There is this misconception many of us have about jobs or being an employee. I saw a post this morning on Facebook that attests to that fact. Here is the post: “A job is a reaction to Poverty, it’s not a preparation to wealth. If you want to build wealth you must own a business”. Now I tried commenting on the posts, but had to shorten my comment and later thought of writing an article.

I used to hate the idea of being an employee; in fact I hated anything called a Job. I remember even going as far as talking down at my supervisor while undergoing my Industrial Attachment training at the Benue State Water Board. I asked him why he should be doing this kind of job. How much is he earning? Now I was thinking this way because all I could think about was business. In 2006 in my first year in the University I started my first Tech business called Genius Planet with a friend, Adama J. Adama. We had big dreams, we were among those that made Bulk SMS popular at that time in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

We had a major church in town then (Dunamis) as a client. Later in 2008 I started an Event Management company called IDEL Events with my friends and another business with another friend. Later in 2012 after leaving the University I registered a Technology company called Zizix Networks.

Now despite all these, something was missing – there was no structure. I was just hustling. I couldn’t really say I had a company. And that’s what I really wanted.

January last year, 2015 I had a Job offer. A young man wanted to setup a Software Development company and was looking for experienced people. Someone told me about it, and knowing who I was (one who hated jobs), she was reluctant about it. As expected I didn’t accept. On a certain day out of curiosity and boredom I called the guy and he asked me to come for an interview. I went there and the interview became more like a discussion. January 25th I saw his message informing me I had gotten the Job.

I read the text and just dropped the phone on the chair without any form of excitement. Now I was making in a month working from home far more than what I will receive as salary. I was to resume on Monday, January 26th 2015.

Interestingly I went late. Imagine going to the office late on your first day at work! Hahahahaha. After staying there for about 30 minutes, I called my friend to ask where he was. I went and met him and told him about the Job but that I was going to send the guy (that’s my employer) a text turning down the Job. He asked why? These were my reasons: The Job will take my time, I won’t have time for my own stuff, and I make more than what I will be paid. Here was his reply: But have you thought about what you will learn? That hit me but I was still reluctant.

Before meeting my friend Steve, I had already given the same reasons I gave Steve to another friend. Her response was: what about the things you will learn and the people you will meet. Just remove your eyes from the money.

Thinking on these two responses from people I trust and respect, I decided not to reject the Job.

So the next day being January 27th I returned to the office and made up my mind to work for someone (for the first time). From that day till now I’ve never for once regretted that decision. Right now I’m leaving that company and going full blast into my company, Zizix Networks.

A job is not necessarily a reaction to poverty; some Jobs are learning-focused, where the job seeker wants to learn certain skills before setting up his own full scale. And based on that it becomes a preparation to wealth because the knowledge gained is what you will use in your own business. Ask Steve Harris who had to work with Fela Durotoye as a Consultant before starting his own Consulting firm. Fela himself worked with Philips Consulting before starting Visible Impact. Today, both of them are top players in the Consulting Industry in Nigeria.

I read Steve Harris book ‘From College Dropout to Corporate Sellout’, and one thing that’s very glaring from that book is the fact that working with Fela Durotoye was a major leverage for Harris to setup his own firm. He was following Fela around for speaking engagements, and when the opportunity came he was given the platform to speak to some bank staff. That was the break he needed!

A job extends your professional network. Even better, working for someone else gives you a front-row view of the best (and worst) ways to run a company, from managing time and money to handling customers and employees. You learn how to build business structures. Until you can build and sustain a business structure, you have not started a company.

There are still other examples of billionaires who once had jobs before starting their own business, and the jobs were leverages.

Giorgio Armani
Armani first worked in the Milan department Store as an Assistant Photographer where he was assigned to display windows. He was soon promoted to the style office in the store as a buyer where he learned different fashion house ideas for starting his own multi-billion dollar Italian brand. He went on to become a seller for the menswear department, in which capacity he gained valuable experience in the marketing aspect of the fashion industry. Today he owns his own clothing line and he is worth $7.1 billion dollars, but he learned fashion business from working in a store for another fashion outfit.

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah read news for a local radio station on the way to building her own media power house. Today she is worth $3.2 billion dollars, but the experience from being a news reader in another company was a leverage.

George Lucas
George Lucas who is regarded as the iconic film maker for his finest film series called Star Wars first worked as an assistant teacher where he assisted navy students who were studying film making for documentaries. Now he was assisting students who were studying film making. That gave him experience and exposure. Today he is one of the richest Hollywood billionaires with a net worth of $5.4 billion dollars. (http:///h7uqyjp).

Even the legendary Steve Jobs once had a Job at Hewlett-Packard (HP) at the Silicon Valley while he was a high school student where he got a chance to meet the Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. What if he had not worked with HP? Would he have met his co-founder?

If you have a plan, having a Job could be one of the best decisions you could ever make as an entrepreneur. Now I know better. I’m now more equipped to launch out. Saying Yes sir to someone has taught me a lot. I thought I was humble until I met my boss. Having a Job is a good leverage to building a business and succeeding as an entrepreneur. And by the way, is building a business not a reaction to poverty in a way? Hahahahahahaha.

Source: http://businessideas.com.ng/job-starting-business/

OP,tanks a million for this eye opener

Nice piece, buh where are the Jobs, No Jobs

nice1 but there is a difference between a job and a career. a job is what you do for a salary and a career is what you do because it is satisfactory. you liked I.T and u were employed to work in an IT firm that's a career

@op
That was my Quote on facebook.