W H AT YO U S H O U L D D O I N

Y O U R F I N A L Y E A R T O P R E PA R E

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What will you do after school?
It’s your last year as an undergrad; deserve them. So, you have this final year to get it
congratulations on getting to the final right, and become the most
lap successfully! But it’s not quite time employable candidate. This might
to relax yet. In fact, your work starts likewise be the time to prepare for
now. entrepreneurship or further studies, if
that’s your path.
In reality, your final year is your most
important year yet. In addition to
being your last shot at landing that
At EduBridge
babe, or guy, that’s been your crush Academy, we help
since first year so you don’t play 4-0, you prepare for
this year is one chance to get it right work in the most
across a number of important fronts. As if the scramble for the available jobs
wasn’t bad enough, there’s also the
enjoyable manner
Every year, almost 50% of the 10 employability challenge. A good
million graduates produced in 668 number of the top employers continue At EduBridge Academy, we focus on
African universities have no jobs . to complain that graduates come in preparing you for work while having
What’s more, there is a finite number unprepared for work. So, it’s a no- fun at it. We know that your final year
of the kinds of jobs you want. The brainer that the candidates likely to is your last chance to learn to get the
good news is, those jobs exist, but – land the most wanted jobs are those best from the university; so, we’re here
here’s the catch – they await who come in ready with work skills. to point you in the direction you
candidates who show that they should be looking.
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 How do you
Use this Book?
You don’t You are in your final year, the last year of
your B.Sc. programme. We believe it is
really have to do the perfect time – maybe the last time –
to take a step back and evaluate your
everything we years at the university. We encourage

say; go with the you to ask yourself: Am I ready for the

next stage? What is the next stage; a job,

points that work an M.Sc, marriage, or entrepreneurship?

for you! Do I have what it takes to succeed at that

stage? What does that level require?

Its Simple: Read and Ponder

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Our
Advice
At EduBridge Academy, we
believe that your B.Sc. should
at least leave you employable.
Have you been building your
employability while studying?
Are you ready for work?
If yes, then congratulations!
But if, like the rest of us, you
have been focused only on
school work, do not despair.
You have one full
year/semester to prepare; so
it’s not too late.
In answering the question,
“What should I do in my final
year?”
we advise that you:

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 1 After four/five
years of study, the most
Testimony
Graduating with a good grade
objective variable that tells
flows from a commitment to
employers how well you have
learning. I read and learnt as
done at that primary task is your
much as I could from the in-class
graduating GPA. Competition for
curriculum, and other information
the best jobs is intense.
sources. This got me a good
Employers want to see some
grade, which is usually the cut-off
measure of academic excellence
criteria for most entry-level
when choosing among
opportunities, and made me
candidates. So, ensure your GPA
eligible for all the roles I was
meets the minimum

Graduate
interested in. It got me a foot in
employment standard for your
the door.
country. Give yourself a chance

Well!
Oluebube Anele;
to compete, graduate well. Asset Management,
Coronation Merchant
Bank, attended
University of Nigeria,
Nigeria.

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2. Know and understand your
desired career
Testimony
At interviews, employers By my third year, I had grown All that remained was for me to
complain that graduates dissatisfied with the fact that our understand what Consulting was
academic curriculum had minimal all about and pick an area to
come out of school clueless
reference to the world of work; so, specialize in. I read a lot of books
about what they want to do or I began a search for the different for insights on the kinds of
what the industry they are career paths suited to my challenges I would have to solve
applying to is like. Don’t be personality, educational for clients, best of which was
that graduate. No one will background and interests. I took ‘Management Cases’ by Peter
expect you to know with many personality tests to Drucker. Needless to say, all that
understand myself better, the best preparation helped me develop
absolute certainty what you
of which was Gallup Strengths mental models which I used during
want to do, but at least, Finder, and discovered that I loved my MBA and still use today at
know the broad career challenges and finding solutions to work.
options that are in line with other people’s problems. Clearly,
your personality and course Consulting was the perfect career
of study path for me.
Ifeoma Onyejekwe,
Associate/Commercial
Director, Seedworth &
Company. Attended
Covenant University,
Nigeria.

