*Photo: Participants at the Lagos Students Career Expo*
*Organisers and Volunteers*
As opportunities continue to arise from the evolving world of the new information technology (IT) age, students have been advised to take caution and follow their interests when making a career choice.
This admonition was given at a student-led event tagged Lagos Students Career Expo (LSCE).
Speaking at the maiden edition of the event held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) for students across higher institutions in the state, Muminah Salaam, one of the organisers and a 400-level Electronics and Computer Engineering student of the Lagos State University (LASU),
stressed the importance of mentorship to growing a career as a student.
She noted that students need to have access to vital resources and relevant information to secure their desired professional roles and make better career choices.
She said: “The reason we brought students together is that, personally I want to give many students like myself, access to career resources such as internships, entry-level positions that are kind of hard to get unless you have the connections. The event offers opportunities for theory and practical sessions, in the sense that students would interact with different company representatives on how they can secure internships and opportunities for them to grow.”
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education in the state, Tolani Akibu, who was represented by the Director of Infrastructural Planning and Development, Kikelomo Oduwole, said for students to become potential employees or entrepreneurs, they must continue to develop themselves and work towards their dreams.
Speaking on the theme ‘A 21st-century economy: the future we are building in Lagos State’, he urged for collaboration, noting that an initiative like this would help improve the quality of graduates in the state.
He tasked experts and captains of industries to identify areas of support for the students, adding that the state government is investing heavily in improving the quality of graduates through various initiatives.
While noting that the value of mentorship cannot be underestimated, he enjoined the students to seek career help as the only path to reach their goals.
“You must be able to take a position and work outside your comfort zone because your penchant to display multicultural competence should be part of your background,” Akibu said.
Equally, in her remarks, Software Engineer at Microsoft, Chisom Nwokwu, who spoke on ‘Building a tech career in the Africa ecosystem’, urged students to explore and build careers around technology space.
She noted that the tech space stood out among the professions in the world as a result of the emerging innovation which makes it an in-demand skill.
She urged students learning tech skills to build in public and make their progress known, noting that this would allow them to be easily attracted to employers.
“As a student, you don’t have to wait till you graduate before you have an active LinkedIn profile where you share your learning progress. This would give you as many opportunities as possible in the career,” she added.
She also advised students to build a web of networks even as students, saying this has assisted many professionals in where they are today.
Asides from the expertly delivered sessions, students also had the opportunity to interact with companies from different sectors. The Head of Sponsorships and Partnerships, Abdullah Mumuni, 400 level student of Computer Sciences at the University of Lagos brought onboard top companies like Ritefoods Limited, Lotus Bank, Semicolon Africa, Talent Poel, Ingressive for Good, Education USA, Piggyvest, Geneza school of Designs amongst other companies that were able to provide adequate clarity on career development questions the students had.
