As an undergraduate there are so many things going through your mind,
you read about the economy and the frequent lose of job, mass sacking
and all that then you tell yourself "I can't kill myself" the yoruba's
have a funky way of saying it.
Let me tell you even at the height of US economic recession, when the manufacturing sector was at its nadir of misery, firms were still hiring so don't panic.
Building an International career requires discipline and determination. Your course of study doesn't matter much but a numerate discipline will always give you an edge. Let's see how we can build an International career from the scratch
1. Get a foreign work experience before you graduate. How is this possible? When your department organises a FUN TRIP please endeavour to attend if you don't have money go and borrow. Are You going there to have fun? No but it is an avenue for you to gain international work experience. Before the trip, browse any local agency or NGO around that part of the country where you guys will reside temporarily, volunteer to work with agency or NGO even if it is just for 5days....you can keep in touch with them later online. This is where your CV begins.... you will continually update your CV with the activities of the organisation even you didn't participate actively you are part of them at the end you can claim a 1 or 2 years Volunteering with them....(you have a foreign experience; even if it's Togo)
2 Strive to finish with a good grade. No matter the opposition a (1.1) is good but if you can get it, don't let the (2.1) slip away. Study like your life depends on it (of course it does), avoid distractions as much as possible. Study smart if the discipline doesn't interest you and you are hoping to seek another career path please read just to pass the exams with flying colours. (Study with past questions even when exam is not around the corner cram as much as possible; I knew I won't be a good fish farmer hence from day one I started cramming...the earlier the better)
3. Ensure you get a good internship position in a structured environment. This might be difficult but like I said you have to be DETERMINED "In Kanu's voice". There are organisations that I know that have internship slots almost all through the year...(SCB, P&G, KPMG, Oil and Gas etc). Don't wait until you graduate before you start hunting internship positions. Use your long vacations and SIWESfor internship not roaming about. If you successful spend 2-3 months on internship, in a structured environment, that is another 1 year work experience...
We add that to our CV.....How do we get internship positions? Envisage when your long vacation will probably fall, start applying 2 months before that period. Send both Soft and Hard copies. Send the hard copy through courier services or Nipost. (I still use Nipost...
,..yeah!
go to the post office use it. That is why your parents are paying
taxes. You can list all the addresses of companies you want take them to
nipost and start sending as many times as you wish....it is far
cheaper) This way your application goes to the Hr unit and the
appropriate person is viewing it. You might be lucky and get a call.
4. Learn a foreign Language. If you have like minds around 4 or 5 of you can tax yourselves raise a small amount of money (5-20k) hire a french teacher from one of the secondary schools around ( I got a diploma while serving and it's really giving me an edge at the office). Take it with passion. Or you can wait, while serving enrol for a french course and get a diploma. Bottom line, Ensure you learn french before pulling the khaki.
5. Participate in school activities. Join an NGO, or the Sport club (football, tennis, volley ball etc), quiz club etc....also join any reasonable association (state association etc)...Why are we joining? You are joining not because you love to (although it depends on the individual)
,
but because we need the leadership experience so Ensure you become an
exco preferably the president. Even if it's a church activity. Now that
is a section in our CV building. Ensure you get involved in at least 4
groups hold leadership position in at least two. Get the certificates
and document properly.
6 Try to win a scholarship no matter how paltry the sum is. Even if it is baba ijebu scholarship. Registered or unregistered. At least get MTN scholarship (it's easier compared to shell et al) ....We will also incude this in our CV building....
7. If you are in a non numerate discipline you can register for the ATS stuff. ATS 1 & 2, is ok just to sharpen your business skill and get you familiar with business terms and basic management principles. (I got 1,2 and 3) while still in school or you get a software certification depends on your interest.....This will also be in your CV...
8. Finally, while serving ensure you get as many certification as possible no matter how useless the certification seems....Nim, HSE, pmp, Customer service....everything just ensure you get as much as possible.....(i used poly bag to carry my certification after Nysc)..pls just select some and include in your CV...if you put all, your may enter the 5th page lool...
With this CV you can apply to almost any international graduate programme. You can come to us ********, Mckinsey, SCB, you can go to the oil and gas, Heineken, IBM, BAT, Ericsson, Telecomms These are some of the places that can reward your hard work appropriately....before you start eyeing IMF, World Bank,Microsoft, Google, AFDB, UN, CBN et al.....
