I want to congratulate the Batch C Corps members who just past out yesterday. I really thank God for their successful passing out. I also want to console the friends and families of those that lost their sons/daughters during this period. May God grant them fortitude to bear the lost.

Now that you have completed your service and now going to face the real world. You may call it labour market or favour market, it does not change the fact that you are going to face a world of competition. There are things you have to do (if you have not already started doing them) to get yourself braced up for the challenges ahead.

Let us take a look at some of the things you need to do, the list is not conclusive. You may add to this to make yourself stand out among others.

1. DREAM OF THAT JOB: There are different kinds of job to get oneself engaged onto. There are some that you will not take up when offered to you. Before now, you should have known the kind of job you will like to do and start living like you are already doing the job. If you wish to work in a bank, start living like a banker, have some bankers friends and this will bring you closer to your dream job and build the required interest in you.

2. CARRY OUT RESEARCH: [/b]It baffles me how many people submit CV and apply for a job they know little or nothing about. Research on the company or organization you wish to work with. This will give you more insight on what they do and how they do them. If you can follow them on Twitter, that will be a good idea. A job you know nothing about may not interest you and you may end up not doing well in it.


[b]3. ACQUIRE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES: Congratulations, you have your first degree certificate. I tell you, this is just the beginning. There are many people out there seeking for that same job you applied for with more certificates to their credit. This places them a bit ahead of you. Do yourself a bit good by getting more professional certificates added to your first degree cert.

4. ACQUIRE AT LEAST A SKILL: Yes, you need to acquire a skill. Find a good skill acquisition centre and get enrolled in one of their programmes. That precious time you are using in playing mobile games, computer games, and irrelevant chats and pinging can be directed to skill acquisition which will go a long way helping you while waiting for that your dream job. Secondly, acquire enough computer skills especially as regards to Office packages. Your ability to use your computer to chat or browse does not qualify you as a computer literate. Acquire those computer skills that will help you do your office works more efficiently. One of those Office packages is Microsoft Excel. Most of you have your laptops, but it is only used for playing music and watching movies. This is the time to turn that electronic box into life improving gadget.


5. CHANGE YOUR WARDROBE: [/b]This is the right time to start updating your wardrobe. It’s time to drop all those your dirty jean, combat pants, rugged boots and all those school boy/girls attires and start dressing more corporately and matured. Make better use of the savings from your alawee. Buy nice suits, shirts, ties and shoes. It may not be the very costly ones, but let them look nice. You also need a good brief case. Stop carrying your CV in that big brown envelope. A CEO may sight you from his office window and tell the security man or his secretary not to let you in cos he has seen your envelope and assume you are a job seeker.

[b]6. WORK ON YOUR WEB IMAGE: It is very important that you take enough time to work on your web image. What am I saying? Give me your Facebook account or Twitter handle and I will tell you the kind of person you are. If your Facebook wall has been filled with posts and comments that do not really represent who you are, I think it is right time you start clearing the mess or creating a completely new account. You may not know this, most employers visit the facebook accounts/Twitter handles of job seekers to know the kind of life they live before offering that job. Secondly, that your email address need to look more official. Time to drop that ruggedman@yahoo.com, sexydiva@gmail.com, cynthialuv@whatever.com. Your email should have your name and surname. Email address like ikechukwuokoro@yahoo.com or adewaleadekunle@gmail.com look more official than the previous ones.

7. GET A MENTOR: You need a mentor who will have enough time to guide and guard you and who will be able to entrust on you responsibilities even when it is not all about payment. You can’t tell me that the Senate President is your mentor when you are not in talking level with him, when you don’t even know where he lives etc. He cannot be your mentor when he cannot talk about you. He may be your role model but not your mentor. Let your mentor be who you can have access to and who can truly show you how to succeed in life.
I strongly believe that if you start off this way, you will not fail to compete well with other highly qualified people. Wishing you all the best. Once again, CONGRATULATIONS.