By Matata Mercy
Recently I saw thousands of students from various universities and other higher institutions of learning graduating in various disciplines.
The gowns were worn and the graduation parties were held. The dust has settled on the whole graduation saga.
Now the reality is hitting most of the former students.
Writing application letters and curriculum vitae has become the order of the day but with no end in itself.
This means that the job search is proving to be fruitless.
All the promises of a well paying job, a nice house and car after graduation seems to evaporate in thin air as the hopes of these young graduates dwindles.
I know how painful it feels because I have been there, deep in the pit of despair with no one coming to your rescue.
Is there away out?I truly believe there is.
If people who dropped out of school can make it, what of you who was able to wait until you graduated?I know you can do even more than that.
One successful entrepreneur called Mark Cuban calls this period WTF period.
This simply means that you have to start looking for jobs where no one else is looking. Take up any jobs that you find on your way.
That could be wiping tables at restaurants, sweeping the floor at the office or even selling apples or powdered milk.
Truth be told, you will pick some valuable skills like learning to sell, customer care and even networking with the people that you meet along the way.
That will lay a great foundation for your success.
I know most of your friends will not want to be caught selling powdered milk or apples on the street.
But i tell you the truth, these proud friends of yours will spend more time moving from office to office.While you make progress.
One thing I learnt out of life is to humble myself and avoid a sense of entitlement.
That because you have a degree and so you cannot sweep the floor.
Or even sell apples on the streets. I find this kind of thought irritating.
In my own opinion, you should be able to take up any job as long as it can put money into your pocket.
For me, I have worked at construction sites carrying bricks and distributing mortar (cement mixed with sand and water) despite having studied Telecommunications Engineering at university.
It doesnot hurt to do these jobs but rather it builds your character for the next challenge that you will face in life.
So, if you are just fresh out of university, it's time to explore the world.
Take up any jobs and keep going and one day doors you desire will open. And they surely do in the long run.
Another alternative that I believe could help solve this tragedy goes to the parents.
What am going to share here might appear to be controversial since it is against our culture as Ugandans and also some African countries.
In Uganda, most parents believe that after having paid your school fees and you have graduated, you are now supposed to be on your own and hustle by yourself.
Fresh out of university with no clue of what to do, you are released into this hostile world and it's inhabitants.
Now what if these parents could plan for their children even before they finish school? Someone curious will ask how?
Well what if they could start companies that keep growing while their children are still at school.
So that by the time these children finish school,they do not need to look for jobs elsewhere.
They just go and work at the companies that their parents created.
Someone will ask how do they create these companies?
Well I believe most of these parents are earning given the fact that they are paying school fees for the children.
These parents can decide to save part of that income. Let me say if a parent saves 50,000 shillings per month.
This parent can look for other colleagues with whom they can come together and start companies.
For example if he meets 20 people and each is contributing 50,000 shillings in total they will be having a capital base of 1million shillings in a month.
After 10 months,they have a capital base of 10 million.
This capital can start a company. Each parent is given a share in the company.
Assuming this group of parents decided to start a hotel, as the years go on the hotel business will grow and the brand will be established.
When these children who are still in school graduate, they will not be moving from office to office but instead they will know where to work.
That decision is now straightfoward, at the hotel.
So to parents out there,don't just pay tuition also create jobs.
It will save your children from stress and depression in future. Good luck.
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