Dat was a very grt one. Having said dat; what professional courses would u recommend for someone of ma calibre i.e a 22yrs old Economics graduate with a strong 2.1 stil seeking to land a job. Pls reply asap brodaquote author=tyor post=27812638][b]Hi Poster,

Whatever you do depends on your career trajectory. IF YOU WANT TO BE A PROFESSIONAL, YOU NEED TO PASS PROFESSIONAL EXAMS.

Obtaining an LL.M (masters in Law) or PHD doesnt make you a LAWYER
Obtaining an MSc (masters in Accounting) or PHD doesnt make you an ACCOUNTANT
Obtaining an MSc (masters in Banking) or PHD doesnt make you a BANKER

Obtaining Masters or working in those capacities can confer title on you. e.g. working in a firm as Accountant doesnt make you an Accountant. You are simply working as an Accountant and you would not be allowed to occupy the office of Chief Accountant or Chief Financial Officer (especially in a big organisation or regulated industry).

A key prerequisite for leadership role in a bank requires that you hold Chartered Inst. of Bankers' (CIBN) Charter. Same goes for Chief Accountant role in Listed companies (even non-listed companies that you would like to work is so organised to want an ICAN/ACCA holder to head Finance and Accounting).

Furthermore, I dont know anyone that wants a Lawyer that has PHD from Oxford and cannot practice in any country.

Simply put, any well thinking African (seeking employment in Nigeria) should finish with First Degree and seek Professional qualification and if opportuned, grab 2 years experience before seeking Masters. This is very simple.

On the second note, in this current market place....a professional exam would help you get a job quicker than Masters degree in this country especially when u have passive Masters degree [s](as offered by 110 out of 118 universities in the UK)[/s]. A typical Nigerian private firm that is result-oriented wants someone who has got indepth understanding of a subject matter not a Master of ALL with no sound technical skill apart from Powerpoint presentation and outlook. At the end of the day, every organisation needs a balance of people with Masters and people with Professional certificate.

One of the Global corporations that I have worked has a blend of both Worlds at the Executive Management level....those that would wear Oxford suits, with cambridge presentation skills and have NO technical knowledge but will secure a client and those with Lagos island "italian" suits, fair presentation skills and will DO the job for the client.

If I were you, I would seek professional qualification after first degree, seek quality experience in a firm where i can get technical knowledge and get certified.....And finally, opt for a master degree when i am ripe to transit into Management cadre.

[/b][/quote]

tyor:
[b]Hi Poster,

Whatever you do depends on your career trajectory. IF YOU WANT TO BE A PROFESSIONAL, YOU NEED TO PASS PROFESSIONAL EXAMS.

Obtaining an LL.M (masters in Law) or PHD doesnt make you a LAWYER
Obtaining an MSc (masters in Accounting) or PHD doesnt make you an ACCOUNTANT
Obtaining an MSc (masters in Banking) or PHD doesnt make you a BANKER

Obtaining Masters or working in those capacities can confer title on you. e.g. working in a firm as Accountant doesnt make you an Accountant. You are simply working as an Accountant and you would not be allowed to occupy the office of Chief Accountant or Chief Financial Officer (especially in a big organisation or regulated industry).

A key prerequisite for leadership role in a bank requires that you hold Chartered Inst. of Bankers' (CIBN) Charter. Same goes for Chief Accountant role in Listed companies (even non-listed companies that you would like to work is so organised to want an ICAN/ACCA holder to head Finance and Accounting).

Furthermore, I dont know anyone that wants a Lawyer that has PHD from Oxford and cannot practice in any country.

Simply put, any well thinking African (seeking employment in Nigeria) should finish with First Degree and seek Professional qualification and if opportuned, grab 2 years experience before seeking Masters. This is very simple.

On the second note, in this current market place....a professional exam would help you get a job quicker than Masters degree in this country especially when u have passive Masters degree [s](as offered by 110 out of 118 universities in the UK)[/s]. A typical Nigerian private firm that is result-oriented wants someone who has got indepth understanding of a subject matter not a Master of ALL with no sound technical skill apart from Powerpoint presentation and outlook. At the end of the day, every organisation needs a balance of people with Masters and people with Professional certificate.

