Ruminating about these concerns may lead to post-NYSC depression.
Don't be depressed. You're not the only one in this mess.
I'm actually going to answer a series of post-NYSC questions in this piece and you know why? I was once in your shoes.
If it's true that those who are embarking on a journey should ask their ways from those who have just returned from the same journey, I will ask you to take every piece of advice here seriously.
Doing that will not only let you have the ideas of where I and many other Nigerian youths had failed but will also expose you to how and where we eventually get things right.
Doing that will not only let you have the ideas of where I and many other Nigerian youths had failed but will also expose you to how and where we eventually get things right.
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Now, the question is - which one should you go for?
Generally, any graduate will ask this question, and here is the direct answer - you can go for any of or all of the three.
You heard me right!
You can search for jobs. You can obtain a postgraduate form. You can start your own business. AND you can do the three at the same time or one after the other. I'd dedicated "Which is Better Between Business or Job in Nigeria?" to those who wish to start businesses. Check it out to see if you're a business type or being within corporate offices is your best bet.
You see, before those successful people make it to the top, most have tried many things before finding what worked. Your approach to life after NYSC is not going to be any different.
Now you ask: how do I try many things and get what works within the shortest time possible?
Let me take you on a trip. This was how it worked for me and very many others. Maybe it will work for you as well.
I'd personally tried the three approaches. I had seen people done the same. And it worked for them as well. Those who failed to follow this eventually wasted more time than necessary.
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Don't misunderstand me. I wasn't saying you couldn't achieve the same thing as your friend. What I meant was that it's almost impossible to follow the same path to achieve it.
If you don't still believe this by now, you're pretending to be in another world than Nigeria.
If you're coming from a family with little or no financial and/or societal influence, you may find it difficult to get jobs through connections. Yet, you can get a job if you approach it like someone who knows Mr. Nobody.
Three Options are Opened to You After NYSC
When you're done serving, you can:- look for jobs
- proceed to postgraduate studies
- start a business (self-employment)
Now, the question is - which one should you go for?
Generally, any graduate will ask this question, and here is the direct answer - you can go for any of or all of the three.
You heard me right!
You can search for jobs. You can obtain a postgraduate form. You can start your own business. AND you can do the three at the same time or one after the other. I'd dedicated "Which is Better Between Business or Job in Nigeria?" to those who wish to start businesses. Check it out to see if you're a business type or being within corporate offices is your best bet.
You see, before those successful people make it to the top, most have tried many things before finding what worked. Your approach to life after NYSC is not going to be any different.
Now you ask: how do I try many things and get what works within the shortest time possible?
Let me take you on a trip. This was how it worked for me and very many others. Maybe it will work for you as well.
I'd personally tried the three approaches. I had seen people done the same. And it worked for them as well. Those who failed to follow this eventually wasted more time than necessary.
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Understand Your Financial Background
The first mistake any poor-background graduate will make in this country is believing he can achieve the same success as his rich-background friend - following the same route.Don't misunderstand me. I wasn't saying you couldn't achieve the same thing as your friend. What I meant was that it's almost impossible to follow the same path to achieve it.
If you don't still believe this by now, you're pretending to be in another world than Nigeria.
If you're coming from a family with little or no financial and/or societal influence, you may find it difficult to get jobs through connections. Yet, you can get a job if you approach it like someone who knows Mr. Nobody.
Do you know some graduates never know people look for jobs in this country? It's never occurred to them that it usually takes a few months or years to seek and get jobs.
You know?
None in their family has ever narrated how he was looking for jobs - because they never!
Hence, if a rich-background graduate decides to go for any of these options (jobs, PG, or business), he is most likely to succeed at it. Just because, the resources are readily available.
However, whether you're a rich or poor graduate, you can do well trying to take the three options along and find out which one will work for you before you settle.
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Even though some people acquire some qualifications for pride’s sake, most of us want to earn its monetary equivalence.
The approach I recommend is 3-Trip to One End. Here is how it works.
Firstly, prepare to look for jobs. While that is ongoing, see if it's possible to add MSC. Along the way, be on the alert for business ideas.
This can be confusing but I'm here to make it clearer for you.
Let me remind you that this was the approach I used to get here. Even though I'm now self-employed, if I'd not tried searching for jobs and tried going for postgraduate, I would have not known what the experience was like.
You don't look for jobs and try postgraduate studies for the experience of it only. In fact, if by now, I didn’t try them, something within me or some people around would still be telling me that had I done that, I would have been more successful than this. And guess what? I won't have any evidence to prove them wrong.
Do you get the picture?
Most graduates were confused and got derailed by noises - people telling them to do this or that. So, don’t wait for them to tell you what you should try, go for the three at the same time or one after the other. Then, you leave them with no suggestions. By the time you come off the trips, you should be able to educate them instead of them telling what it's like.
