₦airaland Forum

Okay just spoke to another Chinese colleague of mine. She seems to be more knowledgeable, she has never heard of the China Europe uni but has heard of the Hong Kong uni. She mentioned that there are thousands of universities in China and only two really stand out, she told me their names(can't rem). However she said apart from the top 10 unis there, the others are pretty much on the same level and not regarded very highly(or as highly). The Hong Kong uni she said is very good and popular and recommended a top Hong King uni as opposed to Chinese ones. She is chinese by the way but said Hong Kong universities are known to be a lot better than their Chinese counterparts and as a result, Chinese students would rather go there as they also would rather work in Hong Kong after graduating.

My personal opinion is that you should not base your decision on the league tables. I believe you are trying to convince people of how good these schools are. If it was Harvard or Cambridge, you wouldn't need to, The name of the school would speak for itself. The reason for doing your Masters should determine whether you choose a school in China or UK. If it is to meet elite Chinese people then by all means go to China but if it is to go to a top university so as to command respect then I advice you to stick with a more known school in the UK or US. So you don't have to start producing this your league table every time people ask you what uni you did your MBA.

Chimaze, I disagree with you on your analysis of the UK. Many people are so quick to dismiss the life in UK but I guess it boils down to individual preferences, My mum believes that the life here is not as good as in naija but I totally disagree and really do think it is a personal choice. I have many relatives here and I have to say not all are doing well but the ones that are, would never move back to naija. Its people that are suffering that come up with all those ridicolous stories of why naija is better. Then again life is about opportunities and not everyone is lucky enough to be given these opportunities. So for those sort of people that find it hard to get by here then by all means move to Naija but it is not fair to generalise. No doubt the UK is hard but tell me one place that isn't? With hard work, sheer determination, God's favour and pure luck, you can have a good life anywhere in the world you choose.

As for the universities, I just asked my Chinese colleagues and only of them has replied. Her reply is below. Personally, if these schools are so great, why do so many Chinese students come and study here?

"Hi I think I will not be helpful to u because I have never heard of them. But I will prefer UK’s universities, more qualified and popular .u’d better ask ling her bf is from Hongkong , he knows more"

Don't know much about Nigeria but you'll be one of many graduating at that age, I know lots of people that finished quite young (including me) and though its a good accomplishment, its not a big deal these days at least not in the UK. If you join Investment Banks or the big 4, you'll see plenty of your age mates or at least those a year older so don't worry about it.

Congrats to you, keep up the good work and make sure you graduate with that 2.1.

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Akolawole, I don't doubt that a Nigerian degree is equivalent to a UK one but it is much easier to obtain a work eprmit for someone who has a UK degree.

Salsera, did your cousin get her first degree in Nigeria or the UK. If she got her degree in the UK, she might stand a chance of getting a company to apply for a work permit for her. What sort of work has she been doing while on WHM? Little things like that can help her secure a job on a work permit.

@Loverbwoy, is there an email add I can contact you on. I just noticed that I can't send a private message. Its semi important, Thanks.

lumeedee, what sector are you interested in and what was your first degree?

Duwizzle, Bolton university is not much different from UEL in my opinion. These unis might actually be quite good but they are new comapred to the other ones which are very old and established. Below is a link for the ranking so you can see for yourself what schools are ranked better than the others. Please note that the ranking is not the only way to pick a university but it is certainly a safe way to make the right uni choice.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,716,00.html

On the page, click on the Top Universities league table 2007 for the rankings.

I have drawn up a list of companies that take graduates that need work permits. I would try to update the list as time goes by. I groupe dthem under what I think are the more popular routes for gradautes. If your disiciple is not there, please ask and I'll see if I can find anything. Some of these companies tend to take on graduates with any degree disciplines especially the finanace companies. Goodluck to anyone trying.

Engineering:         
Rolls-Royce
BG Group
AMEC
Shell
BP
National Grid
Exxon Mobil
Halliburton (ESG and KBR)

Banking and Finance:
UBS
Citigroup
Lehman Brothers
Morgan Stanley
NHS Graduate Finance Scheme
ABN AMRO
DrkW
Merrill Lynch
JPMorgan
CIBC World Markets
Bear Stearns
WestLB AG
Standard Life Investments
RBC Capital Markets
Bank of America
Barclays Capital

Accounting
KPMG
PWC
Deloitte
Ernst & Young

Consulting
McKinsey
Bain & Co
Mercer Management Consulting

Geology:
Halliburton
Schlumberger
Conoco Phillips
Compaigne Generale de Physique

omo-onile, I was actually going to say something similar to africwoman that she should not restrict her job search to marketing. However, saying she can apply for an engineering job is quite far-fetched, engineering jobs require engineering graduates.

Afrikwoman, am sure you can apply for management trainee schemes with your marketing degree. I'll see what vacancies I can find that are suitable.

