BITTER! BUT THE TRUE REALITY OF MOST GHANAIAN GRADUATES AFTER UNIVERSITY.
Ghana, life after university. Practical reality of the Ghanaian youths and how you have to tactically survive it.
How 80% of graduates manage their way out to where they are now in their career journey, only God knows and only time will allow their stories to be told.
Most of us along the line, dropped our University degree specialisation to peruse something new. I mean the courses we actually majored in, the knowledge and practical experience we garnered from doing attachment just to add more knowledge for a different change of career.
Don’t blame us at all, we took those bold steps out of frustration. Out of the fact that, some people we expected to understand and sympathize with us on our “fresh university graduate looking for job but to no avail days” gave up on us.
So at some point we were also tired of the national anthem “the no vacancy” sang in our faces immediately
We were simply tired of seeing and hearing people, sometimes our own family members and friends giving us “the what is your use after University” look.
We were tired of hearing whispers of those name calling “The jobless after University boy/ girl” each time we passed.
Believe it or not, most of us until after National service and when the grinding reality started hitting our backs and faces really hard, taught it was just a phase which will die soon after we dropped one or two CVs at various companies we wanted to work.
But for learning the hard way and believing in the term “ humble beginnings”, am sure most of us would probably be at home still wishing and wanting to work at a so - so and so companies all in our dreams and minds.
On several occasions, some of us have had to cast curses on the government, innocent Human Resource Managers of organisations we submitted CVs to because they bluntly turned us down.
But today, I am telling you all those signs of frustration won’t change anything if you don’t make a personal decision to change your story. Try any of the 3 I have listed below and thank me later.
1. If you are a graduate looking for employment and not getting, I will urge you to start learning a skill. You can schedule your time such that after dropping some few CVs in the early mornings, you can still go and spend the rest of your time to learn a skill with a professional. Just take what you love doing t your leisure times serious. With time, it can blossom and turn into a business which will earn you some money.
2. If you are a graduate and after waiting so many years without a job and you’re still wishing to be called by that particular company you desire, my dear sister or brother, tell yourself enough is enough, it’s time to wake up. All that we wish and think, even with a first class qualification is not what really happens in reality after school. Humble yourself, and grab that opportunity which you and I know very well isn’t going to pay you that amount of salary you want, that job position you want or that job category in relation to what you studied in school. Humble yourself and take that offer, for experience is the best teacher and half a loaf is better than none. It’s not your fault or my fault, our country and it’s structures simply do not make it easy for graduates to get their desired job choices right after University.
Yes, a few are lucky because probably God favoured them or they are connected. From experience of staying many years unemployed at home, you should come to terms with the fact that, your destiny is not like that of these few lucky ones. So my sister, my brother humble yourself and take that stepping stone offer. I did same and it’s part of the learning experience that elevated me to where I am today.
3. Do not think because you majored in a certain field at school, it means you have to by all means get a job in connection to that. Trust me, in most cases it doesn’t apply. The GHANA that we are in, isn’t structured to make that possible for graduate. Most often, what we even study in school is not what is practised on the job field. If you studied Pharmacy and you are not getting related job, just accept the role of the Personal Assistant, Human Resource or Sales personnel role you are being offered. Hang in there for while, establish contact, build yourself even more. Who knows that job will be the opening of greater things.
Graduates looking for job that seem difficult, , start changing your perception about getting immediate job employment after school. It is not always the case. We have heard and seen people with vast knowledge, impeccable results yet started their professional career by doing jobs that are not in anyway related to what they deem fit.
Today, they are in the top management level in their organisations. Today, they are the ones calling the shots. Today, they are being celebrated as heroes and heroines simply because they took up the challenges of starting somewhere regardless their educational backgrounds in the past.
So many people out of the frustration of looking for white coloured jobs have dropped their certificates somewhere, started somewhere, and are now notable great Entreprenuers, game changers, innovators, movers and shakers of this country.
Don’t sit and fold your arms and expect manna to fall on your table. Humble yourself and start from somewhere. Our GHANA doesn’t know the first class honouree and the third class honouree. It’s survival of the fittest and what you make out of your unemployment situation. The ball is in your court.
Writer: Adizah Kuburah Braimah
kuburahdiamonds.blogspot.com
@Kuburahd Diamonds
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