Between MACOSA and the job market
By Ukana Omon
Ask any
self-respecting student of mass communication, what they intend to do with
themselves in the near future, and you will be harassed with a rainbow of juicy
careers options: On-Air Personality (OAP), Public Relations Consultant,
Advertising Executive, Public Speaker, and all that. But ask them what they are
doing about it and they will tell you they are busy getting a degree. Great.
But having spent four years (well five, if you add all the months sacrificed to
ASUU strikes) in the Department of Mass Communication, I have come to conclude
that ultimately, the will to succeed (not the certificate) is the sincerest
value of a good education.
I reached this decision recently when I visited Obudu LGA to report on Governor Ben Ayade’s thanksgiving mass. The mass was scheduled for Sunday, but we (some members of the Crosswire team and I) arrived on Saturday as we had some other business to take care of, and also because we needed to be there in time for the mass on Sunday morning.
In any case, we booked to stay at a hotel in Ogoja since the ones in Obudu were fully booked. Getting to the hotel, I realised I had not carried a toothbrush, and that we needed to get beverages for breakfast the following day. Since that was a Sunday and shops in Ogoja do not open for business on Sunday mornings, we decided to go to town that night.
In the process we encountered an alumnus of MACOSA at a busy junction. He was of the 2007 set, graduating class of 2011. My colleague with whom he was familiar made small talk with him while I combed the shops looking for a toothbrush and beverages.
Much later, my colleague would tell me that the other fellow, having completed the NYSC programme two years back, was at the village waiting for employment. I was shocked. Why would he waste his youth in the village in the name of waiting for employment? I wondered. I was also disappointed because this fellow belonged to the group of students (class of 2011) for whom I had the utmost respect as a freshman. Apart from them being my seniors, members of that class were known for their industry and mature conduct.
My colleague added that the said fellow was in awe of him, and had wondered how my colleague was able to have so much going for him even though he was hardly a graduate. It was unfortunate, but also instructive. You see, my colleague and I have just graduated all right, but we haven’t yet served in the NYSC, neither do we possess a statement of result from the university affirming that we qualify to be called graduates of CRUTECH, but I can say that we have more corporate work experience than that fellow and others like him who choose to overestimate the value of their first degree.
Now, I have not said that to smear anybody’s image, or to draw undue attention to my modest resume, but to charge you to vacate your comfort zone.
I’ll tell you another story. I recently had the pleasure of meeting a veteran journalist, Mr Anietie Ben Akpan of the Guardian newspaper. He has over 27 years experience as a journalist and media consultant under his belt and was surprised to learn that I had studied mass communication in CRUTECH. … He went on to say that over time, vacancies for young reporters would pop up at the Centre, but they would search in vain for a graduate of mass communication to fill the role. … . His impression therefore about CRUTECH mass communication students and graduates was that they were not interested in practicing, or that they simply had a phobia for the Press Centre.
The problem with MACOSA
From my own observations, many ‘Macosites’ do not understand and could not be bothered to understand the field of Mass Communication. They think it is a generic alternative to any other art or social science programme they failed to study. Some are still in spasms over the excitement of being an undergrad. These ones are just OK being students. Some others see mass comm. as a gate pass to the film and music industries, or to enrol in one arm-bearing force or the other. I do not begrudge them. To each, his own is beautiful.
Still there are those who desire to make a career in journalism, public relations, advertising or broadcasting.... I congratulate them. But I think that four years is a heck of a long time for anybody to spend playing student; a heck of a long time to lean against the balcony of the department chatting for hours on end. A heck of a long time to spend on your books alone. Yup.
Let’s face it, most ‘Macosites’ have become so certificate-minded that they can do almost anything to get better grades so that they can leave with something ‘decent’, say a 2.1. That’s all good, but here’s a harsh truth: certificates do not matter anymore like they once did. Why? Because there are too many counterfeit graduates in the job market today. As a matter of fact, the best your certificate can do for you is to get you an interview, but to get a good job today, you have to prove yourself worthy. Funny enough, I know several people who got jobs even without being asked do to present a certificate. I am one.
Another problem with MACOSA, I think, is the Association itself. It is unnecessarily political. If there is one department where Association executives ought to be dynamic and professional in disposition, it is MACOSA.
I reached this decision recently when I visited Obudu LGA to report on Governor Ben Ayade’s thanksgiving mass. The mass was scheduled for Sunday, but we (some members of the Crosswire team and I) arrived on Saturday as we had some other business to take care of, and also because we needed to be there in time for the mass on Sunday morning.
