How undergraduates should handle labour market realities while in school

At a workshop for final year students of Lead City University on Tuesday, experts presented undergraduates with two facts:

1. What you learn in school is usually different from the tasks you are given to do in the world of work
2. A good university degree will only qualify you to apply for a job but it may not necessarily get you the job.

The Director, Corporate Affairs and Communications, of the university, Dr Ayo Owolabi, made the first point in his opening speech at the workshop tagged “Life Beyond Campus”, sponsored by FUG Pensions.

He said that planning and preparing ahead of graduation were vital because brilliant grades and studying good courses at school alone could not land an applicant a good job.

The Chief Executive Officer of Future Unity Glanvills Pensions Limited (FUG Pensions), Mr Adebayo Adesina, in his address harped on the second point, noting that undergraduates usually confine themselves to having good grades alone without taking thought on how to be employable and meet the market need after school.

According to him, “there are some qualities that employers look out for in applicants that would determine who gets the job and those who fail. As a chief executive of a company I want you to know that within the first three minutes or so in an interview you are being assessed and selected.”

Among other qualities, he said the corporate world would rate a prospective employee based on composure, vision and effective relationship with the interview panel.

Head of Strategy, FUG Pensions, Tochukwu Esejindu, who took participants on ‘Skills for leadership effectiveness’, listed five levels of leadership to include permission, people development, production, position and principle.

He stressed the importance of self appraisal, planning, feedback, questioning and positive response as some of the qualities that help in building good career prospect.

Reality speaks when we leave school, he said, adding, “Sometimes what we think is the way might not be the way. You have to develop personal skills and go extra mile to excel.”

Earlier in his address of welcome, the Vice-Chancellor, LCU, Prof. Kabir Adeyemo, expressed confidence that the workshop would impact positively on the graduating students of the University as they prepare for the reality of the larger world.

Six universities across the country (two private universities and four government universities) benefited from the life and career skills development workshop by FUG Pensions.

Present on the occasion were Deans of faculties, the Registrar, Dr Oyebola Ayeni and some principal staff of the university.