National service is your first job. Treat it like one.

Ghana and Nigeria are among the few countries where national service puts graduates to work in public and private organisations. In most other countries with a national service system, members serve in the military.

The Ghana National Service Scheme describes its mission as deploying graduates for national development, while giving them practical exposure to the world of work. Ask anyone who has served, though, and you’ll hear a different story: being sent out every morning to buy bread or beans for the office, doing almost nothing from 9 to 5, having no resources to get anything done.

We joke about it. But the joke hides a missed opportunity. Treat national service as your first job, because it is.

Own the year

National service isn’t the time to focus on money or comfort. You’re entitled to your opinion on that, but it’s the reality.

Most graduates want a posting that matches their skills, qualifications, and preferred kind of organisation. Health graduates, like doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, usually get the first two. Most people don’t get much say in where they’re posted or what they do there.

Wherever you end up, own it. Most national service personnel have no job description. If that’s you, write one in your first two months. List the core tasks, then end with “performs other duties as assigned by supervisors.” Set yourself targets, review the document with your supervisor, and use it to measure your own performance.

Five questions to guide your year

1. What’s my career plan for after national service?
2. What skills can I build this year that will help that plan? If you don’t plan, you’re planning to fail without realising it.
3. When I’m idle, what can I learn? Plenty of good online courses are free.
4. What problems do I see at work, and can I fix one and measure the result? Think like an owner. The job is temporary, but imagine the organisation were yours. How would you grow revenue, cut losses, save time, or reduce risk? Problems aren’t only things that are broken. Settling for good when better is possible counts too.
5. How can the errands help me build relationships with senior colleagues? They probably can’t hand you a job when your service ends. But they can offer contacts, resources, skills, experience, and information. Information is your most valuable resource. The more you have, the fewer wrong decisions you make.

The list isn’t complete, but master it.

A word to supervisors

If you supervise national service personnel, treat them with respect, understand their situation, and help them grow. You play a bigger part in their careers than you might think.

What to expect at the end

Ignore the distractions. Treat the year like your first job and the organisation like your own. Learn a skill, build relationships, and make a difference, however small. You’ll need all of it once your service ends.

Be realistic about being retained, though. Unless there’s an open position, your chances are low. Work hard and smart, but manage your expectations so you don’t burn out. If they keep you on, celebrate.

One tip: being good with technology is one of the fastest ways to get close to senior colleagues. Help them close their tech gaps and they’ll value you more.