10 THINGS TO REMOVE FROM YOUR RESUME

In writing your Resumes (Not CV if not academically inclined), beware of these exceptions: 

📍 Address: You need not put an address. Simply putting “Location”. Sometimes in putting this, you shoot yourself in the foot. Why? Most recruiters know that proximity is key and clients would have you know that when some candidates resume after promising that it wouldn’t be a problem during interviews, it would be their Nos 1 reason to come late to work and also for security reasons.

📍 Ethnicity: The talent space is so rich out that your place of birth and tribe are usually given a backseat. Guess what, this could also be subjected to biases. However, there are clients that would ask that they want diversity  cause present structure favours a certain tribe but why put yourself out of the equation. 

📍 Curriculum Vitae as Header: Some would bolden and make it the largest font in their profile. Do take it out as this already announces what it is. 

📍 Marital Status: In my experience except for such roles that involve a lot of traveling and certain roles requiring other pertinent stuff, this should be excluded as what a married person can do, a single-status-individual can do. 

📍 Long Job Responsibilities: Keep it Simple, concise and clear. Please don’t go online and copy verbatim about 10-15 job responsibilities. You were a Sales Executive that was promoted through your 7 years on the job to Sales Manager and therefore you repeat the same functions in about 2 pages of your resume just to show progression. 

Professional Summary/Career Objectives: There is a difference between these: 

📍Career Objective -usually short, one or two sentences long. It is specific about the position and type of job. It identifies the kind of career you are seeking and the focus is “You”. 

Summary shows your qualifications for the job. It gives the Recruiter a quick synopsis of your background, skills, strengths, and experience that is relevant to the advertised job.

📍Hobbies/ Passion: Do not write anything that comes to mind. Sometimes, i have seen candidates being bursted. 😀. “I can speak French” but you can’t make a full sentence. “I love reading books” but can’t mention any. 

📍 Use of Colours & Graphics- There are roles that could be artistically or SM. You can use these to show your talents but for others, you can leave out. Also some companies deploy ATS that may not recognize these so don’t take yourself out of reckoning.

📍 Email Address: While your work email address is unacceptable to be used as a channel of communication, your personal email address should be devoid of innuendos, sexy and political undertones. You don't want to showcase something that could lead to a bias towards you. e.g “omosexyplus@gmail.com

📍Long Pages: Sometimes we think the longer the better so we have information overload and we put unnecessary details. For the more experienced candidates, please include your successes and accomplishments.

Leadership - Which type of leader are you?

 

There are three types of leader. Those that stand in front of their people, those that stand behind their people, and those that stand next to their people. Which type of leader are you?

In the volume of leadership typologies, it is hard to see the forest for the trees. There’s visionary leaders, transformative leaders, servant leaders, transactional leaders, humble leaders, and so on and so forth. 

To simplify things I’d like to divide leaders into three broad categories: leaders that lead from the front, leaders that lead from the back, and leaders that lead from the side.

• Leading from the FRONT

Visionary type of leaders that lead by example. Work in front of the troops, directing and paving the way for their people.

+ Key benefits: innovation power, perceived as strong, aligned team

- Key risks: dominance, can feel unsafe, can create weak followers 

• Leading from the BACK

Servant type of leaders that support their people. Focus on people’s needs and try to help and facilitate them where they can.

+ Key benefits: people-centric, needs-driven, empowerment 

- Key risks: can be seen as weak, pampering, lack of vision

• Leading from the SIDE

Mentoring type of leaders that guide their people. Work in a peer-to-peer, feedback, and equality-based relation

+ Key benefits: openness, hands-on, collaboration-driven

- Key risks: invisible as leader, legitimacy issues, unclear decision-making

As we can see, all three have their pros and cons. This means that there is no single best or worst way. But, we can have preferences. My personal preference is leading from the side: standing (or sitting) next to people rather than in front or behind them. 

Which type of leader are you?

Which type of leader do you prefer?

