Vent between Graduation and Employment.

For NYSC corps members accepting their certificates soon or those who are yet to or perhaps those who have already, graduation means excitement for endless possibilities and anxiety over unknown job prospects. Though the job market has proven uncertain at best during students’ four or five years in the university, the outlook is better than you might imagine.

 NYSC corps members should be optimistic about job prospects. I’d also like to encourage corps members that job prospects vary based upon chosen field and location. It’s really based on the career choice and the interest of the corps member as to how to characterise prospects. Some fields bear more opportunities than others. Fields of greatest opportunity are in health care, business services, and information technology. Regardless of the career path NYSC corps members intend to follow, there are some universal tips invaluable to the process of finding employment I’d like to share.

 Finding a job means taking the time to become familiar with the practices and mission of potential employers, beyond just glancing at the “About” page on their website. I think a lot of people will just look at the job description first and then they apply without doing a lot of research on the organisation or company. Doing that research is key to determining if the company will be a good fit.

 Another tip is identify strengths that you want to use in the workplace and look at how those strengths and skills can be transferred into particular industries in which you have an interest, and then to identify organisations and companies within those industries that share a similar value set.

 It’s also extremely important for NYSC Corp members to have both a passion for, and skill set in, their chosen field. If you don’t have those skills and you don’t have that passion, you can’t fake that in an interview, that’s the scar-faced truth.

Another aspect of the career search that is of utmost importance is the resume. Employers will automatically knock graduates out of the running for a job if they see errors on a resume. In this knowledge, work diligently on perfecting your resumes, not just to avoid spelling and grammatical errors, but to suit the position for which you are applying.

 A lot of times graduating NYSC corps members neglect to tailor their resumes to fit the position they’re applying for. Without the right resume you could be overlooked even if you’re absolutely the best candidate. After employers look at a graduate’s resume, they will turn to the interview stage of the application process. You should know that there are certain questions that they are almost sure to be asked and you should prepare ahead of time. Practicing is extremely important to ensuring one is ready for the interview. Interviewing is a skill. It’s something you can work on. You want to make sure that you perfect that skill so you can outshine your competition.

 I’d advise corps members not to limit their scope of interest when looking for a job. Don’t expect the first job to be a dream job. That first job is very important because it’s where you start to establish your professional reputation, and to be realistic you’re going to change positions and maybe even careers several times, so manage your expectations and see what you need to take away in the short term to manage your long term goals. Take a more broad approach.

 A lot of times, NYSC Corps members are focused on one particular career option and don’t think about other career options. Regardless of an individual’s career path, resources are always available for those seeking employment, whether you’re a recent graduate or looking to change careers or looking to get back into the workforce. Just so many online job databases and professional development seminars. 

Overall, I think there are plenty of opportunities out there; you just have to look for those opportunities. 

Best in your individual pursuits.