T22

How levels

Whats up with the Total parole, abi u don change ur mind

[s]I was thinking you should be done with your programme by now[/s]

Abeg hit ur guys if any good thing comes up, both home and away. Men dey street now, all eyes widely open

^^^

Your thinking is skewed. So because the govt wants to relocate the institution means that the property has to be abandoned? Won't that site be useful for other projects, like moving the state owned polytechnic there?

First, i don't like commenting on NL politics sector discussions because of its ethnic oriented, insult prone dimensions.

However, i must commend Jarus and Kobojunkies' viewpoint on this issue.

I am an ardent critic of Sanusi's policies, both offline and online. This is not because of his ethnicity, religion or any other mundane attachments. I am not just comfortable with most of his approaches to national issues knowing fully well how volatile such issues are.

There is no rationale to donate N100m to victims of kano bomb attack alone, especially when there has been such victims in the last few months. Any body who believes in the one Nigerian concept should do well to discourage such unfortunate events, especially when it is coming from an institution that represents our national unity.

This is not the first time SLS is making such pathetic miscalculations. During the tensed periods of the Boko haram insurgency and the violence that followed last elections, he declared the Islamic banking initiative. Even though the islamic banking idea may favour all Nigerians but i think the timing and approach was ill-conceived.

Sanusi seems to rely so much on impulse rather than reason in handling national issues and this, i so much eschew.

Okija JUJU

where the hell did you get the picture tagged ''Imsu lecture hall? Who told you that is IMSU?  Sometimes i dont like acting up but i hate it when people i regard pathetically tell lies to will arguments.

That picture is fake and does not in any way resemble Imsu. That picture looks like a Jamb or waec exam. Even an intellectually weak person will discern that the pictures you posted are fake and mysterious.

And just to add, not everybody is supposed to get a university education. This is the reason why today, we have Nigerians using every trick in the book to gain admission into school. Thats why I suggested that a World-class vocational institute be set-up as well. Look at the government amnesty programme. Most of the "repentant-militants" were being sent to vocational schools outside Nigeria to acquire skills. No university teaches you tailoring or carpentery. Thats the job of a vocational institute. Now I would suggest that this should be the alternative for those kids who cant make it into the univeristy. An institute that would be able to award a respectable diploma to its graduates.

My friend keep this thrash off your mind. Everybody is supposed to be given the opportunity to be educated, even up to the university level. There is nothing wrong in every body getting university education. So, don't paint it as if there is something wrong in getting a larger part of the society getting educated up to the university level.

If you actually read what was posted, it says the student MUST be currently studying in Imo state owned institution. What does this tell you? The money will ultimately flow back to the state at the end of the day. It's not as if the state is spending Imo state's money in Japan or Lagos. This is Imo money spent in Imo through an Imo state owned institution. the chain is like this;

Imo state govt money (100 000 * 10,000 students) → Govt owned institution, then → back to the state in form of revenue.

The govt is spending the money on it's people and that is what governance is all about. Rochas has spent only one yr in office and yet, we are witnessing these commendable initiatives.

I will implore that you try to be objective in your viewpoints, not this pull-him-down mentality.

Okija JUJU

where the hell did you get the picture tagged ''Imsu lecture hall? Who told you that is IMSU? Sometimes i dont like acting up but i hate it when people i regard pathetically tell lies to will arguments.

That picture is fake and does not in any way resemble Imsu. That picture looks like a Jamb or waec exam. Even an intellectually weak person will discern that the pictures you posted are fake and mysterious.

Okija Juju

Your hypocrisy has gone beyond redemption. You must be convulsive whenever and where ever the name Rochas is being mentioned. How exactly would you hide in the cover of your home and assume those things you enumerated are not currently being done by the governor? Are you smarter than Rochas? How do you think a state can develop ''world class'' institutions without first of all put the fundamentals in place?

The whole idea of education resolves around the learner and the first thing is to ensure that the learner has a better frame of mind to undertake academic pursuit. This the gov has done by ensuring that students, irrespective of their family background, will have enough fund to finance their studies. This is done every where in the world. It is not under the exclusivity of the Imo state government. Most of the educational models being currently articulated by Rochas are derived from those advanced societies you are making reference to. Do you think governance is magic? You just say something and it happens?

Currently, there is massive upgrading of the facilities at Imo State University. When last did you visit owerri or any part of Imo state?

Let me be the first to congratulate IFE @ 50

Ife is one of the institutions i respect in 9ja.

All hail the greatest of the greatest IFE

The harsh reality is that most of these mushroom languages (dialects) will NOT develop further than this! the much they can do is to go into extinction. They will ultimately be suppressed by widely spoken languages. How many people even speak these dialects? The number of people who speak a particular language goes a long way in determining how far the language goes.

