OP: thanks for encouraging them.

Great advice

Very Nice...

Nice one

Thanks

ajasa4link:

Let me begin by saying congratulations. Yeah congratulations because it's not an easy feat for you to pass out of a Nigerian University with the current economic downturn. Against all odds you graduated after which you were mobilized for the mandatory one year national service. Even when majority of you were posted to no man's land, you still strived , survived and even managed to live indelible marks on your host communities. Once again, I say congratulations!

Now the crux of the matter, come Thursday 14th(if am right) the 2015 batch A service year comes to an end. Yes, everything that has a beginning definitely has got to end. Welcome to a period when your beloved parents will sit back a bit and see what you will turn out to be. A period when will make or break you, that period when you will know that all those uncles and aunt's who keep mouthing "I got job for an outsider without even collecting his CV", are just noisemakers. Those relatives telling you when you were in 300level that had it been you have your discharge certificate, they will just give you their slot in NNPC recruitment, this is the period you will know they live on bragging and nothing more.
By now am sure you must have been thinking if this write-up was put up to scare the daylight out of you, on the contrary NO! This piece was written to give you the courage to face the realities on ground and Forge ahead.
I know by now you must have heard people saying there are no jobs in the labour market and others calling it favour market because they believe it will favour them. Now in reality there are jobs in the labour market (whichever you wish to call it) however, the jobs are very few that thousands compete for a few hundred openings. This means there is a very tight competition which may result in some staying in the market as much as a year, two years or more (Did I just hear you say God forbid? Yes I pray God forbids it for you, but it goes way beyond snapping your finger above your head backwards)

1. The first thing at this stage of your life is God. In whatever way you worship HIM, this is the time you need to get closer to HIM because without his approval you will just keep moving around in circles. By this I don't mean you stay all day in church, mosque, synagogue or any of your worshipping centres instead of busy applying for jobs, but rather commune with him for his favour and blessings in the best way you can.

2. Networking. This is the period you need those friends you made over the years most. If I were you, before leaving my PPA I will collect contact details of all those friends I met in service, you never can tell. Also your friends whom you attended secondary school, University and even primary school with, this is the best time you smoothen your relationship with them. Don't be surprised when you go for an interview and you meet a former classmate already working there.

3. Now a week after POP you are back home, thinking which way to go, where to start from. Think no more, first thing first get all your documents well arranged, make photocopies and make several copies of your CV. CV? Yes, if by now you don't have a CV, you should set out to work on it soonest. Google cv format for fresh graduate, you will see several formats which you can tailor to your taste. Make sure you have your CV in soft copy i.e pdf and word format always ready on your phone. Reason? Simply because most companies in applying for jobs require you apply online which you can easily do with your smartphone provided you have it ready made on your phone.

4. Yeah now you are ready for job hunt, but not ready for the whole recruitment process. You are wondering what I mean, right? Yes you can now start applying for jobs by sending your CV online, but when invitation for job tests start flying in what next? Maybe you already know, maybe not. Most company's recruitment process follows thus: aptitude test in form of gmat or shl or dragnet are conducted first after inviting suitable candidates. This tests are quite different from each other and quite tricky, however people pass them. In fact, I never failed any I wrote. Guess what, the best and surest way to pass them is by practicing them before going at all for the tests. It's best for one to start practicing even before job search, however it doesn't you can't still practice it now. This various practise questions are in pdf and word format which u can have on your system or phone for easy practice. They are available online.

5. Even after practising, now you need confidence in yourself more then even ever. Don't be cowed by seeing multitudes at the venue of the recruitment. I was once in a room filled with just first class and 2.1 graduates who are very very sound and we were all about writing a test and I just said to myself, even if it's two people that will scale this hurdle I Wil be one of the two. At the end just 12 people progressed to the next stage and guess what, I was among the 12.

6. The world has indeed turned into a global village, any info you need is now at your finger tips, on the Internet. For the interview stage, there are tonnes of interview questions with answers online that help you to get familiar with interview questions and how well to answer them. Now during interviews believe it or not, lies are allowed. I mean convincing lies, lies which u are only telling because that is the only thing the interviewer wants to hear.

7. Never go home after an interview thinking you have clinched the job, so you won't apply for others, that will be the most devastating decision you ever take. Just keep applying and going for interviews, even if u don't like the company or u see it as a small firm. Just go and learn something there. You are looking me with jaundice eye and saying where will you get the money to be transporting yourself everywhere, of course it is our of the gazillion u saved during your service year now, abi you have forgotten mummy and dad wants to see how you will turn out to be for a while. In fact you can go to more than two interviews a day if you know your way and you multi task. I've been there before. In fact when you go for interview in a particular axis say V. I in Lagos, after the interview take your time to drop hard copies of your CV with firms in such axis which you have done prior homework on while online at home.

8. During this period you will get rejection letters, sorry mails, you get disappointed, but they are only telling you to get going and keep improving, keep learning till you get that dream job and all the experience will turn to great stories and word of encouragement just like this one.

