Some of my online connections that recently completed their undergraduate programmes, sent me messages requesting for guidance on how to start the next phase of their career.
I consider that moves plausible because the increasing level of competition for entry level jobs is leaving many people highly vulnerable victims of “long waiting” before first job is secured. The reason for this situation is of course, partly associated with the reality of “too many individuals pursuing too few jobs”. With this reality in view, how then can a young graduate go about things differently instead of having “joining the bandwagon” as the only option?
This brings to mind a saying “There are many ways to kill a rat ” which as kids, we used to remind another daring child, that is proving difficult to handle, that his or her case will be dealt with one way or the other.
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Presently, the daring ‘rat’ in the lives of many Nigerian graduates is “getting a job fast after NYSC”. How can one avert waiting for several months/ years to do so? Refer here, for a personal account of how I got my first job, two weeks after national service, through showcasing of useful contributions I made during my NYSC programme.
The focus of this discussion is to present a guide which a prospective corps member can adopt prior to mobilization for national service and during the service year to fast track getting a job through internship position.
What NYSC Internship Opportunities Can Offer
I got to know about the importance of internship opportunities for corps members, when a colleague in my first place of work, narrated to me how his brother was retained by the firm where he did his national service. Then when I was hunting for my next job, one of the companies in which I was interested provided three channels through which they recruit. These included NYSC internship, entry level recruitment and experienced hires. The implication of this is that a corps member can, by distinguishing him or herself in such an establishment, become a permanent staff, without going through the rigorous process of job hunting and securing one, after national service.
Bearing this in mind, a prospective Corps member should be careful to deliberately shift attention from the popular jostling to secure postings to states that pay higher “allawee” to focusing on securing postings to institutions which offer an opportunity to gain ‘career lift’.
How To Secure NYSC Members Internship
Prior to NYSC mobilization, a prospective Corps member who is interested in securing an internship position, should do the following:
- (1) make a list of the firms he/she is interested to work with
- (2) Verify that the firms have openings for NYSC interns. This can be done by logging into their websites.
- (3) For firms that have openings, follow the guide provided and register. Note that some big firms require prospective interns to register and notify them three months prior to the date the prospective interns will be available.
- (4) Follow-up
Targets of a NYSC Intern
The dream of every progressive organization is to have the right man or woman for the right role. This is so critical for minimizing cost and accelerating growth. That’s why companies invest so much in the rigors of ensuring that they have the right individuals that’s suitable for their mission.
Securing an internship position in a firm of interest, offers a corps member an opportunity to demonstrate through quality and exemplary Service, that he/she is the kind of person the company wants to work with permanently. To this end, the individual must shift attention from “working for money only” to “doing more than paid for”, because the future depends on it. Here’s a guide
(1) Demonstrate resourcefulness in the performance of your role: The only way you can sustainably endear yourself to an organization you work with is by doing the job you should do and doing it very well.
(2) Build thriving connection with your boss and other persons in the organization: Not doing a job well and doing a good job that no one knows nothing about is not good at all here. If you get number one above right, it will be easier to develop thriving connection with those that matter in your firm.
(3) Volunteer for works which needs to be done but it appears no one is doing: Whereas you wouldn’t be helping yourself or your organization by leaving your tasks undone to volunteer for another, you’ll certainly win good scores for yourself by doing your job well and volunteering were needed.
(4) Tell your boss your intention: After you have created a niche for yourself in the heart of your boss, through resourceful deeds, find an ideal opportunity to let your boss know your interest to remain with the organization, to continue to render essential services / utilize your skills to solve problems and request for his or her recommendation to that end. Your good works will be doing the rest of the basic verification of your qualification while you focus on working with your boss or any other relevant person to make your dream come true.
If you have demonstrated through valuable contributions, that you are an ideal person to work with the firm, getting you onboard as a permanent staff is in their interest. It will save them lots of hiring cost. So it’s actually a win-win for you and the entity.