5 things undergraduate should know about employment

Unemployment remains a huge problem in Nigeria. Every year Nigerian universities continue to produce thousands of new graduates who join a competitive job market with bleak employment prospects.

If you are among the 65 percent of unemployed Nigerians or among the 45 percent of working age Nigerians who have given up all hopes of finding a job in the labor market that seems to be titled in favor of the connected and returnees with shiny certificates, questionable accents and exotic work experiences from abroad, here are some things you should know:

• Update Your Skills and Competencies

Just because you are unemployed is not a reason to set your alarm to 10.00am every morning or be awake till 2.00am browsing or watching films. You have to do what you can to improve your chances of landing your next employment opportunity. And updating your skills set does that. If there is any benefit to being unemployed, it is the time it allows you to do things you may otherwise not have time to do when you havea job. Now is the time to get that professional certification you have been putting off, learn skills that will distinguish you from other job applicants.

• Learn to Tell Your Story:

An engaging C.V or resume and a clear cover letter is the key. A common mistake most job applicants make is to underestimate the power of a good CV and cover letter. Your CV and cover letter is your ticket to landing an interview. It also represents your brand. The secret of writing a powerful CV and cover letter that would make recruiters remember you, even after reading thousands of other CVs and cover letters, is to think about your brand and the value it represents. Don't just list all your past places of employment and job description or few assignments and chores you did there. Instead, write about how whatever you did added value to the organization. Remember that you don't need to have had the fanciest job title,it depends on how you sell it on your CV and cover letter.

• Think Global:

Now is not the time to begrudge the rich and fortunate who can afford to travel abroad for work and educational purposes. In today's hyper connected global landscape, what you know is more important than where you come from or your socioeconomic background. Take advantage of the globalization and develop a global mindset.
A global mindset in the employment context is about developing your skills and applying them wherever they are needed around the world. For example, are you an unemployed political science and policy graduate who grew up in the North and have mastered the cultural factors and dynamics that influence behavior and day to day living in the North, while a bank or oil company in Victoria Island Lagos, may not necessarily value this in you, you are much valued to an International Development Agency somewhere around the world that is focused on resolving the conflict in the Northern Nigeria and other African countries undergoing similar challenges as the North Nigeria.

• Volunteer and Make a Difference in Your Community:

Volunteering helps to keep the mind engaged and it can be a potential difference measure between job candidates. When a recruiter is presented with two identical job candidates, the person who has volunteered and made a difference would be preferred over the person who remained idle and done nothing after graduation. Volunteering can also help you shake off the self-pity, shame and laziness that unemployment sometimes forces upon people. Rather than eating Nkwobi, drinking, busy with social sites and complaining to friends and relatives about how hard it is to find a job in Nigeria, get up and start making a difference in your community. Something as little as cleaning your street can snowball into a profit for you. Don't underestimate what you can achieve simply by getting started.

• Think Outside The 8 to 5 Box

Don't be ashamed of unprofessional jobs. At one point or another, we have all been guilty of trying our self esteem to our jobs. And so when we suddenly find ourselves unemployed without a traditional 8-to-5 professional job, our self esteem plunges and then we vigorously look for another job. Our society has typically regarded bankers, doctors, lawyers, telecommunication workers and oil company employees with lot more respect than individuals in other professions. But here's the deal: there is a lot of value and learning opportunities that can be gleaned from professional jobs that can help you get your next professional job. The financial rewards and respect may be minimal, but your professional growth would be enormous. For example, by selling goods as little as recharge cards and even pure water, a person can learn highly valuable and sought-after skills such as customer service, interpersonal skills and supply chain management. Moreover, the experience provides good information and answers for behavioral interviews in which recruiters ask for specific life examples or situations of when you exhibited certain skills and capabilities. Again, it all depends on how well you are able to articulate these skills on your CV and cover letter and how you can translate the lessons learned from a non-professional job into professional situation.