I am a graduate of Human Resource Management with a first class, apart from leadership experience and informal work experience (which are not directly related to my field of study) I have never had a real formal working experience.

I am aware that in today’s business world emphasize is place or should be more in work experience than paper qualification. Honestly not having a work experience is not my fault as circumstance has not presented itself for a formal work experience. Even after school I was ready to volunteer free of charge for any organization, still I didn’t get a positive feedback.

My last hope of getting a formal working experience before joining the labour market was during my National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) but your guess is as good as mine, despite my class of grade and the uniqueness of my course of study I was posted to a nursery and primary school in a remote village to teach, something I can’t comfortably add in my Curriculum Vitae as a working experience.

Knowing the importance of work experience I have decided not to proceed immediately for my masters degree after service but to get at-least 2years work experience despite the fact that I am an academic person, I love school, in-order to acquire the much needed work experience.

I am not frightened of the real work environment because I know if am placed in a job I will not have a problem adapting because I have been part of several informal projects which have being successfully executed.

Please what do you think are my chances of employment after service and people like me out there and advice me on what immediate thing I should or can do to get a formal work experience.

My people please i need ur opinion

i was like dat years back. I came to a conclusion that u get a job only wen u are connected. I have a 2.1 mechanical engineering some 1 showed me some thing which i'm doing presently and it's paying me off very well. I presently don't need a job. i only post adverts i come across in newspapers or from clients ON Nairaland incase there are job seekers who care. What i do is purely business and i'm thankful cos wat i earn i don't think a company wud pay. My profit is greater than my effort besides i can't be sacked or need to retire in d future and seek wat to do. My pay runs to my generation. I'M my BOSS. U cud contact me and i'd give u more details in case u are interested. 08079310123.

guy, d best thing 4 u is 2 go bk frm where u came frm i.e skul. Dat's where u belong. Dat 3rd class guy(e.g dangote) wit all d struggl and suffering 2 establish large business empire, is nt ready 4 a bookworm like us. Evn wen u find ur way in those companies, u wil b restricted to ideas, decisions and contributns(like a monkey in d zoo). Dey dnt like ppl who kn 2 much(I.T.K). U won't also b comfortabl dere cos one day, u wil flout ur first class ego(i sabi nature) and u wil be finally sidelined. Listen 2 dat guy wit 2.1, open ur own business or go bk and continue reading(msc), maybe get a lecturing job. Obviously, u cannot get any work nw without experience unless thru connections or trainee jobs which ar competitive and crowded wit die-hard candidates. I was once like u until i discoverd where d society placed me. It's gud 2 make good grade but nt criteria for getting (good) jobs in 9ja nw. D syst has changed. Employers often ridicule u and say we ar only seeing paper qualificatns here, u'v nt shown praticals 2 prove it. Ar u sure u didnt cheat in d university or sleep wit lecturers( reffering to girls) 2 get d grade? It's funny but evryone will survive.

chicel: i was like dat years back. I came to a conclusion that u get a job only wen u are connected. I have a 2.1 mechanical engineering some 1 showed me some thing which i'm doing presently and it's paying me off very well. I presently don't need a job. i only post adverts i come across in newspapers or from clients ON Nairaland incase there are job seekers who care. What i do is purely business and i'm thankful cos wat i earn i don't think a company wud pay. My profit is greater than my effort besides i can't be sacked or need to retire in d future and seek wat to do. My pay runs to my generation. I'M my BOSS. U cud contact me and i'd give u more details in case u are interested. 08079310123.

i will give u a call soonest.

guy, d best thing 4 u is 2 go bk frm where u came frm i.e skul. Dat's where u belong. Dat 3rd class guy(e.g dangote) wit all d struggl and suffering 2 establish large business empire, is nt ready 4 a bookworm like us. Evn wen u find ur way in those companies, u wil b restricted to ideas, decisions and contributns(like a monkey in d zoo). Dey dnt like ppl who kn 2 much(I.T.K). U won't also b comfortabl dere cos one day, u wil flout ur first class ego(i sabi nature) and u wil be finally sidelined. Listen 2 dat guy wit 2.1, open ur own business or go bk and continue reading(msc), maybe get a lecturing job. Obviously, u cannot get any work nw without experience unless thru connections or trainee jobs which ar competitive and crowded wit die-hard candidates. I was once like u until i discoverd where d society placed me. It's gud 2 make good grade but nt criteria for getting (good) jobs in 9ja nw. D syst has changed. Employers often ridicule u and say we ar only seeing paper qualificatns here, u'v nt shown praticals 2 prove it. Ar u sure u didnt cheat in d university or sleep wit lecturers( reffering to girls) 2 get d grade? It's funny but evryone will survive.

yes am thinking of doing that, but i don't want to enter the university system with just a first degree. me think the pay will not be too encouraging

Good point

OP what school did you finish from? Are u still serving right now?

