Thread by @Mrpossidez

WHY GRADES AND SKILLS SHOULD BE EMPHASIZED MORE THAN NETWORKING FOR ENTRY LEVELS.

I will restrict my tweet to undergraduates and the entry levels in general.
Both sides are very crucial to getting a job in Nigeria. But you need to get some things right.

Retweet.

I'm not a career coach and I cannot pretend to know so much about this interplay. What I have had to show lately were months of several tests, 9 interviews and 7 offers with some good connects.

I can't speak to contemporaries but I can share my sentiments with undergraduates.

Grades are hard to get realistically in Nigeria and so, it might always appear safer to advise that people network, and some others might even strongly argue that networking and connection is what gets you a job in Nigeria. Fair enough.

Let's try to look at it this way.
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I'll advise undergraduates because you have a better chance to compete strongly out there. The odds are not completely out of your control.

While you cannot ignore a good chance to make networks, understand that your grades and your skills are more essential.

Just last year before I graduated, I didn't know how important grades would be out there. I had no serious networks either. Not even within my faculty lecturers. In a space of one year, I've seen both at play and I'll tell you a few things without necessarily denigrating any.

1. Your desired firm, company or organisation has a recruitment process. They have things that they have set out that candidates should meet to stand a chance. Your grades will always be considered, but 'networking' is not part of the recruitment process.

It is an external cum internal strategy that helps smoothen the process.

Fairly then, it is possible to get a job without having much networks if criteria are met whereas with the network, you may not get the job if you fall short of the standards especially grades and skills.

Indeed, there are cases where your proper networking will flex the standards in your favour and there are cases where the process is unfair and with your grades, you simply can't get through. But here's what you must know.

To advise the general public, you consider statistics.

Statistically, the number of persons who get jobs without meeting the set standard of the organisation in terms of grades and skills are lesser than those who actually do. To provide a safe analysis 4 undergraduates we can't use an exceptional possibility.

The chances of a person who has good grades having a job are higher than those who don't. Simply. This is why you would need good grades first before anything else - to fall into the statistical advantage first. Secure your head. The network increases the advantage.

Without my law school degree, I had 5 standing offers and i'm not the guy that knows anyone. Trust me, I am not an exception. Many first class graduates have similar stories. For 2.1 students, coupled with skills, and depending on the firm, they get job offers too.

2.1 graduates get jobs and when they feather the cap with good networking, the chances increase. In professions were first class degrees are rare, the odds are higher on a general scale. You don't create wishbones where backbones should be.

Many persons will point out their experiences with how their networking helped them but please, for entry levels, there's only so much networking you can do. It will ease your way into interviews, tests and all but ultimately, your grades will be a bigger reason to choose you.

I speak with what is likely to be a more general statistic. They will tell you they know first class graduates who don't have jobs. Please ask them how many? The ratio of people with outstanding grades without jobs will always represent an uncanny metric for general evaluation.

And, people ought to be advised based on the larger statistic, not negligible instances.

They will tell you they know 2.1 students who have no jobs but trust me, the job a 2.1 student will get, a 2.2 student is less likely to have it even with the networking, statistically.

So, to advise the younger generation, you work with the more obvious, surer index.

I think it's not fair on the younger ones to tell them they need networking and grades equally because to be fair, their strength can only be with grades at entry levels.

2. There are people without good grades who still get jobs. Would I say it was because of networking? I won't say that. Not necessarily. There are other things that give people jobs other than good grades and it's not ALWAYS networking. The converse is also true.

3. You can control grades. Networking, while it usually produces results that are more long term or medium term, you can't control them. It's human predilection for promises and networks to fail, so it's not a certainty. This is why it is an advantage and not a core.

People will readily point out people who had the network and it worked for them. This comes with serious uncertainty and disappointments loom. With grades, you can be reasonably sure of certain things - a chance to speak, to be interviewed, to be assessed.

The fluidity of the concept of networking is why, for entry levels, I can't advise you to put them in the same pedestal. For seniors with experience, overtime relationships become stronger and more demonstrably certain to be a surer odd compared to grades. Not for entry levels.

4. Networks are things you can build progressively in your career. Grades aren't. Grades speak to your value to the work, networking only gives you a leverageable hold on getting the job in the first place. Employers look for your value in the firm or organisation.

This is why when it comes down to choosing you over tonnes of other qualified people, what would count is anything that demonstrates your competence. Grades or skills, internships and all. Anything you've shown. Networking ends really fast in the process...

Except the connection involves strong familial sentiments that will make them overlook your competence. Can I advise everyone to hold onto this? No.

Not every one can have that much strong a network for entry levels. Consolidate then, what you can control and utilize.

5. Good grades can even easily give you the networks. Partners, top Managers are more willing to even relate with or assist people with top grades. Networking does not do this to your grades nor does it speak to your competence to handle the job. People identify with potentials.

Because grades can influence networking and the converse is impossible, it only tells you which is more important. I have benefited from this too much to know where the strength is.

The truth is, with grades you're more likely to even sit with people who have these connections.

Till you die, you'll keep building networks. Good grades are things you either have or don't. It's for a lifetime. When you have grades and wish you had the network, you can ultimately get the network.when you have the network with no grades to form a bedrock for you, it's harder

6. There are international positions you can apply them solely on the strength of your grades. You don't get that help with mere networking, for entry levels. There are schools abroad you would want to apply to, without certain classes of grades, it's impossible.

But networking, being progressively unending and pliant, will always grow.

So, chase grades. Don't refuse to seize an opportunity to build friendships and network but don't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. Face grades first.

So I'll advise finally, entry level, take grades and skill acquisition seriously. Let the others like networking play second fiddle. For middle levels, experiences and networking would project farther. Don't dull it people.

In school, make grades like your life depends on them

Make as much networks as you can. You may be fortunate to have a good sway with both. Some will triumph with the networking only but understand you may not make this select, nearly unpredictable few. Unless you have hardcore connections.

For people above entry levels, with work experiences and networking, any job can be landed. I agree. But the line between entry levels and this level of leverageable strength is not mere hairsplitting.

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