According to the World Intellectual Property Organization 2019 Global Innovation Index, Switzerland retains the first position with Sweden and the United States of America in second and third positions respectively. The Global Innovation Index ranks countries based on business sophistication, human capital, research and development infrastructure, market sophistication and creative output.

Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country followed by Sweden, the United States of America (U.S.), the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (U.K.), according to the GII 2019.

The Swiss economy has a GDP of $659.9 billion with a per capita income of $79,242. Its watchmaking industry leads the global market share with over $5billion worth of exports from Patek Philippe, Omega, Tag Heur, Rolex, etc while in the consumer goods industry  its Nestle is the most innovative along with Roche in medicine biotechnology industry with both filing more than 100 patents annually.

STMicroelectronics, another Swiss giant, is among the most innovative and market leaders in the global semiconductors and microelectronics industries. In human capital and R&D infrastructure, ETH Zurich and ETP Lausanne provide talent and innovative solutions which have made Swiss industries stand out as leaders in comparison with their peers across the globe.

Nigeria ranked 114th in the Innovation index as a result of nonchalant attitude by the government towards funding Research and Development for national development, absence of research talent to birth breakthrough solutions and non utilization of research funds by tertiary institutions.

As seen with the Swiss case study, Nigeria’s economic champions like Dangote Group and  Globacom should invest a significant amount of their profits in Research and Development to produce innovative products which will make them the unrivaled category kings.

By focusing on funding Research and Development to deepen the capabilities of sectors where Nigeria has comparative competitive advantage like Ethnomedicine which can generate $12 billion per annum,  Leather, Cocoa, Oil Palm, Marijuana which can be used in jute bag manufacturing for industrial packaging, Combating Cancer and other medical ailments, Construction of Green Buildings etc, the nation can rise along the ranks to be recognized as among the world’s most Innovative economies with cumulative export earnings which will surpass our hydrocarbons revenues.

The advent of technology has not only brought about ease in the human work environment, but it has also transformed the traditional ways of doing things even in job recruitment world.

As some job seekers still get nervous when it comes to a one-on-one interview with recruiters/hiring managers, will the video interview provides  a better means of crushing the interview?

This is a doubt cleared by Jeremy Leonard. He said: ”If you are a JOBSEEKER and have never been asked to participate in a video interview, chances are you will soon.”

Since technology has always been meant to ease life, a video interview will definitely do the same. Of course, we should have more success rate at passing interviews and also, this will solve the logistics problems encountered by job seekers, thereby, reducing the cost incurred by them. Even if they don’t get the job, they won’t feel too upset about it as much financial cost is not involved.

Here are a few tips by Jeremy Leonard to help prepare you when getting in front of the camera for interviews:

• Try to find a location that’s free from the distractions of children, roommates or pets and avoid public places such as coffee shops and or courtyards which can suddenly become loud. This will help you stay focused and uninterrupted. It will also present you as a professional which is an important factor.
• Test your Technology – A few days before the interview, do a technical trial run to make sure your equipment is working properly. Is your computer’s camera clear and positioned well? Is your microphone picking up your voice properly? Technology can be a bit messy sometimes that could end up screwing your interview. Since there are many candidates for the recruiters to interview, you might not get a second chance.
  
• Dress for success – I shouldn’t have to say this part, but don’t try and pull off the old newscaster trick. You know… the one where you only dress appropriately from the waist up? Is it really worth the risk? (To all risk-takers – job seekers, out there, this is a rhetorical question. Wear Pants?). As much as you might be sitting down all through the interview session, it’s still advisable to dress properly. You never know what could happen.
• Look Directly into the camera – It’s easier for your eyes to wander when the person you’re talking to isn’t in the room. Looking into the camera brings the human connection and also portrays a level of seriousness to the interviewer. Imagine yourself talking to someone who’s not looking at you, you might feel that such a person is uninterested with what you are discussing. That could be the same message you might be passing to the interviewer as well.

JOBSEEKERS – What part of the interview process do you struggle with?

I’m ready to provide more information about this through an interview expert and recruiter, Jeremy Leonard.

I wish you success in your next video interview.

The general feeling that comes with the approach of the end of a season is extraordinary. We have all felt this. It’s quite different from the individual series of what we feel. Whether the journey has been awesome or not, that heavenly joy when you know the end is near.

It’s what comes with knowing you’re about wrapping up a phase of life; be it filled with hardship or sweetness. It’s like the anticipation of the relief of rain after a season of dryness. A moment we long for.

For many, the idea of where they’re going isn’t always a challenge especially for a structured journey like schooling or a 24 hour-day. Graduation is all that largely matters to a student and the day will come to an end whether it is wanted or not. I intentionally omitted the cliche “average student” for that kind of description. I know that is expected to describe such, but to be honest, we all desire to be out.

A great deal of possibilities are attached to such endings. It’s a fight for Independence. You imagine a lot of things that could happen at the end of that journey.

