Oct 30 2006
Looking for Job, Look inward!
Published by 
pace at 4:02 pm under Individual Economy, Motivations & Inspirations, Personal Productivity
I was on my way to a friend’s office in Opebi and was held up in traffic for close to 30 mins. Nobody could give me a clue as to what was causing the hold-up. What I saw at the Opebi junction afterwards really set me thinking.
Unknown to me, one of the new generation banks was meant to organise her recruitment test that day. The test was meant to be in batches but you would see thousands of candidates waiting eagerly to write the test. The picture above actually shows the crowd waiting for their turn in front of the examination centre.
This is not peculiar to this bank alone. I can still remember the experiences some of my friends had while trying to write the last Guinness Recruitment test. Some waited for hours and didnt even have the opportunity to write the test. A friend said that he had to leave the centre in annoyance when he found out that the 12:00 noon batch had not even written their test as at 4:00 pm when he was meant to write his own.
The truth is that we would continue to witness an increase in the number of job seekers in this country many thanks to the graduates being produced by our education system every year and the limited number of jobs available. The irony of life is that I have seen people who get between 3 to 4 jobs at the same time and yet quite a lot of others have not been able to get one. What is the difference?
The difference is definitely the quality of the products. The Minister of Education, in her presentation she called “CRISES” at the Presidential Forum on Education on Saturday, 28 October 2006, said that 7 out of every 10 graduates are UNEMPLOYABLE. This implies that the crowd I saw at that centre waiting to write the bank’s recruitment test is actually about 30% of the job seekers in this country. I would even say that only a very few percentage of this would be able to get jobs. Reason? Your guess is as good as mine.
Let us begin to look inward and probably get a possible solution to this. You might think this does not affect you in any way since you are part of the fortunate few who have been able to get JOBS. But look around you, you would surely see some of your relatives who are yet to find job since the time they left school. They are part of the crowd I am talking about.
If you are a graduate and still have not been able to get a job, you may need to do any of the following
- Sharpen your axe
- Create a concise resume
- Learn a Trade
- Read a book
Just do something about your life. It is high time you started taking your destiny into your hand. In Lesson from a Cafetaria, I shared the story of a man who entered a cafetaria, sat down in one of the chairs and waited to be attended to. He waited for quite some time and nobody attended to him. An old man actually came to his rescue some minutes later and told him what is in operation in that restaurant.
Friends, life, definitely, doesn’t give you what you deserve; It only gives you what you demand. Never sit down waiting for someone to make things happen for you. God will no doubt use men to lift you, but don’t sit idle, waiting for the lifting to come. Go for it! If nobody employs you, why not deploy yourself? Remember this – in life, you don’t wait to get served. You go out there, pick up your tray and take your turn!
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Great one Tosin.
I totally agree with you, I think a lot of young Nigerians will do good for themselves and the society at large by filling the unemployment gap with personal action. A golden truth is ‘not everyone will get an employment even in a country with low unemployment rate’. Demand more out of your life by starting something, repackaging yourself or simply just doing that one thing you’re passionate about and in turn make it an income generator.
I passed that route on the test day and I was moved to see the kind of rigour people went through that day. Police even used tear gas to dispel the crowd. I just analysed the whole problem to a friend this weekend and it is very simple – the guys who have enough stuff and quality to be entrepreneurs are the ones that are being lured back to work for the big companies. I mean, most employed guys today are those who developed themselves from school and are always on top even now! This results in less innovations and low rate of job creation. I hope you understand my theory. More later.
i need a competative job
job sersch
Thanks all for the comments. I do agree that most of the peoplr that are meant to create jobs are those already getting the so called fantastic jobs. Can we then say that there is relationship between ability to create jobs and securing employments?
Chike,
can you let us know what kind of jobs you are looking for? Meanwhile, visit http://www.careersng.com/phpBB2/ and http://deoluakinyemi.com/categoryjob-blog/. I am sure you would find those two websites useful. All the best in your job search
90% of Nigeria male graduate either cheated or bribed his way out of school. About 95% female either slept or bribe her ways or used connections to make her grade. That explains why an engineering students will queue up to get a bank job, cos he has nothing to offer in the engineering world in the first place.
Their is no professionalism in Nigeria. Once a graduate, and with connection and Godfatherism, you can work anywhere you wish irrespective of your dsicpline.
Its a shame in such a country as ours that is blessed with so much resources yet the owners of these resources cannot eat from it.Can u imagine that poverty and joblessness can be so much in a country that its Governors,i mean democratically elected governors steal as much as 280billion dollars just in a period of less than three years.Is this not crazy?May God give us wisdom to wade thru this storm.
Thanks all for the comments. Like Funmi said, it is unfortunate that an average person is not benefiting from Nigeria’s resources. This just shows that we really need to look inward. If you have so many resources at home but you are not enjoying it, something is definitely wrong somewhere. So, this is a call for all of us to start to seek what we can do with our lives rather than what others (government, parents etc) can do for us.
