The Digital Prowess
Member
- Jul 14, 2021
- 5
- 6
I’m kidding! But today I want to write to the professionals and the soon to be!
As you explore into the horizon of your career, remember no employer or organization has put it in their business objectives to make you rich! Depending on how you got or will get that job, whether it’s successful interviews or head-hunting because of news and proven records of your brilliance in your trade, the previous statement is a silent fact for both entries into any job position. Every organization’s objective especially the profit-making kind are centered on making just that, PROFIT!
Seeing that the exchange for your input into this objective is an expense on their part, they will try as much to make sure that their profit margin is always on the rise by making sure the costs of running the business are reduced or standardized against the revenue; they generate from hard working employees like you. You with all your brilliance, you’re waking up every day at 05 am, being stuck in traffic for an hour plus maybe, spending minimum of 8 hours, 5 times a week speaking and thinking in English (it takes a lot of energy, am I right Wabongo wenzangu?) to sound professional and dealing with all sorts of personalities in the working environment at the least. With all this effort plus your input towards that objective you are an EXPENSE!
So, I say to you today, don’t just think outside the box when it comes to your personal goals and dreams, think like there is no box! Does it really have to take you ten years for you to finally get to your dream home, car, lifestyle etc. Hear me correctly, having a ten-year plan is good but let your plans be “worth” the ten years. There is the famous saying that time is Money, but a great mentor Dr. Choolwe once said “Time is more than money, time is life”.
So, as you work for that reputable organization, giving them a part of your day (your life) on a weekly basis, think of other ways you can multiply your income to pursue the objective of the organization called “YOU”. This is why I nullify the “don’t be a jack of all trades...” statement, it has made many of us miss the essential benefit of education. No matter the field of study you pursued, that opportunity to be educated should not just have resulted in a qualified doctor or engineer but the development of your mind to reason and aspire to be a solution-oriented person to the dynamic needs of your society with basic skills in your study. I strongly feel this is one of the biggest contributors to unemployment because there is only so much the government can do.
If every graduate left their institution solution-oriented than wanting to get employed then they are already on their path to greatness. If you have ever applied for a job by means of physically dropping applications, it’s not a lie that thousands of other applicants are hoping for the same opportunity so your chances are one in one thousand on average. Worse off if you meet stubborn askaris (security guards) at the reception that tell you to drop your application without seeing the Human Resource Manager. I believe it’s the “job-search only” mentality that derails us from exploring our full potential.
A solution-oriented person will look for opportunities to meet needs in their society that they can leverage from as they continue to seek formal employment. Your mind is brilliant, allow it to think! You were able to grasp concepts, formulas, theories, methodologies etc. allow it to think.
At one point in your life, you took nine subjects then translated to four bulky modules. You are sitting on so much potential. You may not have the time to do certain businesses but you can be an investor, partner and even the guy/girl who knows a guy/girl. I learnt this concept early enough, if I am providing you with information or a connection that will earn you money, I might as well earn something. In Swahili we call these people “Dalalis”, the guy who knows a guy. Yes, find a way of making something out of it. Of course don’t exploit but be smart, if you study the business model of empires like Facebook, this is what they do. They create a connection with you and leverage you (your information) to other potential businesses for a reasonable fee through adverts.
I came to such a mindset through the aid of my Christian faith and also having the right mentors and circle of influence. I am a small-scale poultry farmer, a fabric and crafts designer, a translator, a digital marketer, a touch of sales and marketing experience with basic skills in computing. Trust me, I am still exploring other avenues. Maximizing on my faith, there is a verse in the bible that says,
‘Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land’
Ecclesiastes 11:2 NIV
This is the biblical standard of doing business, 7 to 8 ventures! In a future post maybe, I may explore how wise men like King Solomon put this to work but it is wisdom for us all. Who knew that Corona pandemic would have crippled economies, businesses and society?
Questions to ask yourself:
- In a country whose GDP is 63.18 billion dollars and population of 58.01 million as of 2019, how much of it am I getting?
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- What are the current needs in my society?
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- What skills can I learn to meet them/ Who can I empower or partner with to meet them?
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- What relation in my sphere of contact can I take advantage of to get these skills/ Who do I know that knows who can help?
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- How do I use the after 5pm to 5am time after work /weekends/holidays?
REFERENCES:
Image source: "Pinterest"
Image source: "Pinterest"
