Often times, a lot of people seem confused on getting outside the protective walls of their schools, with hearts racing fast and questions popping up every second as to what to do next, or for others, a more prominent question would be ‘where do I go from here?’ Truth is, nobody prepares you for the struggle out there, nobody tells you how tough it is or how uneasy its going to be. All you are been told is to graduate first and then go for your internship…yea right.
What we are going to try to do here is to give you important tips to surviving the rigors of finding internship placement, because, don’t be fooled, the struggle is damn real! NPMI has the numbers and has interacted with a lot of interns, and the stories over the years are not funny at all, however, don’t panic, we are here to help. You can also read the old post of these tips here.
- After You Graduate, What’s Next?
Final exams done and dusted! Proper documentations, clearance and what not done, okay. License and registrations please! You seem to be having fun, as you’ve gotten all the required tools and then, like a splash, what’s next? Where do i begin to search? In my own opinion, this does not need a serious soul searching because the answer is straight forward, and its ‘everywhere’. You will meet a lot of people who will have a peculiar preference of an accredited institution or geographical zone they want, some even narrow it down to a state or city. These are very unwise decisions for an average Nigerian if you know what i mean. You’ll understand more below.
2. Ever Had The Band Wagon Syndrome?
Its very easy to gravitate towards the majority and feel safe making those choices. My advice is, don’t try it. I am not going to start telling you about my personal experiences, however, it is a well known fact that in these times, you don’t know who is who, and why they are making decisions that suit them. You may also want to stay with your friends from school and keep that pact, oh yes, there’s that bond that must not be broken. Truth is, the time to break it is now! You must now begin to test the waters on your own, one feet in at a time, till you find your own placement, usually in places you’ll least expect.
3. Update Yourself Per Second
In order to keep abreast of internship openings and dates of interviews, you need to have a channel of information that works, constant and is reliable. There are many platforms you will see out there, but again, NPMI is your surest bet, with a good follower-ship on Facebook, over 8 Whats app groups, Instagram and twitter, and now recently, an android app (download here) that keeps you updated every minute, you can never miss a news. Plus, there are NPMI members who are now done with internship and even NYSC and they provide guidance on areas that are grey, that, I believe is all you need.
4. What Connections Do you Have?
This area is the least talked about, however the most important nowadays. A lot of times, when you talk about this, people keep quiet because, lets face it, it’s corruption. But it is the same people that keep quiet, that eventually get placement and start shouting ‘it is God that did it’ meanwhile their father’s uncle’s brother-in-law’s grandfather’s nephew did it. Lets also be quiet about this like everybody else, the normal Nigerian way. But, I know the message has been passed across.
5. Never Lose Hope!
Things may look gloomy at first, some get placements at first interview, some don’t. Some have to stay a few extra months or even a year. One thing is sure, you will get a placement one day. A common mistake some make, is to limit themselves or have preferences to where they want to go, or where their parents said they should go, so even if its just one internship that comes out from that source/zone in a year, they take that singular opportunity as their only hope and cry foul if they are not taken. It is not a wise approach. My opinion, apply everywhere their is an opening, as much as your finances can carry you. Find a way to attend the interviews too. You will surely get one of those, just pray along.
6. Be Academically Updated
It is of great importance to note that, while we complain that we don’t get placements because of nepotism and what have you, some are also getting it on merit. Don’t depend on your connections alone, keep reading your books, update your memory, interact with others, then solve interview past questions, we do have a lot of them on our website, just search, or go to menu -past questions and use it to while away time.
7. Have Fun While At It
I think this one is a no-brainier, self explanatory! Embark on that dream trip, pick up a novel or hobby, make new friends, go to the cinema and see some movies. Within this short interface of post graduation, you can finally do what you love, learn a skill, or start that project you have been procrastinating. Have fun!
That’s it! This is not a comprehensive list and not a guideline that you must adhere to, however these tips have been tested and i can tell you that they work. Please feel free to give your own views about this in the comment section below. And don’t forget to share this article, you may be helping a life in the process.
I found this site really helpful.
Thanks