How To Increase Your Career Prospects During NYSC

Image courtesy of Yves O via Flickr Over the years, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme has been critically appraised and criticised, with little or no significance attached to the programme.   However, the NYSC programme continues to mobilise Nigerian graduates for a common purpose, namely, training and development. With the NYSC experience, graduates have more job prospects in Nigeria and employers seek graduates with NYSC experience.   Here are 4 great ways to increase your career prospects during your NYSC.   Network   The NYSC period gives you one great year of networking with people from all backgrounds, disciplines, institutions, languages, cultures, religions and ethnicity and more. This is your opportunity to find contacts that would help you in your career.   Some corpers may feel that they have been cut off from the outside world, since perhaps the area where they are posted to serve has limited or no mobile connection or internet/email centres. You can find out the mobile phone services that operate within your NYSC area and purchase a SIM pack that suits you.   Yourself   Yes, You! You as a person. You are very important to your increasing your career and job prospects. You should use your NYSC period to discover yourself, your skills, your talents, your interests, your passions, your goals, etc. You can improve yourself in so many ways where you lack the required knowledge and experience.   Is it your writing skills that needs to improve? Is it your communication skills? Is it your interpersonal relations skills? Or is it your values, principles and goals that need to be redefined?   Focus on improving one aspect of your life everyday of your NYSC programme. Read wide to expound your mind. Practice effective presentations. Maintain good interpersonal relations. These will help you in your future career when you have finished your NYSC programme.   Search   While you are networking with people within and outside your NYSC zone, you should start searching for jobs that you want. If you have internet access in your NYSC area, visit online job sites to find the latest career gist and information about jobs in Nigeria. Look for jobs that appeal to you and start preparing your CVs and cover letters (indicating that your NYSC is yet to be completed). Make a list of companies you wish to work for and start applying for jobs in these areas. This will help you plan your career better while you are undergoing your NYSC programme.   Create   The NYSC programme allows you to get involved with community development initiatives that help to improve the community where you are serving. This CD programmes are very helpful in increasing your career and job prospects.   However, you can also create your own initiatives within the community that would boost your skills in leadership, teamwork, etc. Start an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign or a Solar Energy Initiative or even a computer awareness programme through workshops and seminars within the community and get the Local Governments to fund these projects.   Employers are really interested to see how well you demonstrated these skills during your NYSC programme.  

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This article was first published on 25th October 2010 and updated on January 18th, 2016 at 8:53 am

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