I bet back when you were in school you did not do much planning or thinking about your future- in terms of your professional path and career growth. Well, a lot of people did not, so do not feel bad. The greatest challenge a graduate faces in today’s society is selling himself to an employer. If you are not able to present yourself as an asset you would fall into a career sucking abyss of unemployment and under-employment.
While the first job out of school is critical to career growth, one should not be eager to get just any job in other not to contract one’s self into servitude. By servitude, I mean complete dedication to another man’s dreams and aspirations in an exchange for fair wage. Even though the term fair wage is one that constantly eludes the employee and remains too abstruse for the employer’s understanding.
Employers are keen to have in their team someone who would add value to the establishment and if you don’t project this, you are not getting hired. This is the harsh reality of the labour market today- visible worth. If you find yourself falling off the mark, the only other option is to take up employment doing a job you are over qualified for. This is a reality people living in third world countries know only too well; one has to earn a living after all.
In fairness, there is a difference between evidently being an asset and not being able to project the quality you apparently possess. This factor counts for little as an excuse though, as being qualified and suited for a job on paper but unable to convince a potential employer is a minus. School, as it is said, never really prepares us for life.
What is key while studying is planning and having a professional life road-map in place. This is not as simple as it sounds but we are taught not to “wish life were easier but that we are up to the challenge”. The first step is to set out goals and make projections about where and what you want to be in say five years, ten years etc. after graduation. Following from this, a picture of the kind of impact one would want to make and legacy to leave behind would propel growth.
The above information might prove instructive for some people while for others, it might be preaching to the converted. If the latter is the case, I am over joyed! I however urge you to go a step further, as with the former, by building a career while you have gotten admirable employment. Building a career aside from the regular job comes with finding things that come naturally as a result of one’s skills and talents and channelling them into a personal venture or project.
Career building begins primarily the same way as getting a job – getting the right motivation – you should be involved in doing something you enjoy. Confucius said: “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”, this also applies to one’s career with the extra benefit of proper reward. Therefore, you are advised to monetize this passion of yours as you try to build a legacy.
Aristotle said: “All paid jobs absorbs and degrades the mind.” Truer words were never spoken as no employer would pay an employee according to his real worth. This is the case, not necessarily out of a deliberate ploy by employers to devalue employees but rather, because no one can truly quantify worth better than the subject himself. The vast gains derived from building a career are inexhaustible but financially rewarding, which is highly motivating. When finally you become an employer of labour, I have no doubt that would make a perfect leader. So consider your career options for the greater good.
About the AuthorEdward Chizea Nwosisi is a writer for www.connectnigeria.com. He has a background in Law
