DEAR HRs, RECRUITERs, TALENT ACQUISITORs: GIVE US CHANCE
I was discussing with a friend of mine who happens to be an entry level Job Hunter too and I asked him how many jobs he has applied for since we concluded the National Service last month.
He told me that all the jobs he has been seeing both on the national dailies or job/company sites has a minimum of 3 years postgraduate experience , and there was no point wasting his time drafting cover letters and filling countless forms when he does not meet the requirements.
Over one million job seekers in Nigeria don’t have up to 3 years postgraduate experience, even the industrial training integrated into the school curriculum could not add up to that.
As a personal resolute, whenever I see a job that relates to my passion or field of studies with less than 5years experiences, I always apply, my reasons are simple;
 A lack of direct experience may be an asset: The fresher’s lack of direct experience may actually serve as an asset, because with less history to cloud our vision, we see problems in a new way and from a fresh perspective. This fresh perspective may result in us generating many new ideas and innovations.
We are willing to take more risks because we haven’t developed the fear level that often comes with extensive corporate experience. A fresh perspective will also undoubtedly result in entry-level questioning existing practices, and these inquiries may result in new approaches, ideas, and innovations. Because our lack of experiences in previous jobs will push us to excel in other important areas including building relationships, creating stronger support networks, learning how to work harder, and how to bring a novel or re-modeled approach to their work.

 Hiring a fresher is like “diamond in the rough”: Taking a chance on an inexperienced may be your firm’s opportunity to acquire a superstar. When you hire someone with experience, you probably already know that they are not a superstar. However, when you hire someone with no direct experience, there is a reasonable chance that you may be actually acquiring a “star in the making” who may quickly become a superstar.
 Those with no experiences are likely to stay longer: When you hire an individual with no experience they will likely be grateful that you took a chance on them and gave them an exciting opportunity when others would not. That loyalty, coupled with the fact that they will likely have learned so much, may cause them to stay longer. And because they don’t have the required experience, recruiters from other firms will likely pass them by.

 Experience may actually be a detriment: Firms often find that when they hire someone with a great deal of experience, the experiences, those learned patterns, and habits have to be “unlearned” first, before they can succeed under a brand new approach. In addition, more experience may bring with it burnout, and the “I-know-it-all already” attitude. Well-experienced hires may only be able to fix existing things, rather than the more desirable capability of being able to create new things from scratch.
I read an article sometime in 2013 which says, IF YOU NEED A JOB GET EXPERIENCE, IF YOU NEED EXPERIENCE GET A JOB – WHICH WAY FIRST?
This is the dilemma of an entry level, even graduate trainers are asking for experience.
#obalim hilary#

You employees and potential employees should try and add value to yourselves before thinking of adding value to an organisation.
You can't give what you don't have.
Most of you spent four to six years in the university cramming irrelevant theories,and wasted another one year gallivanting in NYSC Jamboree.

Education is largely a function of information and the application of it, not a function of being drilled within the four walls of classrooms.

Hello

I can totally relate with your experience but have you tried interning in an organization? Most internships do not require experience but pay quite low. Make sure your internship is in your desired career path or a route where you can easily cross over to your desired path eg

If you still can't get an internship, try volunteering for NGOs. Use it to gain leadership experience and to prevent staying idle while in the quest for your dream job.

Take advantage of Graduate Trainee programs and prepare hard towards tests/interviews.

Make every day count!!!