#leadershipdevelopment 

#managementdevelopment 

#changeleadership 

Some common bad practices that school principals follow

1. Not including teachers in the decision making process. Decisions made from “on high” can seem gratuitous or arbitrary.
2. Not backing up teachers in tough situations. It’s very important for teachers to know that they will be supported if they make a decision that will upset a parent.
3. Punishing teachers instead of helping them improve. Teachers are human beings - they make mistakes and have failings. Helping teachers improve is far better than punishing them with bad schedules, room relocations, or layoffs.
4. Sitting in the office instead of roaming the building. Teachers and students should see the principal on a regular basis around the school.
5. Making everything a priority. When everything is your priority, nothing is your priority.
6. Ignoring major problems. We all know that not every problem can be solved. But you can always make an attempt.
7. Appeasing parents when they are being unreasonable. Giving parents what they request when it doesn’t impair the education process makes sense. But when it does? Not so much.
8. Allowing favoritism to continue. This is very common for coaches, athletes, and “principal’s favorite” teachers.
9. Promising but not delivering. If you’re not sure a thing can be done, don’t promise it.
10. Not putting academics first. Schools have to be a school first, and everything else second.

There are many more, but I’ve seen these failings committed over and over again.

LETTER TO SUPERVISOR

Dear Supervisor,

Closing late or leaving work on time is not a Key Performance Indicator or Key Result Area and it does not translate to a staff being productive.

What you should be measuring is actual performance, quality of work, effectiveness, efficiency, professionalism and so on.

That a staff closes late does not translate to commitment, efficiency, output or quality of work.

It's actually not your business if a staff chooses to leave work right at closing hour, as long as there isn't any task that should be closed out on or beyond deadline.

Some people have young children that need their attention, some have aged or a sick parent or relation that they have to care for after work; some have classes/ courses they are taking; some people are learning to swim, dance etc.; some live far away from work; some just have a lovely family they can't wait to be with after several hours apart.

On the other hand, some choose to stay late to avoid their abusive spouse/parents/siblings; some are experiencing domestic violence that they would rather be away from their home as much as possible; home is lonely for some; some are avoiding heavy traffic and so on.

Stop comparing people, people's realities are different. That A chooses to leave work at 9pm and another chooses to leave right at closing hour does not mean A is more committed. Some people are very active during the day while some are active in the evenings.

Let people breathe, let people work happily, let people LIVE. Life is not all about work, health and family matters too.

People are at different stages of life, some are single, some are married, some have all their children in boarding houses, some have babies, some have toddlers, some are newly married.... All these translate to how people choose to spend their time and what's priority for them.

Let people LIVE. 

N.B-There are days that work demands extra hours, that's exclusive of this write-up.

#michaelsview #workplacewellness #people #balancedlife #workplaceculture #leadership #productivity #timemanagement #wellbeingmatters

THINKING OUT LOUD

Chinua Achebe was a novelist. Wole Soyinka is a playwright. I know most of you didn’t know this, but there is really no basis for comparison between the two. It’s like comparing Sunny Ade and Oliver De Coque because they are both singers. 

Chinua Achebe also deserved the Nobel Prize no doubt, but he never won it. Wole Soyinka won it in 1986. That award has been in existence since 1901. If the award committee wanted to give it to Chinua Achebe, they would have given him the prize long before Soyinka won it in 1986. Achebe died in 2013 - 27 solid years after Soyinka won the prize. The committee still didn’t give him the award; and you are here saying Soyinka “stole” the award that Achebe should have received. 

Chinua Achebe himself never lamented not receiving the prize because, believe it or not, the Nobel Prize, or any award for that matter, is not the true measure of achievement for a writer. No African novel has sold more copies and has been translated into as many languages as “Things Fall Apart”. 

To measure Achebe’s accomplishments by whether he won the Nobel Prize or not belittles his work and insults his memory. 

Incidentally, this same Wole Soyinka wrote in 2013: "This conduct is gross disservice to Chinua Achebe and disrespectful of the life-engrossing occupation known as literature. How did creative valuation descend to such banality? Do these people know what they're doing – they are inscribing Chinua's epitaph in the negative mode of thwarted expectations. I find that disgusting. Was it the Nobel that spurred a young writer, stung by Eurocentric portrayal of African reality, to put pen to paper and produce Things Fall Apart?"

You lot should leave literature alone for those of us who know its true worth, please. You all don’t read anyway. Why the sudden interest in who was a better writer as if you have bought or read any of their books? 

