Popular Nigerian entrepreneur and the CEO of Hotels.ng, Mark Essien, recently explained why it is of uttermost importance for Nigerian technology firms to always avail young and inexperienced tech talents a chance.
Taking to his favourite social media — Twitter, Mr Essien stated that because the Nigerian tech industry in its infancy, it is is difficult to find a lot of experienced professionals in the field. For this reason, he advised that instead of always insisting on hiring only those with five years experience, tech companies should consider hiring those with little or no experience at all.
Unless this is done, a time will come when there will be no tech professionals with five years worth of working experience.
Nigerian Employers of Tech Talent: We are in the beginning stages of tech. That means there are few people with 5 years experience, many with 1 year experience. If you don't hire those with 1 year experience, in 5 years, there still won't be anyone with 5 years experience.
— Mark Essien (@markessien) May 23, 2019
Rome wasn’t built in a day: The entrepreneur is right to have advised tech companies to help build tech talents. The level of experience young techies have shouldn’t really deter companies from hiring them. These companies should, indeed, be willing and ready to invest in developing young talents. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, like the saying goes.
His Followers Agreed: Reacting to his post, many of Mark Essien’s followers agreed with his tweet. However, tech talents were also advised to always make efforts to develop themselves by themselves.
I think that developers also need to think about professional development beyond the companies' plan for them. In Nigeria, we still have "I better than my neighbour mentality", where once you have a job, as far as salary drops, people stop growing. We must focus on growth!
— GetDev (@GetDevCo) May 23, 2019
Another person gave a different perspective on the issue, noting that some companies do not bother with developing young talents because it is expensive and stressful to do.
Still the same thing. Nigerian Companies should have junior positions, so that there would be the next seniors.
The truth is most companies don't want to go through the stress of trial and error and trainings. They just want already made professionals to fall from the sky?
— NitsuaReal (@RealNitsua) May 24, 2019
Meanwhile, another person opined that work experience doesn’t necessarily come from how long one has been in a job.
Besides, I don't buy the idea that experience comes with lenghtvof time (in years)spent on a job, per se. Whoever came up with that idea?
— nnamdi (@nudavid09) May 23, 2019
Archaic Practice? Another follower of the entrepreneur stated that Nigeria is still backward with its standard of demanding many years of experience to get a job. This is because most advanced countries are known for tapping knowledge and talents right out of their universities.
Funny when I see job ads like that.
Just left college and you're asking me for 5 years experience….while in other countries they are sucking talent right out of college.— Water Tank (@WaterTank11) May 23, 2019
