A serving corps member in Lagos, Mr. Ogundipe Adeniyi, last Thursday got a job after winning the mock interview organised for his colleagues at a job fair organised by the Lagos State National Youth Corps Scheme, in collaboration with New Horizon Computer learning Centre.

The fair, according to the Lagos State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, was organised to equip the corps members who would pass out this month with the skills needed during job interviews.

Adeyemi said that though 1,500 of them submitted their curriculum vitaes for the interview, 20 were initially shortlisted for the mock interview, which held at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos.

“The shortlisted 20 were later reduced to 10 after they were subjected to a written test by experts from a human resources recruitment firm,” she said.

However, the Business Manager, Human Resources and Business Process, Workforce Management Centre, Lagos, Mr. Akin Afolabi, who conducted the oral interview, said that only five of the invited 10 candidates attended the test.

“Some of them did not take the exercise seriously. That was why they were not prepared for it. Some even came late. You can do well when you go late for an interview appointment,” he said.

Afolabi said that the candidates were tested on job knowledge, creative thinking ability, communication skill, self confidence and relevant experience to the position they applied for.

At the end of the educative interview session, Ogundipe, a first class graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife beat four others to get the job.

He was presented a letter of appointment as an ICT instructor by Mrs. Mary Abia, who represented the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Nnamdi Okore-Affia, at the event.

She advised the corps members to learn from the mistake committed by their colleagues during future interviews.

punch