Aston university is a very good university, i think it is in the top 20 and it also has a solid reputation perhaps not as solid as a few others but certainly a good school.

Duwizzle, University of East London is not a very good school although it might have its own strengths, overall it is not considered a top university. Look at the league tables of UK universities, it is one of the lowly ranked UK universities.

I dont know much about HSMP but I believe it is like a work permit which allows you to work for any employer in the UK. You can use the calculator(link below) to determine if you qualify, ALL THE BEST!!
http://www.workpermit.com/uk/hsmp_calculator.htm

Arinade, while Ulster university is not a great university(it is 51 in timesonline rankings) it is a lot better than East London uni. I don't know about getting your deposit back if you have already paid. If they don't give you back, don't despair. As I mentioned in an earlier post, just be prepared to work harder than the average person to get a job because you will find yourself in competition with other graduates from top universities. Goodluck with it. About your CV, I won't be able to tell you much even if I see it as I am no HR person. All the best!!

Hi chuckvyl, i haven't been on nairaland in a while so could not reply to your post sooner. University of Greenwich is not a good school, you can check the league tables (the link is somewhereon this page) and you will be abkle to see how it is rated. However, if thats the only option you have. I guess you have to try and make the best out of it. Work very hard, try to make a distinction and work even harder in convincing employers you are capable. All the best!!!

Wolebanjo, I would see what I can do about other vacancies but one scheme that comes to mind is the NHS Graduate Scheme in Finance. Link is below:
http://www.bringingleadershiptolife.nhs.uk/default.asp

Hi, alex-osa. Can't say much about the course but University of Aberdeen is a good enough school but I know people that go there tend to go there for oil related courses. If you want to get into the finance sector in London, I think you are better off checking for schools in London. But then again, I can't really say cause Abeerdeen is quite a good school. All the best. I've put links for rankings but I think people think the Times ranking is more credible than Guardian's.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/universityguide2005/table/0,15905,-5163901,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,716,00.html

On the times website, you need to click on the Top Universities league table 2007

No I am an engineer as well, did not study HR. Manchester is a very good uni and my friend did the masters in corossion engineering there. Anyway I think you are in with a good chance of finding a job. Although, I remember he told me that the companies that recruit corrosion engineers wanted experience in that field which he did not have. In the end, he did get a job but don't think it was in corrosion engineering. But anyways, i think most companies are flexible with the engineering degree you do.

Blasterman, it very much depends on the course and university you attend in my own opinion. The very good schools are more expensive and require better qualifications than the lowly rated ones. As a result, some nigerians go to less known schools to save money. In the end, this does not always work out well cause a lot of the employers prefer graduates from certain schools. Just like in naija, employers prefer graduates from federal unis to state ones.

I know a lot of people that had jobs waiting for them at the beginning of their final year and there are others that are still searching for jobs a year after graduating (even some that went to good schools). In my case, I had a job before graduating(actually i haven't graduated yet) so i'll say it all depends on a lot of things including uni, course, determination, luck, God's favour etc, The way the system works here you can have a job before you even do your final exams and are given an employment offer that is conditional on you achieving a certain grade.

Hope this answers your question!!

I need someone to design a website for me. Something professional, functional and one I can edit myself. I would rather have someone based in the UK as it would be easier to contact the person. However, I am flexible with regards to this. Please contact me if you are interested with samples of your work. Thanks!

Loverbwoy, thanks!!

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Do you accept applications from students requiring work permits?
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Employer: Mediatronic
Job title: Web Developer
Closing date: 15/10/2006
Type of opportunity: Placement opportunity

Description of position:
Mediatronic produce high quality Flash content to educate,
inspire and advertise for leading companies and world famous
brands. The Web Developer will be act as a technical lead and
advisor for web development projects.

Employment Sector: IT and Management Systems

How to apply:
Send CV and CL via e-mail: jobs@mediatonic.co.uk Applicants must
include a link to their online portfolio when applying.

Location: London

Specific location: Westminster
Number of vacancies: 1
What they're looking for:
A minimum of 1 years experience working with PHP and ASP, and a
minimum of 2 years experience with HTML and JavaScript essential
. A thorough grounding in databases, database design and
integration is required, and applicants must be able to write
clean, annotated, reusable code.


---------------------------

Employer: Mediatronic
Job title: Graphic Designer
Closing date: 15/10/2006
Website: www.mediatonic.co.uk
Type of opportunity: Placement opportunity

Description of position:
Mediatronic produce high quality Flash content to educate,
inspire and advertise for leading companies and world famous
brands. The Graphic Designer will be the designer on a project
from start to finish.

Employment Sector: IT and Management Systems

How to apply:
Send CV and CL via e-mail: jobs@mediatonic.co.uk Applicants must
include a link to their online portfolio when applying.

