Many young people today complete their university education, only to have the shocking realities of – a seemingly hostile – real world tell them they’re inadequately prepared to succeed in it.
When I graduated in 1992, I went on to observe my service year in Gulu-Vatsa village (remote, off-grid village…at the time) in Nigeria’s Niger State. While there, I taught students in schools, and worked weekends on farms with other teachers and natives. That was, after all, the essence of the service year: to unify us:-)
Post Graduation Job Search Blues
But my undergraduate and service year experiences prepared me very little, for the real world I was to enter afterwards.
To be honest, I only began to have an idea of what I could do with my university degree when I got back to Lagos, a year later!
I quickly learned how to take intimidating job aptitude tests. Then I clung desperately to what was left of my battered self-esteem, when interviewers talked down to me, literally tearing my qualifications apart – making me feel almost worthless!
Now, this was not entirely their fault. One could ask: what was a graduate of Agricultural Extension Services doing applying for a job as a Marketing Officer for an Insurance company for instance?
If you are a Nigerian (or have lived there a while), you may be able to relate to what I am saying.
That’s why one finds degree holders taking up jobs that often do not require them to apply the specialized university education they received!
Many graduates (it would appear) are not particularly excited about practicing in the fields they studied for 4 – 5 years. In many cases they’re just glad to find any job with an employer that will have them.
Lack of Purpose: Graduates Accepted Courses They Lacked Passion For – Just To Get Admitted!
One main reason is that many of them settled for their courses of study after trying to get the ones they wanted and failing. Others do love their courses of study, but income derivable from practising it locally makes it unappealing.
Therein lies the problem. Young people tend to start off their lives being denied the opportunity (by adults and/or circumstances) to decide what they want to do.
When they are able to decide what they want, the enabling environment is rarely provided for them to successfully pursue their goals. They often find that they just have to take what is available!
As a result, many graduates lack sense of purpose. They keep asking “government” to create “jobs” for them. And they make this request even when they see graduates ahead of them still waiting “in line” for jobs that fail to show up!
A Proposed Solution: What Graduates Can Do To Help Themselves
I have passed through the same predicament myself as a university graduate. I know how confusing it can be to discover nobody wants you, after you ’ve studied hard and gotten good qualifications!
The sad truth is that TODAY, fewer jobs await each batch of graduates that leave the university.
So, what is the alternative?
The truth is each graduate must come into the real world better prepared with real world relevant competence.
Note that by “real world” I do NOT necessarily mean the “labour market”. The latter, in today’s world, has fewer “buyers” in it. And most of them are more frugal than before – hiring fewer people, who tend to get paid less, while being asked to do more.
The real world I refer to is the larger socioeconomic environment.
Today’s graduate must enter it, with the added ability to earn a living outside of paid employment – should the need to do so arise.
To achieve this, she must adopt and begin to diligently practice Self-Development.
That will involve deliberately acquiring practical knowledge and skills – through careful reflection on future goals, and anticipated challenges.
For instance, developing entrepreneurial skills and interests would serve her well, if she chooses not to get a job after graduation.
Some successful entrepreneurs started their careers by operating micro or small enterprises on campus.
And if such a well rounded graduate does decide to go after the security of paid employment, she’s more likely to get the position ahead of other applicants.
Why?
Because recruiters will tend to find her resume more compelling, and her mental attitude/disposition of greater appeal.
In reality, results focused employers prefer employees with entrepreneurial mind sets!
Final Words
To summarize, today’s graduate can make a more successful entry into the real world using the strategy described in this article.
Simply develop a practical and purposeful Self-Development habit – and nurture it diligently.
Then use it to acquire knowledge and skills to boost your chances of getting hired; and at the same time, equip yourself with entrepreneurial know-how to create income generating opportunities, in case you’re not.
Goodluck
NB: This article is based on excerpts from my 113 page print manual Self-Development Bible. You can download the FREE PDF version by subscribing to my newsletter mailing list using the form below.