One of the Global corporations that I have worked has a blend of both Worlds at the Executive Management level....those that would wear Oxford suits, with cambridge presentation skills and have NO technical knowledge but will secure a client and those with Lagos island "italian" suits, fair presentation skills and will DO the job for the client.

If I were you, I would seek professional qualification after first degree, seek quality experience in a firm where i can get technical knowledge and get certified.....And finally, opt for a master degree when i am ripe to transit into Management cadre.

[/b]

2 thumbs up! Nice one.

majekdom2:
hope you learning great over there ? am sure the qualty of learning aint no joke . all the best

Thanks bro. It's nice oo but the pace is quite fast. I hardly have time for myself. Requires alot of sacrifice

As for me,being a graduate of geography and a little work experience in Health,safety and environment hand in hand with fire fighting,and based on comments here,I think it will b in my best interest to take up a professional course like Masters in Risk and Disaster Management Studies over M.Sc in Environmental Management...

OR WHAT DO U GUYS THINK? ADVICE PLS.

Good one, this thread has brought back some great nairalnders that went on sabbatical.

WOW
INTERESTING
THANKS FOR ALL THE COMMENTS, GREAT LEARNING

What is the essence of amassing professional courses without a single experience?


As a fresh graduate, I will suggest one gain an employment after passing out of school to gain some work experience before proceeding to having a M.sc degree.

Experience will be a huge added advantage than professional courses which may not be found pertinent to some companies.

In often times, we see job adverts demanding 2-5yrs experience. One will hardly see where a professional course is mentioned. That shows that employers value years of experience than professional courses even though they could be valuable in most cases.

A fresh graduate that had just passed out of NYSC could volunteer in any company to work for free without being paid just to gain some experience as that will be an added advantage in later time when seeking a job. It is all about sacrifice. Gain that experience by sacrificing selflessly. Atleast no company will ward you off from working for them for free.

After gaining that first hand experience you can proceed to having a M.sc degree. Remember you alread have 2yrs and above experience. By the time you are done with your M.sc degree, securing your dream job wouldn't be a difficult task to get over with.

In essence, get your first hand experience before going further to either doing any professional course or having a M.sc degree as employers place more emphasis on experience.

I'm currently an under g, studying English and international studies. I've always tot of going for a masters degree in international relations immediately after service, Buh reading through d comments here, I Donno Wah to do. I nid advice pls.

Talking abt experience, most times we find ourselves working in a field diff frm d field we studied nd want to do professional certifications or msc in our field of study because we don't like the job we are doing. what is ur advice cos when they talk of exp in ur preferred field, ur work experience becomes irrelevant.

kristein:
i prefer professional course oo!.accounting all the way
#teamaccounting i prefer professional course oo!.accounting all the way
#teamaccounting

mtchewwww! who asked you all that story, dem say which one u go choose btw masters degree and a professionall course.. U de dere dey say u dey accountin. accountin ko, banking and finance ni

I prefer profesional course first,bcs most company wil tel u to attach ur profesional certificate when loking for job

Mcslize:
What is the essence of amassing professional courses without a single experience?


As a fresh graduate, I will suggest one gain an employment after passing out of school to gain some work experience before proceeding to having a M.sc degree.

Experience will be a huge added advantage than professional courses which may not be found pertinent to some companies.

In often times, we see job adverts demanding 2-5yrs experience. One will hardly see where a professional course is mentioned. That shows that employers value years of experience than professional courses even though they could be valuable in most cases.

A fresh graduate that had just passed out of NYSC could volunteer in any company to work for free without being paid just to gain some experience as that will be an added advantage in later time when seeking a job. It is all about sacrifice. Gain that experience by sacrificing selflessly. Atleast no company will ward you off from working for them for free.

After gaining that first hand experience you can proceed to having a M.sc degree. Remember you alread have 2yrs and above experience. By the time you are done with your M.sc degree, securing your dream job wouldn't be a difficult task to get over with.

