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The undergraduate journey does not necessarily follow one imagined direction. A student of Industrial Design may develop an interest in creative content development and take up jobs in public relations for a career. While the university expected that students, early in their undergraduate journey, learn new skills and review their work progress, employers expect students to be equipped with the necessary skills and attitude to be ready to enter a career while they build work experience with corporate organizations evident in their student’s portfolios. Students’ portfolios are not expected to be fully polished as per work experience. What an employer is interested in at the level of graduation is potential and not work experiences. Having a student’s portfolio will help to showcase the journey that an applicant has been on, from having initial ideas to creating something. Students’ portfolios should make sense in the context of a journey that one has undertaken so far. Because the university is designed to help students develop specific skills towards an area of specialization, it will not give a full understanding of that skill because the potential to learn new skills are inborn in the students’ mind. It’s therefore important for students to look around and understand the work that is socially relevant to their discipline early in their academics. For example, Students looking to further careers in areas like Arts, Creative Content Development, Graphics Designs, Website Development, Software Engineering, Architecture, Digital and Social Media Analyst etc. should be able to build a portfolio for employers and potential partners to see in terms of presentation – a process of revealing oneself as a practitioner. Portfolios are important documents in one’s life and has helped many people reach the desired outcome. One of the importance of including the range of works that you have done is to show that you are open-minded and that your practice is evolving. Hence, it becomes important for every student to start building their portfolios early, even if they are not happy about their achievements in school. A simple student’s portfolio should include everything, from their involvement at the start of their academic journey – the thought process such as honours, awards, academic accomplishments, completed tasks, artworks, lab reports, volunteer activities and physical projects. In light of the above, Skyline University Nigeria is playing a vital role in helping students identify criteria for selecting and creating portfolios. This role will enable them to learn how to combine achievements and commentary in their portfolio to craft an effective argument or statement about their learning and to develop in them the ability to describe specific features of their areas of specialization.

Dear Future Alumni, The Alumni Association of Skyline University Nigeria (SUN), through the Students service department/future alumni relations office, via the flag or Programmemes of your study, will host various Programmemes to ensure strong relations with and among alumni. Among these Programmemes, you will find the annual reunion already being highlighted in the University’s plan. Earlier in the year 2018, the commencement of academic journey at Skyline University Nigeria came to the limelight, anchored on a tripod – knowledge, skills and value-based education. In the year 2022, the University is expected to graduate her first set, hence the introduction and commencement of the alumni Programmemes for the institution’s graduates. The word ‘alumni’ for an imminent graduate is usually considered with a lot of questions. Questions relating to the alumni association of graduates, former students, or the importance and benefits of becoming an alumnus. In Nigeria and elsewhere in the world, alumni of universities, colleges, secondary, and clubs, often form groups with alumni from the same organization or institution. Because Skyline University Nigeria is in its fifth year, of celebrating academic excellence, there is a need to share some prospects of becoming alumni. The Skyline Experience means much more than your years on campus. It is just as exciting, inspiring and enriching after graduation, and the connection lasts a lifetime. Upon your graduation, all undergraduate and graduate students will automatically become members of the Alumni Association of Skyline University Nigeria. The benefits of this association are so many and there are no dues payable at becoming a member. One of the benefits you will enjoy upon membership is the automatic incorporation into the career network of Skyline University Nigeria. Powered by the University’s Corporate Affairs Department, the career network will serve as a career contact and can be a resource to alumni who are interested in learning more about the workplace industry, current job openings, businesses, consulting and career paths. It will also feature students who have volunteered to assist each other through career advice and networking. Whether you are an experienced professional or a recent graduate, you will find this association to be a rewarding way to connect. There will be almost 100 discussion groups online for you to join. This platform will provide an online forum in which alumni can communicate with each other on a variety of different topics including classes, regions, professions, businesses, marriage, religion, and clubs amongst other interests.

College life is full of distractions. Apart from the people in your space, who will distract you from achieving your dreams, the University can quickly become overwhelming when you’re trying to maintain a good grade. Amidst these distractions, there are plenty of ways students can take to leap toward achieving their careers. Below are things to consider to get into the game. Take a look at where your passion lies Your passions could be in a lot of different places. The gym? The office? The campus? Family? The computer? The television? A business? Entrepreneurship, etc. Whatever it is, People tend to act upon those things that have meaning to them. The more urgent a particular cause is to you, the more likely you are to act upon it. Prioritize Your selected passion After the selection process, write down the things that are most important to you and then rank them by order of passion. The things that matter most to you are likely your passions and will provide clues to your career purpose. You have to make sure that all aspects of your selected interest appeal to you. In order to do this, you need to really think about what your dream job would be. Is it to become self-employed? To have a particular job title? A healthy work-life balance or a decent business? Make a comparison and consider other factors Compare your career options against your list of prioritized skills. You should consider factors beyond personal preferences. What is the current demand for this field? If the demand is low or entry is difficult, are you comfortable with the risk? What qualifications are required to enter the field? Will it require additional education or training? How will selecting this option affect you and others in your life? Gather advice from friends, colleagues, and family members, then consider potential outcomes and barriers for each of your final options. Make a choice and set smart goals How many paths you choose depends upon your situation and comfort level. If you’re early in your planning, then identifying multiple options may be best. You may want several paths to increase the number of potential opportunities. Conversely, narrowing to one or two options may better focus your job search after graduating from the university. For example, it will be better to have a wider experience in content development and general knowledge of graphics design than to have general knowledge of almost anything you can find. Have an action plan Now that you’ve identified your career options, develop an action plan to implement this decision. Identify specific, time-bound goals and steps to accomplish your plan. Set short-term goals (to be achieved in one year or less) and long-term goals (to be achieved in one to five years). Make sure the goal is specific, and measurable with clear criteria to determine progress and accomplishment. Finally, it is important to be realistic about expectations and timelines. Write down specific action steps to take to achieve your goals and help yourself stay organized. Check them off as you complete them, but feel free to amend your career action plan as needed because your goals and priorities may change.

