in Nigeria today as unemployment was at an all-time high of 33.3% and underemployment at 22.8%, while the population was 200 million and the poverty rate was very high.
He said that every vacancy was a competition, hence one must discover, refine and develop one's talents or skills to be a professional. This, he explained, required apprenticeship or internship, going back to school, obtaining professional certification, volunteering, and continuous learning and training, which involved reading books or obtaining a professional training or higher qualification.
Mr. Adedayo also gave the students tips on job search techniques, recruitment process, writing excellent CVs and cover letters, aptitude testing, interview techniques, practice test, and mock interview among others.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Head, Department of Biochemistry, Professor Israel Afolabi, expressed his excitement at the commencement of the seminar. He welcomed the Guest Speaker and appreciated the efforts of the Town and Gown committee of the Department in ensuring the success of the event.
The HOD also thanked the University Management for its efforts to keep the Town and Gown series going, stating that it had been a tremendous help and impact to the University community as a whole.
Professor Afolabi explained the importance of the day’s lecture to the students, advising them to pay attention as it was very crucial to their journey after graduation. The lecture, he pointed out, would help prepare them to face the world of work.
Also at the seminar were other members of faculty and staff of the Department of Biochemistry.