Take the Chinese language for instance, despite being somehow awkward, many people still want to learn it. About 12% of world population speak the Chinese language. Same cannot be said of most ''languages'' in Africa and Nigeria in particular.

T22

You are not alone on that! It happens to even more advanced learners of the English language. With time, practice and much reading i am sure you will overcome that, including myself.

^^^

Well, i don't think it's mockery. When you use unfamiliar words it's either that people won't understand you, misunderstand you or they may just feel you are ''showing off''. I think your boss was just trying to indirectly tell you that you do not have the monopoly of ''big'' words.

There is really nothing wrong in using high sounding words, except making pronunciation errors. The most important thing when using such words is to define your audience. An English professor speaking to undergraduate student gathering would have to tailor his words according to the characteristics of his audience. However, not everyone knows how to do this effectively. A case in hand is that of Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, a man who obviously does not know the purpose of language.

Also, if you listen to Obama and Hillary Clinton you would observe that their language is free from high sounding words, both in speaking and in writing. I read Obama's Audacity of Hope and Dreams from my Father, they are excellent books written in clear and understandable English grammar. Just realise that the purpose of communication is to inform. So, every effort must be geared towards ensuring that your diction is carefully chosen.

In my case, i realized my shortcomings early and tried to do something about it. I schooled in the village where English language was barely spoken, including English teachers. On getting to lagos i was amazed at the degree of my deficiency in the language, despite being a village champion. I took my destiny into my own hands and worked towards improving on my language skills. The result was that all the people i taught English language in my compound then aced their GCE and Waec exams; Bs and Cs.

I am still learning, especially in the area of pronunciation, clarity and writing.

I think the best way to master the English language is to read well written materials, not necessarily English textbooks but materials that can enhance your understanding of the language. I may recommend listening to the BBC, reading journals etc. When i finished from the secondary school i started reading the Economist. I would go to Mile 2 in Lagos to buy old publications by the economists, the financial times etc. There are many of them at mile 2 and oshodi. Just 20-50 naira you will have them. May be that will be good for a start.

In terms of speaking, there is no sure way than to practice. I speak much better than i write. Infact, my writing sucks. But what i missed in writing i got in speaking. One of the ways i developed my speaking skills was during my short teaching career. I taught at few tutorial centres in lagos prior to gaining admission into the university and when i got to the university i started organising tutorials for my coursemates and juniors. It was a fantastic experience because i was always speaking to people thereby developing my language and public speaking skills.

I also dived into student unionism and was always shouting greatest titi!!! All these gave me confidence and i was always working to improve on my speaking skills to avoid embarrassment. I count my words before i use them to avoid unpardonable grammatical errors.

In summary, the best way to improve on your speaking skills in to practice. Nairaland is also a good place to visit. There are very many intelligent people on nairaland who write very well. Reading their post will be of immense help.

I deliberately didn't want to add Nigerian newspapers to the list. I have been disappointed severally by our news agencies.

Another thing to avoid when speaking is the use of high sounding words. Being grandiloquent does not posit you as an intelligent person, especially when speaking to people below your level or whom you know very little about their backgrounds. People often make the mistake of assuming that the more unfamiliar words one uses the more intelligent one appears. That is very wrong assumption. Always use simple and understandable language and do not speak to impress rather than inform. However, do not sacrifice accuracy in the alter of simplicity.  I am not saying you shouldn't be familiar with ''big'' words. i am only saying you should be cautious in their usage.

^
I never reach to mentor any body o I still dey hustle

But i have sent u a request on fb as a friend. At least we can rob minds na

sukzez:

I lik HRM

Ok, then my suggestion would be;

B.ed (Management 2.1) + Teaching Experience + MBA (HRM) + CIPM = Good Human Resources (HR) job

But know that no qualification guarantees you a good job. Getting a good job depends on luck (5%), connection (50%), personal strategy (10%), intelligence (20%), qualification and grade (10%), school you graduated (1%) and others (4%).

Luck - not all of us are lucky. Most people try several times before they succeed.So 5 % is a rational point

Connection- it can come from various sources; family, friends, old school mates, acquaintances, school etc. In fact, one of the reasons people attend Ivy League colleges is because of connection.

Personal strategy - just like what you are about doing. Some people go on to study up to PhD as their own strategy of breaking the unemployment yoke. others take various professional qualifications etc.

Intelligence - this can truly land you a good job. Employers prefer intelligent employees. But there are very few jobs to absorb all of them. So only very few of them succeed in getting a good job at the long run. There are lots of smart people nowadays, even your next door neighbour.