In essence, get your first hand experience before going further to either doing any professional course or having a M.sc degree as employers place more emphasis on experience.

going to a financial instituton and telling them.u want to work for free gives the impresn that u are a.potential thief. some other sectors might accept dt if u call it internship.

It is rather adviceable to go for a professional master (to an academic masters) than a professional course(in some instances)

Professional Certificate have an edge over MSC in Public Service. A Holder of MSC is employed on Grade Level 9 and in most professional jobs will not proceeded beyond Grade Level 10 until one acquires registration with a Professional Body

pls What can a fresh undergraduate of Zoology go for ?

Equalizer:
Please what is the fate of an Industrial Engineer in this country because most companies seems to have little or no knowledge about the course.. I contemplating on doing some professional safety courses so that I can increase my chances of getting employed now because I need o gather enough experience before I could master on any field.

Compared with the US, UK or SA, Industrial Engineering in Nigeria is still in its infancy stage

It depends on your course of. Study form the university, a med doc can go for masters even abroad, but others could try a prof.course...it gives a Upper hand. Some even end up not having masters co the prof course can cover for a lot depending on the kind of course and the institute u are having. Eg ICAN

Acegoals:
Hello All,

Sometime last week I had an intelligent discussion with my colleagues about the above topic. Almost all vouched in favour of opting for a professional course as against a Master's degree or MBA which may likely come later.

Umpteen times fresh graduates rush towards gaining a Master's degree immediately they are out of school without having experience of the workplace at all. Some argue that this could be detrimental to the Master's degree studies since most of what will be taught is directly related to real experiences in the workplace

What do you think? Do you agree? Or are you of the opinion that once the fund is available for the Master's Degree, the young graduate should opt for it or rather go for a professional course in his/her field? Let's talk...

Just have it in mind that Nigeria is a certificated society, therefore, if you have the means, go for both Masters and professional certification as well as any other thing on A4 coloured paper that you think will boost your chances of competing on any criteria recruiters/employers choose to use. In addition, while chasing coloured paper(s) also make sure you open your mind to opportunities of being self employed or an employer of labour...You are not under a genealogical curse to be an employee by force (imagine if Seun Osewa was busy chasing papers without using his brain, would we have been giving expert and not-so-expert advice on nairaland? I don't think so).

do you know that ICAN/ACCA certification is better than masters in accounting
do you know that project managenemt certification(PMP) is regarded morethan masters in project management.
do you know that NEBOSH certificate is regarded more than masters in health safety and enveronment.
do you know that CCNA,CCNP and its lik is regarded more than MSc in Information Technology.
etc.

however, i most say that it is unemployment that makes Nigerians into for MSc without work experience, it is perplexing to note that Nigerian labor market is skill/certificate oriented but the nigrian govt, shell, NLNG, MOBIL, NDDC, AGIP(with there secret scholarship) and it like keep send ppl on MSc instead of on Certification courses that cost less than the MSc.

i most say that the reasons while 80% of our graduate do not get job is because they do not have any skill to present on the table for recruiters apart from the certificate(maybe posing with 2.1 or 2.2 without skill and also have a very bad Resume/CV), please do not say you did not take enough practicals in your university or polytechnic because there is no enough practical as well in indian/pakistian universities but what they do immediately after graduation is going for 3-6 months training in any training institute in there respective courses.

for accountant, please go for ur ACCA or ican
for management grads. plz go for PMP or NIMS.
for mechanicals and electrical, go for 6 weeks training at http://www.aetinigeria.com/2012-09-26-12-04-05/trainings/certificate-in-engineering-training-programmes/, 280000k.
for guys interested in instrumentation, checkout http://www.aetinigeria.com......, irovester at eliozu, b4 first bank for ur 3 months(3 times a week, 2-4pm) instrumention and instrument tubing training(call prince at 08064432916),
for those interested on automation: www.excelautomationsolutions.com(2000USD training fee AD, 180000k flight, free accommodation, 100000k feeding: mail the director at venkatesh@excelautomationsolutions.com) or www.smeclabs.com for post graduate diploma in industrial instrumention and automation training: 2950 USD. if you have enough cash then add yokogawa centum VP DCS(150k) to your certificates call +919940431627 when ur in indian.

