Still underemployed despite his First Class
Jarus, please help advise a young man here.
This 27 year old guy graduated with a first class honours degree in Public Administration from a top university in the South-West in 2011. He just completed his NYSC in June 2013.
In order to keep body and soul together he picked up a job that pays roughly the minimum wage in Nigeria.
I want you to advise his on the post-graduate programmes and professional examinations he can register for, that will enhance his employability. You can also suggest how he can access scholarship grants for his graduate degrees because finance is a major limiting factor for this guy.
He may also change his career path from Public Administration to Accounting, the guy has OND in Accounting from Kwara Polytechnic in 2006 with an upper credit.
Emma
I passed this on to:
OBAFEMI BAMIDELE, Msc (Edinburgh), ACA, ACCA, ACS, CFA
I think this guy is not aggressive enough. A first class will make people want to talk to him. He should try apply in as many places – big, small, medium firms.
I don’t know where he is residing too, that might be a limiting factor. A promising graduate is more likely to struggle more to get a placement outside the main commercial cities – he might want to relocate.
I honestly think the job he is in will hinder him from really searching.
Also, he should consider completing his ICAN ASAP. His lack of aggression is probably why that has not been completed till now.
Apart from qualifications, one must also be up and doing and a little bit of aggression and fighting spirit is necessary in most of life endeavours.
Lack of sufficient fighting spirit, to be honest, is what I see here.
******
In addition to what Obafemi said, let me add that, getting First Class will not automatically land you job. You have to ‘hustle’ as they say in Lagos. I also hope, like Obafemi said, that he is not just sitting in Oshogbo expecting jobs to come and meet him there. He needs to equip himself with right information, needs to be close to where the jobs are. Finishing NYSC in June and not getting job yet in October, just four months later, is, to me, not yet an entirely bad experience. It reminds me of a 2009 Facebook post made by a friend that made a First – and street-smart, to boot – but didn’t get job few months after finishing NYSC and was frustrated. The guy is now doing well with GTB. Anytime I see him, I recall that his Facebook post some years back, around 2009, pouring out his frustration about not getting job despite holding a First, and an ICAN certificate. It’s a temporary stage. But to avoid it from getting ‘too long’, you need to be up and doing. All the best.
Jarus
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Thanks Jarus for your prompt response. I have recommended Jarushub to the person in question.