Are you a Fresh Graduate? See how Volunteer work can position you for a Job opportunity in Nigeria. These tips might just be helpful to you
In this article you’ll Learn how Volunteer work can help you get experience and possibly position you how to easily Land a JOB
I see you and your mates make this same mistake always and often, to advise you and help you chart a course aright; I need to write you this long piece.
Moses Udoisoh Writes about his experience during NYSC.
“Let me open with a recent conversation I had with a young Graduate.
Graduate – Sir, how do I get jobs like Lecturing at the University or High paying jobs in any of the Big Oil firms? I graduated top of my class with an excellent 2.1 and I know I am good.
Me – Well! My friend,
congratulations
on your success and completion of your Undergraduate programme. However, you might need a little polishing to be eligible for Jobs at the University or High paying Oil companies. You need experience and Skills.
Young Graduate: But how do I get experience on the Job, is it not by getting the job and learning on it?
Me – That should have been the ideal case. It is practiced Abroad, but here in Nigeria, most employers need experienced hands. They have no patience to train fresh hands. The same goes for Universities.
Most Universities will not employ even a Ph.D. holder who has had experience instructing students at any level.
Young Graduate – Tell me more sir.
Me – I will do a post on Saturday morning to address it.
Prospect In Volunteering (Read with Purpose)
You just graduated, young and full of potential. There are prospects and opportunities everywhere, but you are not yet ripe for them. Though you have good grades and are highly cerebral, you are not ripe because the opportunities that are available have a little opening for a greenhorn. Very few employers have a plan that covers recruiting and training Greenhorns (Just out of School Graduates) to the degree of technical expertise needed in their establishment. They prefer to outsource such roles to contracting firms. Most Employers go for experienced hands lased with industry skills and knowledge, leaving you in the pool of joblessness.
How can I get this experience and hands-on training, seeing I am not gainfully employed?
You need to offer your services to a firm of your interest for free. Volunteer to serve.
I will share with you how I got employment at Kwara State Polytechnic in 2013, even when the School had a strong policy of not employing non-indigenes.
For my NYSC service, I was drafted to Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. On getting there, I was directed to report to the HOD, Metallurgical Engineering. I queried why Metallurgy and not Mechanical, for I am a graduate of Mechanical Engineering Technology. No good answer was given. So, I reported to Metallurgical Engineering and was given some courses to teach to ND1 students.
One morning, I overheard a chatter between the HOD and the Lecturer for Advanced Calculus. He was given an additional department to teach and instruct MTH 301 (Advanced Calculus). “Taking an additional Department is too much for me”, he kept reoehoing to the HOD. I eavesdrop on their converse enough to gather that Engr. Ahmed Saluadeen was the only person taking Advanced Calculus for six Engineering Departments in the Faculty (It is called Institute in KP). Truly, he was overworked
As he left the HOD’s office, I peeped through the window to see where his office was. Later that day, I approached him and offered to help him take some departments of the course (MTH 301). At first, he was in awe. “A corps Member, offering to take Advanced Calculus?”- His shocked look had some relief when I told him, I had taught the course to members of my Faculty at Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana. I showed him the unpublished manuscript I compiled as a Student.
The same Manuscript I had used to teach Laplace Transforms in my personal Tutorial classes back at Unwana. He took the manuscript, spent another week with it, and returned with a conviction about my ability. “I will let you take the Civil and Metallurgy students”- He said aloud.
He gave me the course content and his textbook on the course. Told me to encourage the students to buy the book as I teach them.
I thanked him and left. I went my way and prepared seriously to take up the new role. I was now serving my Department and Civil Engineering Department as MTH 301 Instructor. Prepared lecture materials, quizzes, CA work, and assignments. I was purposeful about being of service and actually serving.
Engr. Saludeen, impressed with my work with MTH 301, spoke to his HOD (Mechanical HOD) about my services and efficiency as a corps member. The HOD reached out and requested I should take up MEG 401 (Theory of Machine Tools and Design) for him with the Final Year Metallurgical Students. I obliged his request and delivered it extensively.
One year came to an end very fast and it was time to wind up NYSC. I returned to Engr. Salaudeen and the former HOD of Mechanical (now Faculty Dean) told them I was rounding up my service year and will be leaving soon. Thus, I won’t be available in the new session to take the courses I was helping them take presently. The Dean on hearing me, screamed, “…No! No oh!, you can’t go. We can’t let you go”. I didn’t take him seriously because I already knew there was a policy of no employment for non-indigenes in place. I went about my passing out Parade practices and was featured as a Saxophonist in the Parade.
While celebrating and taking different pictures with friends and fellow corp members at the POP ground, a tap on my back put a pause to my celebration. Turning to see who gave me a tap, my Dean and some members of the Faculty were in hand to congratulate me. I ran into their embrace and shook hands with them. The high point of the pictures and embrace was an envelope and a sealed file. I didn’t open until I was back at the Corpers’ lodge. When I opened the letter, behold it was an appointment letter as a Lecturer III in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Institute of Technology (IoT) Campus. I later found out that, though the school authority and Rector were unwilling to give me an appointment, the Faculty, and Department took it upon themselves to retain my services and pay my salary from the Institute
That appointment was the beginning of my foray into Academics at the tertiary level. I would go on to enjoy special privileges and mentorship that molded my hands, hone my skills, and pointed me in the right direction. I got it by volunteering. Offering my services without pay made the difference.
To this end my friend, volunteering is a powerful tool that can launch you into a threshold of opportunities. If going far and living your dream is what you are passionate about, begin with volunteering at something today.
Volunteering will offer you skills that can be used throughout your career development. If you are wanting to change to a new career, especially a new environmental or social impact job, volunteering in that new field can help you develop the skills and knowledge you will need.
When you have volunteering experience to add to your resume, you stand out over job candidates who don’t take the time to give back to society. Volunteering highlights your character, passion, and determination!”