Location: London

Specific location: Westminster
Number of vacancies: 1
What they're looking for:
Applicants must have: a good understanding of Flash Animation and
its capabilities; a good understanding of Photoshop; experience
in designing websites, banner adverts and presentations; the
ability to design, create and animate original artwork for use in
games; be able to maintain clear, labelled and usable files. It
is essential to be able to work under pressure and keep to tight
deadlines. Applicants must be full of energy and creative ideas


---------------------------

Employer: Mediatonic
Job title: Actionscript Developer
Closing date: 15/10/2006
Website: www.mediatonic.co.uk
Type of opportunity: Placement opportunity

Description of position:
Mediatronic produce high quality Flash content to educate,
inspire and advertise for leading companies and world famous
brands. The Actionscript Developer will be the developer on a
project from start to finish.

Employment Sector: IT and Management Systems

How to apply:
Send CV and CL via e-mail: jobs@mediatonic.co.uk Applicants must
include a link to their online portfolio when applying.

Location: London

Specific location: Westminster
Number of vacancies: 1
What they're looking for:
Applicants must have a minimum of 2 years experience working with
Flash, a deep understanding of programming and ActionScript 1.0,
be able to write clean, annotated, reusable code and must have
experience in writing Flash games. It is vital to be able to work
under pressure and keep to tight deadlines.

Walelead, thanks for the encouragement. The website is something I really want to do but I am worried that I might not find the time to devote to the website. Then again all my friends are encouraging me to do it so I think I should start now and gradually improve on it. Would you be willing to share some more ideas or perhaps the sort of information you would like to see? Would be really helpful cause i really don't want to provide a service pple don't need hence the slight hesitation. If you are willing to help, pls let me know. In the meantime, I would look for someone who can design the website for me. Thanks again.

And please I need everybody's help. It pains me to see Nigerians doing odd jobs with the sort of qualifications they have. Others just graduate and move back home immediately because they believe they won't find anything suitable. There are lots of opportunities out there and it does require a lot of hard work but it is worth it in the end. All the best to you all!!

Don't know if you guys are aware but most major companies start recruitment from tomorrow Sept 1st. If you are in your final year or have graduated, please start applying from tomorrow. The earlier the better and please don't be put off by your work permit status. I have had experience with the application process of most companies and am willing to help by sharing information and helping out with application questions. From tomorrow, I'll put up the list of companies that have started recruiting.

rightdude, point taken but you obviously did not read my first post. I asked people to indicate their fields of interest so I can put vacancies that would be useful to someone and not waste my time generally. I would post up vacancies in the fields you have mentioned.

Chxta, your offer letter might have stated 1.8million maybe because u were recruited from naija.The people recruited from careers in africa were offered 2.4million. That I am very sure of, made me decide not to finish my last interview with them.

Company: Siemens Plc
Job Title: Graduate Traffic Design Engineer
Type: Opportunities for after graduation
Tel: 01344 850043
Email: emma.birtles@siemens.com
Closing Date: 28-Aug-2006
Description:

Working within the Design Services Group, you will be involved in the full range of activities including the design, operation and management of signals and systems, offering best value to our customers across the total range of services and products. You will be responsible, with time, for writing design proposals, devising traffic specifications as well as all associated activities. From an early stage you will gain customer contact and be engaged at every stage of the business.

Application method: Screening is on a first come first served basis. Interested students should therefore apply as soon as possible. Applications must be made online at www.siemens.co.uk/grad.

Faber Maunsell
Job Title: Graduate Opportunities
Type: Opportunities for after graduation
Closing Date: 22-Sep-2006

Description:

We recruit a number of graduates each year and are interested to hear from those who intend to pursue a career in either mechanical, electrical, civil, structural, bridge, tunnel, geotechnical, traffic engineering, transport planning or environmental consultancy work. A degree in relevant technical or social based discipline is preferable but, for certain transportation planning, environmental and asset management posts, we are always pleased to consider graduates from a wide range of courses. We are also interested to hear from students seeking vacation work or sponsorship. You will work in project teams, using the latest technology to develop and deliver professional solutions that best meet the needs of our clients and the community, both now and in the future.

Application method: Apply online at http://www.fabermaunsell.com

Design Support Engineer - Pneumatic Systems Engineers needed at Bosch Rexroth. Need working knowledge of MS office and AutoCAD 2005.

http://www.milkround.com/s4/jobseekers/employers/showvacancymain.asp?vacancyid=109142&from=1

Site Engineers/Section Engineers/Quantity Surveyors/Electrical Engineers/ Mechanical Engineers
£22 - £30k depending on previous experience plus company car, bonus, pension, life assurance
We are experienced in developing engineers and quantity surveyors to meet their goals. Current graduates report that early responsibility gives them the motivation to grow and succeed.
Water frameworks in the Midlands and Yorkshire shall grow in volume over the coming months offering opportunities for M&E engineers, Site Engineers and Commercial teams also.

http://www.secondpost.com/main/employers/vacancyPage.aspx?vid=112260