Work Vs Jobs

By: Peter Njenga
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:40:07
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“Do not go where the path may lead,
Go instead where there is no path
And leave a trail.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

“Hey wsup! It’s been so long.”

“Cool man.” Goes the reply.

“So where are you nowadays?”

The above is the typical start of any conversation whenever two former college-mates meet long after completion of their studies. The answer to the question that immediately follows the pleasantries determines the direction the conversation takes.

The employed individual will immediately say s/he works with a particular big company. Those who are not in formal employment may hesitate a bit and then mention that they’re engaging in business or still tarmacking.

When I was in primary school, I used to listen to Culture Talk on KBC radio. I remember the narrator - a ‘Critical Thinking’ lecturer at Kenyatta University, saying that many graduates find no jobs awaiting them after graduation. However, he quickly added that there is a lot of work to be done. This insightful observation has lingered in my mind ever since.

Far too many people are still stuck on the tested and tried ways of living. Aversion to risk is so overwhelming that initiative is usually nipped in the bud. The direction is always the same: go to school, maintain good grades, get a nice secure job and live happily ever after.

While this article is not a discussion of the de/merits of formal and self employment, I will endeavor to dwell on the graduate who gets stranded in the real world on failing to secure a job after schooling is over.

Initially, any ‘IMF’ from parents and elder siblings tends to zero at an exponential rate. Needless to say, ‘chacha’ is no more. For those who never acquired any tangible assets other than attire, the realization of how little one owns hits them real hard. The soles of shoes quickly acquire some acute angle. Boredom sets in and upon hearing that well connected and lucky classmates have well-paying jobs, envy sets in.

As the days turn into weeks and then months, desperation welcomes itself into one’s life. First, the realization that employers are neither obliged nor courteous enough to send you a regret notification. Attending several interviews with no success makes one question their competence and relevance to the job market. A majority of young men and women resign themselves to fate and become a statistic, among the many educated albeit unemployed Kenyans.

However, it is quite surprising how much people take themselves for granted and accept their existence in terms of fate and other such explanations. A closer look at those who have made it reveals more than meets the eye. While it’s true that things don’t always work according to plans, well laid plans seldom fail.

Many people are not really involved in that which they studied at college. I say this for two reasons.

Firstly, very few students study what they really love or are talented in. Career choices are usually based on academic ability. Parents, guardians and teachers make the final decisions. Straight A students will then find themselves in very demanding courses, whereas their talents and creativity would have been more satisfactorily harnessed in the Arts for instance. According to Richard Branson (a British entrepreneur), “a business has to be involving, it has to be fun and it has to exercise your creative instincts.” Such people rarely become good employees.

Secondly, the way in which people are recruited is quite wanting. It’s the classic ‘know-who’ over ‘know-how’.

Having said the above, how then can we alleviate the anomaly of unemployment, disillusionment and hopelessness prevailing upon contemporary youth?

Time. Young people should get used to the fact that we are all equal in having only 24 hours in a day. Time my friends, is what we all have. Time wasting should on a personal level be avoided for it offers the opportunity to idle around and worry.

Talents. Another thing is the discovery of one’s self. What is it that a person can do to make some money while still enjoying oneself? We all have talents, but few people do anything about them. The world has so much room for talent and is willing to pay handsomely for it. No need to compare yourself with others, cherish your uniqueness.

Initiative. Oh yeah. We got to stop bumming around and take the initiative. The first person to give one a chance should always be oneself. Always. No one will ever know you can sing, write, draw or act if all you do is think and/or talk about it. Nobody cares about what you know, only what you can do. Knowledge and intentions culminating in no actions is hogwash. Action always begets results. Results are your only reality.

Fear. This clearly comes out as a major hindrance to taking action. People fear rejection of their effort and submissions. Fear of the unknown too. It is therefore imperative that one overcomes their fear and discovers the truth out there.

Liaisons. When one considers the company they keep, it is easy to identify good and bad friends. Quoting Jim Rohn, “You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay? Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” Need I say more? Again. Somebody once remarked that the only thing worth trying when all else has failed is again. Whatever it is that one engages in, the results may not be so immediate. Be reminded however of a bird taking the first flight, a baby taking the first steps and you’ll see the bigger picture. It is always about trying one more time.

The above is just but a few things those willing to make use of their talents should know and practice. As Sydney J. Harris once said, “However diverse their talents, temperaments and differences, all great achievers have one trait in common; they never bother to compare themselves with others, but are content to run their own race, on their own terms.” So go out there. Identify a need in the society among the seven common needs of modern man viz: food, clothing, shelter, health, education, transport and entertainment. Serve your fellow man and collect a reward.

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