Impact Of Good Academic Grades And Personal Qualities On Labour Market Success

GOOD ACADEMIC GRADES AND PERSONAL QUALITIES: "KEY DETERMINANTS OF LABOUR MARKET SUCCESS."

It is so good that you have taken this audacious step! I mean, making the decision to take your education to tertiary level and even beyond. Getting this far was not easy, I know. No doubt, you have endured many rainy and sunny days. You have gone through the bustle and hassle of elementary education, basic education, secondary education; and you have even done various examinations that range from WASSCE, NECO, UTME and post UTME.

Now, here you are! An undergraduate hoping to be a graduate in the nearest few years; serves his father land, and land a ‘very well paying job’ for himself. Good, you have envisioned well! But, truth be told; all these may possibly remain a mirage, or might I simply say ‘fantasy’, if you fail to strive for good grades and work on your personal qualities and traits.
You need not be told that this country has become so fiercely competitive that only those who possess the prerequisites are making head way and getting to the peak. As a student, graduate to be, and a potential job seeker, the prerequisites to becoming successful in the corporate world are your good academic grade and personal qualities.

The growth of this country’s population has become so exponential that we now find it hard to balance our needs with resources. By implication, Jobs that were always readily available for graduates in the 70s and 80s, have become so scarce that companies now take different stringent measures to streamline the number of applicants that can apply for their openings. One of such measures is setting ‘minimum academic grade’.

Except and unless you are not interested in working under anyone; if you do, I sincerely urge you to strive for good grades in your academics. Although, a high academic grade is not an ‘end’ in itself, but it is sure a very good ‘means to an end’. A good academic grade gives you an identity and recognition. It endears you to employers and carves attention to you. Good academic grade gives you competitive edge and you will need not be disturbed by minimum grades set by employers. However, all that said, I need to sincerely tell you that getting good grades takes sheer hard work and self-discipline. It takes perseverance and self-determination. You must be ready to pay the price and give all it takes. You need to set the goal and ensure that you diligently work towards it.

Now, after your good grade has gotten you those appointments for interview, the next thing that could either make or mar you in the journey of landing a good job are your personal skills and qualities. It is good that you have good academic grade! But, beyond that, the employers want to see what you are bringing to table. They want to see your demeanor, communication prowess – the usage of the queen’s language, your analytical skill, your professional etiquette, among others. Every employee of an organization is presumed to be a brand representative of that organization. Hence, no ‘image conscious’ organization would be willing to have a mediocre has its representative.

In conclusion, evaluate yourself today and try to figure out those personal traits, if any, that can mar your success and try to do away with them. That might require that you stop some of the things you currently do or even avoid some of your friends. You need to try as much as possible to cultivate those excellent qualities and also try to put-in for skills that you know would place you in a better position in the labor market.

I pray that we will all get to the mountain top after our sojourn in our various campuses.


Beautiful day to you all.