In any case, we booked to stay at a hotel in Ogoja since the ones in Obudu were fully booked. Getting to the hotel, I realised I had not carried a toothbrush, and that we needed to get beverages for breakfast the following day. Since that was a Sunday and shops in Ogoja do not open for business on Sunday mornings, we decided to go to town that night.
In the process we encountered an alumnus of MACOSA at a busy junction. He was of the 2007 set, graduating class of 2011. My colleague with whom he was familiar made small talk with him while I combed the shops looking for a toothbrush and beverages.
Much later, my colleague would tell me that the other fellow, having completed the NYSC programme two years back, was at the village waiting for employment. I was shocked. Why would he waste his youth in the village in the name of waiting for employment? I wondered. I was also disappointed because this fellow belonged to the group of students (class of 2011) for whom I had the utmost respect as a freshman. Apart from them being my seniors, members of that class were known for their industry and mature conduct.
My colleague added that the said fellow was in awe of him, and had wondered how my colleague was able to have so much going for him even though he was hardly a graduate. It was unfortunate, but also instructive. You see, my colleague and I have just graduated all right, but we haven’t yet served in the NYSC, neither do we possess a statement of result from the university affirming that we qualify to be called graduates of CRUTECH, but I can say that we have more corporate work experience than that fellow and others like him who choose to overestimate the value of their first degree.
Now, I have not said that to smear anybody’s image, or to draw undue attention to my modest resume, but to charge you to vacate your comfort zone.
I’ll tell you another story. I recently had the pleasure of meeting a veteran journalist, Mr Anietie Ben Akpan of the Guardian newspaper. He has over 27 years experience as a journalist and media consultant under his belt and was surprised to learn that I had studied mass communication in CRUTECH. … He went on to say that over time, vacancies for young reporters would pop up at the Centre, but they would search in vain for a graduate of mass communication to fill the role. … . His impression therefore about CRUTECH mass communication students and graduates was that they were not interested in practicing, or that they simply had a phobia for the Press Centre.
The problem with MACOSA
From my own observations, many ‘Macosites’ do not understand and could not be bothered to understand the field of Mass Communication. They think it is a generic alternative to any other art or social science programme they failed to study. Some are still in spasms over the excitement of being an undergrad. These ones are just OK being students. Some others see mass comm. as a gate pass to the film and music industries, or to enrol in one arm-bearing force or the other. I do not begrudge them. To each, his own is beautiful.
Still there are those who desire to make a career in journalism, public relations, advertising or broadcasting.... I congratulate them. But I think that four years is a heck of a long time for anybody to spend playing student; a heck of a long time to lean against the balcony of the department chatting for hours on end. A heck of a long time to spend on your books alone. Yup.
Let’s face it, most ‘Macosites’ have become so certificate-minded that they can do almost anything to get better grades so that they can leave with something ‘decent’, say a 2.1. That’s all good, but here’s a harsh truth: certificates do not matter anymore like they once did. Why? Because there are too many counterfeit graduates in the job market today. As a matter of fact, the best your certificate can do for you is to get you an interview, but to get a good job today, you have to prove yourself worthy. Funny enough, I know several people who got jobs even without being asked do to present a certificate. I am one.
Another problem with MACOSA, I think, is the Association itself. It is unnecessarily political. If there is one department where Association executives ought to be dynamic and professional in disposition, it is MACOSA.
It has been said all
too often that Mass Communication is a practical field. But our ‘Presidos’ and
their assertive Exco members don’t seem to get it. It beats my imagination
hollow to this moment, why a school with a department of mass communication
cannot boast of an Association Of Campus Journalists, or NUCJ, as it is called.
No running publication besides a bulletin board (please, who sticks literature
on a board for mass readership in 2015 humanity? Who does that?)…
The apparent absence
of enthusiasm as shown by the status quo is quite alarming. We are this laid
back yet we scream blue murder when CRUTECH is ranked 90 among 100 Universities
in Nigeria.
No doubt, the Department of Mass Communication is blessed with dutiful faculty and administrative staff who seem to be doing their best in the circumstances, but make no mistake, dear student, you are ultimately responsible for your own learning. The quality of the education you get f of this department rests squarely on your shoulders. It is up to you to decide what kind of future you want to have, just like it is up to MACOSA, or FACOSA for that matter, to determine what kind of ambience the department should carry. The quality of your education will determine your attitude to success. Keep that in mind.
The job market.
The job market of today is a knife fight in a prison yard. Fierce. Hot. Ruthless. You either stab or get stabbed. Hardly any middle path. You are gifted, no doubt, but so is the next fellow. It is up to you to prove yourself worthy, it begs repeating.
While I may not be an expert on the job market, I do have a few… shall I say … tricks that have worked for me.