Drag prof if you want to drag him, just leave Chinua Achebe’s name out of such frivolous comments, and let the dead continue to rest in peace!

WHAT WAS

 

I lay my pen, then close my eyes,

think of the times that slipped us by.

Relive the laughs we will not have,
we were as one, but now just half.

Turn the page, a different tale,
we were both good, never went stale.
Always a theme in stories told,
kissed by warm lights, melting the cold.

A fairytale from long ago,
when knees were bent, while life flowed slow.
As liquid words absorb all ink,
diminished love, made our hearts sink.

Stories are told, from dusty times,
no clear-cut views, reason, or rhyme.
A simple truth that was perceived,
lived long ago by you and me.

Written by young hearts filled with hope,
climbing steep hills and endless ropes.
Adventures end with distinct roads,
glad you were there to share the load.

Typed letters penetrate my bones,
presence never leaves me alone,
Cobwebs of memories fulfill,
the days that pass as life stands still.

FIRST TERM PHONICS EXAMINATION

 

FIRST TERM EXAMINATION

CLASS: NURSERY 2

SUBJECT: PHONICS

INSTRUCTION: ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

 

1. Letter A sound /ӕ/ as in _____________

(a) Apple​​​(b) cup

2. Letter B sound /b/ as in _____________

(a) Goat​​​(b) ball

3. Letter C sound /k/ as in _____________

(a) Horse​​​(b) cat

4. Letter D sound /d/ as in _____________

(a) Dog​​​(b) gun

5. Letter E sound /e/ as in _____________

(a) Elephant​​​(b) rat

6. Letter F sound /f/ as in _____________

(a) Fish​​​(b) orange

7. Letter G sound /g/ as in ____________

(a) Door​​​(b) girl

8. Letter H sound /h/ as in ____________

(a) House ​​​(b) man

9. Letter I sound /ı/ as in _____________

(a) Insect​​​(b)mango

10.Letter J sound /ʤ/ as in ___________

(a)    Queen​​​(b) Jump

 

Answers:

1. A ​2. B​3. B​4. A​5. A​6. A​7. B​8. A​9. A​10. B​

FIRST TERM EXAMINATION

CLASS: PRIMARY 1

SUBJECT: PHONICS

INSTRUCTION: ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

CLASS:​​PRIMARY ONE

SUBJECT:​​PHONICS

TIME:​​_____________________________________

DATE:​​_____________________________________

INSTRUCTION: ​ATTEMPT ALL QUESTIONS

 

 

SECTION A:

 

Underline the correct words for the above sounds.

 

 

/s/

 

1.​(a) Set​​​(b) Gun​​​(c) Country

 

2.​(a) Pray​​​(b) Carpet​​​(c) Socks

 

3.​(a) Customer​​(b) Lunch​​​(c) Hungry

 

4.​(a) State​​​(b) Cat​​​(c) Bone

 

5.​(a) Love​​​(b) Plant​​​(c) Cups

 

 

 

SECTION B:

 

 

/ᴧ/

 

6.​(a) Baby​​​(b) Cut​​​(c) Cat

 

7.​(a) Under​​​(b) Banana​​​(c) Test

 

8.​(a) Shut​​​(b) Mark​​​(c) Basket

 

9.​(a) Laugh​​​(b) Best​​​(c) Must

 

10.​(a) Cake​​​(b) Sun​​​(c) Vowel

 

SECTION C:

 

 

/ı/

 

11.​(a) Sit​​​​(b) Puppy​​​(c) Can

 

12.​(a) After​​​(b) Bread​​​(c) Insect

 

13.​(a) Shop​​​(b) Mix​​​(c) School

 

14.​(a) Ink​​​​(b) Brother​​​(c) Mother

 

15.​(a) If​​​​(b) Socks​​​(c) Van

 

Answers:

1. A​2. C​3. A​4. A​5. C​6. B​7. A​8. A​9. C​10. B​11. A​12. C​

13. B​14. A​15. A

 

 

 

 

 

CLASS:​​PRIMARY TWO

SUBJECT:​​PHONICS

TIME:​​_____________________________________

DATE:​​_____________________________________

INSTRUCTION: ​ATTEMPT ALL QUESTIONS

 

 

SECTION A:

 

Underline the correct words for the above sounds.

