If you’re reading this, you’re probably a new graduate who is ready to explore the next phase of life. The compulsory one-year service which is popularly known as NYSC is a good place to get started. Your NYSC year, if planned out properly, can give you a soft landing into the Nigerian corporate world and set you up for long-term success.
It all starts with a single decision to make the most out of your NYSC year and that decision starts with searching for a good Primary Place of Assignment (PPA). The search for your PPA is more effective when it’s started before going to camp where you’ll be required to present request letters. The purpose of submitting a request letter in your orientation camp is to avoid NYSC posting you to any random organization they can think of. A request letter allows you to control the potential outcome of your NYSC year.
How To Find A Good PPA
This process isn’t as difficult as people make it seem. It just depends on the determination of the person who wants to know. Here’s how:
- Reach out to your personal contacts: All you need to do is put the word out. They do not necessarily need to have “connection” in those places, simply providing you with a name is good enough. Say you’re interested in Digital Marketing, ask your personal contacts if they know marketing agencies that accept corpers. If they provide you with names, search for their websites and copy their email for hiring purposes. If you have more time on your hands, find the company on LinkedIn, go through their employee list, select at least 3 people who occupy roles that are similar to what you’re interested in and send them a formal message asking if their organization is hiring interns. If yes, ask if they’ll be willing to recommend you.
- Send out a well-crafted email: Your email should look like this:
Request for NYSC Internship
Dear Hiring Manager,
My name is XYZ and I am an intending NYSC corp Member. As per the nation’s norms regarding the National Youth Service program (NYSC), it is mandatory for me to complete a 1-year internship in an area related to my discipline. Through this letter, I would request you let me join your prestigious organization for an internship as XYZ. I am interested in the outstanding achievements that XYZ company has recorded across the country and I believe that it would be the best place for my service year. As a skilled XYZ with XYZ skills and a degree in XYZ, I believe that I can bring valuable contributions to your team.
Formerly in my role as an XYZ at XYZ company, my successes stemmed from essential skills, including (include your skill set), article writing, business storytelling, researching and time management. I orchestrated daily social media content that was tailored to convey the brand’s tone and voice in order to appeal to its target audience and I wrote weekly newsletter content that generated a 39% increase in website traffic and a 60% increase in social media engagement in 4 months. As these figures display, I am a collaborative team player who is always searching for opportunities to impart valuable insights.
I am looking forward to meeting with you to discuss the different ways my qualifications can benefit your company. Kindly, consider my application for the internship as I’ll be hoping to hear back.
