PREPARING FOR POST-SCHOOL LIFE: TIPS FOR A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT

Hello Mr Jarus, I really appreciate the work you are doing. More power to your elbow. I’m a final year student of Mechanical Engineering and it is certain that I will be finishing with a 2.1 grade. I want to know my chances of getting a good job in Nigeria after my service year, as a fresh graduate. More so, what are the things to do to keep my chances high?

Waiting for your reply, sir. Thanks a lot.

Ahmed

I passed this to a Mechanical Engineer part of JarusHub Advisory Team

Dear Ahmed,

I would like to congratulate you (in advance) on your grades. Finishing with a 2.1 will guarantee you invitations to most engineering jobs and considerations for masters’ degree programmes. However, after graduation, during your NYSC and while you wait for interview invitations what you will need most (after God’s grace) is information. You need to stay informed about the various job opportunities you can fit in well, and be earnest in preparing for them.

In summary:

1. Start practicing standard job tests; GMAT, SHL, technical specific MCQs, don’t forget the oral interviews, CV and Cover letter writing too. (You can find some of these on  JarusHub).
2. Start improving or developing some extra technical skills to place you some notches ahead of your peers; AUTOCAD, MATCAD, MATLAB, even the EXCEL spreadsheet can be a very powerful tool if you are good at it (from experience).
3. Attend seminars or training on HSE and Project management; just the basics at this stage.
4. Try not to put all your eggs in one basket; although your question does not suggest it, I hope your attention is not just in the Oil & Gas. Manufacturing industry can offer a good career too in engineering; P&G, Nestle, and UAC just to mention some.
5. Lastly, you should also explore and consider the possibility of going for your M.Sc. (on scholarship if you can’t afford it) in a relevant engineering field immediately after your NYSC, especially if the job didn’t come immediately.

Please see this post made earlier, I believe you can also learn from the advice therein;

https://www.jarushub.com/dilemma-with-my-inability-to-get-engineering-job-i-fear-for-my-engineering-knowledge/

I sincerely hope you find all these helpful. All the best.

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