Hi there,

You have just graduated or completed your youth service year and have now been thrown into the job market. This is the story of a quite a large number of people.

Well, I am here to give you a soft landing. Yap!I have gotten loads of complaints from family, friends and strangers about the state of the economy, bla bla bla!

My dear, I am fed up of the complaints and yapping and decided to come with this write up. You can read it from the comfort of your homes, while on the go via your phones and tablets, just about anywhere.

You see a lot of people spending time and wasting data on the internet monitoring other people’s lives, some are busy chasing shadows and some are not even chasing anything, what a tragedy!

Just a little introduction, I first wanted to be a lawyer, ended up in the science class because my mum wanted me to be a chemical engineer ( I guess she likes oil companies, Lol!), studied Environmental Technology ( what an irony!) and I am currently working in a telecoms firm. Please, go ahead and laugh, this makes me laugh all the time, what a confused human being.

Anyways, I am a laptop technician and can repair any issue you have on your laptop, provided it is repairable (please, pay attention to that clause). Okay, I can design process flows, especially the tree-like one on the IVR ( if you need process flow training, just give me a call), can write technical documentation, create training slides, do data analysis, just name it. Yap, I can do all these.
I feel pressed to send this publication out and it is the first in a series, talking about our career, work place, second jobs, hobbies or enhancing your abilities basically to increase your income.

The era where you push papers in the office is gone. My notes are first written on my jotter when I am not with my laptop, then transferred to my google doc, which is then moved to this blog. There are so many tools to make your life easier on your phone and laptops. You can create project schedules as a project manager and keep track of your projects, you can share files using free tools which your team can access and update real time.

The funny thing is if you need a website, you can create one yourself. Are you with me?
I got some projects online while I was on holiday from someone in Canada, another from USA and other countries and was paid handsomely for them. Work is no longer limited to going to a set location, you can achieve a lot from the comfort of your home using your phone, laptop and internet. The data bundle I purchased for that project was not more than N5000 (~$14).

It is appalling to see that we are still using a manual process for verification of someone’s details in the government systems, I guess this is as a result of a knowledge gap for these users, however, I assure you that our government will be forced to computerize all its processes and if you do not get in line, you know the story.

Being computer literate is for the old and young. For the elderly, it is a very good tool to stay informed about happenings around them, learn something new or even share knowledge, speak with their children in the diaspora via video call and so on.
For someone handy-capped with the mental faculties complete, it is a way to earn a living without the hassles of jumping buses or taxis.
I have seen and have access to a lot of online resources which can move you from a novice to an expert in any field of endeavour. There are now open source universities that offer free courses. What now sells is your talent, the solution you can provide and not your degree.
We have a case of the last recruitment by a business mogul where Ph.D holders applied for the job of a driver, what a life?! Please note this TRUTH, anyone CAN MAKE IT. Yes you CAN.
The difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful one is knowledge. I am not an expert in every field but what I know and have, I am willing to share.

You are going to need to do your homework, put in the effort and time, follow directives and then nothing can stop you. Consistency is the word.
Like I said earlier, you need to apply the following:

Discover your interest, you need to know what you want to and you can be successful at it clean and clear

Do an online research of the person that is successful in your field of endeavour. Read all you can about the person, their biography, check their social media handles, podcasts and blogs. Just about anything. If he/she is successful, someone has definitely written something about them.

You can go further to contact them. Most of them will be willing to speak with you provided your interest is genuine. Please, do not ask for anything free if they are not offering, however, you can request for a seat to attend free events or pay for any paid services they are offering if you are able. Necessity is the word here. Always verify if you need that information at that point in time.

Check out their profile on LinkedIn. Yes, this is a professional website I encourage every job seeker to have. It gives you an overview of people’s success stories, they previous and current place of work, and their current projects.

Focus on what you want to do and obtain only that information. I stressed on the fact that you need to know what you want to do before you start searching for that mentor because when you do not have a purpose, abuse is inevitable.
Write all these information down on a notepad. Analyze what you know. It is fine to start afresh. The important thing is that you know the kind of information you need. This will enable you know the jargons/terms used in your chosen field.

Search the internet for free training. There are loads and loads of free training from major bodies on the internet. You can follow your chosen field of endeavour via social media handle and communities online. For instance, Youtube is a very important and the faster way to get updated information about anything. You can learn how to cook, dance, draw, just about anything and everything via this channel. If you have a flair for writing, you can learn the basic from this same site.

Finally, when you have all the information you need, Practice! Practice!! Practice!!! The best way to learn anything is by doing. Nothing you learn is wasted, you can apply it at whatever capacity. We hear stories of sixteen (16) year old turning into bread winners in their families, 40 year old women turning into good web developers, gate men turning into CEO s. The possibilities are endless.

Once you have completed the basic training, you are on your way to getting employable both locally and globally.
Keep in touch.

Regards,
GeekChic9ja.