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.
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