Your Certificate Is Not Enough, Acquire Soft Skills For Relevance In Labour Market” -Expert
A job and soft skills development expert, Miss Tosin Opaniyi, from a job recruitment organisation, Ascentech Services has advised students as well as job seekers not to rely on their certificates alone when they search for jobs, but, they should acquire soft skills that would help them through, while they search for jobs and those skills will also be of great assistance while on such jobs.
Opaniyi made this assertion when her firm collaborated with the Lagos State University (LASU) Career Development Centre to hold a one-day training on employability and soft skills, Wednesday, 25th August, 2022 at the Buba Marwa Auditorium, Main Campus, Ojo, Lagos.
In her Welcome Address, the Director, LCDC, Prof. Bisi Obadofin, represented by the Deputy Director, Dr. Medinat Osundiya, appreciated the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni and the University Management for the support towards the centre and the programme.
She charged the participants to make use of the knowledge gained from the training, which would be beneficial to them when they become graduates.
She ended her remarks by applauding the firm for extending its social responsibility to the institution. She called for more such collaborations in the future.
Back to the training, Opaniyi told the students to engage in activities that would give them soft skills, which include volunteering and learning new things aside from classroom lectures. She added that the 21st-century workplace relies more on soft skills than certificates.
” Organisations out there are looking for those with soft skills, though certificates are important. They want those that are team players, with empathy as well as those who can work with less supervision. So, do everything to acquire those soft skills”, she stated.
On Curriculum Vitae, she advised that it must be simple with the necessary valid information, such as name, schools attended, address, work experience, telephone numbers, email and more. Opaniyi averred that the CV provides more information about the candidate for a job.
Speaking further, the recruitment expert averred that on job interview day, a prospective job seeker must dress well and show great enthusiasm. She implored that such a person should do a background check on the organisation before setting out to attend the interview. She added that the job seeker must show great confidence, too.
Finally, she admonished the participants to be computer compliant as well as internet savvy, insisting that technology drives 21st-century jobs.
Also, at the training, a staff of LASU, from the Bursary, Mr. Olushola Olumide, a Motivational and Public Speaker, earlier in the day took the participants on “Importance of Social Capital”.
The Certified Behavioural Control Specialist who wowed his young audience set out by saying that young people need to understand the concept of building an everlasting relationship, that would transcend the present.
“As students, you must learn how to build an everlasting and positive relationship. When you graduate, you need people, through your network, you build positive relationships. That good relationship should not end here, LASU should be the take-off point”.
Furthermore, he explained that it was good to have technical competence, and acquire certificates and skills, but, knowing the right people would go a long way in making things happen.
The emotional intelligence expert told the students they must be deliberate about building relationships, by giving value, meeting other people’s needs as well as being sociable.
Olumide ended his talk by saying that “great people in your lives constitute the 21st Century Currency”.
The well-attended programme ended with the presentation of gifts by Dr. Ajelara to the duo of Tosin Opaniyi and her colleague, Kingsley from Ascentech Services. She equally gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the Centre.
About 300 participants attended the training.
Others at the event from LCDC include a Career Advisor, Dr. Wasiu Badru, Senior Assistant Registrar, Mr. Seyido Williams, Personal Secretary, Joe Musa and System Analyst, Olumide Fawehinmi.
