Life After School

Unknown to most of us graduating from university some years ago, life after school was not part of the exams we took in school, I bet a lot of us may not have graduated. You suddenly realize that you have been in school for the greater part of your life and it definitely gets a bit tricky having to Change.

Well, the change is coming, and graduation is around the corner. Here are some harsh realities for the typical Nigerian graduate;

-No more pocket money,

-expectations to start fending for yourself, (to an extent),

-get a job,

-take care of your younger ones (if you have any),

-get married (for girls only),

-take care of your parents and

-build a life etc...

You think that's too much, you ain't seen nothing yet. I have not even started with what employers expect from you...

The world of work is a whole new ball game totally different from what we were used to as undergraduates... they are literally worlds apart.

As a human resource analyst In Nigeria, I know first hand what the employer-employee expectation gap is about. Some employers automatically expect you to have some sort of experience, team work and communication skills as well as superman abilities to deliver on jobs you have never done before and was never taught you in school for however long you were a student.

Yeah, it feels a bit too much, but similar to how you adjusted to school life, you can and you will have to do a whole new learning, orientation and adjusting for this new phase also. Not only will you need to adjust to a whole lot of things, you will likewise need to adapt a new kind of mentality. .

MY TOP 3 ADVICE to get you started

1. What you studied in school does not matter. It's ok to look for jobs related to your field of study but education was structured to open your mind, not close it up. Be willing to explore opportunities within your areas of interest and skills, develop and learn new skills if you want.

2. Be willing to go out and look for a job. Don't sit around waiting for your application responses to come in, be willing to go out and walk into offices and offer your service to get some experience if you have none.

Your Degree is not an experience

By doing the entry-level jobs, you’re building skills necessary to move up. As you progress in your career, find things in each job to be passionate about and row from there.

3. Money can wait for now. A low-paying job that leads to future prospects in a career you like is better than a high-paying job in a career that doesn’t move you in the right direction. Never stick with a crappy job for just pay at this level, go for exposure and experience and when you get a great job give it 150%

... let me know if you need some more...