Qualification and Grade - this also means a lot. Having few qualifications and good grades means you are trainable and disciplined. It takes discipline to earn extra qualification and employers want trainable and disciplined workforce.

Schools one graduated - no doubt mere mention of some schools will give you a lot of opportunities for employment. An OAU graduate is most likely to get a job faster than his counterparts from other less known schools. A Unilag graduate needs no further introduction. However, there are limits ones school can take one. It can only get you to the door, other things depend on you from there.

Others - the interviewer may just like you. Dressing, carriage, appearance etc all play their roles.

I have seen very smart guys without jobs. In fact, there was this guy that was taking my course-mates tutorial classes when i was in school. He graduated as the best (2.1 though) in his department at UNN. He studied mathematics and statistics. I don't know where he is now but he sat at home for 3 yrs without any job except the tutorials he conducted. One of the few guys i respected in my class then is yet to get a job even up till now. He teaches in one secondary school at Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state.

I am not trying to scare you but that is the reality. There are very few good jobs out there. So, you have to leverage on any of the items above to be able to get a good job. The emphasis here is good job, not just job. There are jobs, but there are very few high paying jobs nowadays.

^^

Whats your career interest? Finance or HRM?

There is nothing wrong with your foundation, and do not go about feeling that you did not study the right course at the university. What you have is adequate to get a good job. The problem is that there are no jobs.

I would suggest you try HRM (Human Resource Mgt). With a degree in education, teaching experience and maybe MBA (HRM)+ Human resource professional qualification you are good to go.

If you don't want to continue in the teaching/education sector then go for MBA+professional qualification like ICAN, CFA, CIS etc

Just as i said during the Edu/Accounting debate, there is no difference between Chemistry and Edu/Chemistry. Infact, Educ/Chemistry is far better than Chemistry; double honour and single honour.

So, an edu/chemistry grad can do whatever a chemistry grad can do or even more.

T22

Did you study maths up to graduate level (masters)?

If no, then why the change after all these professed love for Maths?

I am an average student at maths, so i might not study maths if i was to go back to school. I would still go back to Economics.

Among the choices above i would go for engineering. Engineers do a whole lot of things; finance, econs, IT etc

For me, Economics is the best course on earth. You can never go wrong with an econs degree

Thanks guys.

I am more informed now. Vital information is becoming free these days

The US had better stopped that their nonsense legislation oh

I only used Oracle as a case in hand. There are many IT paths one can follow. It all depends on your capabilities, interest and finance. Oracle is about database management, and every organisation needs data base administrators. I don't know the database software that is currently in use nowadays for i am not directly in the IT field. However, i think you can't go wrong with an oracle certification. Also, you can go into programming, networking or security etc.

Getting a job these days and in telecom in particular requires more than having necessary certifications. Luck, experience, skills, God and connection play very vital role. One of the above may work for you upon completion of your programme. It's better to be qualified for a job so that when the opportunity comes you will be able to utilise it.

As per what is good for you, i don't really know much about you and your capabilities. I can only advise you to follow your passion.

I am always ready to answer your questions.

Oh, sorry. I thought it was Imsu. Imsu and UNN seem to run similar programs

ICT is a good choice. As i said, you really don't need to go to NIIT or any of those big IT training institutes.unless you can afford it. The difference is like someone doing In't studies in Imsu and the other doing the same program at UNN. It's just brand name with little difference in content and delivery. An intelligent and hardworking person can always make up the difference.

There are many firms that charge very little for training and being a lioness you should be able to master the rest on your own. Oracle is good if you can learn it well and take the necessary certifications; OCA and OCP i think. The certifications cost about 25k and 35k respectively.

I wish you the best my sister.

i Just met one now, one of those Nlders i admire, olawalebab

Only if i can meet the following;

Violent
Sagamite
Ajalekoko
T22
Odunnu
Beaf

They are just awesome,

Recently, i started developing interest in Risk Mgt. My area of interest is Financial Risk Mgt. I actually have not done anything relating to Risk Mgt in practical terms aside textbook and google knowledge.

I would be glad if you could give a hint on the following;

1. how challenging is Risk Mgt or in my case, financial risk mgt?

2. what respect/recognition do they enjoy in an organisation?

3.how can one become a risk manager?

4. what is the pay(salary) for risk mgt professionals like?

5. what is the dividing line among risk mgt, business control system and insurance? I know google can help here but let me hear from a practitioner.

