The key to real success in life is
finding a need and meeting it. - Anonymous
Job seekers to job creators ..making the necessary
transition..
By Sina Adelaja-Olowoake.
The
beginning of a new year is usually greeted with great optimism and hope
especially by people who have experienced some form challenge or another in the
previous year.
To
this end I believe that a lot of job seekers will be looking forward to this
year and hoping that it comes with loads of good fortune enough to get them out
of their misery despite the gloomy economic outlook for most countries around
the world.
Many
would even go on to make resolutions around finding a job. That in itself is
not a problem – the problem is usually centred on the how. How do you find a
job?
In
other words what should the unemployed do this year to bring about a change in
their circumstances?
In
my experience as an employment coach I have noticed with great displeasure the
wrong mindset often displayed by most graduates when they talk about employment.
It is mostly in relation to being
engaged in white collar job roles or being employed by someone else or an
organization. Very little thought is given to self employment or
entrepreneurship so when there is talk about employment what most are talking
about wanting to work for some other entity apart from themselves.
I
wonder if this is as a result of parental control and influence where most
parents in Africa tend to guide their wards towards certain professions or is
this the result of our outdated educational system designed by colonial masters
to continually produce clerks and administrators.
Or
is it just another selfish approach at ensuring that no matter what, the
individual’s salaries are guaranteed with little or no risk on his/her part.
Whatever
the reason, this has got to change because recent studies have shown that despite
the tough economic climate, more jobs are being created via self employment
than any other routes. And I strongly believe this will be the trend for the foreseeable
future.
Therefore
unemployed graduates need to make this much needed mental transition from job
seeking to job creation.
Most
universities in the United States of America. United Kingdom, and most parts of
Asia are now recognizing this fact by creating specialized departments
dedicated to entrepreneurial studies thereby producing job creating graduates
instead of jobseekers.
This
is the right approach most job seekers need to take this year. There are
hundreds of entrepreneurial ideas waiting to be tapped and majority of them do
not even require huge sums of money to start. What is required is functionality
and creativity. To take a look at situations with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Dr
James V. Green of the University of Maryland who originated the Opportunity Analysis
Canvas encourages individuals to “think entrepreneurially, see
entrepreneurially and act entrepreneurially”. If followed through many small
and seemingly inconsequential ideas suddenly take on a life of their own and
most go on to cause the rise of many industries.
For
example the beauty makeovers industry in Nigeria. A decade or so ago it was
virtually unknown and perhaps even unthinkable. Today it is a huge money
spinner and puts food on the table for most families. Apart from the training
process, it costs very little to roll out.
The
poor state of education across the country gave birth to a series of private
supplementary school initiative run by graduates. Through this they not only
became employed but were able to employ fellow graduates.
There
are so many other examples where simple ideas have gone on to become huge money
spinners and employment generators. One of such is the sachet water industry
otherwise known as pure water. Someone somewhere made a decision to change the
status quo. Today the whole of the African continent is littered with sachet
water factories. This is the kind of thinking required to cause real change in
the unemployment market.
Job
seekers must not be afraid to make this transition. Being a graduate should not
limit one to working only in a particular field but should inspire imagination
and awaken the creative ability within to engage in almost any legitimate
enterprise.
saocareercoach@gmail.com
