AFTER NYSC, WHAT’S NEXT?

Today, NYSC will pump 70,000 graduates into the already over-crowded labour market (Hope I didn’t hear anybody say Favour market? Better!)

I once said that NYSC is one of the most dangerous phase in the life of a Nigerian graduate because of the deception of allawee. You see, NYSC has a way of selling to you a false hope. That is why it is after POP that many graduates will ask themselves: WHERE DO I BELONG?

As a Nigerian, if a day comes that your well-being is completely in the hands of the government, you will be miserably frustrated. Amateur potter often lack this discernment and the end work proves. When you don’t honour your raw materials, reality itself becomes your enemy.

A friend, Masefan Bemshima Benjamin once wrote, “School life and service year are the ‘free trial’ editions of life. When they end, one has to pay for the full version or else they will lose everything! ‘Adulting’ is the pro-version and it comes with a price!”

In the next few months, you will under the full meaning of that statement. But consider this: 90% of you will remain unemployed for the next 6months – one year. You will be at home watching movies or just doing something. 5% will be under-employed (Like earning 15k per month) while the remaining 5% will succeed greatly because they have done their home-work well during service year and are prepared for this phase.

However, I want you to consider the following.

• The stating point is to:

Ask yourself sincerely: What do I really want to do with my life?

Once you can answer question while put into consideration your passion, interests and aspirations, anywhere is a starting point.

It’s not about CV first; it’s about you. It’s not about submitting CV here and there, it’s about knowing what you want. If you don’t know what you want, life will offer you just anything.

After this has been settled. Map out your strategies.

If you prefer a job:

Prepare a good CV – Your CV is your representative before your employer. Don’t send a bad one. If you want a professional and eye-catching CV, I can do it for you for free! Just contact me.

Don’t just drop CV carelessly, be deliberate. Ask: Do I want to do this job? If you are doing the job you hate, you are silently killing the spirit of greatness and silencing the voice of your dream. Make passion your job and work becomes play. Don’t sacrifice fulfillment for money. Till last month, I still had the opportunity to work in a bank. But I love my ‘shop’ than the banking hall. Banking can be good for Mr. A; it is not good for me.

Next, Develop Yourself.

I understand that many of you squandered four years in the university, during NYSC again, you squandered one year sleeping, eating and playing for Nigeria. You were serving your ancestors in your sleep; it’s okay. Now is the time to acquire skills. Learn how to prepare for interview. I was once interviewed by the HR of GT Bank at their HQ in VI, Lagos; that experience never left me the same. Read books. Ask questions. Develop yourself to meet the needs of the world. Work on yourself. Learn computer skills. Get Some Training.

Today’s workplace these three critical skills:

• IT skills,
• Fast-paced Problem-solving capacity and
• Emotional intelligence.

Learn these skills; they are your life lines!

When you see a young man or woman sleeping at home because there are no jobs in Nigeria, you are seeing a failure in the making. Let it never happen that you ever sit down at home waiting for the miracle job. Work while waiting. Just do something. Learn something. Master something. Invest in something. As I said earlier, once you know what you want genuinely, anywhere is a starting point.

Alternatively, deploy your skills, passions, interests and potentials as a solution and package in form of a product or service. Then market them. It can be fashion designing, baking, teaching, writing, talking, graphics etc. Again, let value and solutions be your drive not money. Wealth is accumulated with time. When you provide value and solutions, money will flow effortlessly.

Business isn’t as easy as opening a shop or office. But if you desire it, give it your best shot. But don’t go and start what you are not trained or skilled for. If you need to invest time say three to six months, it’s okay.

• And Master’s Degree:

Master’s degree is not bad in itself; but let it not be that you are doing masters to increase your chances of getting a job. If you are doing that, my friend, you are a joker! Let Masters be because you desire a lecturing job. Getting a job isn’t about master’s degree but possession of critical skills and experience.

And dear brother, my dear brother, don’t let any lady push you into marriage three months after POP; except you have been preparing for it before now. If you do, you will regret it every day. And dear sister, please stop this, ‘I am looking for a man who will take care of me.’ You are not a humanitarian project. The man too is not an NGO. For God’s sake, be a blessing! Instead, look for a serious minded man that will you team up with to be successful. I think I’m in the spirit!

FINALLY, you are standing at a critical point in time and history. A point where you can take one step into relevance and a point also that you can take one step into irrelevance. The choice is yours!

My name is Taiwo Isola; I’m a Nation Builder!

I Write. I Speak. I Curate Ideas.