The majority of Nigerian students spend their time in the university merely focusing on how to acquire good grades without thinking of getting some form of experience in the job market. Irrespective of the fact that some graduates read courses that need few months of ‘Industrial Training (IT) experience, only a small percentage of these candidates make proper use of this golden opportunity.

During the service year, many youth corpers think it is time to be “free”, taste how it feels to be independent, take some responsibility and have opportunity to work and earn something at the end of every month.

Yes, the government has structured the NYSC program to help you during the service year but you need to think ahead and plan the way you will live your life when the service year is gone. Not making plans for your life after the service year is a huge mistake which you may never get chance to remedy.

We have, therefore, provided in this article things you can do in your service year that will boost your chances of securing job immediately after your service year in the Nigerian very competitive and scarce job market.

1. Learn new skills

Many employers are fast coming to terms that a good numbers of Nigerian graduates are unemployable. Why is this so you may ask? Most of these graduates have excellent result to show with good grades but they don’t seem to know what they are doing. It takes a good orientation and retraining on the part of the employer to get some of these graduates successfully employed and retained. And the employers that are willing to invest in this are only of a very minimal percentage.

On the other hands, there are a few graduates who left the university with not very good grade but who have cleverly gone extra miles to boost their employability by perfecting their skills. Although some employers are still bent on employing only individuals who have credentials to show their excellent grades, increasing number of HR personnel are beginning to realize that academic grades are not true test of knowledge and does not actually proffer solutions but skills do.

Companies need individual with problem solving ability. With a good set of employment skills you can secure a well paying job even with a poor grade.

Above the core subjects you learned in school, acquire some practical skills in things like web development, programming, engineering designs, writing articles, accounting, and so on. They will boost your CV and your chances of getting employed fast after your service year.

2. Garner a great network

A great way to boost your employ-ability after your service year is to have a very robust, broad and extensive network of friends and fans. So, during your service year, you must try as much as possible to be good to anybody that you meet while rendering service to your father land. You never know who will be of help to you tomorrow when the service year is done.

Carry out your assigned duty with dedication and during your spare time also try to find ways you can create impact in the lives of the members of the community where you are posted to.

You can as well, use network online through various social media by posting what you do, the value you deliver in the community, how you help lives, your dreams, and aspirations. This way you get popular even before your service year is over boosting your chances of getting employed through people from your network or through their referrals.

3. Take advantage of skill acquisition classes (SAED)

NYSC has an organization known as SAED that educates or trains youth corpers on vocational skills they can use to make their lives better after the service year. Skill acquisition is essential because not everybody will be opportune to secure a job immediately after service.

The skills can help you to establish your own business or serve as a means of income while waiting to get a better employment. It prevents the possibility of being unemployed. Through this NYSC program, you can learn skills like cake making, bead making, and wire craft, soap making, makeup training and so on

4. Take professional courses

Professional courses are a good way to improve your CV and your opportunity of being employed. The majorities of the agencies that offer professional courses provide corpers with some sort of discounts while the regular enrollees are charged more. You can also take up some online programs. These will provide you with the opportunity to obtain a certificate at a very much economical rate.

5. Gain work experience and learn how to write impressive CV

Apart from your primary area of assignment or your PPA (Place of Primary Assignment), seek to work with a company either as a volunteer or for pay. The advantage of this is to gain experience which would be another addition to your CV.

The majorities of corpers are posted to school or ministries as their primary place of assignments. While these are great and exciting, often times the ministries or school hardly keep them after the service year.

On the other hand if you are able to secure a job with a private company and demonstrate your skills and dexterity, you stand the chance of being retained after the service year if you do exceptionally well. Applying for and working during your service year apart from your primary assignment gives you opportunity to have work experience as well as develop excellent CV building skills.
This helps you to be able to prepare great CVs that will create immediate and lasting impression in the minds of prospective employer when your service year is over.

Lalasticlala , Mynd44 , mukina2

http://www.growth.ng/5-things-can-nysc-improve-chances-getting-good-job/

Masterpiece.