Meanwhile, you may need to read http://www.yemma.com.ng/2005/10/31/lesson-from-a-cafetaria/ again if you have not done so.
I always been taught earlier in life that success is an inside job. if only we can all look inward and we will be able to get what we have been looking for.
GREAT post man! I am adding you to my Blogroll.
Keep up the GREAT WORK!
With people like you, Naija will surely be GREAT again.
[...] These past few days have been sort of reflections for me. Â Something in me just keeps telling me that I am more than this. I feel the urgency to speed up the pace at which I match my actions with my talks. I was response the responses to my post Looking for Job, Look inward, and one comment strikes me. [...]
I once was told, that if you head in the opposite direction of the crowd, the chances are, you are headed in the right direction. I think that crowd is looking at the same spot. I also think that the organizers of that exercise need to be reprimanded. Thats not good at all.
need your assistant pls i need a job
looking for job
I was at the venue of the test in port harcourt.Only one sentence could capture the scene that day…..”It was a shame!”.
Thanks all for the comments. I just want to ask a question “What are we all doing to ensure that we do not have such situation again?”
I believe it high time we started taking our destiny into our hands. The truth is that only few jobs are available and the demand is on the increase. Let’s really look inward and see what we can do to help this situation. I am sure we would get there soon even though it seems we are still far from it.
[...] Most people have soon found out that there is more to it than mere getting a good grade or having a beautiful business idea. The alarming number of graduates who finished with at least second class upper who are still searching for jobs and the death rate of start-ups within their first 5 years of existence have confirmed this. [...]
i really desire to have a job.
Hm… John, what kind of job are you looking for? What skills do you currently possess?
Yeah, these are true/coreect about the kind of people/graduates looking for jobs up and down. Now to get/secure a job is not by your Proffesion but by His Grace(looooooooooooooooong leg meaning knowing people up there). Everybody wants to work a Bank, Oil companies etc. Meanwhile the people that are working there are carying for help of not been paid on time, not knowing how they spend their salary and @most having marrital Problemsssssssssssssss.
I appreciate what you are doing
[...] A friend once found himself in a situation where he was desperate to get a job. He had finished from the university 2 years earlier and still had not been able to get a job despite the fact that he graduated with Second Class upper division from one of the top federal universities. He, however, decided to try his hand on selling recharge card. Today, he is happy that he took that step. He works at his pace and still makes in a week what he may not be able to earn as one month salary. [...]
[...] One of the worst mistakes you can make in networking is reaching out to others only when you are in need. You must, instead, reach out to others long before you need anything at all. You must be able to create a community that can help further your career in both good times and bad. Here are a few ways to do so: [...]
I’ll like to be a member of this group,where i will have access to receiving job vacancy.
i think the problem with these nigerian politicians is greed, they want to have everything to themselves.
Thank you for the advice i feel as if I am the frog you are talking about
Hi Adeola,
This is my advice to you. Take charge of your life and never allow any excuse to limit. You are only limited by your imagination
This work is a great work by great minds and with great results;keep it up you are and will remain great.
i will like to be a member .
great job u are doing, keep it up!
I totally agree with you, but one need to start some whew, can you or anybody in there assist me on how to make money online using the internet, I mean geuniue money.
Thanks for assisting me
Just bumped into this site and I totally love this post. Reminds of a post from http://www.tayoodukoya.com. Check it out.
thanks for your encouragement
I was lost trying to discover my self untill i found this site.
Thanks cos I now know what I should be doing.
Emmanuel,
God bless you immensely for all these eye openers.
All your recent post answered my earlier enquiry about how to make geniune money on-line.
I have a challenge.
My job is fast-paced most days. As the Management Secretary, all correspondence pass through me, I also manage the MD/CEO’s office & portfolio.
I’ll like to know if I decide to go into web hosting business how many hours minimally will I require to put in daily.
This will help me know my next line of action.
I appreciate what you are doing – inspiring us all and I say kudos to you.
I’ll deeply appreciate your response.
God bless you.
Tosin E.
Hi Tosin,
You can visit http://www.eolutosin.com/2007/01/10/how-to-start-a-profitable-web-hosting-company/
I already did a post on how to start a web hosting company.
dear Akinyemi, u had a great impact in my life the time u came to my school with Mr Kunle Awofolaji. This still glows in me .thanks so much. I,m serving right now bt hope to reach u soonest.
HI MY NAME IS VENESSA AND I JUST CAMEN BAK FROM ONTARIO…AND NOW IM BAK IN NEW BRUNSWIC AND I WAS WONDERING IF U COULD GIVE ME ADVICE 4 AJOB THAT WOULD FLY ME DOWN THEIR……THANX!!