After NYSC, you start looking for a job. Don’t you? Except you’re one of those who will start their businesses, your most likely first take is trying your luck in the labor market.
I personally recommend looking for a job, plus seeking business ideas together with post-graduate studies in my post, “After NYSC What Next? MSC, Jobs or Business (Self-Employment)”.
If you chase a job, your CV is your first office. Your curriculum vitae details among other things your work experiences, if any.
Unless you don’t know or pretend not to know, suitable work experiences give edges over competing colleagues while fighting for the next openings.
Having known that, will organizations recognize NYSC as a work experience. If you don’t have any work experience, apart from NYSC, should you put that up in your resume? And if you have more, should you include NYSC as well?
In this post, I will be opening your mind to a few things, at the same time answering the desiring question.
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Assignment Counts As a Work Experience
Going by the literary meaning of the working experience, this section of your CV gives an account of your practical or field knowledge, especially as related to the position you currently or presently seek.
And since NYSC and its period of participation engage you in a place of primary assignment, the experience is recognized as part of your CV.
Although Companies Prefer Work Experience Relevant To the Positions
It doesn’t even matter whether the work experience is from NYSC or otherwise, your prospective employers prefer past experiences in direct relation to the position you’re after.
You must have learned earlier that your CV doesn’t have to be static. A dynamic resume allows you to change (edit) content as suitable for the proposed organization or job.
For example, if your NYSC experience will be suitable for the proposed office, it’s better to be added as part of your CV as that’s one competitive advantage you’d worked for.
If it’s off the sought position, it may not matter, to the company, if you’re served and go the experience in the first place.
Even for any other working experience possible e.g IT, SIWES, it will only be better on your CV if it has potential advantages for your prospective employer.
Otherwise, it only increases the length of your CV.
NYSC Experience is Not The Same As NYSC Certificate where an organization requires NYSC discharged certificate for a position advertised, first you should include your NYSC experience in your resume. However, this is not replacing the certificate demanded.
Even where the NYSC experience is not relevant to the proposed job, including it in your CV will support the authenticity of your presented discharged certificate.
Conclusion
First, NYSC experience is recognized for most jobs. Yet, it’s going to matter more if that year was spent in a related organization, office, or position to your sought job/position.
However, whether it’s related or otherwise, nothing is wrong with including it in your CV. It’s up to your prospective employer to decide whether that counts for the job or otherwise.