Taking the Three Along in the Chase of the Same End
Whether you decide to look for jobs, proceed to postgraduate studies or be self-employed, you're chasing the same end - making enough money to sustain your personal, family, and social needs.Even though some people acquire some qualifications for pride’s sake, most of us want to earn its monetary equivalence.
The approach I recommend is 3-Trip to One End. Here is how it works.
Firstly, prepare to look for jobs. While that is ongoing, see if it's possible to add MSC. Along the way, be on the alert for business ideas.
This can be confusing but I'm here to make it clearer for you.
Let me remind you that this was the approach I used to get here. Even though I'm now self-employed, if I'd not tried searching for jobs and tried going for postgraduate, I would have not known what the experience was like.
You don't look for jobs and try postgraduate studies for the experience of it only. In fact, if by now, I didn’t try them, something within me or some people around would still be telling me that had I done that, I would have been more successful than this. And guess what? I won't have any evidence to prove them wrong.
Do you get the picture?
Most graduates were confused and got derailed by noises - people telling them to do this or that. So, don’t wait for them to tell you what you should try, go for the three at the same time or one after the other. Then, you leave them with no suggestions. By the time you come off the trips, you should be able to educate them instead of them telling what it's like.
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I'd also made some findings on postgraduate programmes. As at that time, HND holders were not welcome for MSC by most prestigious universities, if any at all. You'd need to take a Postgraduate Diploma first before being able to apply for MSC.
Recently, however, we'd got more universities accepting HND for their PGD and MSc programmes. You must read that if you're an HND holder.
Having been let down here, and because I didn’t want to waste more time with PGD before MSC, I had to shoot at job searching.
And that's was my first mistake out of NYSC.
Listen, if you're an HND holder, don't be deceived that you're equivalent to a BSC counterpart (at least not yet). This is just an illusion. It's true that the Federal Government has abolished the dichotomy to a certain extent but organizations (especially private companies) are still adamant about things.
You’re still left with other options such as top-up degree, PDGE, and MSC to be equivalent to or beat a degree holder. If you aim to use your certificate for jobs, you may want to consider any of that before seeking jobs in the first place.
Needless to say, a BSC holder is ready to be absorbed by literally all companies in Nigeria with or without MSC.
This, however, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use your HND to search for jobs. You can, of course, try your luck. I got three offers with mine. I remember my days at Capital Assurance Abeokuta, Apex Fund Abuja, and Skyfield Osogbo.
My Journey After NYSC Takes the Three Approaches
When I returned from NYSC in February 2007, I'd got my CV ready for job searching even though I didn't avoid certain errors. Show me a prospective job seeker who won't do the same. See a series of errors that can limit your chance to get jobs.I'd also made some findings on postgraduate programmes. As at that time, HND holders were not welcome for MSC by most prestigious universities, if any at all. You'd need to take a Postgraduate Diploma first before being able to apply for MSC.
Recently, however, we'd got more universities accepting HND for their PGD and MSc programmes. You must read that if you're an HND holder.
Having been let down here, and because I didn’t want to waste more time with PGD before MSC, I had to shoot at job searching.
And that's was my first mistake out of NYSC.
Listen, if you're an HND holder, don't be deceived that you're equivalent to a BSC counterpart (at least not yet). This is just an illusion. It's true that the Federal Government has abolished the dichotomy to a certain extent but organizations (especially private companies) are still adamant about things.
You’re still left with other options such as top-up degree, PDGE, and MSC to be equivalent to or beat a degree holder. If you aim to use your certificate for jobs, you may want to consider any of that before seeking jobs in the first place.
Needless to say, a BSC holder is ready to be absorbed by literally all companies in Nigeria with or without MSC.
This, however, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use your HND to search for jobs. You can, of course, try your luck. I got three offers with mine. I remember my days at Capital Assurance Abeokuta, Apex Fund Abuja, and Skyfield Osogbo.
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You see, it all ended when I felt bad for being cheated by my BSC colleagues - being paid stipends that I believed were being paid below my service worth.
I had earlier said you should add MSC with your qualification while searching for a job at the same time. I didn’t add MSC to mine of course, and now you've got reasons you should do that.
One reason is that, if you do not go for MSC and you're not satisfied with your job (if you get any), something will be telling you that with MSC, your life can be better. You need to be there for you to understand all the differences.
We have, of course, got people who added MSC and later realized it didn’t really matter. The job they believed would help them secure eventually was never got. But if anybody should tell them it's because they didn’t have Master's, they would be quick to reply to them, "it's a lie".
The summary is: People attribute our failure to what we don’t have. Possess MSC, and they will still give you another reason.
