Saving it for later?

I'm expecting my salary any time soon, and as practical as I am I have done a break down of what and what are already placing demands on the yet to be received salary for this month.

At the end of the calculation I see that there is almost nothing gen gen  remaining. Mind you I have not deducted the underlisted bills:

- Hair do for March
- Nail do for March 
- Washer man bill for February
- Recharge card to use in March 
- Data Bundle Renewal for March (Note that I didn't renew for February)
- Movie nights


The above listed things are very important to me, they seem inconsequential but they are important to keeping me sane(r)

Now why am I saying all these, I had a discussion with a friend recently, a financial guru and after the discussion I felt like I wasn't saving enough for the future or for the good things I could be obtaining in life. I do save mind you, but he made a case that at least 40% of my salary should be saved and I was like: GERROUT OF HERE. I even tried explaining that saving up to 30% was easy for me one time when I had a boyfriend but not so easy these days but he wasn't buying all that.

So I got thinking, is it so easy for people to save 40% of their salary...I mean people without another source of income, or support from family or partner/spouse/etc.

Don't they pay tithe, don't they buy fuel, don't they give offerings, don't they make their hair, don't they buy food stuff and provisions, don't they use gas, don't they give to family members when the need arises, don't they run generator, don't they buy gifts etc... and it doesn't even matter how much they are earning because the more money you earn the more bills you incur since your level of living improves, don't they have fees to pay doesn't matter if its a school fee for self or a course in church or a professional course

So is it just me, or is 40% actually doable? without being stingy and miserly.

Is your salary  enough to live a stable balanced life and still have good money saved up in a bank??

Honesty will kill your prospects for that job

I like that saying: 'Honesty is my best policy', although recent revelations has taught me not to trust anyone who says that every time, because it just means he/she has a lot of other policies; good, bad, ugly, better and then the best policy. Nah....that's an untrustworthy person

Back to getting the job...or not. In my position as Human Resource officer I have conducted a handful of interviews and you will be amazed at just how silly some people can be in their attempt to keep every thing honest. Don't get me wrong I like everything laid out on the table, but in my opinion you lay your cards all out when you've got all the aces.

So what do I propose you do?

Fake it!!! Until you make it.

For instance I am currently trying to recruit for the position of HR/ADMIN officer, and if it were left to me alone, as a psychologist, I would pick the best fit for the job from among the candidates who have come in thus far. But its not up to me alone, because also seated during these interview sessions is the External HR Consultant and my COO....and my MD at the last stage. Yes ke...it is a very sensitive position.

My concern is this, those with all the ability to do the job well and learn and grow with the organization if selected, are the ones who decide that honesty is the way to go. No!!! your employer wants to know what you know about the role, what you have done in that position and how you will be of value in filling this vacant position in their organization. Yes its not your fault that the operations in your former company (for instance in HR/ADMIN) differ greatly from this new company, but it is not for you to point it out...eg:

''...well I didn't handle that part of human resources, we had a recruiter for that, and also we had a lady in charge of handling personnel benefits and rewards, training/development was at the discretion of management and they initiated it...what I do in my current company is personnel management, making sure the payroll bla bla bla and they come to work on time or initiate disciplinary action bla bla''

That's the point, you don't have to be painfully honest!!! because if thats your response above, you therefore don't know shit  very much about the job!!! Yes your former job may not have allowed you the luxury of beings fully hands-on on majority of all that make up Human Resource Management, but since you know you can do it if given the chance, it is your responsibility to do a 3 hour crash course with whoever can help you, study what it takes to do the job, pray for direction and then go and call the bluff of the interviewer.

''...part of my job description includes recruitment, where by it is my responsibility to match suitable personnel for any vacant position in the organization, personnel training and development are also key areas in my function and this I do side by side with management by identifying areas where staff can be trained to better improve on their job to give them a competitive edge... I also am in charge of payroll administration and I do this together with the financial manager to ensure that tax, pension, loans and any other deductions are properly done. I have an assistant who is in charge of  health insurance for staff as well as the other insurances, I oversee his work etc etc etc'

Now note... these are some of the functions of Human Resource Management, you can subtly leave out Strategy planning and all those other harder stuff, but come on don't tell us you were not hands on the common areas of the job and you expect we would say 'no problem, thanks for your honesty, you got the job' no be so ooo.

Every employer as much as possible want to know that you are coming in to add value, if they have to train you on the common aspects of the job, then they might as well train someone already within the organization. Your prospective employer need to have confidence in your ability to do the job even better than the last person did.

It is your job to know about the job functions of the title you bear (Mechanical Engineer, Chemical Engineer, HR professional, Business Development Manager etc)....so talk your title. Whether or not you were responsible for every aspect of the job in your former place is of no consequence to your new employer... TALK EVERY ASPECT...when you get in, you will learn the practical. Talk your way in first

I don't think that is being dishonest. Do you?


Nutty Jay

Passion...

Passion (from the Ancient Greek verb πάσχω (paskho) meaning to suffer) is a term applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something. (Wikipedia)

What are you passionate about? It’s the saddest thing to go through life not having a passion for anything. Having a passion for people is common these days…we are in an era were people fall in love, or get obsessed or infatuated with each other per second per second on the go, but you will be amazed to know that most people do not have a passion for anything. No passion for the course they study, no passion for the job they do, no passion for  God or Devil, no passion for their goals, no passion for anything.

