It is indeed a sad and sorry situation that we live in a country where the unemployment rate has increased to 18.80% in the third quarter of 2017 from 16.20% in the second quarter of 2017. Nigeria is a country where the median age is 21 so it is quite alarming that the Youth Unemployment Rate increased to 33.10% in the third quarter of 2017 from 29.50% in the second quarter of 2017. Youth Unemployment Rate in Nigeria averaged 21.73% from 2014 until 2017, reaching an all-time high of 33.10% in the third quarter of 2017 and a record low of 11.70% in the fourth quarter of 2014. When it comes to unemployment, the youth are most affected. The number of graduates each year runs into millions adding to the mass of unemployed youths seeking for jobs. The demand for jobs far outstrips supply. In November 2016 the federal tax agency received 700,000 applications for 500 advertised positions. In May 2016, nearly a million people applied for 10,000 listed positions in the Nigerian Police Force.
If you are a youth seeking for employment in this very hostile job market, graduating from a higher institution is the beginning of a long and arduous journey of seeking for a job. Most of us are familiar with friends and family members who are still seeking a job six or more years after graduation and completing their youth service.
Seeking employment for the young graduate will demand more than skills, discipline and innovations; it requires guts, determination and persistence.
Don’t delay; start early
Most students in universities think that their job search should start when they graduate; the smart ones among them know that this shouldn’t be the case. While in school they take steps to interface with the environment they expect to be engaged in when they graduate by seeking out short-term jobs and internships through searches online, enquiries from friends, colleagues, associates and networking. This they do while studying or during the summer vacation, balancing their studies and the jobs or internships.
Give yourself a head start by seeking employment opportunities while still at university this affords you an opportunity to study the dynamics of the job market. It also gives you an opportunity to interact with a number of potential employers and broadens your contact base and your horizons.
Students who do this would have had the opportunity to get exposed to the real challenges of the job market and use the opportunities so presented to exhibit their potential and nascent abilities to prospective employers. The experience they gain by doing this also gives them a head start that they can leverage on as they start to seek permanent employment on graduation.
I know of students who got employed based on the work/internships they undertook while they were students in universities.
The salary isn’t a determining factor, yet
When presented with a job opportunity, however low paying, do not reject it but see it as a springboard to get what you are looking for.
When seeking for a job in this environment, it is not a bad idea to get a foothold in an area you are interested in even if it is low paying and use that as a springboard to seek your ideal position and desired salary scale. It is not a good idea to decline opportunities and remain in the job-seeking market for endless ages because you have not been offered the type of job you are seeking at the salary you want.
Upgrade! upgrade! upgrade!
Once in employment, even in one that is not your preferred choice, you should take every opportunity that presents itself to upgrade your skills and get practical experience in your area of speciality. Short courses and conferences are good to attend in this regard. These moves to upscale your skills and to develop sufficient expertise will make potential employers think that you will add value to their organisation if they employ you.
Many youths in the current job market may have to retrain and acquire skills to enable them to be self-employed and become potential employers of labour.
The challenge of getting a job in the job market is huge where more than 1000 graduates chase just one job. You have to be exceptionally good to beat the kind of competition [for jobs]in the market today. Just imagine how many people apply for the same job. The people seeking jobs far outstrip what the market can offer.
When working, put in your best efforts. Just because you think they are paying you peanuts doesn’t mean you should monkey around with assignments given to you. If you develop the wrong work habits you may not find it easy to adjust in the future when you get the job you are looking for. Being a mediocre worker may cloud your future prospects.
Don’t just do jobs for the sake of it. Work with passion, zeal and the will to improve. This will help you acquire the right work ethics, which will bode well for your future career. If you set out to be the best, you get the benefits by attracting the best employer and best jobs. This you can achieve through a combination of things, key among them are discipline, exposure and displaying a high degree of skills.