If u have identified the field in which u want work experience start to write a skill-based CV highlighting ur skills and extracurricular activities. Job hunting can be a full time job in itself so start searching now. modify ur CV as necessary for each position u apply for and save all correspondence with prospective employers for your reference.

Learn interview skills as you hope and wait to be called - hopefully your class of degree should get you noticed - and practice them when you get the opportunity. IF you bungle the first couple of interviews take them as rehearsals for the one that'll fetch you your job.

As you said you like the academics have you thought of professional qualifications within your field?

me think the pay will not be too encouraging[img]http://www.dubaa.info/hardware.gif[/img]

In the mean time join the Charteder Institute of Personnel Management and get professionally certified in your field.

hmm I actually thought all first class students in Nigeria get jobs automatically

I was posted to a nursery and primary school in a remote village to teach, something I can’t comfortably add in my Curriculum Vitae as a working experience.

why not?

chinweuche: guy, d best thing 4 u is 2 go bk frm where u came frm i.e skul. Dat's where u belong. Dat 3rd class guy(e.g dangote) wit all d struggl and suffering 2 establish large business empire, is nt ready 4 a bookworm like us. Evn wen u find ur way in those companies, u wil b restricted to ideas, decisions and contributns(like a monkey in d zoo). Dey dnt like ppl who kn 2 much(I.T.K). U won't also b comfortabl dere cos one day, u wil flout ur first class ego(i sabi nature) and u wil be finally sidelined. Listen 2 dat guy wit 2.1, open ur own business or go bk and continue reading(msc), maybe get a lecturing job. Obviously, u cannot get any work nw without experience unless thru connections or trainee jobs which ar competitive and crowded wit die-hard candidates. I was once like u until i discoverd where d society placed me. It's gud 2 make good grade but nt criteria for getting (good) jobs in 9ja nw. D syst has changed. Employers often ridicule u and say we ar only seeing paper qualificatns here, u'v nt shown praticals 2 prove it. Ar u sure u didnt cheat in d university or sleep wit lecturers( reffering to girls) 2 get d grade? It's funny but evryone will survive.

me like what ds quy is sayinq...

osifred:
I am a graduate of Human Resource Management with a first class, apart from leadership experience and informal work experience (which are not directly related to my field of study) I have never had a real formal working experience..............................................Please what do you think are my chances of employment after service and people like me out there and advice me on what immediate thing I should or can do to get a formal work experience.

I'll ask u some questions to see if I can build a profile that should be useful for u:

1)How old are U?
2) What year did u graduate?
3) How will u rate ur look? A) very wowo, B) not very wowo
4) What kind of work do u really want?
5) Where do u see urself in the next 5 and 10 years?
6) Where do you see urself in 20 years?\
7) What kind of companies do you NOT want to work for?
8 ) In a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate ur confidence level in toasting 'high class' girls?
9) How many companies av u approached?
10) What kind of companies have they been ? A) Local coys (B) Global coys

.

@poster,
The way you lay your bed you shall lie on it! Keep applying as you have been adviced.Go to school if you like but if you are too ashamed to put working experience of teaching in a nursery school as an experience, then do not blame me if i fail you in an interview. Reason is ismply that teaching small children should show some humility in you, if done without any bais. It shows some attributes in you - ability to take challenge which do not make you comfortable and yet you succeed! Way back then, while looking for job, I also taught, trekked, begged and all sorts experiences you are going through but now, I am very comfortable, working in a foremost oil company . I am 2.1 Agricualtural Engineer working as a lead in Operations in PH. All various experiences you may have all are for good. I can assure you. Your 1st class degree only shows potential it does not assure me you can deliver in a working environment so please any job that come your way, just DO IT. You will realise later that it was directed by GOD.

All work experience matter regardless of your qualification even if you are in the highly technical field.It only need a bit of tweaking here and there,you just need to make it relevant through tailoring and fitting.
Yours is even easier,H.R is all about people management isn't it? if you have been able to manage kids!! and you can prove how you brought the best out of them then working with adults should be a cake walk.
Pupils/workers resume late or absent,you find out.What's the difference? Isn't this routine H.R
You hardly see irrelevant experience if you look deeply.

