5 Things That Make Finding Graduate Jobs Easier in Nigeria

by Lateef Eluyemi.

I once wrote an article based on my experience. Undergraduates & Admission seekers may find it helpful. The things are;

1. A good Degree of at least 2.1: This is often the first water mark of most disqualification.

2. Graduate age of at most 24: If you must graduate, try not to be more than that even after NYSC. You will have the opportunity to apply for as many jobs in many fields that require atleast 2.1 in any discipline.

3. Good Communication Skills: This is highly needed. And that’s why the foundation must be strong, if you have a weak High school (ing) days, even if you pick up in Higher Institution and your communication level is not that sound, you will still have problem passing interviews. I have seen 2.2 candidates doing well in interviews where 2.1 stammers.

4. Networking & Connection: Whether we like it or not, man know man still has a place in our system through recommendations and placement. If your connection is tight, you should use it.. There are more jobs unadvertised than the one advertised and many on ads are sometimes to fulfil all righteousness. You can be well qualified and still come in through recommendation. It makes it easier.

5. Prayer, Luck and Grace: May be because I believe so much in prayers and grace to guide the course of mankind in life, and I have seen it working many times that one wonders how it works like magic to defy logic. Even if you have above four points, you still need to keep your job searching in prayer. There could be bad luck at every point of the system that no one knows how your CV will unfortunately not be looked into, that it often ends in HR dustbin and you keep waiting for a response that might not be coming.

Again special consideration through prayers often come in interviewing room; for example when all panel members say this guy can’t work with us but there will be one single person (a formidable member of the panel) who would say, “Me I think this guy is good, he is only nervous. Based on what I can read from him, he has consistent academic excellence and this role is for a sound mind like him, I think you people have to agree with me on this and let us give him 6 months probation on hiring as benefit of doubt”.

What I see here is grace.

6. O-level: Another important factor is O-level results combination. In fact it is not only at one sitting that is being required often now, to disqualify many, but now with at least 3 distinctions most times, and not just credit passes. Lol! This is peculiar to graduate trainee Jobs in Nigeria like Coca Cola and P.G Scholarship like NNPC, Shell, Addax et al. So, getting job in Nigeria has its foundation laid years ago. Once it is faulty, it is a big problem This is even hurting, right from admission seeking stage in our universities today, using O -level Grade calculation system. Once your O-level is populated by too many credits, you percentage score out of 100% is almost half. Hence if you have 280 in jamb for Nursing Science for exam which is 280/8 = 35, and your O-level is C-parallel in Phy, Chem, Bio, Math & English, obviously that’s 5(5) making 25. That puts your general weight cut off of 60% (35+25), which is a low score for Nursing in many schools. So, in Nigeria today, it is clear that the weak past can be hunting for long. It is unfortunate though. Thanks Lateef Eluyemi