Ivie Ogbonmwan: You Should Take that Job that’ll Make You Employable

Evelyn studied law at a federal university, graduated with a good grade. Unfortunately, three years after her compulsory Youth Corps Service, Evelyn was unable to get a job.

When she approached me, I had only one opening, and that was for a receptionist in a gym. Of course, Eve didn’t like the option. “How can I, a graduate of law, work as a receptionist in a gym?” She asked me.

I smiled.

8 months later, a client called me looking to hire a personal assistant. My client was the managing director of a subsidiary of one of the top oil and energy companies in Nigeria. It was a good paying job. She described her preferred candidate as someone with good research and customer service skills, social media savvy and able to work awkward hours.

I knew the exact candidate for the job. Evelyn.

You see, after Evelyn grumbled about working in a gym, she took my advice and went for the job. She hated it. Her boss added more responsibilities to her portfolio and so she began to handle admin, procurement, customer relations and digital marketing. She had no idea how to perform these responsibilities, and so she would call me to cry, then eventually teach herself using google. She ran a shift and sometimes closed work at 11 PM. She was sad that all the research skills she learnt as a law student was now being used to study gym operations and not case laws.

Six months into the job, Evelyn was employable. She had honed skills and competencies that made her valuable to an organization.

So when the opportunity came, I knew Evelyn was prepared. She applied and passed all stages and was eventually employed.

Evelyn didn’t even want to be a lawyer but she also didn’t know what she wanted to do. Her 8-month stint at the gym helped her realize what her true passion and interests were. It helped her recognise her strengths, weaknesses, skills and competencies. It helped prepare her for the market place.

Many times, I see people turn down jobs because, according to them, they are worth so much more. Hmm! A job may not pay you millions today but it will provide you with skills and competencies that can never be lost, and will eventually make you employable to a company that will pay millions.