I am writing form experience.

lorRhyMeZ:
As for me,being a graduate of geography and a little work experience in Health,safety and environment hand in hand with fire fighting,and based on comments here,I think it will b in my best interest to take up a professional course like Masters in Risk and Disaster Management Studies over M.Sc in Environmental Management...

OR WHAT DO U GUYS THINK? ADVICE PLS.

you have said it all(Risk and Disaster Management Studies) and try to add nebosh certification as well

Lovinwa:
Talking abt experience, most times we find ourselves working in a field diff frm d field we studied nd want to do professional certifications or msc in our field of study because we don't like the job we are doing. what is ur advice cos when they talk of exp in ur preferred field, ur work experience becomes irrelevant.

one of the best ways to go back to your preferred profession other than the one your currently working with is to go for a professional certifications or an msc in ur preferred field of study. but when ur on the Msc, make sure u save cash for ur certification on your profession(it will give you an edge). i pains to be in a profession you do not like, it hurts, it demotivates you, not to talk of ur boss attitude at work.


all courses have certication, just browse the internet

keyke:
I'm currently an under g, studying English and international studies. I've always tot of going for a masters degree in international relations immediately after service, Buh reading through d comments here, I Donno Wah to do. I nid advice pls.

masters degree in international relations is not out of place going by your first degree but it will be what while for you to add french, italian and Spanish language to your plan. it will put at the top of you profession.

Great topic with excellent contributions. My personal opinion is that i prefer a professional certificate more than a masters degree as a fresh graduate.

Now my worry is which professional course will be really worth it for a civil engineering graduate??

ANYBODY WITH USEFUL INFORMATION PLEASE HELP

SammyGreatone8:
Pls, fellow nairalanders I want to know what's preferable for a management graduate, either professional certificate or a masters degree.
Sincerely I have bagged a lot of professional certificate in various management sectors.
Pls I need your your unsetrimental advice

from what you said, i will assume that you have not got a job yet, if yes then i will advise you go back to the drawing board. the board is your cv, you need to package it well, it need to be attractive, it need to sale you to the employer in your absent. watch you font, text characters. honestly 95% of cv i see, is not up to standard to get my firnd a job so i had advice same to them. most of them hv attend interview after then.

its not certification as we pottery it here but it is how you present it in your cv.

work experience
Company:

Position:

Responsibilities:

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

name of training attended 2014
the address of the institute
Module
•
•
•

fluxview:



you have said it all(Risk and Disaster Management Studies) and try to add nebosh certification as well

Thank for d encouragement....buh Nebosh certification expensive o...am thinking of ISPON certifications first...Nebosh could come later.

[quote author=stevoskyj post=27819952]Great topic with excellent contributions. My personal opinion is that i prefer a professional certificate more than a masters degree as a fresh graduate.

Now my worry is which professional course will be really worth it for a civil engineering graduate??

ANYBODY WITH USEFUL INFORMATION PLEASE HELP[/quote


as a civil engr, you need to know autocad very well, civilcad and other softwares used by civil engrs, and Nigeria Society of engr does allot of training for civil engrs. www.eprc.edu.ng or call engr dayo on 08055376590 dolugboye@eprc.edu.ng or www.itf-nigeria.com or check http://alison.com/learn/Construction-Skills

tanimola22:


It depends on the master's degree and the field. Material covered in some master's programs has no bearing with what is obtainable in the work place in Nigeria and not having experience may not necessarily be a disadvantage to an individual in such programs. In fact, some master's programs can be so theoretical that even someone with impressive years of work experience will hardly find anything to gain from them. Broadly, some professions require that one has a strong educational grounding, up to master's level, before one can function at the expected level in the professional environment. This explains why, for example, research intensive organizations such as the world bank and co find it difficult hiring peeps with experience but no higher qualification.

