It does not matter how many qualifications you have, if you don’t know how to make yourself visible, they still will not be enough.
You must be visible. Tell the world what you can do.
Attention has been drawn to several University students holding placards reading “What’s Next?”
These have now graduated to tribal undertones insinuating exclusion of employment opportunities to some tribes and regions in the country.
The University graduates on the streets must take note that NO campaign that promotes hate and sectarianism has a place in Uganda. A university graduate is a highly educated person by Ugandan standards. They can do a lot to succeed if they apply their effort properly.
Imagine if the placards on the streets read:
“I can design websites, manage social media accounts and write blogs”, I need a job. Jane, 0782xxxxxxx.
“I can visit prospects and sell for you & a great graphics designer too.” I need a Job, Alex 0754xxxxx.
“I can grow your YouTube profile. I take and edit short videos and TVs”, I need a job, Jimmy 077234xxx.
“I am great at record keeping. I can help organize your office so you have more time with your family”, call Ann, 07832xxxx.
I could go on and on.
If you want to win, make yourself visible with the right causes. If you carry the above placards, you will have so many people calling you for an opportunity. But first, you must have the right skills.
People need article writers. Copy editors. Graphics designers. Online video editors. Trustworthy professionals. Accountants. Skilled people who can do the job. Coders. Human Resource Experts. Record Keepers. Capable and trustworthy professionals who have the right attitude.
If you visit any company, the manager or the top honcho is not happy with about 30% of the staff they work with! For the government, it could be a higher percentage. It is just not easy to hire and fire employees.
In the private sector, the easiest and plausible reason for terminating an employee is poor performance on the assigned roles. Since many small businesses rarely keep records and or conduct staff performance appraisal and where they do so, they don’t keep the proper records, companies keep non-performers on their payrolls for a long period.
While at University, get the right skills. University classroom teaches you 20% of the skills you need to survive after University. 80% of the skills you learn while at University outside the classroom. Skills like business acumen, communication, report writing, attention to detail, marketing and sales, etc… you don’t learn them in the classroom.
Someone, us did not ask our parents to send money for school fees. The opportunity of just being in Kampala was good enough. Favour. Just having someone give you free accommodation for your first year is all you need to go into survival mode.
We did not look for government jobs, either.
We not only excelled in class, but we also worked hard. After class, we would be available to provide tuition to busy students at a fee. And that is how some of us were headhunted for job opportunities.
If you are lucky to attend University education and complete it, you are to blame for what you become. That achievement itself makes you among the top 50% most trained Ugandans! All you need is education – the ability to apply your skills to meet the needs of your community. You can do online searches and self-study to attain such education.
My advice to you graduate, start looking for opportunities. Market your skills. Jobs are like money; they must be scarce to be valuable. Even the mediocre people who may be in the jobs need brilliant people like you to help them keep the jobs.
Make it easy for the mediocre jobholders to find you.
Copyright Mustapha B Mugisa, 2020. All rights reserved.
