Dear reader, we believe the Careerfest2020 webinar on Tuesday helped you improve your job search and interview strategies.

The process of landing a dream job, as detailed by our distinguished panellists and discussants, begins with a well-written CV, self-presentation, and self- marketing through effective communication.

You equally need to develop an interest in building skillsets and mutual networks that will recommend you in closed boardrooms as panellists advised.

“After a successful interview, how do I keep that job I’ve been offered”? “What are the habits that could mark me as eligible for promotion”?

Further mentorship and coaching regarding these and other areas of your career lifestyle are precisely what this article is about.

Upskill and learn more. 

In 2013, the International Labour Organisation released a report which said the world needed to create at least 600 million jobs over the ensuing decade.

But even more worrying, a 2019 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers indicated that the majority of chief executives were unable to get the right people with the right skills to employ.

As you celebrate having landed that job, do you have the skills that are relevant in the next decade?

With changing technology, you possibly might have a gap. And this requires that you become a life-long learner if you are to stay relevant to your employer. Upskill not for the sake of the current job but also the industry.

Employees who will maintain their jobs in this 21st century will be those who are always scanning for opportunities to upgrade to remain relevant in their fields.

A study by Talya (2010), said 40 per cent of senior managers who joined organisations and who did not upskill while on the job, were fired within 18 months of hire.

Do not be static to become a statistic in the 40 per cent.

Learn how to keep the job and only resign at your own will.

Know your KPIs and exceed them. 

This article will interest you: Six things you should never say or do in a job interview.

Most newly hired employees are subjected to a mandatory probation period of between three to six months as a standard industry practice.

The essence of the probation is to enable hiring managers to monitor your performance, attitude, and team spirit within the organisation.

Within that window, ensure that you understand your job description, company strategy, and culture, clientele as well as its vision and mission.

Your job description is just a tool to guide your work, but employers expect you to perform beyond your KPIs. Remember that like never before; employers have a worldwide pool of talent available on the labour market to choose from.

Employers also want to ensure that those they bring to the team are real assets and not just job seekers. Your performance during probation must justify their investment in the whole recruitment process.

You made promises at the job interview. It will be very disheartening to hear that you failed to impress by action during your probation.

Learn to set your priorities. 

Some job seekers will promise heaven and earth at the interview. However, as soon as they make friends within the organisation, they become comfortable, paying little attention to the very reason why they were hired.

Time management becomes difficult for such people. As a result, they fail to set and meet company priorities. They are also quickly drawn into trivial office politics.

According to a Job Partnership study, your lateness at work not only hurts your co-workers by giving them extra work, but it also hurts the business.

Time is money, and a minute wasted cannot be recovered. And it may mean customers will not be served promptly and business is lost to another company.

Ensure you are early at work; friendship isn’t your priority, and do not involve yourself in office politics.

All these reduce employee reliability and dependability, a situation that could see your dismissal from the organisation in no time.

Deeply think and innovate on the job.

Recommended article: What makes a great resume/CV?

In this disruptive dispensation and an unpredictable future staring everyone in the face, employers will try as much as they can to recruit only the innovative.

With innovation comes solutions, the only guarantee for company survival.

Learn from your peers or industry and come up with turnaround ideas; a sure way to become indispensable to your employer.

Quickly learn the art of solving problems and providing new perspectives that will help the organisation to progress if you are to keep your job.

According to Ewelina P. & Mariola L., (2019), due to changing customers’ expectations and the global expansion of markets, innovation is gold to companies, and employees who demonstrate innovativeness are paid a premium.

Do not just be at the receiving end of innovations all the time. If you accept being only a follower, you will soon become excess weight which the company cannot carry to their destination at the top.

Become a people person with an open mind. 

Whether you hold a junior or senior position in a company, you need to learn how to communicate well with your colleagues.

Diversity and collaboration are now critical to the survival of organisations. This can only happen through good relationship building and excellent communication skills.

Most companies these days also have policies on diversity. This could make communicating and relating to people from different backgrounds quite sensitive.

Do you view people through racial or tribal lenses? If this is your mentality, then your chances of succeeding in and keeping that job are minimal. Always strive to be an effective communicator with both verbal and body language.

Colleagues with dissenting views are not your enemies. Learn to manage and relate well with those whose opinions differ from yours. Amid disagreements, resolve to keep a positive attitude with friendliness, and most importantly focus on delivering on your assignments.

Follow the advice given in this article, and you will not only pass your probation but also earn a promotion.