by Sydney Okafor

Fresh university graduates across the continent are faced with a peculiar dilemma. Most African students nearing their final year at different tertiary institution are contemplating on their career options – the question now is, can their academic certificate land them their dream jobs?

 

Research conducted by the ‘World Bank on Kenya Promotion Council’ suggests that Kenya graduates are missing out on good jobs opportunities because university teaching does not place enough emphasis on practical skills. One report says insurance companies spend a lot of money bringing graduates up to scratch because they lack the relevant skills.

 

According to Aristotle, ‘Education is the best provision for old age.’ In the words of Claiborne Pell, ‘The strength of the United State is not the Gold at Fort Knox or Weapons of Mass Destruction that we have, but the sum total of the Education and the Character of our People’. There is no doubt that higher education increases ones job opportunities. In Nigeria; The National Assembly passed a law making it mandatory for all public office holders to have a degree. But in spite of the degree and occupying any public office in Nigeria, such a degree those not guarantee a fresh graduate job opportunity without the right connection or the ability to show how to qualify such fresh graduate is able to defend his or her degree when questioned.

 

Africa is a continent that is highly blessed with different natural resources that can care for Africa and the whole world. African graduates have been punished by the poorly thought out laws their leaders have passed into law, there is also the respectability that has become inextricably tied to snagging a white collar job post graduation.

 

Realistic advice that should be given to fresh graduates on graduation day should generally convey the sentiment that their worst days might yet still be ahead of them and the journey is rarely a straight line. I recommend this not to frighten or discourage, but to reassure that life can be a challenge and it’s okay to feel lost. Rather than giving them speeches are are filled with platitudes and offer little real world advice like:

‘Go change the world for the world belong to you’

‘Reach for the stars’

‘Go forth a make a difference’

‘Life is a bowl of cherries’

e.t.c

Indeed, it’s an amazing thing to make them hopeful but the truth be told, it goes beyond the teaching in your lecture theaters and degree as a ‘Fresh Graduate’.

 

Like I early mentioned; every fresh graduate heaves a sigh of relief the moment they write the last paper of their final exams, in any part of Africa or the world they may be. They tend to think the worst has come to an end, filled with enthusiasm what the future owns them, forgetting that some of them have little or no knowledge about the labour market and potential careers plans. Fortunately, life does not start and end within the four corners of the classroom. It necessary that ‘Fresh Graduate’ properly be prepared mentally before jumping into the rat race, by so doing they are prepared for every possibility.

As a ‘Fresh Graduate’ here is some few tips you should always keep in mind.

• Be calm it’s not a race
• Seek for experience before pay
• Your certificate is not an assurance for job
• Make use of your social media to crate opportunity for yourself
• Don’t stop reading because you’re now a graduate
• Choose humility, not arrogance

BE CALM IT’S NOT A RACE

As a fresh graduate, they are so many dreams ahead of you to achieve, your main vision and goal seem so feasible, and because you have so much positive mind and energy in your possession with strong urge to achieve them all immediately. You start comparing yourself with those your friends that are ahead of you, they have land a great job, they are doing great and are better than me, his riding the latest car, she’s married and doing her masters while you are still at home watching super sport or Telemundo. It’s fairly common among ‘Fresh Graduates’ to justify your worth immediately after graduation, but what you need to keep in mind is that life is not a race. Give yourself a benefit of time; your path does not necessarily go in the same way as others. Take your time to discover yourself and forge your own path. And always remember, the race is not for the swift.

SEEK FOR EXPERIENCE BEFORE PAY

The money they say is the root of all evil; you just graduated, don’t be too fixated on how much you earn but it’s every graduate dreams to earn good salary as a result of the present economy hardship in Africa. But be mindful that you are just starting out to be smart, take the first few years to gain the best possible experience to equip yourself for best opportunities to make all the money you need in the future. ‘An idle mind is the devils work shop’ they say. Contrary to that adage; I will say ‘An idle mind is a dedicated work shop’. Do not stay idle waiting for that huge pay job, it may never come, as a ‘Fresh Graduate’ experience matters a lot in Africa. Take the internships, the unpaid jobs and use the opportunity to build a network of contacts. Spend your day and night gaining valuable working experience and marketable skills. The experience and skills acquired will eventually separate you from all other graduates who graduated with you.

YOUR CERTIFICATE IS NOT ASSURANCE THAT YOU WILL FIND WORK

Accepted, the rigorous studies you went through at tertiary institutions have made you worked your heart out. You had excellent grades and graduated Magna Cum Laude. However, these amazing achievements in school, no matter how laudable they seem, do not guarantee you a six figure job, with full benefits and a corner office. Erase that thought. You need to realize that your cognition and hands-on skills are what sets you apart in the real world. So forget that your laudable ‘Distinction’ and equip yourself with the courage to shape your future with your own hands.

MAKE USE OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOURSELF

Social media is huge and almost everyone has an account on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, Wechat, Skype, Snapchat, and Periscope. The great opportunity social provides goes way beyond posting immature comments and foul language. You cannot regulate the number of people who visit and view your profile. One of the people who visit you wall may be an employer of labour or where you might have applied for job and may choose to asses you through your social media platform in order to influence their decision to hire you. To create a social media profile that reflects your ambitions, and provides a link to your resume for potential recruiters.

DON’T STOP READING BECAUSE YOU ARE NOW A GRADUATE

Being a graduate does not define what you have known all in the four corners of your classroom; it goes beyond that class room straight to the real world. If as a graduate you don’t imbibe the skills of continuous reading and research it will definitely hurt you, when you are asked to do something totally alien to you and by so doing miss a great job or life changing opportunity, because you believe that reading ends after graduation. Employers want an ever evolving employee. They are more concerned about what you have to offer your employer than what they have to offer you.

CHOOSE HUMILITY AND NOT ARROGANCE

Humility or Arrogance sometimes has its role to play in the mind of most postgraduates. I am a graduate now so there are certain friends I will hang out with who are educated like me, there are certain jobs I can’t do anymore. But career minded graduates do not look down on honest labour, no matter where it is being done. They think,  “I think I need to go back and finish up my apprentice training now that am through with my first degree; I need to take up that volunteering or internship job even though the pay is not encouraging at least experience matters a lot in Africa as a fresh graduate” because they understand what matters.

 Some fresh graduates in Africa tend to design the kind of life style they want without actively working towards that life. They believe that artisans are not legitimate because they don’t have a formal education and shun them, instead of working alongside with the mechanic to acquired practical skills to compliment the theoretical knowledge acquired in school. This kind of discrimination needs to stop.

In the western part of the world, being a graduate those not make you superior over people with vocational training, everyone respects each other because that is how civilized society works.

Africa is blessed with vast natural resource and is known for is farming and fishery (agricultural) cultural heritage. We must find new, innovative ways to harness that potential without turning to white collar jobs. That is; every ‘Fresh Graduate’ in Africa need to see this as an avenue of a great opportunity to harness the entrepreneur in born energy in them with the little resource at their domain. Despite the fact that African’s leaders are not helping matters.

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Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija

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Sydney Okafor is a filmmaker and social commentator.