If you asked me, I would say many variables determine these things. Ultimately, a combination of experience and master's is good, irrespective of the one that comes first - provided the experience can be gotten and the master's degree can be earned. One of the variables, as I see it, is age. I would advise someone below 24 years old to go for a master's, irrespective of whether they have ever had work experience. This is because after the master's degree, such a person still has time to amass the required work experience - if they are lucky to get a good job. If they are good and what they did at their master's happens to be similar to what they do at their work place, then they are more likely to move up the career ladder faster. Abi some people graduate BSc at 27 and still find jobs..But for those ones not too fortunate to graduate on-time, my view is that they should strive for some work experience before master's. It is when the outlook on getting a job is bleak that they should go for a master's. But, who would know the time to landing that dream job. This is between master's and job experience and the assumption is that the master's is done full time, thus nullifying any prospect of working and studying

If we push things further and add professional qualifications to the party, then there is no point waiting to graduate in the first place before one tries to begin and earn a professional qualifications. Many professional qualifications do not even require a college degree to start the first stage. If the individual in question was not lucky to have begun or even earn a professional qualification before graduating college, then I think they can still work and complete the professional exams. People do this...And the decision to pursue a professional qualification, in my view, does not trade-off with earning a full time master's. People work and earn professional qualifications; people do full time master's and earn professional qualifications. Doing a full time master's - when one is not working full time - does not necessarily stop one from also earning a professional qualification. In many instances, many find it hard to impossible combining work and full time master's, but work and professional qualification is very possible.

hello pls i need help on my career part. i need an advice

is there a way i can reach u via mail.

i cant send or receive pms now.

reach me at loverblue19@mail.com.


would be waiting for your response thanks.

mikeomo11:
Pls my fellow learned Nairalanders, for an engineering graduate, which is preferable: a masters or an MBA?

Acegoals:
Nice question... Anybody with experience wish to respond?

majekdom2:
a masters in your field is very much better. An MBA is good when you have got some years of experience.

MBA is a professional course which equip one with superb skills of management and strategies used in promoting business environment infact most business organisation (not research institution) prefers MBA to M.sc !!

Don't forget M.sc Business Administration differs from Masters Business Administration(MBA) ..... The difference is One is researchbased the other is ProfessionalBased !

M.sc is strictly research based on your discipline , M.sc equip you with knowing the root,theoretical structures and empirical issues in your discipline !!

I tagged B.sc as the leaves and fruits of a discipline but M.sc will go deep to tell you how the leaves and fruits of your discipline come to be i.e. the origination of the whole tree itself ... The root,the stem, the bark, the branches,the leaves , the fruits and what people make use of them .... Are they using it for the purpose for which it is conceived (theory) or the field(empirical) has modified its usage so as for us to also modify knowledge ........

Then you may start arguing,debating while contributing to knowledge whether a particular parameter in your field is empirically relevant to the profession or Irrelevant whether an empirical issue is conforming to theory or deviating from theory .... Then your own modification/judgement is your contribution to the knowledge in your field !

M.sc is relevant in most research institutions including business institution that requires knowing the root of your course as prerequisite for working with them !!!

So as an engineer, your preferred career path or the one your job placed preference is the one you will choose !!

As for me, there is no crime in having them all B.sc, M.sc, MBA,PhD,ICAN,COREN,ACCA,CISA,CISCO, Caterer, tailor anything that makes one relevant to a field and feed your family !!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Going further :

PhD now equip you to focus on a particular aspect of your discipline i.e whether the fruits, leaves, root, stem, branches or combination of some aspects which shall be tagged your area of interest thus you will become an authority in that area .... Whatever you say in your area of interest become law which is debatable and you will become a point of reference and review !! ... PhD has now been modified by NUC, it requires excellent in all parameters of your discipline and little or no room for mistake in your research interest !! ....

Ogakpatakpata Professor is an honour after you have contributed so much to knowledge in your area of interest or other mastered areas or you made a landmark discovery that is rarely achieved in this world ... An academic institution will award you a Professor (the peak) and you will become a force and law !!!

Education is the best legacy and academic progression is the sweetest thing in life for me

i prefare professional cus its quickly achieved

ICAN all the way......

"for those who have had a thorough training and can graps essential points without losing the capacity for accurate and detailed work, ACCOUNTANCY can offer a most rewarding and interesting career"

Shikenan!