A graduate applicant once wrote to seek counsel on business opportunities available to him that he can explore in order to break free from the grip of poverty and hunger. He is one among millions of young men and women who are daily searching for employment. Prior to asking for a way for productive engagement, he had written and submitted uncountable applications and also attended interviews in not a few organisations. But the outcome was the same. The closest to being offered anything at all are ad-hoc slots far below his qualification.
Now counting years as unemployed graduate, he has come to realisation that he really need to do something else with his life.
According to him, if he couldn’t become an employee by getting a befitting job, he should try to become an employer as soon as possible by finding something to do without further delay.
In an environment where labour supply far outweigh demands, so many people will be chasing very few available jobs. Competition will be highly intense, unemployment will be high still and many will be doing jobs that are below their qualifications. Where this is the case, it means many unemployed and underemployed must take their destinies in their hands rather than lamenting and howling, day and night, about lack of employment opportunities. In an ideal circumstance, no graduate, after spending three to five years in higher institution, should lack creative ability. Where a graduate could not think of what to do to creatively get himself out of economic logjam, it calls to question his or her intellectual capacity to entrepreneurially-interpret the knowledge he/she receives in school.
You need to look inward to bring up your unique abilities for wealth creation. And if you have discovered what to do to earn income, you should not wait for anyone to lead you by the hands and hand out to you the opportunities to earn income. You need to rise up and step out with an idea you can use to earn income. Using your talent or learned skill is the same as using what you have to get to where you want to be. With over six billion people on earth, it is same as saying the earth possesses over six billion men and women with unique abilities. Have you really discovered your own; and if you have discovered it, what are you doing with the unique ability? Have you polished it and work on a platform to unleash it? And if no one is giving you opportunity to use their platforms to demonstrate your skills, what stops you from working on how to create your own?
A friend of mine, Valerie Young, told a story that I will share with you. In a piece she sent to me she said, consultants and performers aren’t the only ones waiting to be invited or picked by clients. I see it all the time with entrepreneurs – myself included. We never act on our dreams because we falsely believe no one will pay us for our gifts and talents. I used to think that way too.
She went forward to tell a story of Julie, an amazing dancer: Julie had been dancing since she was a young girl. For her it’s all about the vibrating energy, the feeling of flow that comes with being so in the moment. And yet, Julie spends very little time dancing. Instead most of her time is spent trying to get picked. She goes to casting calls and networks with choreographers and producers with reckless abandon. Sometimes she is picked. But when she’s not, Julie is stung by rejection. She wonders if maybe everyone is right and she really can’t do what she loved after all. She started to doubt whether she even has talent; and beats herself up for blowing the audition. That is until the next casting call when the cycle repeats itself.
Julie was passing through rejections because she wanted to be in front of a specific crowd: the one with the snobby critics and theatre goers, and the rest of the so-called “authorities” on dance. She imagines one day a reviewer will see her and she might even get a small mention. Julie’s dream was to get to do what she loves most – dance. That’s where the joy was. But she has been waiting and the job was not coming her way! So what if she looked for other ways to get paid to dance: ways that stripped away the hassle and relentless reliance on being chosen by others that it takes to get on the big stage. What if instead she performed for audiences at schools? Or what if she takes her art directly to the streets of a city where her talent is appreciated? Who says that performing in front of these less-traditional crowds wasn’t ‘legitimate’ theatre? Who said this isn’t ‘real’ performing art. That it couldn’t bring the same enjoyment, or even earn good income? In other words, who said Julie couldn’t pick herself and create a platform for herself? The people who won’t like such a bold move are the pocket critics who themselves may not be able to do it but are only good in talking people down.
Perhaps you are another Julie waiting for people’s approval or a permission to perform on a particular stage. If you remain unnoticed, unacknowledged, unrecognised or denied the platform to demonstrate your skills, you need to create your own platform for your skills. Instead of seeking employment for years unending, perhaps it is a sign that you need to launch your own business. Unleash your innate talents; don’t wait to be chosen.
. Emmanuel is a business planning and cooperative consultant. He works with a team of international consultants to conceptualise and plan agribusiness and housing projects. As a certified trainer authorised to use the International Labour Organisation’s enterprise development modules, he trains entrepreneurs and organises workshops and seminars for potential and practising entrepreneurs as well as business managers and cooperatives. He also speaks and facilitates at leadership and management workshops on invitation. His book, Business Planning Made Easy: Step by Step Guide On How To Turn Your Idea To Profitable Business’ is the latest of the books authored by him. Tel.: +234(0)9068602954 (call and sms), +234(0)8023257707 (whatsApp only).
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