Confidence grows knowing parting with the troubles of the journey comes soon. No journey on it own is without trouble,except in the fictional world and in the hand of a poet. We could create a story without trouble but when we open our eyes, we will be back to reality. It’s not possible in the actual term. One of the pushing forces towards the end of a journey is the growing confidence of freedom ahead. The joy of ending after many rough moments. These feelings are better experienced than read. We’ve all had our share, as we’ve all embarked on a journey, no matter how small.

In such moments, we look ahead at heroes that have won and are free, and we ascribe their enjoyment to the freedom, so we fight harder thinking if we win we would be like they are. On the other part, we look at those behind recounting how we’ve passed where they’re now. It’s kinda refreshing. It’s like a short distance race. I was an expert in this in secondary school. I couldn’t run long distance but with short distances I was among the best. The race gets quite exciting and tiring towards the end and many times the last few meters determine a lot. That’s when the joy of finishing pushes the more.

If you’ve ever finished a project, a race or a journey you’ll know this feeling disappears as soon as its done. Quite strange, a certain kind of uncertainty covers the future again. Then we know that what gives the true joy isn’t in finishing that journey really, it’s at that time we realize the vanity of that journey. I fear such moments. When we were about finishing secondary school the feeling was like I described earlier, but when we were done, I felt empty.

It was quite disappointing after few days. Quite uncertain. What definitely comes after is university, but how it will be, no one knows. I’ll miss everything about secondary school but yet I was praying to leave it a few weeks back. All these thoughts streamed through my heart. It was quite challenging. This week I thought deeply about how leaving medical school too will be.

The journey becomes more beautiful when we are conscious of what we’re becoming all along the march to freedom than just targeting the freedom. It’s quite easy to get lost in the race that we don’t keep the consciousness of what we’re becoming gradually. I think if we keep this in view as we march to freedom on any area of life, it becomes sweeter at the end and gives a clearer view of what’s next. Many times when we’re done doing something, we can’t even point out what we’ve become. In reality, many just know that they have to get out of bed and go out.

This is a feeling I’ve fought for years, that no matter how strong the waves of the ocean of the day is, at the end, I won’t just arrive at the seaport but all along something would have formed in me. If we can adopt this, every journey takes a different shape. Every challenge takes a different shape. Every day takes a different shape. We aren’t just motivated about waking up to see the day but throughout to be conscious of what we’re being molded into is alive and if we feed it enough, no storm of the day could kill it. This is important if life wouldn’t be a continuous series of the feeling I described.

Imagine, you’ve taken a journey to read this. I don’t know what was in your mind when you started but any time you start things like this have a consciousness that you’re going through it to become something. The real target isn’t to read it to the end, that’s not it. The real target is to be conscious of what we become along the journey rather than the end of the journey.

nicholasoluwaseyi6@gmail.com

My parents divorced when I was 10 years old. I stayed with my mother for a year before moving to live with my grandparents. Life was so unbearable for me. That’s when I know the essence of parents in the life of a child.

My father left for an unknown destination while my mother doesn’t care to know how I was surviving. I kept struggling with my life while my parents were somewhere else living theirs.

I hated my parents so much for what they did to me. I couldn’t let go of it. I thought within myself that maybe because they are poor, that’s why they divorce. I made a promise to myself that I must take revenge on my life by being rich. But the agony and madness of me not going to forgive my parents is still there.

January 2018, I lost my mother. Three days to her death, she asked me for forgiveness. But because I was still angry with her, I couldn’t forgive her till she died. This compounded my agony. I kept asking and blaming myself why I didn’t forgive her. Now I feel tormented.

Unforgiveness is a poison to the soul. These days, it is very rampant. The grudges many people abhor is eccentric. We live in a world where siblings are keeping malice with each other. This is why we have many broken homes.

Though there are some situations that are very difficult to let go, it makes no sense to hold on to what doesn’t add value to your life.

Power of forgiveness.

Everyone has a story to tell. People will definitely offend you in so many ways but it’s not enough to hold on to it. The more you hold on to it, the more you remain bitter.

Although forgiveness is a choice, it is freedom. We are created in such a way that anytime we abhor someone in mind, we are tormented.

But forgiveness is an active process in which you make a conscious decision to let go of negative feelings whether the person deserves it or not.

As you release the anger, resentment, and hostility, you begin to feel empathy, compassion and sometimes even affection for the person who has wronged you.

Studies show that some people are just naturally forgiving. Consequently, they tend to be more satisfied with their lives and have less depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and hostility. But people who hang on to grudges are more likely to experience severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as other health conditions.

According to a survey by the Nonprofit Fetzer Institute – ”62 percent of American adults say they need more forgiveness in their personal lives.”

I have no idea of what you are going through, let go if it brings nothing but bitterness. It’s for your own good. Life is a gift.

Live it.