 

 

/p/

 

1.​(a) People​​​(b) Gun​​​(c) Country

 

2.​(a) Pray​​​(b) Carry​​​(c) Fun

 

3.​(a) Customer​​(b) Lunch​​​(c) Carpet

 

4.​(a) State​​​(b) Captain​​​(c) Bone

 

5.​(a) Love​​​(b) Plant​​​(c) Camel

 

 

 

SECTION B:

 

 

/e/

 

6.​(a) Baby​​​(b) Red​​​(c) Cross

 

7.​(a) Stay​​​(b) Banana​​​(c) Test

 

8.​(a) When​​​(b) Start​​​(c) Broom

 

9.​(a) Love​​​(b) Chips​​​(c) Enter

 

10.​(a) Bush​​​(b) Best​​​(c) Corn

 

 

 

 

SECTION C:

 

Choose the correct word for the sounds below.

 

11.  /ʌ/-​​(a) Sun​​​(b) Mat​​(c) Net

 

12.  /ӕ/-​​(a) Country​​​(b) Pencil​​(c) Chat

 

13.  /ı/-​​(a) Chin​​​(b) Paint​​(c) Gram

 

14.  /e/​​(a) Spring​​​(b) Glory​​(c) Elephant

 

15. /s/​​(a) Jump​​​(b) Game​​(c) Sound

 

Answers:

1. A​2. A​3. C​4. B​5. B​6. B​7. C​8. A​9. C​10. B​11. A​12. C

13. A​14. C​15. C

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLASS:​​PRIMARY THREE

SUBJECT:​​PHONICS

TIME:​​_____________________________________

DATE:​​_____________________________________

INSTRUCTION: ​ATTEMPT ALL QUESTIONS

 

 

SECTION A:

 

Underline the correct words for the above sounds.

 

 

/ᴧ/

 

1.​(a) Beetle​​​(b) Under​​​(c) Fresh

 

2.​(a) Vulture​​​(b) After​​​(c) Sign

 

3.​(a) Hence​​​(b) Lunch​​​(c) Soon

 

4.​(a) Last​​​(b) Lemon​​​(c) Such

 

5.​(a) Upper​​​(b) Pass​​​(c) Cast

 

 

 

SECTION B:

 

 

/b/

 

6.​(a) Bring​​​(b) Ring​​​(c) Cross

 

7.​(a) High​​​(b) Buy​​​(c) Time

 

8.​(a) Date​​​(b) Scroll​​​(c) Scrub

 

9.​(a) Had​​​(b) Cabinet​​​(c) Sine

 

10.​(a) Bush​​​(b) Fest​​​(c) Corn

 

 

 

 

SECTION C:

 

Choose the correct word for the sounds below.

 

11.  /e/-​​(a) Sun​​​(b) Mat​​(c) Net

 

12.  /ӕ/-​​(a) Country​​​(b) Pencil​​(c) Chat

 

13.  /s/-​​(a) Sipped​​​(b) Paint​​(c) Gram

 

14.  /p/​​(a) Spring​​​(b) Glory​​(c) Elephant

 

15. /d/​​(a) Jump​​​(b) Game​​(c) Sound

 

 

Answers:

1. B​2. A​3. B​4. C​5. A​6. A​7. B​8. C​9. B​10. A​11. C​12. C

13. A​14. A​15. C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLASS:​​PRIMARY FOUR

SUBJECT:​​PHONICS

TIME:​​_____________________________________

DATE:​​_____________________________________

INSTRUCTION: ​ATTEMPT ALL QUESTIONS

 

 

SECTION A:

Underline the correct words for the above sounds.

