The Good Old Days vs The Present
Gone were the good old days when going to school is synonymous to having curricula that suited your course of study. Presently, one wonders where all of that has gone. Back in the days, what you’re taught was not only relevant to your course of study but also mostly real life and applicable stuff. Over time, the official school curricula started to become vague until it has stretched out to “pardon me” almost pointless. The remarkable evidence can be keenly observed in the way people without a university degree especially in the tech world, come up with dazzling ideas. It’s crazy when compared to people who have expended so much energy going through the rigours of school life.
I stumbled upon something the vice chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Labode Poopola said. He said, “Nigerian universities are training students for jobs that no longer exist”, and I couldn’t agree more. Now, don’t get me wrong, school has its perks and graduates are blessed people.
Truth is…
So yea, you are in school and you have all the time in the world (or so you think and so did most of us). Reality is what happens to you when you aren’t paying attention and it all depends on your level of preparedness while you were paying attention. Question is, are you paying attention and if you are, what are you doing about what you’ve observed. It’s easy to get carried away by the euphoria of school life, the friends, the lectures, the title “undergraduate”, with all the glitz and glamour of school life. My ultimate goal with this article is to get you thinking and doing something about the end result.
Awakened To Search
THE BLEND OF TALENT AND DEGREE: Most of us have got unique talents that just lie in us waiting passively to be harnessed, while we look outward for fulfilment that is already resident in our hearts. You are studying accounting, but you are a hairstylist at heart and are quick to dispel it in search of a job. What makes you think studying accounting as a hairstylist doesn’t make you the best accountant/financial adviser of your hair company/mega saloon (yea, both are possible)? The blunt answer is the invisible box school sets you in, where you can’t think beyond what you’re taught. PEOPLE!!! WAKE UP!!! Life has gone beyond the books before your eyes right now.
LOOK INWARD: Your search begins with first asking yourself, “what is that for which am so passionate about to the point of doing it for free without thinking.” Almost like nature, its something you can do without minding the discomfort. For me, it’s tech (ranging from fixing to programming, to writing and teaching about it). The passion is so loud and deafening that it makes me a good writer and teacher, hilarious, right? Allow me to disclose a little secret. If you rouse me up from sleep to cook, then we might just have an issue (lolzzz). Wake me up to fix a computer issue, and I will love you like crazy (hahaha). Can I cook? Absolutely, why not (you wan try my mama, hahaha) but my love for computers is out of this world. NOW LET THE SEARCH BEGIN!
After Discovery, Then What?
STARTING OUT: After the discovery, the practical question then comes about how to go about gaining stature in this talent you have unearthed. Start by promptly taking advantage of the skill acquisition training programs that have emerged in recent times. They run from a few days to a few weeks, to a month, some free while some are paid. Use up every free time to learn and try your hands on things that tremendously improve this budding seed. Start out by intentionally creating opportunities for free services for your friends and family, this is the best way to enhance your skill. It will cost you money, time and even energy but make sure all resources are properly channelled. You can only channel resources in a promising direction by researching and asking questions. Make sure to include potential suppliers of raw materials to your list of research.
SOCIAL MEDIA: This is an extremely powerful market, capitalize on it. Snap a picture of your work and upload it with a catchy story. Mostly a fascinating story on the inspiration behind the work. This definitely means you’ll have to work on your story-telling ability, or you will end up paying someone to do it for you. Make sure to watch informative videos on marketing. Nothing feels good like knowing most part of your business before it goes national or global (all depends on how wide you’re thinking) and the need to employ people arise.
BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS: You have to consistently keep abreast of recent trends to stay relevant. While you are at it, carefully decide if you are working for someone, owning, or co-owning a business. If either of the last two eventually becomes your choice, then start working on the business partner(s). You should also work a business name, an official logo, and a motto. They should be extraordinary things that will not merely speak of what you do, but also inspire you and your potential customers. You may wonder why all of this is necessary. The truth is, these are things that will drive you to consistency and excellence in developing your skill.
Caution!!!
No skill is too insignificant to be considered. Remember, you are not what the skill makes of you, but what you make of the skill. It is in your capable hands how the skill will be typically perceived. Uniquely define your skill and furnish a name that naturally makes it stand out. A classic example, if you are into tailoring, you should consider yourself a fashion designer and act like one. This will powerfully affect the way you imagine, the kind of product you will release, and the way you will render your services.
Conclusion
I know you must have heard and apparently read a lot about the kind of stuff that I have written in this article. Just consider it to be from someone who wishes she could take back the hands of time. Someone who wishes that she could take advantage of every possible moment she had, to make the most of what she had on the inside. I have made it a thing to save young people the incredible strain of coming into the shocker of the real world unprepared. The pointers in this piece are not exhaustive, but it’s a splendid place to start. My catchphrase for this piece will be TAKE THAT PLUNGEEEE.
Brain Tease
You’re escaping a labyrinth, and there are three doors in front of you. The door on the left leads to a raging inferno. The door in the centre leads to a deadly assassin. The door on the right leads to a lion that hasn’t eaten in three months. Which door do you choose?
If I am holding a bee, what do I have in my eye?
Answer both correctly and stand a chance to win a recharge card.
WATCH OUT FOR PART 2!!!
-Dr Great Wonder
#HIP#
