My experience in Human resource management has exposed me to various trends in recruitment. It is amazing that most people still believe that being in a particular professional field guarantees mouth-watering salary. Sadly, that seems almost true. I say sadly because the prospect of a higher pay keeps one in hot chase after a job opportunity in a certain sector, while other sectors of development become neglected.
No doubt, there are some jobs that guarantee high pay cheques, depending on the company recruiting. Professionals such as Accountants, Engineers, Lawyers, Medical Doctors, Architects¸ Nurses etc are positioned by virtue of the courses they studied to earn much more than the average professional from other sectors.
Even when they seek a position in another sector, these people are still placed above others with non-professional certificates. For example, when two people with backgrounds in Engineering and Zoology, respectively, are interviewed for a position in a Bank, the one with an Engineering certificate will be considered over the other, all other factors being equal.
The reason for this is based on the value we have placed on these fields. Also, it won’t be wrong to say that the field that attract high pay cheque is equally dependent on the level of development in the environment. Take Nigeria for instance, the oil (and gas) sector is still one of the most sort after and has been for years. Thus, it makes practical sense for oil related professions to attract higher pay cheques than other professions. Others on the list include: IT, Real Estate (especially in Business hubs like Abuja and Lagos), International Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) etc.
We can recall a time when Bankers earned almost as much as the above mentioned occupation. Well maybe not almost, but the capacity of financial sector to pay as high was short-lived due to the financial crises that forced some Banks to fold up, merge or cut down the salaries of staff.
Interestingly, some professions that were thought to be less needful have turned strategic. Human Resources Management, Administration and even Customer Service are gradually becoming more important than they were few years ago. The non-profit organizations, especially those of international repute are also climbing up the rank.
Even though some professional fields still stand out with eye-popping employment packages, other areas are definitely experiencing a strategic improvement. It will be exciting to see if few years down the line, Agricultural Sector that is frowned upon today will become a more paying sector than the Oil and Gas industry.
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