Let me tell you even at the height of US economic recession, when the manufacturing sector was at its nadir of misery, firms were still hiring so don't panic.
Building an International career requires discipline and determination. Your course of study doesn't matter much but a numerate discipline will always give you an edge. Let's see how we can build an International career from the scratch
1. Get a foreign work experience before you graduate. How is this possible? When your department organises a FUN TRIP please endeavour to attend if you don't have money go and borrow. Are You going there to have fun? No but it is an avenue for you to gain international work experience. Before the trip, browse any local agency or NGO around that part of the country where you guys will reside temporarily, volunteer to work with agency or NGO even if it is just for 5days....you can keep in touch with them later online. This is where your CV begins.... you will continually update your CV with the activities of the organisation even you didn't participate actively you are part of them at the end you can claim a 1 or 2 years Volunteering with them....(you have a foreign experience; even if it's Togo)
2 Strive to finish with a good grade. No matter the opposition a (1.1) is good but if you can get it, don't let the (2.1) slip away. Study like your life depends on it (of course it does), avoid distractions as much as possible. Study smart if the discipline doesn't interest you and you are hoping to seek another career path please read just to pass the exams with flying colours. (Study with past questions even when exam is not around the corner cram as much as possible; I knew I won't be a good fish farmer hence from day one I started cramming...the earlier the better)
3. Ensure you get a good internship position in a structured environment. This might be difficult but like I said you have to be DETERMINED "In Kanu's voice". There are organisations that I know that have internship slots almost all through the year...(SCB, P&G, KPMG, Oil and Gas etc). Don't wait until you graduate before you start hunting internship positions. Use your long vacations and SIWESfor internship not roaming about. If you successful spend 2-3 months on internship, in a structured environment, that is another 1 year work experience...
We add that to our CV.....How do we get internship positions? Envisage when your long vacation will probably fall, start applying 2 months before that period. Send both Soft and Hard copies. Send the hard copy through courier services or Nipost. (I still use Nipost...
,..yeah!
go to the post office use it. That is why your parents are paying
taxes. You can list all the addresses of companies you want take them to
nipost and start sending as many times as you wish....it is far
cheaper) This way your application goes to the Hr unit and the
appropriate person is viewing it. You might be lucky and get a call.4. Learn a foreign Language. If you have like minds around 4 or 5 of you can tax yourselves raise a small amount of money (5-20k) hire a french teacher from one of the secondary schools around ( I got a diploma while serving and it's really giving me an edge at the office). Take it with passion. Or you can wait, while serving enrol for a french course and get a diploma. Bottom line, Ensure you learn french before pulling the khaki.
5. Participate in school activities. Join an NGO, or the Sport club (football, tennis, volley ball etc), quiz club etc....also join any reasonable association (state association etc)...Why are we joining? You are joining not because you love to (although it depends on the individual)
,
but because we need the leadership experience so Ensure you become an
exco preferably the president. Even if it's a church activity. Now that
is a section in our CV building. Ensure you get involved in at least 4
groups hold leadership position in at least two. Get the certificates
and document properly.6 Try to win a scholarship no matter how paltry the sum is. Even if it is baba ijebu scholarship. Registered or unregistered. At least get MTN scholarship (it's easier compared to shell et al) ....We will also incude this in our CV building....
7. If you are in a non numerate discipline you can register for the ATS stuff. ATS 1 & 2, is ok just to sharpen your business skill and get you familiar with business terms and basic management principles. (I got 1,2 and 3) while still in school or you get a software certification depends on your interest.....This will also be in your CV...
8. Finally, while serving ensure you get as many certification as possible no matter how useless the certification seems....Nim, HSE, pmp, Customer service....everything just ensure you get as much as possible.....(i used poly bag to carry my certification after Nysc
)..pls just select some and include in your CV...if you put all, your may enter the 5th page lool...With this CV you can apply to almost any international graduate programme. You can come to us ********, Mckinsey, SCB, you can go to the oil and gas, Heineken, IBM, BAT, Ericsson, Telecomms These are some of the places that can reward your hard work appropriately....before you start eyeing IMF, World Bank,Microsoft, Google, AFDB, UN, CBN et al.....
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