Human resource management is not a course that most employers would die for. This said, I would advise that you still include the NYSC experience on your CV and focus more on a consultant role in human resources. There are a lot of recruitment firms around the Lagos- PH axis that may need someone of your skill set. Additionally try and get some other certifications related to your field of study. Quite frankly there is a glut in the market due to the harsh economic climate. All the best.

Pls NLs, i want to study a professional course in human resources management or logistics and management, so i want to know what school offers the courses in d south west.

I'll ask u some questions to see if I can build a profile that should be useful for u:

1)How old are U?
2) What year did u graduate?
3) How will u rate ur look? A) very wowo, B) not very wowo
4) What kind of work do u really want?
5) Where do u see urself in the next 5 and 10 years?
6) Where do you see urself in 20 years?\
7) What kind of companies do you NOT want to work for?
8 ) In a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate ur confidence level in toasting 'high class' girls?
9) How many companies av u approached?
10) What kind of companies have they been ? A) Local coys (B) Global coys[/quote]
Answer Questns 4,5 & 6 and you are almost home and dry.

osifred:
I am a graduate of Human Resource Management with a first class, apart from leadership experience and informal work experience (which are not directly related to my field of study) I have never had a real formal working experience.

I am aware that in today’s business world emphasize is place or should be more in work experience than paper qualification. Honestly not having a work experience is not my fault as circumstance has not presented itself for a formal work experience. Even after school I was ready to volunteer free of charge for any organization, still I didn’t get a positive feedback.

My last hope of getting a formal working experience before joining the labour market was during my National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) but your guess is as good as mine, despite my class of grade and the uniqueness of my course of study I was posted to a nursery and primary school in a remote village to teach, something I can’t comfortably add in my Curriculum Vitae as a working experience.

Knowing the importance of work experience I have decided not to proceed immediately for my masters degree after service but to get at-least 2years work experience despite the fact that I am an academic person, I love school, in-order to acquire the much needed work experience.

I am not frightened of the real work environment because I know if am placed in a job I will not have a problem adapting because I have been part of several informal projects which have being excused successfully.

Please what do you think are my chances of employment after service and people like me out there and advice me on what immediate thing I should or can do to get a formal work experience.

Ufeolorun: All work experience matter regardless of your qualification even if you are in the highly technical field.It only need a bit of tweaking here and there,you just need to make it relevant through tailoring and fitting.
Yours is even easier,H.R is all about people management isn't it? if you have been able to manage kids!! and you can prove how you brought the best out of them then working with adults should be a cake walk.
Pupils/workers resume late or absent,you find out.What's the difference? Isn't this routine H.R
You hardly see irrelevant experience if you look deeply.

Just what I was thinking.
Poster, Teaching is a little aligned to Talent Education...and Human Resources is basically about Talent Management. You should definitely write the work experience from teaching in your CV. If you truly taught these kids, you educated them (which is called Training & Development in HR) you also assessed them and conducted tests as well as graded them, (which can be aligned to Staff/Talent appraisal in HR). If there were times where you rewarded kids that performed extraordinarily and surpassed his/her peers then you can relate that with Reward & Recognition.
Truth is I think this is the best non-corporate HR related job. You also say that you have Leadership and Team mgt experiences- dude you got all you need. You just need to sit and think how to develop your CV. You have a good grade to get you noticed, so what you need do now is translate these experiences in your interviews by showing confidence. You can also go professional by acquiring the CIPM certificate (but frankly right now its no needed) But firstly, put everything in God's hands.

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first i want to appreciate everybody that have advised me thus far. i want you to know that your advise are well noted.

achmed1: In the mean time join the Charteder Institute of Personnel Management and get professionally certified in your field.

am on that.

The way you lay your bed you shall lie on it! Keep applying as you have been adviced.Go to school if you like but if you are too ashamed to put working experience of teaching in a nursery school as an experience, then do not blame me if i fail you in an interview. Reason is smply that teaching small children should show some humility in you, if done without any bais. It shows some attributes in you - ability to take challenge which do not make you comfortable and yet you succeed! Way back then, while looking for job, I also taught, trekked, begged and all sorts experiences you are going through but now, I am very comfortable, working in a foremost oil company . I am 2.1 Agricultural Engineer working as a lead in Operations in PH. All various experiences you may have all are for good. I can assure you. Your 1st class degree only shows potential it does not assure me you can deliver in a working environment so please any job that come your way, just DO IT. You will realize later that it was directed by GOD.

