#MondayMotivation My journey from Quality to Quantity

I got my first job while I was still in secondary school.

I saw an opening and sent my c.v. You may wonder what kind of profile a secondary school student would have? Well i threw in everything! My love for writing, promises and more. The advertiser was so amused that they offered me a job.

Since then, i have had a series of jobs- paid or unpaid, with bosses or as my own boss, knowing what i was doing or making it up as i went along, and indeed, well and terribly.

There was a time i wanted to do it all and girl did i try! Everything i did i did with energy and passion; friendships, hobbies, love.

In the end, i calmed down and began to ask more questions before doing things or accepting work. One day I wrote down a few questions to answer before saying yes to something. 

Questions like; Does this make me money? Does it move me forward? Am I doing this for the greater good? Is it beneficial, short or long term? Does it benefit my career? Does it make me or someone i care about happy? Is it for personal development?

We will have to make that distinction several times in our journey. Every time we start over, we reach for quantity first. It helps establish our presence, sharpen our skills, fill a void.

But then when we have done this, we must go back to quantity.

That's the journey.

#SkincareSaturday Before you throw that toothbrush away...

Dentists tell us to throw our toothbrush away once we have used it for three months. And that is great. For your teeth.
But, do you know when it comes to your hair, skin and face, there is so much you can use your toothbrush for?

Check out my top three favourite things to do with old toothbrushes

1. Hair brush
Keep an old toothbrush in your car or bag to help brush your hair on the move. It helps tackle those little stubborn hair strands and also beats carrying big brushes everywhere.

2. Eyebrow brush
The first trick i was taught by make up artistes? Brush your eyebrows with a toothbrush.
Of course nowadays, most of us have all the professional brushes but if you ever do lose one, keep an old toothbrush handy before you replace it.

3. Lip exfoliator
To get smoother lips that your lipglosses will love,get rid of dead skin cells on your lips by brushing with a toothbrush. First put a natural exfoliator like sugar then brush gently with the toothbrush. Rinse and enjoy the tingle!

4. For the face
You may find that sponges are great for your body but you are scared to use the, on your face because they will be harsh. On the other hand, your face does need scrubbing once or twice? That's where a toothbrush with soft or mild bristles works perfectly. Just brush your face gently and enjoy this natural scrub.

What do you think about these tips and is there anything other than brushing your teeth that you use your toothbrush for?

Answer on my instagram for a chance to win this week's giveaway- a selection of skincare and beauty products!

ABCs of a Successful Job Search

Hi guys,

Did you notice the same trend i did? People now taking to the streets to look for jobs?
Two ladies, one in Port Harcourt the other in Lekki, Lagos, took their job search to the streets. 

Twitter: @findjobng 

Your first reaction could be to laugh or wave them off as crazy, but think about it; it means these people have searched so much that they feel going on the streets is the next step! Twittersphere was naturally divided with some people making fun and condemning them while others could see why it was neccessary.

Personally, I think you should do what you can to get what you want, as long as you do not hurt others in the process. These ladies looked at the sad job situation in Nigeria, and went out to the streets to get a job, they should be saluted for this. Still it is sad. Sometimes, I really wish I could employ everyone.

However, since I cannot, I can share a few tips I have found useful over the years. So it doesn’t have to get to the extent where you carry a placard and march to the street.

1.      

      Learn a Skill

The employment situation in Nigeria is bad. Yet, there will always be jobs for skilled people. So regardless of what you studied in school, or have a degree in, learn a skill, whether or not related to your field of study. This skill can be learned while you are still an undergraduate or during your service year. ‘The craft of a man (or woman) will pave a way for him (or her)’ is a popular and very true saying.
(Kudos to the interns who come to Top Radio 90.9 all the time to learn skills!)

2.      

      Build and Use a Network

Even if you are a natural introvert, you need to learn to reach out to people, talk to them and save their contacts. Attend workshops and seminars related to the industry you would like to work in. Apply for competitions too. You will find yourself growing a network, which you can then use when the time comes.

3.       Social Media

The lady from Port Harcourt, her picture went viral, because a job search handle @findjobng on Twitter tweeted her picture, and soon people were calling her to offer jobs. 

Twitter: @findjobng

The lady from Lekki too had her picture taken and it was shared on Twitter, and soon she got a call from Andela, an IT firm. The lesson? Make use of social media networks- Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to boost your search.
Not only can you use them to search, but you can also find. A lot of people advertise offers and openings on their social media networks. Remember when a popular actress hired a p.a off instragram? Exactly!

Hope this helps you, and o, before i go off, quick one; can you do what those ladies did?