The immediate past Coordinator of Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), Ondo State Hub, Saheed Ibrahim during a volunteering program in Akure, Ondo State. Photo credit: Saheed Ibrahim
By: Deborah Temilade
Contrary to popular notion that "there is no job after school", rather in Nigeria today, experience is primarily one major prerequisite to secure a job in the competitive labor market.
Amidst the "no job" trends, ECHO MEDIA findings showed that some companies are competing for fresh graduates that have built the required skills and practical experience.
Volutnteers cleaning dirty drainages in Akure, Ondo State. Photo credit: Saheed Ibrahim
ECHO MEDIA also gathered that these practical work experiences are garnered in the pursuit of a degree certificate, while working also as volunteers in organizations associated with students' careers and passion.
Today, to secure employment in most companies, a series of experiences are needed even outside the job-seeking fields. Beyond the A's of academic excellence, employers seek what the employees can offer — "does the applicant have related experiences?"
However, to avoid the complaints of most Nigerian graduates, volunteering becomes a pathway to endless opportunities, locally and internationally.
A group of volunteers. Photo credit: Saheed Ibrahim.
Roland Bayode, a fresh graduate of Mass Communication department, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko said gaining practical experience is crucial for success in his chosen field as a student.
He added that to avoid the pressure of struggling for jobs, he sees the need to gain relevant experience before opting out of the school walls.
Roland Bayode, Associate Editor for Nigeria Grassroot News. Photo credit: Roland.
Bayode considered volunteering as that which could provide him with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a variety of areas such as media production, journalism, social media, editing and among others.
"By volunteering, students can gain practical experience and improve their chances of landing a job in their chosen field," he said.
While at school, this fresh graduate has built contacts in the media industry and gained a valuable reference for future employment opportunities.
He added: "I was at 200-Level when I started volunteering for various organizations and companies that are in line with my chosen course of study —Mass Communication — and with the help of my colleagues, I saw the need to hone my skills and build connections."
Bayode, who was the former Editor-in-Chief of ECHO MEDIA and presently the Associate Editor for Nigeria Grassroot News media started writing stories for different online blogs and newspapers which has earned him recognition and opportunities.
He explained that he was not paid a dime for volunteering because he understood the place of value and growth.
"There is a need to volunteer whether being paid or not.
"I was able to build connections with people, companies, and great personalities."
"When you volunteer, and they see value for what you've done, they will be able to pay you in the long run," he said, saying students should be future-oriented and not just be money driven.
"The future has a lot in stock for you if only you will look beyond, and begin to do the needful."
Similarly, Phillip Anjorin, a graduate of Mass Communication department in AAUA narrated how his volunteering journey started when he was in 100-Level.
Philip Anjorin, a fact-checker with DUBAWA. Photo credit: Internet.
Anjorin, a fact-checker with DUBAWA — Nigeria’s first indigenous independent verification and fact-checking project, initiated by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) told ECHO MEDIA how he used the experiences gathered from volunteering to build his portfolio.
He said: "Even though at the time I was not so invested in volunteering due to academic activities, I later saw the need to pull up."
The former fellows of African Liberty added that volunteering has contributed to his growth. "The experience I gained has contributed to my growth today. Even when I was an undergraduate, I was honored with different awards and also got numerous opportunities.
"To attain high feats and be one of the best, I will keep volunteering," the former Nigeria Union of Campus Journalists (NUCJ), AAUA chapter remarked.
Expert weigh in
A Public Relations expert, Saheed Ibrahim in an interview with ECHO MEDIA shed light on volunteerism, maintaining that work experience and skills gathered while volunteering could include teamwork, fundraising among other soft skills.
A Public Relations expert, Saheed Ibrahim. Photo credit: Saheed Ibrahim.
Ibrahim, who is also a journalist with the Hope Newspaper in Akure noted that volunteering has different scopes but the most common among the scope is volunteering for an organization or a community.
His words: "Most often, when people say they are helping others, they are doing themselves a favor. It is just like doing one thing, and getting five in return."
"Even while solving a problem, experience is gained, and skills are developed. When you volunteer, you open for yourself doors to endless opportunities."
Speaking further, the immediate past Coordinator of Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), Ondo State Hub, cited how volunteering has made him secure certain positions and mind-blowing programs even outside the shores of Nigeria.
According to him, most of the jobs he got came from volunteering.
He therefore admonished students to take volunteering with organizations with all seriousness by rendering services related to their course of study or passion.
"If you must go far as a student, you need to gather all the work experience which can only come by volunteering. The new code to success is volunteerism. Key into it now," he noted.
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