Some people waltz through life living it as it comes. Not making an impact anywhere or in any area, just going with the flow. Sitting on the fence, never going a hundred percent in any direction…nor going zero percent in any direction either, not being outstanding in any one thing. They play it safe. Not too small, not too much…just okay. 'Just okay' people are the saddest people on earth. These are the people who won’t be  missed when they die… they are not known for anything, they will be forgotten in a hurry. They are not known to be good they are not known to be bad, they are not hot they are not cold, not high or low, not independent or dependent, not decisive, not a party starter or party pooper, they are just there.

'I know thy works, that thou art neither hot nor cold, I wish thou were cold or hot' (Bible: Rev 3: 15)… I always overlooked this passage, never really understanding what God was talking about. But these days when I read this text, I can almost feel His pain here. The truth of the matter is that those who are ‘just there’…those without passion for anything, are a complete waste of space in the universe. You can’t rely on them because they are neither here nor there; you can’t pray for them, because they are sitting on the fence thus you don’t know where they want to be; they can’t influence others because they don’t completely believe in anything enough to stand for it and convince others about it. They are a complete waste of space a bore and a nuisance to their circle of influence.

What are you passionate about? If you are above 20 years you should  be able to count at LEAST three (3) things you are crazy about. What is your thing? When people talk about you what are those things they can identify you with, or are you one of those people no one talks about because you cannot be associated with any relevant topic. What is your thing? Do you even have a thing?

Be passionate about God and the things of God or be passionate about the devil… be hot or be cold, know it or don’t know it…strive to go all the way or don’t go at all… do it well or don’t do it at all, either represent light or represent darkness but don’t be in-between the two…that results in ‘low current’ and that is the most irritating thing anyone could be.

Search yourself… if strength is taken from you, and you find yourself immobile for days… what is that thing people will miss you for or will they not even notice you are not there? What is that one or two or three thing you yourself will miss most that might bring you to tears because you are incapable of doing them? If you can’t think of anything (anything not anybody) then you are a complete waste. You should be very far from normal people.

‘so then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee from my mouth’ (Rev 3;16).  This is a new year, make up your mind not to be a waste… so you don't get vomited by God or man. 

Nutty J

Someone Must Be On Top

In one episode on Grey’s Anatomy, Izzie was saying to George that they both were followers or something like that, unlike Meredith and Yang who were do-ers. Meredith and Yang do things…they just don’t watch or follow, they lead others, they go forth…they do the things that Izzie watch and wished she could do. They make things happen.

So long as seed time and harvest time remains humans will always fall into these two categories, doers and followers….or should I say, doers and watchers.

We want to be the ones making things happen,everyone wants that... in high school we want to be that girl or boy that everyone wants to identify with, the one people notice when they dont show up for class, the one we feel grateful when he/she includes us in his/her circle of friends…the one whom we admire for their doings...and charm. The one whom the teachers cant do with and still cant do without.

In the office we want to be the one people listen to...the one whose vote is asked to break the tie. The one who they wait for before a concrete decision is made concerning staff welfare. the one everybody hates but cant help loving at the same time

My question is, what stops us? Why don’t we do…why do we sit and watch others do and get the recognition…where does our voice go when it needs to be heard. What are we searching for on the floor at the moment were eye contact is needed. How come we allow others do the talking while we do the echoing? How come the ugly girl gets the Tall Dark and Handsome guy while you get the average comfortable insecure guy…how come he goes home with the prom queen and you get the chick with self esteem issues?

The fear of failure, the fear of criticism and the fear of rejection can take the fall for this.

‘what if I’m wrong?’

‘what if I’m laughed at?’’

‘’what if it doesn’t make sense and I fail…it’s my life’s savings you know’

‘nah…I'd rather not over step my boundaries, let me maintain my level’

And so we sit and watch and see him/her go places and do things we assure ourselves that we would do one day…we see him/her start something we are only glad to follow in. And we say to ourselves ‘soon…very soon that would be me’

Well hello???? You better start looking at your time…Soon is now!!! Now!! I’m not saying take careless risks, nope…start with what is around you…get up and start a conversation in your office, be the one to think up an idea for the end of year office party…pick up your phone and get in touch with all your old buddies, BE THE ONE to host the next alumni get together, write an article for the church bulletin, join the drama or dance group…walk up to a stranger and compliment his/her style of dressing…start up a conversation with that man or woman you admire from afar. (Shame on meI couldnt do that with one McDreamy in the gym last night).

Rejection or criticism or failure happens only to the best people…so join the best, get your own dose of rejection/criticism/failure because without all these once in a while in your live, you are nothing but ‘just there’…these are the ingredients that actually prepare you and teaches you how to pass the tests on the road to being an achiever.

We all have dreams of 'someday'...today is that someday...you are not getting any younger

The man whose dreams come true is the one who wakes up from those dreams…and starts acting.

Someone must be on top....why not you?

Quote of the day: It isn't sufficient just to want - you've got to ask yourself what you are going to do to get the things you want.

Franklin D. Roosevelt