Abdulganiyy Ajayi: You Don’t Need a Master’s Degree to Get A Good Job

An academic degree primarily serves as validation for knowledge in a specific field. It is also known to increase access to job opportunities, thereby enhancing the earning potential of degree holders. However, this is not the case for over 35% of Nigerian graduates who, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, are jobless, despite academic degrees.

In a bid to further boost their chances of getting good jobs, many resort to pursuing higher degrees. While this may appear logical, it is largely a less effective strategy for a frustrated job seeker. If you are in this category, know that you are not jobless because you don’t have a master’s degree as it is rarely a requirement for entry-level jobs. Your unemployment is a result of low “career capital” and not knowing how to effectively hunt for jobs. I can explain.

Career capital is simply the value that you are bringing into a job. It is the combination of your skills, qualifications, and experience, which all play roles in helping you land your dream job. An academic degree, though very important, is just one of these assets.

I would first advise you to do an online search of your desired job roles and check the requirements. You will notice that a master’s degree will mostly be an option on the list of core requirements. By the time you’re done with another degree, your age might even be higher than the required minimum for some of the jobs. Many people have thus ended up being more frustrated. What you need right now to support your first degree are marketable skills and good connections.

If you are a smart graduate, you can pick up any skill of interest and master it to an appreciable level within months. This does not suggest enrolling for a 6-month computer repair training while hoping for a job in a telecom company. You must pay close attention to necessary pointers in the labour market and check how you can hone your skillsets to meet the market demands. Make sure you are focusing on skills that have high commercial value and at which you have the potential to excel.

Navigating the labour market also requires networking. The internet has made this a lot easier. You should create a professional profile on platforms like LinkedIn and network with people in your industry. Seek advice from your friends and experienced professionals far and wide. We all need people to succeed in life. Joblessness is a serious problem already; don’t compound it with shyness.

You should not limit your job search to multinationals. There are several small-sized companies with very good pay and opportunities for career acceleration. In fact, if all you can get is an internship in your preferred industry, it is still a good avenue to kickstart your career and acquire real work experience. Getting a first job is usually the most difficult task in building a career. Once achieved, it is relatively easier to navigate to better jobs.

Do not sit down at home and complain about joblessness; you have to move to where corporate jobs are and show employers your values. You will have to spend some money and sacrifice some comfort. In the end, it will be worth it. Leave population density for demographers. Your concern is to get a good job, not to fight overpopulation. At least, not yet.

If your efforts are not yielding the desired results, check what you are not doing right and adjust your strategies accordingly. Except if you are exceptionally smart or just lucky, your first few applications may not land you any job offer. You will have to study the art of crafting strong job applications and master how to ace tests and perform very well at interviews. You will also have to be intentional about getting better at every new job application you make. It will require hard work and may take some time, but a good result is guaranteed if done right.

Again, this is not an attempt to denigrate the pursuit of a master’s degree, as it can significantly boost one’s career and lead to great opportunities. But if your target isn’t academia, it is advisable to first set your career in the right direction by getting a good entry-level job, then determine which qualifications or degrees will help you climb the corporate ladder fast. And if you pursue a master’s degree, make sure you fortify it with marketable skills. Without working well on your career capital, a 2-year master’s degree will be a weak weapon to combat unemployment.

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