Practice. Practice like your life depends on it. The best time to practice is always. some paragraphs ago, I mentioned that mass communication is a practical field. That is still true. It takes 10, 000 hours of deliberate practice for a fellow to attain world class status, says Malcolm Gladwell, researcher, scholar, and Public Speaker. No doubt as a student it is impossible to log 10,000 hours of practice, but the idea is to practice with every opportunity you get, that way you take a bite out of the competition and increase your chance of being a favourite among employers.
Read. It is not for nothing that they say readers are leaders. Make a habit of consuming every literature you encounter. Be grounded in your field but read across the curriculum. Worst case scenario, you will be seen as a thought leader and therefore an asset to any organization.
Volunteer. At every opportunity, lend a helping hand to a good cause. In so doing you serve humanity, and also acquire bullets for your CV. A dear friend and classmate of mine is today an associate of a United Nations agency because of her background in volunteering and NGO work. … for those who are involved in the more demonstrative aspects of mass communications, such as journalism, broadcasting or advertising, it might be best if, as a student, you worked for free for some of the established names in town.
Share your work. Did you do a piece that was praised by someone knowledgeable on that topic? Share it with the public. Send it across to newspapers, magazines – both online and in print – radio stations, Facebook, Twitter, the whole gamut. But make sure to turn in, or post only your finest output. I don’t need to state why.
Keep healthy relationships. This is the best time to check that attitude, that rudeness, and all that snobbery. Most job opportunities are circulated via referrals. You do not want to offend the wrong person. Try to be civil, gracious, understanding, and sweet to all your course mates, you just never know. Of course, remember, too, to keep a good relationship with your maker. It gives you peace of mind.
In all, keep in mind that you can achieve anything, and that you can make the best of your education at the Department of Mass Communication. You are not here just to acquire a piece of paper after four years; you are here to be groomed to solve a problem for society. Armed with this awareness, I dare you to go sit down in your village and wait for employment.
No doubt, the Department of Mass Communication is blessed with dutiful faculty and administrative staff who seem to be doing their best in the circumstances, but make no mistake, dear student, you are ultimately responsible for your own learning. The quality of the education you get f of this department rests squarely on your shoulders. It is up to you to decide what kind of future you want to have, just like it is up to MACOSA, or FACOSA for that matter, to determine what kind of ambience the department should carry. The quality of your education will determine your attitude to success. Keep that in mind.
The job market.
The job market of today is a knife fight in a prison yard. Fierce. Hot. Ruthless. You either stab or get stabbed. Hardly any middle path. You are gifted, no doubt, but so is the next fellow. It is up to you to prove yourself worthy, it begs repeating.
While I may not be an expert on the job market, I do have a few… shall I say … tricks that have worked for me.
Practice. Practice like your life depends on it. The best time to practice is always. some paragraphs ago, I mentioned that mass communication is a practical field. That is still true. It takes 10, 000 hours of deliberate practice for a fellow to attain world class status, says Malcolm Gladwell, researcher, scholar, and Public Speaker. No doubt as a student it is impossible to log 10,000 hours of practice, but the idea is to practice with every opportunity you get, that way you take a bite out of the competition and increase your chance of being a favourite among employers.
Read. It is not for nothing that they say readers are leaders. Make a habit of consuming every literature you encounter. Be grounded in your field but read across the curriculum. Worst case scenario, you will be seen as a thought leader and therefore an asset to any organization.
Volunteer. At every opportunity, lend a helping hand to a good cause. In so doing you serve humanity, and also acquire bullets for your CV. A dear friend and classmate of mine is today an associate of a United Nations agency because of her background in volunteering and NGO work. … for those who are involved in the more demonstrative aspects of mass communications, such as journalism, broadcasting or advertising, it might be best if, as a student, you worked for free for some of the established names in town.
Share your work. Did you do a piece that was praised by someone knowledgeable on that topic? Share it with the public. Send it across to newspapers, magazines – both online and in print – radio stations, Facebook, Twitter, the whole gamut. But make sure to turn in, or post only your finest output. I don’t need to state why.
Keep healthy relationships. This is the best time to check that attitude, that rudeness, and all that snobbery. Most job opportunities are circulated via referrals. You do not want to offend the wrong person. Try to be civil, gracious, understanding, and sweet to all your course mates, you just never know. Of course, remember, too, to keep a good relationship with your maker. It gives you peace of mind.
In all, keep in mind that you can achieve anything, and that you can make the best of your education at the Department of Mass Communication. You are not here just to acquire a piece of paper after four years; you are here to be groomed to solve a problem for society. Armed with this awareness, I dare you to go sit down in your village and wait for employment.
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