Securing, sustaining jobs after school: HIMS arms final-year students with life skills for the job market.

Industry professionals in different domains coached the students on Saturday February 1. This was during the 2025 edition of the HIMS Leadership Academy.

Marking the day under the theme: “Excellence beyond the classroom”, the industry professionals coached the students on how to search for jobs online and offline and how to leverage the knowledge gained at the institution to become full-time professionals ready for the job market.

The HIMS Leadership Academy is an annual affair in the institution that aims to bridge the gap between the theory gained in class and the realities of the job market in the 21st century. 

The keynote speakers focused their deliberations on helping the students with job-searching techniques and how to navigate the professional world as young people.

Addressing students during the eight-hour session, the Entrepreneurship Development Coach at HIMS, Doris Ngum, said the leadership academy falls in line with the institution’s drive to mould professionals who are not just academically sound but are ready for the job market.

The motivation behind such an activity, Ngum said, was to ensure students fully understand what they are studying and the opportunities available, thus the need for such a platform.

“Today students study from Bachelor's degree to Master’s degree levels without even understanding what they want or their career path, thus the need for this yearly opportunity,” Ngum said. 

“…we call HIMS the school of life because we aim to prepare them for life after graduation with soft skills that can bridge the gap between them leaving school and standing out with the competition for jobs,” she added.

On her part, Sahfua Asamaou Nyianchi, Founder of Your Career Companion and one of the guest speakers, expressed her satisfaction with educating students on the complexities of the job market in Cameroon.

She hammered on the need for the student to get employability skills like networking, communication, and interpersonal relationships, which, she said, were necessary skills for young people to get jobs and sustain them. 

“…soft skills are crucial in ensuring job seekers can stay motivated in difficult times,” she added.

Students urged to identify their career paths

She also encouraged the final-year students to identify their career paths and develop their skills to meet them through reading, learning and other platforms like networking and company profiles to follow such paths.

To Njibaloh Nji Samuel, another guest speaker, the students should pick their passion and be obsessed with, which will push them to fulfil their dreams. 

“…many of them fear and lack knowledge of the opportunities and challenges in the job market, so they must add other skills to the ones they learn in school to differentiate themselves from the numerous students who graduate every year,” Njibaloh said.

Wung Kwe Alexis, an alumnus of the institution, said his mission was to help them polish soft skills like time management, assiduity, integrity, communication and competence with the knowledge gained in class to become better professionals.

Reacting to the press after the session, most of the students expressed satisfaction with the knowledge and opportunities gained. 

Ojage Salathiel, a final-year student, said he learnt job search skills, structuring a CV, resume writing, networking and classifying successes and failures to be able to make good choices concerning my studies and career. 

On her part, Nguemouo Merveille, another student, said he had learnt how to be a good leader and other vital skills needed in the job market. The knowledge, the students said, will help them as they prepare to enter the job market soon as professionals

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3359 of Tuesday February 04, 2025