Why first class students fail job interviews- Don

By Monsuru Olowoopejo

The University of Lagos, UNILAG, its counterpart, Lagos

State University, LASU, and other tertiary institutions

across the country churn out graduates annually, but a

larger percentage of these graduates will not get jobs

not because Nigeria's economy is bad, rather because

they lack 'soft skills'. Dr. Olusoji George,, recruitment

expert for multinational companies, disclosed to

Vanguard in an interview ahead of the training for

UNILAG students, that Nigerian graduates lack the final

touch needed by multinational companies to hand them

employment.

George noted that the students could not be blamed for

not having these skills, saying "it is not in the curriculum

introduced by the Nigerian University Commission, NUC

and, hence, the universities will not teach the

students. "What is in the curriculum introduced by NUC

and adopted by each university were hard skills, that is,

reading the theories and others and not the soft skills

needed to win the hearts of multinational companies.

"Any child sent abroad to study gets the best job on his

return to Nigeria. It is not because they are more brilliant

than those who studied in the country. But they possess

the soft skills needed by these companies.This creates

an unlevel playing field. "It is sad that after four years of

intensive studies in school, a student cannot get a job. It

is pathetic that not all parents can afford the huge fund

required to send their child abroad to study," he added.

George who is also a senior partner/Chief Executive

Officer, J.Soji-George, explained that soft skills are

interpersonal relationship etiquettes that if exhibited,

endears any job seeker to anyone recruiting for

companies, Some of the etiquettes, he said were "how

to answer questions during job interviews, what to wear

and not, how they must sit especially for ladies and

others. Don't forget, you will not find this in the

curriculum."

In abid to assist students in Nigeria, George stated that

his organisation, Foundation for leadership and Education

Development and ESSO Mobile Nigeria, will be training

110 students in first and Second Class upper category

from faculty of Business Administration, UNILAG on Soft

skills. His words, "we would have loved to handle all the

students but the funds is not available. For instance, to

train all graduating students in UNILAG on soft skill, it will

require over N20 million for the exercise. And each

faculty requires different soft skills which requires expert

to coach them on it.

"That is why corporate bodies are needed to assist in

training these graduating students especially the

indigents ones. With this training, they will be useful not

only to the society but themselves. This training is

expected to make Nigerian graduates employable."