Good points. I've had cognate experience as well as relating to this issue. That's when I stopped working WITH the firm and started working FOR them

Wanting to quit your job underscores the fact that you've been working FOR your company and not WITH your company. Most times company management is responsible for this. They do not consider what makes the employees comfortable with the environment. They are ruled by making revenue and most times in their drive for revenue (unreasonable targets for reasonable people) they turn the firm into a training ground of employees for their competitors.

Best reasons or circumstances under which I'd advice anyone to quit (if you want to) are:

If you're not on your career path==> The more you stay their, the more time you're wasting. Your relevance in your original career field begins to diminish and it will only dawn on you when you finally make up your mind. However, you present job could define a new career for you which you many fall in love with. If you do, then don't quit. Simply try to know how you can enhance yourself and grow

When your role has been changed==> This may happen when your department has been scraped due to company restructuring. Most times your new role is closely related and most times its not and it turns into frustration everyday. For example I know of a colleague who's role was changed from content writing to telesales. Now that's very distinct and frustration started to set in. If you cannot adapt with your new role then quit to something else and be happy

kayce911:

If your company is looking for a resilient and confident Front Desk Officer, I would appreciate the opportunity to apply my skills in your highly esteemed establishment. I have mentioned my objectives and drive in my accompanying resume and I know I can add value to your company if given the opportunity.

Please the bolded is not necessary. They are sure looking for one, if not you would not be applying. This is not a generic cover letter it is specific

First rule in writing cover letter: I want to know how you got to know about the vacancy

Second Rule: Let all I read make me want to take a look at your CV (even if it is lengthy)

Third Rule: Keep it short! Though you may have a lengthy Cover Letter which will make me take a look at your CV, I may not have the patience to read the second paragraph and the third and the fourth...

In my years of CV screening and scrutiny of Cover Letters for our clients (where I work) I have come across several letters. One thing job seekers should always pray for is that their applications and letters should meet the recruiter in a good and joyful mood not a tired, dizzy and annoyed mood. Commit it to God and all (even with all the DOs and DON'Ts) will be well once God is involved (but you must do your part)


You could go this way (such could wake me from tiredness having read over 100 such application)

In response to your job placement on [..............] I am glad to present myself for an opportunity to apply and put to use my skills in your establishment. I possess an innovative mind capable of initiating a process for organizational results and surmounting challenges as related to [job position]

End it with a very few more lines... You could put it as creatively as possible but choose you words right and make it sharp.

Good luck.

One of the things you should note as well is that when you go for an interview, you should take YOUSELF along. This is because the person being interviewed is YOU and not "10 Ways to ACE that Interview" or "Tactics NOT to Neglect During Interview". All these are to have been practised on your own time and registered in your sub-conscious and they'd not be a problem and it will not make you present yourself as acting out a script.

tanimola22:


Hey man, I'm still around and respond to posts when I've the opportunity.

At least you can be contacted via email in case peeps need more career advice

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

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

kristein:

bro i'm so interested in d ican stuff,bt hw nd wia do i start?shld i start frm ican direct

What is your current qualification? Are you an undergraduate?

Thanks sooooo much! So now it is an established fact that the ICAN or Accounting professional course is more useful than a Master's degree in Accounting. I pray Accounting undergraduates and Youth Corpers are reading this.

For Engineering, is it all Engineering courses or are there specific courses that a professional course is not worth it? What is HSE for? Is it required of all Engineering courses?

majekdom2:
A masters degree does not give you any real work experience . it only gives you an edge because you have foucsed on a particular area of interest unlike the first degree that covers basically all the aspect of that profession. A masters degree gives you an opportunity to research more on a particular area . Why people rush abroad for masters in naija is because of the high rate of unemployment and to further boost your skills .... I mean networking , team work and research which the Nigerian institutions don't offer you . Majorty of the entry level jobs are minimum a first degree , in a situation where a masters degree holder is competing with a bachelor's degree holder with say some months of experience and they have equal basic performance , the recruiters may tend to go for the bachelor's degree holder . you may have great knowledge about a profession but you may loose a position to someone with experience .... experience means putting your knowledge into practice.
How ever , not all professional courses are worth it .An Ican certificate gives you an edge over a masters degree in the accounting profession because the Ican leaves you with some work experience. In the engineering industry , some professional courses are not worth it , why because those courses requires some experience before you may understand those courses fully .. . on and on for different professions , the best thing is to understand you line of profession , talk to expert in that profession , they would help with the best advices.

Thank you sire. Your contribution is most useful and helpful. I'm sure @afolag will find this useful too

Joy83:
If that's the only two options available, i will say Masters degree should be the first to get. Mostly multinational companies require M.Sc degree as added advantage to a job that requires first degree alone, without saying professional courses most time.
As a matter of fact, most big companies will send their employers for professional courses depending on the needs of the company. But it is very rare for a company to send staff for a Master's degree.

So professional courses may be a waste if you are not in a company first, bacause that particular course may not be relevant to the company. But master's degree is versatile to fit in as to any big company.

Sir, I will like to ask a question. Have you ever read or seen a job description that reads that you must have a Master's degree without any experience? FOR EXAMPLE...

Fresh graduates are required for a Management Trainee position

Minimum qualification: MSc in relevant field
Experience: Entry level
Must have concluded NYSC
Must be versatile in bla bla bla...

Mostly if there is to be an MSc degree as minimum requirement, it is usually for an experienced role (with exception to some organisations like United Nations etc). Yes! MSc may be added advantage to a role but I do not think it will be compulsory for an entry level role for fresh graduates

What we are trying to look at here is:

If one graduates and one is done with NYSC, is it wise to opt immediately for a Master's degree or one should gain employment and have the professional workplace experience, enrol for a professional course and then later (let's say after 2 or 4 years) go for a Master's degree?

Truman155:
The mods will not move this to the front page #thank God i schooled in france

France? So how is the system there like? Do fresh graduates rush for Master's degree or simply go for a professional course?

I know the situations may differ as per economic terrain and unemployment level...

afolag:
Thank you for bringing up this topic infact NL is making sense.
I thought about this as a graduate of mech engr for good three months. Am not in the country presently but I dnt see pple here rushed into masters degree like we do in naija, though may be it wasnt so hard for them to get employnment but I must tell you they do professional courses before going for msc.
I will try and find out why.

Please do find out why. We would like to hear it. You know, one of the reasons given by one of the discussants is that Master's degree is meant to make you Master an experience which you should already have and that's why most of the questions center on real work place experience (which you will not have been taught). And the Professional Course is to make you more professional in the discharge of your duties when you arrive the workplace that is why we have many specialised institutions for such purpose of making you more knowledgeable and an expert in your specific field. You know the University cannot teach you specialized courses most times.

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...

techmatas:
good one op

Thanks

seagullbabz:

This is great...thanks for the tips... will surely pick one or two things for myself from this... Bless

I'm glad sir. Its a pleasure.