I pray the labour market favours you all. Congratulations once again, but this time it's congratulations in advance for your desired miracle job.

You have said it all... After service is when you are welcomed to the real world. That is when you sit down to evaluate yourself and discover your hidden talent.

Life after service is never easy but with a function of time, things will begin to fall in place only with the right though and plans.

I wanted to avoid this thread thinking it was the same old cliche on how hard the Nigerian labor market is, but far from it. You've outlined some useful tips here op. Thumbs up!

thanks... cant wait

awesome. This is really helpful. Thanks

OP, I know your intentions are good. However, I believe it is high time we start teaching our students and graduates how to be independent. How to create business so that they can survive not just carrying brown envelopes about. I understand that not everyone is cut out for business, but this is what we ought to be teaching our young ones during secondary school, university and service year. Believe me when they pass out, they would already know where to fix themselves. They would not waste a year or two of their lives looking for under-paying jobs.

They should also plan to run masters abroad.

Nice

I won't look for job, FG/heritage bank in collaboration with NYSC should give me the loan I requested for then I will become employer of labour....

Just some few chip-in.. If you had anything doing in your PPA that is fetching you some considerable cash, please stay where you are and grow it. Many of you may not get jobs, not a curse or anything but you are going to witness the reality of living in Nigeria.
You may be a devout Christian/Muslim doing all your obligations, this may not affect anything, not because God/Allah hates you but remember there are many other devotees ahead of you still jobless. Besides, God won't create jobs again when He has appointed Buhari/Osibanjo to do exactly so, supposedly.
If you had 2:2, it may also be quite difficult for you to get headway for interviews. That's the nature of the job market in our economy lately.
All in all, you have been told to brace up. Don't stay home jobless, or wanting to 'relax small'... You only get one shot at life, don't waste it on sleep, so get something doing no matter how little

The op has said well some but see sometimes life is much more than what the op has posted.

This life is about time and chance coupled with divine arrangement.

Some may get their opportunities right away after service.... but for some it may take some years yes I mean years for that opportunity to come

Forget about the grammar and advise people will tell you. be focussed. don't let anybody push you into anything or any business all in the name of looking for something to do/seeking for employment. Sieve out the reasonable advices and ultimately follow your mind.

For some that job you'll get may be because of a little kindness to a stranger; someone you had brief chat with in the bank; someone you picked up in your car just on the road during this scarcity...


That job/business may not show up within the 1st year of passing out



God does things in mysterious ways.

Great piece. Many thanks for sharing this.

Seeeeeeee:
Tell them may them rush apply police job ooo... May them no select job ooo... Me na experience i take yarn am ooo. I read Petroleum Engineering i don stay house tire ooo... now even if na groundnut oil company i go work ooo..

Funny! God go do am.

Nice write-up. God bless you

I shall graduate when my mates are graduating... and serve wen my mate are serving..
May God help me....AMEN!!!!

thanks so much....... #getting wiser

afroxyz:
OP, I know your intentions are good. However, I believe it is high time we start teaching our students and graduates how to be independent. How to create business so that they can survive not just carrying brown envelopes about. I understand that not everyone is cut out for business, but this is what we ought to be teaching our young ones during secondary school, university and service year. Believe me when they pass out, they would already know where to fix themselves. They would not waste a year or two of their lives looking for under-paying jobs.

Well said sir..

May God bless you.

ajasa4link:

Let me begin by saying congratulations. Yeah congratulations because it's not an easy feat for you to pass out of a Nigerian University with the current economic downturn. Against all odds you graduated after which you were mobilized for the mandatory one year national service. Even when majority of you were posted to no man's land, you still strived , survived and even managed to live indelible marks on your host communities. Once again, I say congratulations!

Now the crux of the matter, come Thursday 14th(if aloopm right) the 2015 batch A service year comes to an end. Yes, everything that has a beginning definitely has got to end. Welcome to a period when your beloved parents will sit back a bit and see what you will turn out to be. A period when will make or break you, that period when you will know that all those uncles and aunt's who keep mouthing "I got job for an outsider without even collecting his CV", are just noisemakers. Those relatives telling you when you were in 300level that had it been you have your discharge certificate, they will just give you their slot in NNPC recruitment, this is the period you will know they live on bragging and nothing more.
By now am sure you must have been thinking if this write-up was put up to scare the daylight out of you, on the contrary NO! This piece was written to give you the courage to face the realities on ground and Forge ahead.
I know by now you must have heard people saying there are no jobs in the labour market and others calling it favour market because they believe it will favour them. Now in reality there are jobs in the labour market (whichever you wish to call it) however, the jobs are very few that thousands compete for a few hundred openings. This means there is a very tight competition which may result in some staying in the market as much as a year, two years or more (Did I just hear you say God forbid? Yes I pray God forbids it for you, but it goes way beyond snapping your finger above your head backwards)

1. The first thing at this stage of your life is God. In whatever way you worship HIM, this is the time you need to get closer to HIM because without his approval you will just keep moving around in circles. By this I don't mean you stay all day in church, mosque, synagogue or any of your worshipping centres instead of busy applying for jobs, but rather commune with him for his favour and blessings in the best way you can.