 

/aı/

 

1.​(a) Seems​​(b) High​​(c) Fresh​​(d) Party

 

2.​(a) Now​​(b) After​​(c)Position​​(d) Try

 

3.​(a) Hence​​(b) Cross​​(c) Light​​(d) Symbol

 

4.​(a) Came​​(b) Like​​(c) Such​​(d) Drop

 

5.​(a) Cry​​(b) Pass​​(c) Bought​​(d) Object

 

 

 

SECTION B:

 

/ɔɪ/

 

6.​(a) Sprout​​(b) Come​​(c) Oyster​​(d) Land

 

7.​(a) Oil​​​(b) Statement​(c) Kind​​(d) Mouse

 

8.​(a) Cover​​(b) Plate​​(c) Use​​(d) Noise

 

9.​(a) Cake​​(b) Sink​​(c) Voice​​(d) Party

 

10.​(a) Fall​​(b) Fight​​(c) Jump​​(d) Choice

 

 

 

 

SECTION C:

 

Write 5 words each for the sounds below.

 

​​​/ʧ/​  ​​​​​/ʤ/

 

11. 

 

12.

 

13.

 

14.

 

15.

Answers:

1. B​2. D​3. C​4. B​5. A​6. C​7. A​8. D​9. C​10. D​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLASS:​​PRIMARY FIVE

SUBJECT:​​PHONICS

TIME:​​_____________________________________

DATE:​​_____________________________________

INSTRUCTION: ​ATTEMPT ALL QUESTIONS

 

 

SECTION A:

Underline the correct words for the above sounds.

 

/ɔɪ/

 

1.​(a) Sprout​​(b) Come​​(c) Oyster​​(d) Land

 

2.​(a) Oil​​​(b) Statement​(c) Kind​​(d) Mouse

 

3.​(a) Cover​​(b) Plate​​(c) Use​​(d) Noise

 

4.​(a) Cake​​(b) Sink​​(c) Voice​​(d) Party

 

5.​(a) Fall​​(b) Fight​​(c) Jump​​(d) Joy

 

 

SECTION B:

/aı/

 

6.​(a) Seems​​(b) High​​(c) Fresh​​(d) Party

 

7.​(a) Now​​(b) After​​(c)Position​​(d) Try

 

8.​(a) Hence​​(b) Cross​​(c) Light​​(d) Symbol

 

9.​(a) Came​​(b) Like​​(c) Such​​(d) Drop

 

10.​(a) Cry​​(b) Pass​​(c) Bought​​(d) Object

 

 

 

 

SECTION C:

 

Write 5 words each for the sounds below.

 

​​​/ʧ/​  ​​​​​/ʤ/

 

11. 

 

12.

 

13.

 

14.

 

15.

 

 

Answers:

1. C​2. A​3. D​4. C​5. D​6. B​7. D​8. C​9. B​10. A​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLASS:​​J.S.S. 

SUBJECT:​​ORAL ENGLISH

TIME:​​_____________________________________

DATE:​​_____________________________________

INSTRUCTION: ​ATTEMPT ALL QUESTIONS

 

SECTION A

Write 2 words each for the sounds below.

 

 

1. /p/​​​_____________​​_____________

 

 

2. /b/​​​_____________​​_____________​​

 

 

3. /t/​​​_____________​​_____________​

 

 

4. /s/​​​_____________​​_____________​

 

 

5. /d/​​​_____________​​_______________

 

 

 

SECTION B

 

Choose the right word for the sounds below.

 

/aɪ/

 

6.​(a) Long​​(b) Data​​(c) Meat​​(d) Right

 

7.​(a) Choice​​(b) Wife​​(c) Name​​(d) Come

 

8.​(a) Back​​(b) Start​​(c) Grow​​(d) Glide

9.​(a) Stare​​(b) Fury​​(c) Bribe​​(d) Country

 

10.​(a) Abide​​(b) Spell​​(c) Sound​​(d) Sleep

 

 

/ɔɪ/

 

11.​(a) Choice​​(b) Neat​​(c) Play​​(d) Look

 

12.​(a) Close​​(b) Shout​​(c) Found​​(d) Joy

 

13.​(a) Spell​​(b) Ointment​(c) Maid​​(d) Firm

 

14.​(a) Goat​​(b) Glare​​(c) Smites​​(d) Boil

 

15.​(a) Front​​(b) Employ​​(c) Game​​(d) Garment

 

 

 

SECTION C

 

Write 5 words for the below sounds

 

​​​/ʤ/​​​​​​/ʧ/

 

16.

 

17.

 

18.

 

19.

 

20.

 

Answers:

6. D​7. B​8. D​9. C​10. A​11. A​12. D​13. B​14. D​15. B