Thanks

why not report him to the owner? at least your friend is the manager and should take decisive actions against him

It all depends if she has the cash to go into entrepreneurship. Also, she appears not to have a definite career path, she wants something that will get her off the unemployment hoke. If you have the money and the business sense, i will suggest you try to open a business or fashion designing as suggested by other posters.

Even if you study nursing you will still look for job, except maybe you are ready to take any nursing job that comes your way. Getting a job in top govt and private hospitals is as difficult as getting a job in an oil company. They dont just retrench, so recruitment is really very slow in the industry. But if you want any nursing job you are likely to get one quick.

But nursing is truely a good programme to do, if only you are comfortable seeing blood and attending to sick people. And the possibility of practising on your own is very high. However, my concern is moving from in't studies to nursing, a completely unrelated field. My question then is, why nursing?

Considering the plethora of suggestions you have already received, here is my stake;

1. Ican and most other professional qualifications take really long time to complete and also cost more. They are better taken when you are already working either in that career direction or wishing to change job. I don't think you will have the patience to write a profeesional qualification for like 4-5 yrs and yet you may still not be sure of completing it within that time frame. Most people have written ICAN for 5 yrs without success. I do not know your ability though.Your case might be different.

2. You studied history and in't studies (Imsu i guess ) the best career path for you is to obtain further education in your field while looking for job. This also depends on your interest in this field. If you do have a deep interest in history and in't studies then enroll for masters, start looking for a job and i am sure before you complete your masters you are most likely to land a job, even if it's a govt job. It takes about 1-1.6 yrs to complete a masters degree and at least, you are 60-70% sure of obtaining the degree unlike ICAN and other professional exams.

3. If you want a quick career change then enroll for an MBA (Master in bus. Admin) and specialise in any area you consider suitable for you. You could specialise in HRM, Finance, In't business, marketing, supply chain etc. The beauty of an MBA is that it not only gives you a qualification that will increase your chances of getting a good job it also positions you to effectively manage your own business. Should you decide to go into business in the future then the MBA also becomes very handy. Most schools in 9ja accept people with little or no work experience into their MBA programmes. Try Unilag and other schools in the south, depending on your location. Another thing about the MBA is that you will get to meet many people who are already working in various organisations and the possibility of networking is very high.

4. If you can write very well there are many online and offline media houses these days. You could become a freelance commentator etc then advance your career from there.

5. And IT (Info tech). Any body can do it, no knowledge of maths is required that much. In 2009 i was in the same class with engineering students from Futo, Futa, Imsu etc during my MCSE training at NIIT and it didn't take me much to adapt to all those engineering terms. Even in my class then was a lady who studied govt and public admin (GPD) and she completed the programme just like any other person. It's all about interest and commitment, IT knows no course of study. My coursemate in school did Oracle at NIIT and got a job upon completion with Zenith bank. So, you can do it. Pick an IT path and move from there. It takes shorter period to complete an IT course and even getting certified. I got two IT certifications before i completed my training at NIIT. Oracle is about 6 months , Mcse 10 months, Java 10 months etc. You may not necessarily go to these top IT institute because they are quite expensive. There are tons of info online that can help you get started.

6. Develop a skill; fashion, writing, hair dressing etc

7. Be patient. Look for job and God's willing you may get one soon. Apply to as many jobs as possible. Do not limit yourself and don't think you can only get in your field of study-no body does that any more. Diversify your options, spread your nets and pray to your God for luck. Visit career pages of companies and submit unsolicited applications. Go to jobs sites;,, nairaland job section etc.

8. Get married to a very rich and caring man, especially the politicians, and you won't worry yourself about career. Just sit down and eat real money

No body can really tell you what to do with your life it's up to you to decide what you really want and then work towards achieving it.

I don't think i will make it this year. I need to go the Jarus way (iyawo don wait tire).

This will be 2013 agenda

T22

tanimola22:

@Chamber2

I think you are more of a student of anglais, law or any of those story courses. Your verbal score is awesome. By any standard, it is well above the average. Most people I know, even the so called native speakers, don't even get up to 600. I wonder why you don't use those bombastic words when you write :Dhahah.

Yes, I believe you will get up to 90-100thQ percentile when you retake the GRE since you did not prepare that much when you first took it.
@Yamakuza

I am afraid, your statement is not completely true. 800Q will not almost surely land anybody into a top PhD Economics programme in the US. Getting a good PhD position goes beyond any single factor. Go through the profiles in the link above, you will understand my point. But I agree that those top institutions i.e. Yale, Harvard, Northwestern and co try to achieve diversity and so they somehow favour people from the developing world. That is why people like chamber2 and co stand a bright chance even in the best of PhD Economics programmes in the US.