2. Networking. This is the period you need those friends you made over the years most. If I were you, before leaving my PPA I will collect contact details of all those friends I met in service, you never can tell. Also your friends whom you attended secondary school, University and even primary school with, this is the best time you smoothen your relationship with them. Don't be surprised when you go for an interview and you meet a former classmate already working there.

3. Now a week after POP you are back home, thinking which way to go, where to start from. Think no more, first thing first get all your documents well arranged, make photocopies and make several copies of your CV. CV? Yes, if by now you don't have a CV, you should set out to work on it soonest. Google cv format for fresh graduate, you will see several formats which you can tailor to your taste. Make sure you have your CV in soft copy i.e pdf and word format always ready on your phone. Reason? Simply because most companies in applying for jobs require you apply online which you can easily do with your smartphone provided you have it ready made on your phone.

4. Yeah now you are ready for job hunt, but not ready for the whole recruitment process. You are wondering what I mean, right? Yes you can now start applying for jobs by sending your CV online, but when invitation for job tests start flying in what next? Maybe you already know, maybe not. Most company's recruitment process follows thus: aptitude test in form of gmat or shl or dragnet are conducted first after inviting suitable candidates. This tests are quite different from each other and quite tricky, however people pass them. In fact, I never failed any I wrote. Guess what, the best and surest way to pass them is by practicing them before going at all for the tests. It's best for one to start practicing even before job search, however it doesn't you can't still practice it now. This various practise questions are in pdf and word format which u can have on your system or phone for easy practice. They are available online.

5. Even after practising, now you need confidence in yourself more then even ever. Don't be cowed by seeing multitudes at the venue of the recruitment. I was once in a room filled with just first class and 2.1 graduates who are very very sound and we were all about writing a test and I just said to myself, even if it's two people that will scale this hurdle I Wil be one of the two. At the end just 12 people progressed to the next stage and guess what, I was among the 12.

6. The world has indeed turned into a global village, any info you need is now at your finger tips, on the Internet. For the interview stage, there are tonnes of interview questions with answers online that help you to get familiar with interview questions and how well to answer them. Now during interviews believe it or not, lies are allowed. I mean convincing lies, lies which u are only telling because that is the only thing the interviewer wants to hear.

7. Never go home after an interview thinking you have clinched the job, so you won't apply for others, that will be the most devastating decision you ever take. Just keep applying and going for interviews, even if u don't like the company or u see it as a small firm. Just go and learn something there. You are looking me with jaundice eye and saying where will you get the money to be transporting yourself everywhere, of course it is our of the gazillion u saved during your service year now, abi you have forgotten mummy and dad wants to see how you will turn out to be for a while. In fact you can go to more than two interviews a day if you know your way and you multi task. I've been there before. In fact when you go for interview in a particular axis say V. I in Lagos, after the interview take your time to drop hard copies of your CV with firms in such axis which you have done prior homework on while online at home.

8. During this period you will get rejection letters, sorry mails, you get disappointed, but they are only telling you to get going and keep improving, keep learning till you get that dream job and all the experience will turn to great stories and word of encouragement just like this one.

I pray the labour market favours you all. Congratulations once again, but this time it's congratulations in advance for your desired miracle job.

Good write up, but pls tell NYSC to pay us our alaweee ooo.. May 2015, March 2016 and April 2016!! Abeggggi

Nice write up there... I wish all the Batch B 2015 all the Best in their future Endeavors especially my Sister Olabisi. You are most favoured in Jesus Name.

Op may your days be long. Listen to what op says.

Its only in Nigeria that people see you struggling and despise your work but to give you better job hard dem die.

I call them charlatans.

Abeg who get petrol, make he borrow I no mind if na 25 ltrs...help a bro in need

[b][/b]

rawtouch:
too long abeg who pass summary that year hep me summarize am

Op said you should not depend on promises by relatives as regards securing you a job. Labour market is competitive, build your confidence. Be persistent, optimistic and focused. You should apply to as many job openings as possible, have your Cv in both online and offline formats for forwarding should need arise. Prepare for Gmat and aptitude tests should you be called for interview.
Contact all your friends past and present for information on available jobs.
Finally be prayerful.

wow.. thanks, dat was great.

If you had 2:2, it may also be quite difficult for you to get headway for interviews. That's the nature of the job market in our economy lately.
All in all, you have been told to brace up. Don't stay home jobless, or wanting to 'relax small'... You only get one shot at life, don't waste it on sleep, so get something doing no matter how little[/quote]
Bro, You Made Lots Of Sense There, But Is 2 2 Such A Bad Grade? What Would You Say About People With Grades Below That, Would You Rather They Didn't Attend School At All? Something Has To Be Done About This Considering The Fact That Just About 25% Of Graduates Had 2 1 And Above

Very nice piece