Education is important in our society, at the forefront of any campaign it seems the words – stay in school, get an education – have been etched in. Why not though? Education is important and we should take it seriously. After all it is the one thing that can never be taken away from you; it is, at your very core one of the main things that define who you are. With all that branded in our minds we study hard, we work for the highest academic honors known, but no one truly explains what happens when you have all the education and qualifications.

I have a Masters degree in New Media and Journalism and I am yet to find a permanent paying job as a new media journalist, or a journalist in general. As an undergraduate student I worked hard, I was member of the university newspaper, eventually heading it at the height of my postgraduate education. All this I did hoping it would prepare and hopefully give me an edge in the job market; so far it doesn’t seem to have worked. I am not the only one though, there are others out there sitting just like me wondering if their education has been a waste of time. Every time I apply for a job I am told I am without experience, each time I am itching to bellow at the top of my lungs: “OF COURSE I DON’T, I HAVE SPENT THE LAST SEVEN YEARS GETTING A VARSITY EDUCATION!” I have a Masters degree (which simply put means I have mastered my field); I have been taught by academics and industry professionals, what more do you want of me? I find this to be a fair question, as a graduate in Africa or perhaps the world in general. What is it exactly do you, as an employer want of me?

As a result of the situation, most people with four year degrees find themselves doing one year diplomas in education, because it is easier to get into teaching. Most of these people go overseas in search of jobs because it seems jobs are more readily available outside the shores of Africa. The choice to leave the continent seems to become an obvious one, as it seems to have worked for so many people who were in the same situation. Africa has become the place to avoid as a  graduate, when it should be the place to run to for all the opportunities.

I do not say these things lightly, I have been searching for a journalism job since I began my Masters three years ago, and now I not only have a Masters but I am in the first stages of my Doctoral studies, and yet I have not found a permanent journalism job. I am now falling into academia because I am out of options since no one wants to pay me to do what I love and I am qualified to do.  Graduates are forced to figure out ways to make money to pay the bills as well as payback their student loans. People end up au-pairing or they end up studying some more because anything is better than sitting idle. Graduate recruitment programmes are not a hundred percent helpful because at the end of the day employers are not always willing to take risks with young innovative people.  If I am innovative enough to send you a three-page email about my potential within your organisation explaining how hiring me can benefit you, when you haven’t advertised a position, meeting me should be at least be of interest to you as an employer, no?

For now I am just going to search for more jobs, while I work on my PhD proposal.

Michelle is just one of many graduates experiencing various issues finding employment across Africa. Have your say, what steps do you feel need to be taken to ensure that Africa retains its talent?

Guest post written by Michelle Atagana. You can read Michelle’s blog at http://todaytrip.blogspot.com/

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 3:00 am and is filed under Career Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.