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3 Work is very different from school.
We’ve come to find that interning is
the best way to bridge the gap. An
internship will do many things for you;
on these concepts. So, I decided to
apply for both local and international
internships. I interned for two weeks
with one of the world's best financial

Get
it will expose you to the soft side of institutions at their UK office. On
work – working in a team, handling getting back to school, I applied for
responsibilities, corporate speak, and even more internships and I got to

Some
business dress codes – and also help intern at yet another global financial
you find out if you are a fit for that job institution in the UK for three months.
you‘ve been dreaming about, all in a These experiences have given me a

Work
cost-effective way. good understanding of the skills set I
have, my interests in the financial
Testimony
industry and how to properly steer my
My first internship experience
career in the right direction even from
EXPERIENCE, was at the end of my second
year at the university. Although
the university. I now fully understand
the bridge between the classroom and
INTERN! I had a good understanding of
the theoretical knowledge I’d
the professional working environment.
been getting from school, I felt Odunayo Oyelese, Goldman
the need to get a more practical view Sachs and Bank of America
Merrill Lynch Intern. Attended
University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

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 Build
4 Employability or
Technical Skills
In a recent survey, employers revealed the skills will come in handy both presentation tips, macroeconomic
their complaints about graduates. today and when you start job hunting. analysis, interview tips, teamwork,
Topping the list were complaints that leadership skills, business planning,
Testimony
graduates are not teachable, do not etc. These skills gave me a lot of
In my final year at the university, I
understand business, and have no confidence going into interviews and
realized that for a smooth transition
problem solving skills. What this were pivotal to my success at my first
into the corporate world, good grades
shows is, to be a stand-out graduate, engagement at work. Building
alone weren’t going to cut it; I needed
building employability and technical employability skills and committing to
to build confidence and learn certain
skills is non-negotiable. Some personal development are extra efforts
core skills.
employers will require you to manage that are always worthwhile.
Luckily, I found an angel over my
spread sheets, work with PowerPoint,
shoulder – EduBridge Academy – Funmilayo Ilawole,
work on graphics designs or do some
which pushed me out of my Young Leaders Program,
digital marketing. So why wait any McKinsey & Company.
comfort zone. I had to learn the
longer? Start learning today. Trust us, Attended University of
Microsoft toolkit, business writing,
Lagos, Nigeria.

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 5 Go for Extra-
Curricula Activities
Have you noticed that those students
who were class governors, association
could possibly have read in an Economics
text book. It's a classic instance of learning
of the student council which helped me
hone my leadership skills. I was also
heads, fellowship pastors or class multiple skills by doing. As a student, if any involved in community service which
clowns usually have far more task comes your way that gives you an opened me up to meeting different people
opportunity to interact or compete with and working on initiatives I cared about. It
employability skills than the rest of us?
your peers from across the world, grab it is important to choose activities that align
Why? Because they practised public
with all your might. I was surprised how with your interest areas to ensure
speaking, leadership, working in a much I learnt engaging in those consistency and commitment. Be sure to
team, communication, problem solving extracurricular activities. By the way, my balance it out, use this as an opportunity to
all through their years in school. What’s team won the national championship, know your strengths and weaknesses and
more, they learnt while we watch them. represented Nigeria in New York and manage your time. In the world of work,
This final year, join AIESEC, finished in the top 4 out of 35 countries. In you will always have competing activities
ENACTUS, take a leadership position simple term, strive to be global. The world which require leadership, team work and
in your mosque, join the volunteers for is flat the ability to build relationships even
street cleaning etc. Why? These Razaq Ahmed, CFA outside of work settings. I now realize how
activities help you learn the soft skills CEO much the activities I was engaged in
Cowrywise outside of the classroom prepared me for
that universities do not explicitly teach..
Attended Obafemi Awolowo this.
Testimony University, Nigeria.
Even though I graduated with a First
Class, my best experience in university
was outside the classroom: being the Afua Aidoo,
Involvement in extra-curricular activities
President of Students in Free Enterprise Africa Commercial Programs
while in university helped me balance my Leader, GE Healthcare.
(SIFE), now called ENACTUS. Leading a
academic and social life. I learned a lot of Attended Ashesi University,
team of more than 50 students from
soft skills by playing active roles in various Ghana.
different backgrounds was more than I
organizations. I was academic chairperson 9
6 Start & Finish a
Professional Course
It’s a given that universities do not
adequately prepare students for work.
professional certification. At the time, I certainly
didn’t fully appreciate the significance of this
step. Running both a professional certification
So, a good way to bridge the gap is to
and a university degree programme
look for ways to strengthen your simultaneously was very intense. It required
certificate which will in turn boost your that I devoted long hours to studying and
chances at getting a job. Professional developing industry-specific skills. Initially, it
examinations are one way to do this. was tough to pull both through successfully, but
Hence, we advise, register for (or in retrospect, the certification not only put me in
front of the interviewer(s), it also improved my
complete) ICAN, PHP, CC++, CISA, or
career readiness, helping me to get ahead
learn work modules like financial quickly on-the-job and be productively faster
modelling, business planning, than my peers
programming, and graphics design

Testimony
Ajibola Olaniyan,
Fresh from gaining admission into the
Senior Investment Analyst,
university, I was fortunate to receive a piece of Verod Capital. Passed CFA level
career-defining advice to enrol for a III, qualified chartered
accountant . Attended
University of Lagos, Nigeria.

