Avoid formal job hunt mentality

What you need to know:

  • Dalausi is a university graduate, but that didn’t stop him from doing something of his passion.

Completing university education is no mean feat as everyone has their own story to tell about how they beat all odds to reach graduation. To some, completing university education brings out memoirs of their academic trajectory and ending up being crowned after a tough struggle. Therefore, congratulations to all fresh graduates, are in order.

However, the graduates should not limit their degrees to only hunting for formal jobs because that may take long to materialise. Today, there are many redundant degrees holders roaming the streets waiting for formal employment because we have a mentality that a university degree must translate into a well-paying job in government, NGOs, parastatals, etc.
Whereas that can happen, we need to support graduates to change their mindset that a hard-earned degree is meant to unlock one’s potential to critically think or expound on their knowledge, abilities and talents. But degrees are not necessarily meant for hunting only formal jobs.

It is due to such dilemma that we are witnesses to the increasing frustration among unemployed graduates. Therefore, graduates should discard the formal job mentality and explore alternative avenues at their disposal in order to guarantee self-sustenance. It is, therefore, duly upon society to support fresh graduates to realise that it is possible to find what to do outside the formal job market.
If one insists on hunting for a formal job, then it may require perseverance and openness to learning. But there is no harm for a graduate to start work as a volunteer or at apprenticeship level so that you are better exposed to new skills and ways of doing things. Your degree should not bar you from taking up such opportunities when you get one.

I also want to advise that if you have secured a formal job, then start thinking and being innovative. If you start building on your small ideas, you could become one of the most successful people in your generation.
Take the example of a young entrepreneur called Dalausi Lutale, the proprietor of “Dalausi Juice,” whose juice business has turned out to be a successful venture. Dalausi is a university graduate, but that didn’t stop him from doing something of his passion.
The bottom line is that one just needs to be innovative so as to raise their dreams. This is how you can survive, especially where a formal job is taking longer to get. Building on your small idea could eventually turn out to be the source of your success.
Badru Walu,
[email protected]