If I can’t get a job, what can I do to make money

If I can’t get a job, what can I do to make money?

I really don’t want to start this article with this but I have to; so that you can know the gravity of how important this is. Shall we?

Nigeria today is the second-highest on the global list. For what?

For unemployment

More than half of the labour force are either unemployed or underemployed.

The difference between being unemployed or underemployed

In Nigeria, the average working hour is 8hours per day for 5 working days. This means that you are expected to work for at most 40hours per week.

• Anyone who works less than 20hours per week is considered unemployed.
• Also, anyone working less than 40hours per week is considered underemployed.

Now, let me add my definition to this

Some people are overused too in Nigeria. These people work more than 40hours without break. Especially in Lagos where an average employee has to wake up as early as 4 am to go to work and will still not get to work until 9 am.

In 2019 when I was working on the island,  I was living with my parents in Ogun State. Every Monday, I had to wake up as early as 3 am to catch up with a bus going to Lagos at 3:30 am. If I don’t meet up with this bus, I will not get to work until 10 am. It only makes sense for me because I don’t have to go home every day but I know people that do this daily?

Some people will still not get home until very late at night. Aside from work closing late, traffic will turn a 30minutes journey into a 4hours journey.

Despite all the stress and work, what do people like me have to show for it?

Poor and very ridiculous salary isn’t it?

If the majority of Nigerians remove transport fare from their salary, what is left will not even be enough to feed a mouth for 20days.

Even our Policemen and Soldiers are not left out in this.

Those that are heavily or moderately paid don’t have a life for themselves and their family. They hardly have time to pursue their aspirations because they want to sustain that job. 

A touching story about an uncle who lost his life on the job

I had an uncle in my street back then, may his soul rest in peace. A lot of us envied his career. His family has a decent life because he had a very job. He rose to be the manager of a company quickly but he hardly come home. He spent most of his time at work. So, for weeks, he may not come home but his family is living very well.

The only time I saw him at home for a long time was when he had a health challenge. That time, I even thought he was on leave. I never knew he was battling cancer of the blood. He died in the process leaving his three sons and beautiful wife to continue this race.

Employers feel so entitled to whoever they are paying.

I watch how people lose their mental health to satisfy their source of income. Does it worth it?

I know of another man who walks in the same company as this uncle I talked about earlier. He was sacked after so many years working solely for the same company. His livelihood and that of his family depend on his salary. They were living very well with it until he was sacked.

People just have to survive.

Life is not fair. You either find a means to survive or starve to death.

 A lot of Nigerians hate their job but they can’t leave the job because they are scared of looking for a new job.

If you don’t have a job yet, this is not entirely a bad thing. Take this time as a way to breed your career seriously into what will make you proud a few years to come.

I could have just asked you to start your business but can everybody be a CEO?

NO!

Some people don’t have the courage to start a business of their own. They just want somewhere to use their skills and expertise.

So, let’s get to the point

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What should you do If you can’t a job just yet?

• Get career clarity

Don’t go for just anyhow job just because you desperately need a job. Not all job is good for you.

Protect your happiness with all you have. This is why career clarity is very important. While you haven’t landed any job yet, use the time to gain clarity about your strength and weaknesses needed in your career.

For me, I am more energetic in creating content. But if you ask me to design a website, you really want me to run away.

I heard a story of a lady who couldn’t get a job for years. She then looks inward to see what she can start on her own. Today, she doesn’t need a job anymore because her career clarity decision helped her big time. Her love for writing is making her a fortune.

How can you get career clarity? What does it take? Send us a DM let’s get you started on this.

• Learn a high-income skill 

There are a lot of skills that will make you a very meaningful amount of money. I know people that make so much money with a skill they learn. Some of them learned it in about 6months to one year.

Some of these skills are digital skills like ghostwriting, digital marketer, social media manager, web designing, brand designer, and so on.

Digital skill is any skill that has to do with the digital space – the internet.

You can even start learning these skills on the internet for free.

I have a friend who is making a lot of money in foreign currency as a web designer today. Whereas, he learned this skill on the internet in six months. He told me that for those six months of learning, he focused on it with all his heart and mind. He depended on his family for basic needs throughout but today, he doesn’t need to depend on anybody. He is even giving out t them.

There are other skills that are not digital. It doesn’t have to be a skill that is related to the internet but make sure you learn how to sell these skills using the internet.