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looking at?
7 Network
Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Is your profile worth about them? That is where social media and networking
become relevant. I have a degree in English Language and
Literature, but I wanted a role in Finance and Investment
A big part of life today is getting assistance from other people.
Banking. To achieve my goal, I worked for free in a boutique
The art of getting other people to readily help you is
investment advisory firm for over a year. During my time at this
networking. So, work on your ability to network people in the
advisory business, I sharpened my core on-the-job skills. Once
professions you love. Fortunately, LinkedIn which has emerged
convinced that I could compete with the best Economics
as the preferred platform to network has made networking a
graduates for an entry level role, I updated my LinkedIn profile. I
lot easier for graduating students. Now, you can meet, link up
did not position myself as the unfortunate and disillusioned guy
with, and learn from professionals (especially the ones you look
that studied English Language, hoping and wishing to work in
up to), and get looked up by employers, all in one app.
finance, but as a top quality finance guy who happened to
study English Language. This gave me access to top employers,
Testimony
and effectively, my first real job!
Leveraging social media is probably one of the latter steps in
the job search process. It assumes that you know exactly what Fisayo Durojaye,
you want to do (trust me, you can’t just do “anything”) and Senior Analyst, Echo VC.
possess the core skills required to excel in these roles. So, what Attended Tai Solarin University of Education,
Nigeria
is the point of having these valuable skills when no one knows

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 Prepare for Job
8
Applications –
Build a Great
Resume, and Ace
Interviews and
Aptitude Tests practice, the better you get. So, we always interviews. This helped me become very
advise, start writing a CV and trying out good at interviews. Although I was shy at
Once your final exams are over, you will interview tips now. first, my internship interview experiences
begin to apply for jobs. Sadly, many strong made me understand how to be at ease at
candidates have been undone by aptitude Testimony interviews and engage the interviewer.
tests and poor CVs. Some have never been I had the opportunity to learn about CVs When I graduated, I became so good that
interviewed before they have to face an and cover letters when I was in university. I any time I got to the interview stage for a
interviewer for a job where the stakes are had to prepare for an internship and was job, I was always confident that I would
so high. The good news about interviews forced to prepare a CV, write a cover letter receive an offer.
and aptitude tests is, the more you and do a series of phone and face-to-face
Babatunde Oladosu,
Co-Founder EduBridge Academy
and Corporate Finance
Professional. Attended Obafemi
Awolowo University, Nigeria 12
9 Understand the world around you – follow
the news and the trends shaping the world
Have you ever wondered, “If I had an hour with Bill
Gates alone, how would the discussion go?” In the
final analysis, your technical skills, academic
excellence and professional certifications put
together can be undone by a simple question about
makes you happy. And then you learn how you can
apply it to your world by also using it to shape your
career and your life.
I personally used the inside-out model. As a teenager,
I developed a savings habit, and when I got to the
Artificial Intelligence, the presidential elections in university, I started learning about how businesses
Kenya or the economic implications of the Gulf work and how people invest in businesses to make
countries blockading Qatar. them grow. Although I was a medical student, this
It is inconceivable that you would know everything, triggered my curiosity and I started learning about
but a graduate is expected to know what is going on investment and finance. Through this, I learned how
in the world. So we advise, irrespective of your to read market trends, and how to position myself
course of study, read the news. Even if for ten appropriately. My passion for this field was so deep
minutes every day, visit cnn.com, Bloomberg, that I was hired into an analyst role at an investment
proshareng.com. Be aware! bank right out of Youth Service.

Testimony
There are two models you can use to determine your Manasseh Egedegbe CFA,
path in life – the outside-in and the inside-out model. Chief Investment Officer,
One is not superior to the other. In the outside-in Premium Pension Limited.
model, you read the news and follow the trends Attended Obafemi Awolowo
shaping the world, and then you go for something in University, Nigeria.
the trends that interests you. In the inside-out model,
you try to understand your strengths, and what truly
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 The answer to this question will depend on the reasons why you are
getting an M.Sc. and what career aspirations you have. If you desire to
follow a career in the Academics, an M.Sc. is a must-have, so go for it
immediately. But if you desire a career in the professional services, we

What next?
advise that you try to intern while in school, or get a job immediately you
graduate in these fields. We know that it is not necessarily easy to get a
job, but it might be useful to acquire some work experience before going

MSc vs work back for further studies. For one, school and work are very different; so
where there is an opportunity to choose between an M.Sc. straight after
school and work, it might be useful to learn a bit about work first.

straight However, we are aware that an M.Sc. can be an advantage and can make
certain jobs easier to access. For example, architects in Nigeria typically

after school? undertake postgraduate study right after their B.Sc. programme. Hence,
we advise, be aware of the labour market conditions – the supply and
demand for jobs, academic requirements for job applicants and age
restrictions – for entry level talent in your field and country before you
decide on further study.

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 University of Lagos, Yaba
www.edubridgeacademy.com
[email protected]
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