Personal Development is Key to Success after Graduation
NEWS DIGEST—Recent graduates should look for two things: challenges and opportunity to acquire skills they may not have experienced in the classroom- Jason Mollica
Book knowledge is incontrovertibly different from practical or real-world knowledge. People who tend to do well in their fields or profession, are those ones that are well exposed to the technical or practical know-how of their profession. And perhaps, coupled with a theoretical knowledge too.
Labour market which is seldom called ‘favour market’ in Nigeria, is highly competitive due to its crowded nature as every year, thousands of students graduate from tertiary institutions in virtually all field of human endeavor.
Most people often call it favour market as a result of the ‘who you know and who knows you’ syndrome. Notwithstanding, we need to evaluate ourselves and ponder on this question: can we compete or do the job as required when employed?
This piece is focused on communication students, but the context can simultaneously be used as a guide and point of reasoning for other professions as well.
So, after graduating with your communication or journalism degree, what is the next step ahead? This question can be quite challenging to answer for some graduates in the field of communication. Some might possibly say, to further their studies by enrolling in a graduate school for master’s programme: while some might say, to get a good job in any media house in my state or elsewhere.
Well, none of the answers or decision is wrong, but the question is, how well are you equipped and prepared for the job you are applying for? Are you ready to work with smart and brilliant minds in competing media houses in the country? And if you are enrolling for any postgraduate programme, which institution will enhance and couple what you have already learnt with practical?
Presumably, most communication graduates who are scouting for jobs have never written a minimum of 500 words article (piece) for publication. Some have never been to a studio both television and radio ‘willingly’. The few that have is probably as a result of an assignment in TV or radio production. Yet, they expect to compete and be selected for a job where people with practical experiences are also applying for.
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However, whether you are still studying or have graduated, you need to ask yourself this question, how prepared am I to confidently apply for a job that is crowded with exceptional minds? Your next question should be, where do I start from? Of course, there are a lot of ways to start from.
First and foremost, is evaluating and promoting of ones’ personal skills. Without any iota of doubt, a communication student is a ‘jack of all trade, master of all’. This is because the course offers a wide plethora of opportunities and skills spreading from advertising, public relations, broadcasting, print, book publishing, and public speaking- to mention just a few of them.
With this reason, one must know his specialization and work tirelessly towards perfecting the skill in any of the aforementioned areas. This can be done through coaching experts, training (online and offline), podcast, etcetera. Secondly, one must reflect on the field s/he wants to work by exhibiting willingness to expand his horizons in that field.
Through volunteering, internship or training, on can build get practical knowledge which will go a long way in assisting and securing a dream job for you. Daniel Hernandez, a senior manager for media relations says, “if you showcase your passion and willingness to learn, you will be golden”.
In essence, before or after graduation, one should seek extra-curricular learning activities by volunteering to work for media organisiations ‘free’ just to enhance practical know-how; or seek for internship opportunities during holidays, break or even strike.
Create time for reading and writing on topical issues happening in the country. Send your write-ups via their mails readily available on their pages for publication. Even if it is not published, don’t give up- Keep writing. Consistent practice will definitely make you an excellent writer because, best writers started as learners but are now known as the best because, they never gave up.
Lastly, practice is key. Develop yourself career wise; and the secret to achieve that is to always read, practice and learn new trends on what or who you want to be. By so doing, it will give you an added advantage over those who have only the ‘book knowledge’. For it is believed that, in the village of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
This is to say, if you really want to succeed in life or the field of communication, you need to be outstanding- and to achieve that, you need to go extra miles.
Faisal Saminu Magaji is a level 4 student of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.
