If you have taken some years of your life to pursue college or tertiary education, you should not let it waste. Here are some ideas.


Volunteer your skills.
Except you are the worst of students, there would be at least one subject out of the over 120 you studied during your undergraduate class that you love. Your career and destiny may be tied to that. Don't worry if there is no one advertising a vacancy in that area, most challenges are never advertised. Volunteer online or at that organisation or business down your street and spend a few hours every week while you hustle at something else.

Why should you volunteer?
One of my mentors told me a story, the end of the story is that most lives are miserable today because they ignore what they have and seek what they don't have. He said they ignore what they have because they don't know what they have. He said they also ignore what they have because they think it is SMALL. He said there was a story in the Bible where they beat one man silly because he buried his talent saying it was small.

You see? A lot of people deserve to be beaten because they buried their small talent. If you bury your certificate, then you will be beaten black and blue by the various demons of the current day Nigeria including sapa - whatever that means, from the look of things one of it's symptom is hunger.

So volunteering is one way you can use that certificate.

How do you go about this? - Offline volunteering
Don't just stroll in to any organisation like a lifeless mannequin, no. Do some basic thinking. There should be something you think you want to offer them and then the place should also be able to use you for something. You are not going there to be idle, no.

When you have found a suitable place, dress up as if you are going to a formal event where your crush would be. Don't be haggard. Dress with your nice, neatly ironed cloth, even if it is the only one you have. Put on your clean shoes, clean up your head (literally) and your hair. Then go there. Demand to see the boss; most likely they won't let you see whoever that is. Well ask boldly for a piece of paper (even if you have a notebook, ask whoever is there for a piece of paper) saying you want to drop a note. Then drop a short note - "Dear Mr, Chief, ..." I came by to see if you can use some assistance around here. I am a graduate and can spare 4 hours every week". Sign it and drop your number. Your basic thinking and research should have let you know the name of the 'boss' over there.

Some gatekeepers (aka secretary) would ask "from where" - simple foolish question! From earth of course. I am not an alien. Well don't tell them that. Simply tell them from "Mrs Your Mummy's name". End of story.

Your church is your social network as well as your spiritual network.
For those people who go to church, they will flog you more if you fail to use your certificate and are jobless. Why? In that church you have business owners, if you know how to present yourself, you have more opportunities than those who hate churches and pastors.

Same if you have a regular mosque or group that is organised in a way people network.

You attend services together. If you are afraid, go to the Pastor, tell him/her you have 4 hours to volunteer and ask him to tell one or two reputable business owners around. End of story.

What else do I need to help you with about getting a place to be useful to humanity? Transport fare? Well look for somewhere around your place. A walkable distance. If there is nowhere around your abode, then we have to help you solve one problem before you can use this solution. That is for another day.

Decide what you have to offer
What is it you have to offer? Let me help you, one thing all of our current job seekers have in luxury is their time. So the first thing you have to offer is - TIME. You should not work for free with the whole of your time. No. Simply decide on a block number of hours in a week. Say 4 hours. Why 4 hours? In case you do not have extra money for lunch, you can do your 4 hours and get going home to go and grab anything eatable.

If you are interested, you can DM me and I will tell you two great things what I am telling you for free would do to your destiny. Anyway never mind. I will tell you the points. This single act will make a massive change on your Network (social capital) and your CV.

A word is enough for the wise.

Coming up on get working
In a later episode, we will cover some more actions people should be taking with their certificates.

a. Appreciate your degree and your certificate.
Appreciate whatever you studied. It would be strange if you have never heard people say what you don't appreciate depreciates. Whatever you studied is not useless, even in Nigeria.

b. Frame your certificate.
Make a nice copy and hang it somewhere in your room, millions are dying to be a graduate.

c. Carry out research.
Step up and learn what knowledge is there in your area of interest and then put up your thoughts and your ideas, a job is just one small thing to do with your certificate.

If you have questions along these ideas or you want to talk with someone about what you can do with your certificate, well that's what I signed up to do on Nairaland.

#skill.ng