I earlier said, searching for a job immediately after service was the beginning of my problem. Here is why?
Searching for jobs without adding a business mind is a poor decision for anybody in this country. Had I combined the job search with searching for business ideas and capital, it could have made my journey a bit faster.
I had worked in 3 companies before I came to my senses that I needed to try business too.
See, you're lucky you're reading this piece. I hope you're not going to make the same mistake.
I was shown my way home because I asked for a pay raise in my last office. And that was when I thought of what I could do by myself.
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I needed a business that literarily anybody would need in my local town. Some of my ideas were to start a dry cleaning shop, a noddles depot, a computer shop, an education consulting, etc.
Then I concluded to blending computer services with education consulting. See how I started and managed an education consulting firm.
As earlier said, most people will jump all hands and legs into a business, I didn't make this mistake. I had to work for someone with this business type. I worked as an attendant for about 3 years handling cafe activities, computer and education services.
Needless to say, I'm on my own today with the name "Techie Konsult".
Getting it right with Business was Best Take
Most people would start business ventures right away. But I didn’t. Anyway, where was the capital for any project at all? I returned home to ponder on what I could do. Good! I had computer knowledge (through personal training) plus HND in Accounting. Where do I start?I needed a business that literarily anybody would need in my local town. Some of my ideas were to start a dry cleaning shop, a noddles depot, a computer shop, an education consulting, etc.
Then I concluded to blending computer services with education consulting. See how I started and managed an education consulting firm.
As earlier said, most people will jump all hands and legs into a business, I didn't make this mistake. I had to work for someone with this business type. I worked as an attendant for about 3 years handling cafe activities, computer and education services.
Needless to say, I'm on my own today with the name "Techie Konsult".
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Of all the things I did, this was the only thing I got right. If you ever want to look for jobs, kindly look for jobs in the industry that align with the business you intend to go for.
Don't forget we want to work while we still bear business ideas in our minds for the future in case our jobs are not satisfactory. Don't just look for jobs, look for the one that will prepare you for your own establishment if possible.
This is why I was able to start my business in the last 8 years. The venture is still growing today. Don't forget that about 50% of businesses, even in the advanced world, wind up within the first year of their operations. And in most cases, are not due to capital issues but managerial inefficiency.
While working at Lahaola Computers, I had not only acquired enough practical experiences but also managerial skills needed to sustain my own project.
Even though my best bet for surviving in this part of the world is business (personal opinion), yet we can't all be businessmen. But if you don't try all available options, you may end up being distracted that the other two options could have fetched more than business.
If you ever wonder how long this journey may take altogether, it shouldn't be more than 3 years. Mine was about 7 years because I didn't do things right from the start - I followed the crowd. It's easy to say three years is too much but when you see a colleague who has been searching for befitting jobs for about a decade, you will love my Maths.
With my experience, having a house and a car with being able to feed a family of 5 is no joke in this country. This is what a business can do. Yet, I don't underrate working with companies and the government - they may be faster and cheaper.
What I Want You to Deduce Here
You see, most people equally want to follow this approach. They want to search for jobs, and where possible, proceed for postgraduate studies. And if both don’t work, end up being self-employed. Yet, they don't do it right.Of all the things I did, this was the only thing I got right. If you ever want to look for jobs, kindly look for jobs in the industry that align with the business you intend to go for.
Don't forget we want to work while we still bear business ideas in our minds for the future in case our jobs are not satisfactory. Don't just look for jobs, look for the one that will prepare you for your own establishment if possible.
This is why I was able to start my business in the last 8 years. The venture is still growing today. Don't forget that about 50% of businesses, even in the advanced world, wind up within the first year of their operations. And in most cases, are not due to capital issues but managerial inefficiency.
While working at Lahaola Computers, I had not only acquired enough practical experiences but also managerial skills needed to sustain my own project.
Conclusion
Tell me today that I should have gone to school; I will tell you I did. If you tell me why not adding MSC, I will tell you I tried and I have people around who did. Yet their stories never visibly changed. Tell me business is the best take, I will tell I have that too.Even though my best bet for surviving in this part of the world is business (personal opinion), yet we can't all be businessmen. But if you don't try all available options, you may end up being distracted that the other two options could have fetched more than business.
If you ever wonder how long this journey may take altogether, it shouldn't be more than 3 years. Mine was about 7 years because I didn't do things right from the start - I followed the crowd. It's easy to say three years is too much but when you see a colleague who has been searching for befitting jobs for about a decade, you will love my Maths.
With my experience, having a house and a car with being able to feed a family of 5 is no joke in this country. This is what a business can do. Yet, I don't underrate working with companies and the government - they may be faster and cheaper.
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