It’s a common phrase that you become like those with whom you hang out the greatest. That is, if you continue to hang out with smart people who make important decisions, it will ultimately affect how things will turn out for you. While networking remained the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts, an Introduction to student networking will help you form relationships with those who’ll help get you to where you want to go. The sooner you start networking, the better your chances are of greater professional connections with someone who may help you land that dream job in post-graduate years. Here are four undergraduate networking tips to help you begin: Use your everyday routine to build networking Students’ engagement with professors and course mates is an everyday routine at the university and can be some of your most valuable assets when it comes to job hunting in the future. Build this into networking. Professors, for example, may offer valuable industry insight and advice to students who may land a good job tomorrow. Such students in turn may share professors with links to job openings for promising students who could take up the role. Be involved in campus activities People usually ignore the importance of getting involved with on-campus activities, particularly how it relates to networking. Getting involved in campus activities such as student clubs, signing up for a campus blog/newsletter, or volunteering in community services is a sure way to make new friends and perhaps beef up your network. Your campus has a career center, take advantage of it University career centers can become an interesting place to network. Typically, you will find open internship opportunities, learn about upcoming volunteer jobs, get free career advice, get a tip on how to build an online presence/network, etc. Student representatives usually have a relationship with the career center officer, you can get to know them, have conversations, share your career visions and receive free consulting about what is trending in the industry. Develop an online presence and maintain your network The idea of social media for most undergraduates carries a feeling of distraction from studies. However, you can leverage social media via platforms like LinkedIn, or tweeter, depending on your chosen industry. Your university might even have an alumni group on Facebook. Alumni are fond of posting job openings within their company and if you are sure you qualify for the job, you can reach out to the one who posted the job opening. Finally, just like other jobs, networking is hard work and will need to be maintained through positive relationships. When you meet people with similar interests, it’s important to maintain that connection afterword. A simple email will indicate that you value the time spent talking with them.

Long vacations in every higher institution of learning fall towards the end of the second semester (spring). During the holidays, the slum hits, summer boredom takes over and many students find themselves in a rut, not knowing what to do. It feels like you have way too much time on your hands but you’re not doing much with it? Here’s how you can get yourself out of that slump. Be thankful We understand that you might have had some killer moments when you wish you were in school, taking the long hours, but be thankful you don’t have to return to the university this weekend. There aren’t too many times in life where people get a one-two month holiday from work and you may never get it back after your graduation. At the university you’ll get at least three – so, make the most of it. Take some time out to learn something new You should try to strike a balance and take time out to learn something that you have always wanted to. It can be linked to your curriculum or it can be something like playing the guitar or learning a new career skill. If you want to enhance your skill, then you should take up a course in that line. There are plenty of tutorials available that can get you started. A break of 2 – 3 months will be sufficient to learn confidently. Start small with basic Programmes? Avoid getting hit by holiday boredom If you are already feeling the semester break boredom, chances are, you haven’t been making the most of your break as mentioned above. You may decide to go see a movie, but if you’re stuck in a watching cycle of one show after the other, that’s one way to get yourself into a rut. After a long academic year, you’re very much entitled to a couple of days where you don’t leave your house but don’t let that be your entire holiday break. Find the cause of your rut/slump Address the problem head-on. If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, it might be time to change your everyday habits. Change up your routine and try fitting in something you love every day. If you’re feeling a bit lost without the structure of university life, add some organization and activities to your days off. Don’t let summer boredom take over – make the most of your break now before you’re back into the full swing of campus activities. Enjoy your holidays!

You have undoubtedly worked hard to submit your university application and passed your JAMB as well as your post-UTME examinations. It’s been a while now since you’ve been waiting for an admission list. For the next few weeks, you may have the anxiety of waiting as matriculation/orientation time gets closer. It’s a dream you’ve had for a while and you’re finally closer to making it happen. It may seem like an easy process making the admission list but you’ve put in so much studying time and felt the stress of going through the examination process. It’s normal to feel a little nervous and stressed before you know your admission status. As the days go by, unlike your peers whose names were published on the first batch admissions list, you are yet to receive any news of possible admission. Your admission is being delayed. It’s easy to become an application-status stalker as you count down the days until you know if you are accepted or rejected. This waiting period can also be put to effective use. A little guidance about what to do can help you manage the situation. So until the university admission list is out with your names boldly written, here are some answers to what you can do differently. Inquire about your admissions status You should call the admissions office to double-check. Each year, you get people who applied for admissions when admissions are open but never followed through, even when a follow-up call has been made. Some candidates waited to call back after the admissions are already closed to ask if they have been admitted or rejected. Have a backup plan The university admissions process is a curious game filled with anxiety and unpredictable outcomes. Every year in Nigeria, thousands of students find themselves faced with the seemingly unthinkable: getting rejected from every school to which they have applied. You shouldn’t wait to find yourself in this unfortunate situation after your university application. Have a second and third option for your admission. You can also see if a private university is open to an appeal process, or seek out universities with late and/or open admissions. Get your mind engaged in productive activities & pray While waiting for admissions, there are other productive activities you can do to keep a positive spirit. Jobs not only bring in extra money, but they also teach you important lessons and give you experience for the future. Having a job can be extremely rewarding during the waiting period. You can also use the time to learn a new skill – using the internet or learning a new trade like sewing, baking, etc. You’ll feel more independent (and maybe a lot better while you wait for the admission to come through). Best of Luck!