Again, I repeat, 800Q is definitely a great score, but does not guarantee a place in any top PhD programme in Economics in the US.

T22

T22

Not really. I did econs at undergraduate level but i am an average student when it comes to maths. I have always been an average maths student, always scoring Cs in most of my mathematical econs courses. that was actually what affected my CGPA.

Regarding my not using high sounding words, i think simplicity is the watchword. I only have the words that serve my purpsoe at any time. Also, Scoring 600 in verbal does not really mean one is very familiar with those earth-quaking words. I was just lucky to meet most of the words i saw in Barons Gre during the exam and i made good use of it.


AJ

Hmmm, i don't want to give anything to chance again. I wouldn't want to make the same mistake again. 3-6 months or nothing. I need a very good GRE score, especially the quant and then improve on my verbal.

^^^

Yeah it's possible. I wasn't really prepared when i took my GRE. I will have to give it a 3-6 months preparation before retaking it.

I don't really think the various tiers of govt need to prepare their budgets in dollars. What happens is that when they present the dollar certificates to the banks they will be paid based on prevailing exchange rate, determined entirely by market forces.

Thanks for the info T22.

I actually got an offer at the University of Alberta(no funding) last yr but couldn't go due to funding and visa issues.Guess i have to try again and maybe rewrite my GRE (i scored 1150-v 650, q 500, writing-4.5, toefl 105)

I am wiser now. Thanks bro

^^^

Yes, CBN doesn't really pay that much. But for someone who didn't really spend much in his MBA (i assume MBA in India doesn't cost much) the offer from CBN is a good one for him. Also, masters degree holders at CBN start from assistant manager position, so he didn't really have to start from the entry level supervisory role.Being an assistant manager goes with lots of financial benefits.

Regarding the PhD stuff, i wish i can get a fully funded programme. My undergraduate degree isn't that nice (4.02/5 CGPA) and i am afraid i might not be able to get a funded phD with this miserable grade.

However, i would be glad if you could give a hint on any institution you know that may accept people with not-so-good undergraduate degree.

Just have to take my time to study this information before making comments. It's quite a long one.

olawalebab:

ABU zaria offers Health Economics as a field of specialization, that school has one of the best Economics dept up north of the country. Transport economics is one of area that is not fully explore. @chamber2, you can also compete well in Macro, or you just have more flare for intl finance.

I don't really have problem with any of these courses in terms of understanding them. I really want to make an impact in the field, not just an average joe with a masters or PhD Econs. I want a field where i can be one of the leading authorities thats why i want to go into a field where the level of competition is not that stiff.I would prefer in't econs, financial econs or in't business.

Jarus:

T22, when I read Obama's books, which he wrote many years before even becoming a Senator, I was equally held spellbound at that level of reasoning; it was as if he wrote the books a day to being sworn in as American President! He surely knew what he wanted and consciously planned and worked for it.

On the current subject, I had my first degree in Economics but I am today first an Accountant before Economist. In actual sense, not an Economist, because you need a second degree, if not Phd, to be one.

I have done Accounting(and a little investment banking) all my career but I have not lost sight of going back to Economics. I had an offer from Durham for Msc Economics & Finance in 2007 but deferred it and later forgot about it. Finally settled for Unilag for Msc Economics last year but later turned down the admission. Marriage has made this Msc stuff(especially going abroad) tight for me in recent time but I still have it in mind. I need to equip myself with a second degree in Economics(preferably specializing in Development or Financial Economics), then make a foray into the world of Economics.

As an aside, I made a casual attempt to make good my goal of entering an institution which day to day business is Economic analysis(Ajanlekoko should remember I have been saying this since 2009) by contacting current CBN governor(who is now a personal friend) on my goal few weeks ago but he was silent, and I guess, he, in his very principled self, sees that as opportunistic, even though I don't see it as such since I will go through the normal recruitment process. I also just ignored that side in subsequent contacts. I still have a dream to work in CBN, DMO or any other relevant agency if the pay is right.

Oga, this marriage thing is not an excuse o Msc econs in the UK is 1.6yrs and with your level of intelligence you can complete it within a year. My strategy now is to obtain an Msc Econs (9ja) and a PhD (abroad). I can't afford to spend another millions after spending such a huge amount in an MBA. Most of us self sponsoring our studies can't afford that exorbitant fees abroad anymore.

If you are eyeing top position in the CBN then you need an Msc or PhD. It's better you get it before being recruited because, even as a snr manager in CBN you are not likely to do any policy related job. Your work will still be routine, but with an Msc or PhD+your work experience, then you are likely to get into one of the policy oriented positions.

A friend just got into CBN after an MBA from India He is enjoying his life there.