for you and every other person saying there is nothing wrong with teaching in a nursery and primary school i will like to you the following
1. i really don't have a problem teaching kids
2. my not teaching in a nursery school has nothing to do with humility or not. it has everything to do with let me use academic gap for lack of better word to describe the situation. i like to think that we are in different world. i can hardly relate with them (i need to speak with you in person before you can understand that is if you still don't understand)
3. from my interaction with nysc staffs i was told there are so many ways to discipline an erring corp member one of such is to post the corp member to a remote village to teach in a nursery school. that been said an employer who is aware of such practice will automatically be biased towards me on seeing that i did my ppa in a nursery and primary school when infact i was not involved in a wrong doing while in camp as i helped my platoon win prizes that are geared academically. (i wouldn't have any problem if i was posted to a secondary school atleast where i know i can be of great help to the students preparing them for jsce, ssce etc)

All work experience matter regardless of your qualification even if you are in the highly technical field.It only need a bit of tweaking here and there,you just need to make it relevant through tailoring and fitting.
Yours is even easier,H.R is all about people management isn't it? if you have been able to manage kids!! and you can prove how you brought the best out of them then working with adults should be a cake walk.
Pupils/workers resume late or absent,you find out.What's the difference? Isn't this routine H.R
You hardly see irrelevant experience if you look deeply.

all work experience matter regardless of your qualification yes i agree with you but i was told by a resource person that when preparing a CV you include only work experience relevant to the position you are applying to. maybe he is wrong



don't know why you are asking all these questions but here you go
1)

How old are U?

am in my 'very' early 20's

2)

What year did u graduate?

2011


3)

How will u rate ur look? A) very wowo, B) not very wowo

check my profile to judge for yourself. very wowo as in ugly can't not be used to describe me


4)

What kind of work do u really want?

that a tough one, cos rite now i wil be motivated to work where will pay the highest irrespective of the nature of the job. my dream job is to work with the united nations


5)

Where do u see urself in the next 5 and 10 years?

so many factors will contribute to this, in 5 to 10yrs i see myself as a business executive either in my own firm or in another firm, politics and now recently lecturing but like i said so many things will affect this


6)

Where do you see urself in 20 years?

a boss of my own corporation and a consultant


7)

What kind of companies do you NOT want to work for?

for now i want to work in any company provided it is not illegal

8 )

In a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate ur confidence level in toasting 'high class' girls?

don't see how this affect this thread. i can toast a high class with a sound aura without any difficult but a high class girl with a bad aura i will not even bother myself toasting her.


9)

How many companies av u approached?

can really out a figure. but the last two, the interviews were so impressive that one made an offer which i declined based on certain principles and the other one you could literally see frustration on his face for not being able to absorb me due to company policy of over staffing.


10)

What kind of companies have they been ? A) Local coys (B) Global coys

both local and global

Human resource management is not a course that most employers would die for.

boss i don't agree with your assertion. this is a course i 'ditched' law for. true is every organization employing atleast 10 employees needs a human resource expert. the business environment is changing and trust me when i tell you this, in the administrative and management department HR expert is among the most sought after. in Nigeria about 85% of HR positions are occupied by people who didn't study HRM thus giving greater opportunity for those who studied HRM to be employed in their field.

@osifo

Forgive my bias, but you're a 1st class graduate in HR. I asked u some questions, and u didnt see the reason why I was asking u those questions (hope that wasn't sacarsm cos it sounded like it). i don't know much about u, but I hope u've got some fine social skills. Well, we'll let that pass.

Apart from what I've noted above most of the answers u've given for my unorthodox question tells me that u wouldn't have any issues in landing urself a job.

But we have some k-legs. Your answer to quest (5) and (4) are at variance. It would be quite tough juggling between having ur own successful business and pursuing a career in the UN at d same time. If you want to work in UN, ur posting to the school would have been very helpful on your CV,and u probably should have done(or could do) some voluntary work in (for) a UN affiliated project.

Still on the UN bit of your ambition, why dont u further ur studies in either a masters or directly in a phd research. With ur present grades, ur 'inexperience' shouldn't count when u finally hit the job market. Just pick a top 5 foreign school. U cld go a step further by actually researching UN and its 'affiliated' universities and vice versa.

Netwwork with UN staff by attending seminars (or other related events) that are specific to them. When u get to meet theses UN folks, don;t tell immediately that ur looking for a job, just toast them into adding u to their linkedin pages (hope u see why i was asking u about ur confidence in a fun way).

