Place of Primary Assignment...

Hello lovelies!

I sincerely apologize for not updating in a little bit - I seem to apologize with every post lately. I'll tell you who to blame when I finally post what I really wanted to. But since I'm tired of waiting for my friend (using the word 'friend' loosely here until he gives me what I want), I'll go ahead and give a little more insight into NYSC. I realize that the 2012 Batch A corpers are getting ready for Orientation Camp starting next week, February 6th. I'll go over getting your Primary Assignment and Community Development Service sorted out, so you have the information before you start camp.

PPA - Place of Primary Assignment

This is the second phase of your NYSC year. After three weeks of orientation camp, corpers are supposed to spend the next 11 months gaining work experience at their respective places of primary assignment. Now, seeing as us aje-butters would rather not get stuck teaching or working in some random office, what you should do is

• Secure a couple of companies that will guarantee you a position if NYSC does post you there
• Get a letter from your company of choice stating your NYSC Call Up Number (not sure if your State Code is needed as well) and saying that they are looking for corpers and want someone with your educational background to serve with them
• Ensure that the position you're aiming for has something to do with your first degree - For whatever reason, NYSC officials say that what matters in posting you to a company is your first degree. They basically told me to shove my MBA where the sun don't shine *rolling eyes*

In my experience, the way things worked were - corpers could get request letters from companies that they wanted to work for, submit them to NYSC; in turn NYSC officials would get you an official posting letter to that company. Now, I must warn you, 

• it is not enough to simply get a request letter from the company you want
• neither is it enough to get even the official posting letter from NYSC

Why do I say this? Because NYSC can post you to your father's company, and if your father has decided he doesn't want you working for him, then you'll get a rejection letter and have to start scrambling to look for another potential place of primary assignment. I saw more than enough people rejoice over getting posting letters to oil companies and banks, only to be rejected by those companies because they didn't have someone on the inside helping them out. We got out of camp in December, it's almost March now and there are still some corpers who have not found a place of primary assignment that will give them an acceptance letter. 

What really saddens me about this whole thing is that back in my parents' days, they literally had multiple offers and options from different companies and government ministries. They could sit back, relax, and go with the highest bidders. And now, most corpers are scrambling and getting stuck performing the most mundane tasks in offices that don't want them! Only God can help this country, f'real.

Back to the PPA process... you collect your posting letter on the last day of orientation camp. The rule is that as you leave the camp grounds, you should head straight to your PPA to submit your posting letter. The earlier the better, because some companies processes are longer and can take up to a month to finalize. Some companies will ask you to go for medical tests; some will interview you; some will administer aptitude tests, etc. If all goes well, you will receive an acceptance letter, which you should make a few photocopies of (also make photocopies of your posting letter as well).

When you receive an acceptance or rejection letter, you're supposed to report to your LGI (Local Government Inspector's) office to either register there or ask for a new posting letter. At this juncture, you will realize that the stress of camp DOES NOT end in camp. It continues for the next 11 months, once a week. Mentally prepare yourself for the coming year.

*I have a nice PPA, thank God. However, it almost didn't happen cos the lady in charge of giving out acceptance letters got ticked off at me because she said I didn't personally call to thank her for her efforts in getting me in. I had to swallow my tongue and craft a very lovely apologetic text to her after she hung up on me - she really did hang up on me (Nigerians and the rampant bad attitude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Word to the wise - now's another time to put your 'sucking up' skills into practice.*

I think I've sufficiently covered this portion of NYSC. Oh, I must mention that some states (e.g. Rivers) make ALL corpers teach... I'm just letting you know, in case you were thinking of serving there.

Gotta run. I have CD tomorrow