NYSC GAME PLAN

Lately I’ve found myself being drawn to the plight of corps members. Maybe it’s because I would soon serve and I have recently met some people who passed out of the scheme and there stories have impacted me positively and I wouldn't want myself or  anyone to make same mistakes they made.

      Whatever your view of NYSC is, the fact remains that is a necessary evil that every graduate has to face. I’m not here to bash the NYSC scheme; I think it was a great idea that got lost in translation as our society evolved. I want to address something that I find very worrisome amongst corps members. It is the lack of a solid game plan. Some may be wondering why a game plan is needed to serve your country. I’m sorry to be the one to inform you; if you do not have a game plan for NYSC, you will end up wasting one year of this precious life that you have, only the wise ones make the most of it.The people implementing the NYSC scheme presently are clueless with regards to the needs of graduates. If you are unlucky, you will get posted to a local government office where your brain will increasingly get retarded due to lack of stimulating and challenging tasks. Let’s not forget to mention the bureaucracy and corruption that are located at strategic points within the scheme to ensure that you are frustrated till the point that you become disillusioned about Nigeria as a whole.

      There’s good news however. With a well thought out plan made ahead of time, you can survive the NYSC scheme and not only will you end up being a better person when you finish serving; you will also make positive impact. “What does this plan involve”, you ask. It’s quite straightforward to be honest. You first need to do a personal assessment of where you are and where you want to get to. This is especially important for people who have little or no experience in the corporate world. For example, if you want to work in accounting firms after you finish serving you need to find out the steps you need to take to achieve that dream. The worst mistake you can make is to wait until a month till you pass out before you start thinking about this. It might be a little bit too late at that point. Back to my example, you may want to consider taking the ICAN or ACCA exams. Do your research on what it will take to do this then plan towards it. Put down a feasible time when you can begin. If you are not posted to an accounting firm, you could volunteer to be an intern in an accounting firm close to you to build up your experience, like am presently doing at MSH. Forget about the money they will pay you for now. If you have to work for free, then do it. The experience you will gain is more valuable than the meager stipend you will collect every month. The next thing is to evaluate your skill bank. What skills do you have currently? What skills do you need that you don’t currently have? I love learning new skills so I’m always on the lookout for avenues to learn something new. Your service year is a great time to gain new skills. For most people, they have a lot of time on their hands when they are serving. If you don’t plan properly, you will waste this time. Learning a skill will not necessarily cost a fortune, depending on the kind of skill. A lot of people offer discounts to corps members. Take advantage of these. If you like to cook, enroll for culinary classes, if u can’t drive, go to a driving school or get someone to teach u, if u are fortunate to be serving in sokoto u can reach me @youngzani on twitter and I would help teach u. Take a management course. Whatever it is, just make sure you make meaningful deposits to your skill bank.

      As imperfect as the scheme is, it provides an opportunity for you to set the course of your career and lay the foundation for future business relationships. Only the wise makes the most of this.                                                    
     Maleeks Elisha .......