Getting into the university is seen as the ultimate for students in Nigeria, not minding what course of study they are into or the future benefits. IME UMOREN samples graduates’ views on what they think affects their employability.
Ms. Sandra Owuchekwa, a graduate of English from one of the leading universities in Nigeria, says that as a student, she picked a course that was perceived as ‘easy’ to get admitted into the higher institution.
“In short, my main priority was to get the most out of the university experience,” she adds.
For her, with the course, she could be better off being a teacher, but she says she does not like teaching.
Rather she says she will like to work in a marketing or advertising agency, stressing, “Working outside my course of study will mean learning the ropes and that means undergoing the necessary training to excel in that field.
”I want the employer to invest in me and not just think about filling in their quotas.”
The story is the same for most graduates but some others are motivated by other material things.
A Business Administration graduate, Mr. Gabriel Akpan, who graduated about three years ago, has this to say, “Well, for me, I was not looking for money initially, I needed experience in addition to the theoretical things we learnt in school but this is my second year in this organisation and I have yet to boast of any savings, what I have is barely enough for the month.”
He notes that he now wants an employer that can pay well so that he can actually plan his future very well.
The Managing Director, Terchi Development Services Limited, Dr. Chichi Amangbo, says, “Ideally, a graduate would want a well paying job that will cover his costs for a good accommodation, transportation, clothing, have a little over to contribute towards helping some dependants that are still in school and a little savings towards his/her future. This was the dream of many graduates about 20 years ago.”
Akpan adds, “My intention was to work for someone for a while and then start up something for myself. There is nothing as good as being your own boss but I cannot achieve it in my present employment. If an employer offers me N1m starting salary I would sign on the dotted line. Now, I‘m driven by money.”
The Principal Strategist, TA Strategic Solutions, Mr. Tony Ajah, agress with Akpan, saying, “Graduates look out for employers that pay well or relatively better than the rest: Check it, the primary reason people change career or their places of work is how much they take home at the end of the day. If you are in doubt, just tell a friend that there is an opening somewhere. The first thing that he or she will ask is: ‘How much do they pay?’
“I liken money to an acronym, and ‘M’ there stands for motivation. In our environment, due to our poor backgrounds, nothing motivates us like money. People can do anything to stay away from poverty and hunger. In fact, your course of study does not matter any longer. That is our peculiar situation. I have seen a couple of my colleagues that work in several organisations, and without any doubt, they primarily have their eyes on money. That is why they can do anything, discomfort themselves, stay in an unfriendly workplace, take every insult just to have the money,” he says.
According to the research by the Employability Forum at Leeds University Business School, these are the factors that sway graduate to an employment.
They include opportunities for progression, starting salary and earning potential, nature of the role, how interesting the role is, training, transferable skills and mobility.
According to some of the graduates interviewed by our correspondent, most of them have their eyes in the oil and gas industry. For them, there is job security.
Particularly, a graduate of microbiology, Mr. Effiong Bassey, says, ”I want to see a clear step forward in my career and training will help me in the future. I also value job security and I think I will get in the oil and gas industry.”
He adds that he is looking forward to working for a strong brand in the market and promising career prospects.
A graduate of the sciences in one of the Nigerian universities, Samuel Uma, who works for an oil and gas company in the country has this to say, ”I enjoy my work here, there is not much stress as seen in a one-man business and I get to plan my future well on time too.”
Again, some organisations may not understand the vibrancy of the graduate and this may affect graduates taking up employment.
Amangbo adds that many graduates are itching to put into practice what they learnt in school by taking up jobs in their professional areas but also want to be treated well by their bosses.
Experts believe that graduates want their employers to understand them and treat them with some basic physical, social, physiological, emotional needs that they want met, even as they work with them.
There is hierarchy of human needs, as outlined by Abraham Maslow, a renowned American psyc
Ajah says, “In fact, it plays itself out in this part of the world, where you can always see what makes people work where they work; or conversely, what they want from their employers.
“Alas, when I ask many graduates today what they are looking for in a job, they do not see beyond their immediate need of simply acquiring a job that keeps them engaged and offer them some amount that, at least, allows them not to be dependent on their parents financially! Gone are the dreams and the hopes of yester-years!”
On the issue of how long a graduate will want to work in any organisation, almost all graduates say the same thing, “The job is a stepping stone.” But if the employer’s policies and programmes are favourable, then they will continue in such a place, he says.
Ajah notes that graduates are willing to work in an organisation as long as the employers’ policies and programmes support the needs, which include job security, career advancement and friendly working environment/ working conditions.
“In terms of how long they would remain on a job, those that are earning what I call a survival salary that is less than about N60,000 to N70,000 per month - are there until they find better paying jobs in the banks, oil companies, multinationals and others,” Amangbo adds.
According to a blog, green rascal blog, college graduates are ready for the working world, but only at a certain level.
He explains, “And I have no doubt that they can climb the ladder quickly once they have mastered the social skills necessary to be a professional. It is all relative to the graduate and the workplace they find themselves in. There are offices out there that will squash their interns like bugs without hesitation, and certainly college graduates are not prepared for that.”
| By IME UMOREN | |
| Wednesday, 25 May 2011 |
Source : punchng.com
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