My cousin is a visual artist. He started with pencil work but today, he does paintings and he sells them through the internet to the international market. He earns in dollars without leaving Nigeria. Some of the paintings don’t take him more than 24hours and he sells them for thousands of dollars. He learned this all by himself through the internet.

High-income skills will sometimes not make you know the difference between those doing fraud and those who aren’t because both of them make so much money and they hardly go out of their houses.

But take note

Before you start charging a lot of money, it may take some time. My cousin didn’t start making that much until after 5years of spending his own money without a return.  

Develop your skill, stay consistent, and care for every client that comes your way.

You can even start free. With that, you will be able to build your portfolio and develop your career very fast.      

• Learn sales and marketing

Knowing how to sell is a gold mine. A salesman can never go hungry unless he chooses to.

A lot of people have something meaningful to offer but they just don’t know how to sell. If a salesman comes in, he can help this person to sell and get a share of the profit.

That is what affiliate marketers do. Some of them even make more money than the owner of the product.

If you know how to discover people who need a product, and you are also able to attract them to where you can sell to them, then you are a good marketer. That is what marketers do. They look for people on Facebook, YouTube, and so on and get them to a place to sell to them.

From where marketing stops is where sales begin. You want to make sure that these people buy. So you will do everything in your power to make them buy – but don’t use Juju on them. Lol

One day, a lady walked into my room to charge her phone while my friend and I were working on our laptops. So she asked us what we were doing and that was it. We sold to her after that conversation. I remember her saying something like

“Please don’t say anything again. I don’t want to buy. You people will collect my money”

That’s the spirit of a salesman

• Collaborate

Nigerians always like to start things on their own. We like to see ourselves as the sole owner of a success story. But when I studied developed countries, I realize that most of the innovations are the product of collaborations.

People with different skills come together to build something significant. In a country where it is not so easy to get investors, collaboration can help you get what you need. At least if you cannot pay salaries, you can split the profit.

Partnership is not a bad thing to do. It doesn’t make you less capable. If you find someone who you trust and respect, you are good to go. Don’t be like a friend of mine who partnered with someone he has always been complaining to me about. The partnership didn’t last two years before they path ways.

Get a trusted partner, state the conditions in clear terms and put a review policy in place.

• Learn how to make a living from your passion and talents

If you have discovered your passion, this is for you. But if you have not, don’t panic. We have a course that will put you through career clarity. You will be able to find your path and focus on it.

If you know your passion, take your time to build on it. Take your time to monetize it. You shouldn’t be hungry when you have something that can bring you money with ease.

Don’t be like me. I didn’t monetize my talents until hunger almost killed me.

There is a way to monetize your talent. What you just need to do is to find out how. As I said, a lot of people don’t know how to sell. This may be your problem too.   You should join our academy to get help from us.

• Go for vocational training

This is a bit different from learning high-income skills. This time, you want to learn a vocational skill.

I know a friend who learns how to make shoes. Today, he is making a lot from it.

Vocational skills involve getting your hands dirty. You have to use your hands.

I know of a friend who studied mechanical engineering in school but today is a farmer. He learned from his friend who didn’t go to a full-time university.

People make a lot of money through vocational skills even a student. Some people have a job but make extra money through their vocational skills. It is just a sad thing that a country like Nigeria doesn’t take vocational training seriously. Our vocational schools are as good as dead whereas, countries like China are using their population very well through vocational skills.

Learn tailoring, barbing, bricklaying, and so on. There are other vocational skills that don’t require too much energy. Find the one that suits you and go for it.    

If you are a good business mind with strategies, you should definitely make a fortune out of this.

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• Intern or volunteer

The least you can do is to be a volunteer or an intern in any area you wish to develop a career in. If you are good enough, the company will employ you. If they don’t, you will learn what will be of help to you in the future.

I have heard of stories of people who started as an intern and ended as manger. I have also heard of stories of people who started their brand after their internship.

The goal of an internship is to expose yourself to the field and to gain more experience so that you can have a better competitive advantage.

Early in the year 2022, I decided to leave a job that is paying me to start looking for an internship. I needed a set of skills that the company may not be able to provide. So this is my best move. I could do this conveniently because I have a high-income skill that is paying my bills.

Give internship a good chance.   

In conclusion

Take control of your life.

Not having a job is not the end of your career. Your career is more than the job you do.

I will see you at the top!

Cheers Distinct