Gun for the strategic UN folks, and when you've become pals with them, broach the idea of doing ur research with their organisation, while showing them ur cv(please avoid being corky here).

This shld land u a UN Job in less than 5yrs from now even while schooling.

.....and pls, i don't think u shld dissipate ur energy on too many unrelated goals. U've alreadsy got what it takes.
just patience


....best wishes

esere826: @osifo

Forgive my bias, but you're a 1st class graduate in HR. I asked u some questions, and u didnt see the reason why I was asking u those questions (hope that wasn't sacarsm cos it sounded like it). i don't know much about u, but I hope u've got some fine social skills. Well, we'll let that pass.

Apart from what I've noted above most of the answers u've given for my unorthodox question tells me that u wouldn't have any issues in landing urself a job.

But we have some k-legs. Your answer to quest (5) and (4) are at variance. It would be quite tough juggling between having ur own successful business and pursuing a career in the UN at d same time. If you want to work in UN, ur posting to the school would have been very helpful on your CV,and u probably should have done(or could do) some voluntary work in (for) a UN affiliated project.

Still on the UN bit of your ambition, why dont u further ur studies in either a masters or directly in a phd research. With ur present grades, ur 'inexperience' shouldn't count when u finally hit the job market. Just pick a top 5 foreign school. U cld go a step further by actually researching UN and its 'affiliated' universities and vice versa.

Netwwork with UN staff by attending seminars (or other related events) that are specific to them. When u get to meet theses UN folks, don;t tell immediately that ur looking for a job, just toast them into adding u to their linkedin pages (hope u see why i was asking u about ur confidence in a fun way).

Gun for the strategic UN folks, and when you've become pals with them, broach the idea of doing ur research with their organisation, while showing them ur cv(please avoid being corky here).

This shld land u a UN Job in less than 5yrs from now even while schooling.

.....and pls, i don't think u shld dissipate ur energy on too many unrelated goals. U've alreadsy got what it takes.
just patience


....best wishes

i am most grateful for your reply.
and yes, have got fine social skill.

But we have some k-legs. Your answer to quest (5) and (4) are at variance. It would be quite tough juggling between having ur own successful business and pursuing a career in the UN at d same time. If you want to work in UN, ur posting to the school would have been very helpful on your CV,and u probably should have done(or could do) some voluntary work in (for) a UN affiliated project.

yes i agree with you on your observation of my answer to no. 4 and 5. as i would normally tell my friends as you grow up you become aware of certain realities which helps you to model your choices in life. if some one had told me that only 8 months back that i might never be a lawyer i could have argued with my life. 80% of my friends think i studied law, 100% think i could made a fine lawyer. now prevailing circumstances which are favourable is shifting my focus from law to multinational now recently to lecturing. the bolded is the reason why i cannot categories ansa your qstn 4 and 5 in clear terms.

on the voluntary work for UN affiliate as still looking for it. you know of any?

@osifo

I do understand ur situation. It cld be quite frustrating wen u've put in so much and seem to have gotten little.
I think that wont mind guiding for some time(won't want a potential nigerian talent being under utilized u see)

Please refer to my sereies of posts in < https://www.nairaland.com/950830/before-leaving-nigeria-things-must/4 > all the way to the end of the thread. Although not particularly written with people like u in mind. U cld get some usefull info there.

I don't have any direct links to UN projects, but don't worry about this today. We'll figure out something. Please read the posts, and get an idea of what you represent first. We'll work on u later.


....cheers

If you look at my initial comment you would see words like tweaking,tailoring and fitting then relevance.
Its your job to make your experience relevant. Obviously we normally put the most relevant experience first but if you have a scanty cv for a particular role then you make some of your general experience count.
I was a bit simplistic in describing H.R routine above but H.R is people management so is teaching.

.

chicel: i was like dat years back. I came to a conclusion that u get a job only wen u are connected. I have a 2.1 mechanical engineering some 1 showed me some thing which i'm doing presently and it's paying me off very well. I presently don't need a job. i only post adverts i come across in newspapers or from clients ON Nairaland incase there are job seekers who care. What i do is purely business and i'm thankful cos wat i earn i don't think a company wud pay. My profit is greater than my effort besides i can't be sacked or need to retire in d future and seek wat to do. My pay runs to my generation. I'M my BOSS. U cud contact me and i'd give u more details in case u are interested. 08079310123.

interesting!