Are you still looking for a job?
Are you still looking for a job?
1. You don’t know what a job really is:
As funny as this might sound, so many folks out there who deem themselves unemployed actually don’t know what a job is really all about. You might be one of them. Generally speaking, so many people thinka job is all about having an office and probably, a boss too.To them a job is simply a place where you dress up and go to every day of the week, spend some time there, perform certain tasks and get paid at the end of the week or month as the case might be. In their own understanding, if or once you have a place where you can go and do all that, you are not jobless. But in truth, that's a very narrow minded way of defining a job or what constitutes a job.
Simple as it sounds, that’s not really whata job is all about. It goes beyond that. And until you are able to figure out the so many aspects of what could possible turn out to be a job for you; you might remain unemployed for a very long time. For your information, people have so many needs. And because people have these needs that must be satisfied, we can then talk about job opportunities. Certain things like someone’s passion, pains, problems, complaints, dreams andaspirations, experience, fears, ambition, interest, hobbies, etc, can and does constitute a job opportunity too.
Thus, a job is all about your ability to figure out how to exploit these opportunities and provide the right services that will provide for or satisfy those needs of yours and others. A job is all about connecting sellers with buyers. A job is all about informing or showing people new or better ways of doing things. A job is all about helping existing companies in getting more sales. A job is all about honing into your special skills or talents to provide people with entertainment. A job is all about providing or rendering certain types of services to people who need them. So you see, a job can actually be so many things and if you don't know these things; how can you even expect to recognize that opportunity staring boldly at you in the face right now as a job?Now, it's all up to you to find or figure out how you can be of help to another person and hopefully get paid from doing so. If you cannot do this; then you will probably keep on searching and searching... in vain, of course!
2. You have a dependency mentality
This one really needs no explanation. Some people would rather depend on others to get for them the things they need rather than go and get it by themselves. If you fall into this category, chances are you are never going to stop looking for that job. Don’t put all your hope in a man says the wise man. Learn to do things for yourself. Stop depending or waiting until that man or woman or friend or acquaintance that promised a job somewhere finally remembers you. Take action. Now. Take initiative.That way, you will serve you better.
You cannot create a job If you are bent on finding a job, stop now. If you have been trying for so long to get yourself hooked up to a job without any success yet, stop now. Stop and ask yourself this: what type of job am I even looking for? Once you do that, then ask yourself this other follow up question: how did that job come into place? By the time you are through with pondering on some of these important questions, I’m so sure you might have started realizing that you can actually do the same thing which those people who created those jobs you are seeking for did. That is why I mentioned earlier that job is all about identifying those needs or problems that people do have and then finding a way to provide for or solve them.That is exactly how jobs are created. So stop thinking like an employee all the time. And start thinking like an employer, for once!
3. You don’t have a definite plan
They say if you don’t plan well, you plan to fail. Look around you; you will see how nature is so well planned. Planning is the one undeniable essence of success. Start to make your own plans now. Stop putting it off or hoping that someone will help you plan your own life for you. Take charge now. Plan your life. Stop leaving everything to chance. Try to imagine or foresee a future problems and then see if you can fashion out ways on how to tackle such problems and provide their solutions when the times come. Plan where you want to be at a given point in your life. Try to figure out the things you might need in getting yourself from your present situation to the status you want to be sometime in the future. And then, take the necessary basic steps to get everything going.
4. You don’t really understand the reality on the ground
The reality on the ground is that times have changed. The old ways of doing things are gradually but steadily fading away and are being replaced by new and better ways of doing them. The reality on the ground is that technology is rendering so many jobs obsolete. The reality on the ground is that relying solely on your certificate to get you a ‘good job’ is no longer advisable.The reality on the ground is that you need to acquire some more skills if you really need to survive in our fast changing world.The reality on the ground is that you will need to adopt a new method of tackling the problems facing the present society we find ourselves in rather than hoping or wishing that it won’t come to that point where your old ways of doing things will never work again.If you haven’t realized any of these things up till this moment, then you may be having a very big problem in your hands already—even without knowing it.
5. You are too comfortable in your comfort zone
Of course. Who doesn’t like his comfort zone? I for one, I know I do. Your comfort zone is always safe and has little or no problems with familiar faces and familiar scenes all around us. Your comfort zone is always guaranteed to be that very place where we are cocooned from most of the worldly problems with people who love us taking care and providing almost all of our everyday needs. But there’s a very big problem with your comfort zone. Because it will never allow you to grow as a person. People grow from challenges they face and the experience they get from there. But your comfort zone constantly robs you off this very important aspect of life. So you need to do everything within your powers to tear yourself away from your comfort zone now!That is, if you really want to build up as well as toughen up your survival skills.
6. You are still waiting for the government
This is one of the biggest problems I have with most Nigerian youths. Similar to what I stated earlier when I talked about having dependency mentality, somehow, so many of our Nigerian youths still believe and are even waiting for the government to get things right and fix them with a ‘good’ and well deserving job. But remember what I said about reality on the ground earlier? The truth is that it is so very obvious that the government is totally overwhelmed with the task of creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youths. It’s very glaring and shocking but it is the bitter truth. So any right thinking youth now should get busy. No time to waste on waiting anymore. Take the initiative now. Just look around you and try to find a place in the society that you can fill and start making yourself legally useful ratherthan waiting for the government to get everything right because if you decide to continue waiting, you may wait for eternity!Again, it’s very shocking but it is the bitter truth.
7. You have a certificate
For so many our youths, their certificate makes them think they are above certain jobs. Some of our youths develop a type of ludicrous 'entitlement' mentality all because of the certificate/s they've got whereas some even go as far as believing that once they acquire the all-important certificate, that everything will then fall into place for them. But in our present world, I don’t think that is really the case. The earlier you awaken up to the fact that your certificate will get you nowhere special—most especially—in our world today where there are millions and millions of others having that same certificate or qualification you possess, I think, the earlier you will get serious, sit up, understand and get ready to face the competition for jobs that is ahead of you. My advice for you: just put your certificate aside because there's nothing special about it since we all have it too and focus on getting more and more useful skills. That is what really matters now.
8. You are totally unemployable
Let's face the truth. Many youths today are actually unemployable. With poor writing and communication skills, lack of ICT knowledge and misuse of the social media, it's unfortunate that many graduate have disqualified themselves even before the end of the interview. It's high time you put pride aside and develop yourself.
This post is not the original write-up of Femi Abolade, but was copied from Nairaland.
Femi Abolade, licensed EHO, Writer, author and public speaker
femibolade12@gmail.com
+234 8074275257
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