A lot has been written and said about the problems plaguing the nation’s educational system over the years, but what may not be getting so much attention are the career decisions that students often make, many of which prevent them from meeting their potentials.
With the current unemployment rate in Nigeria at 24 percent and the youth unemployment rate over 50 percent, the lack of career direction early poses danger to the growth of the nation.
Not a few stakeholders have observed that the world is evolving from a century characterised by reliance on narrow cognitive learning processes in secondary and tertiary institutions, to a more advanced form of knowledge sharing that drives students towards rewarding careers in the long run.
Olumide Akinsola, a career consultant observes that as laudable as this suggestion may be, it is not applicable to the Nigerian environment where most students and workers, in a bid to secure jobs, take career paths that deprive them of that sense of fulfilment associated with doing what they are suited for.
Akinsola pointed out that while the career path or work life of some people is a source of joy, for others, despondency is the order of the day, as they experience challenges which they never bargained for in the first place.
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He identifies poor academic qualifications as the major barrier that prevents most people from finding fulfilment in their jobs. “Phobia for unemployment in the advent of resignation from their present employment is another factor that can stand in the way of people deriving joy from their present place of work,” he adds.
Akinsola further informs that lack of information regarding better job openings within and around the industry, coupled with the lackadaisical attitude of most employees to on- the-job self-improvement greatly reduces their chances of forging ahead in any career they may get involved in.
“The truth remains that it would do individuals a world of good if they can determine their innate skills and abilities in good time so as to make career choices that would stand them in good stead at the workplace in the long run”. He said
For Obioha Ezenwa, a career coach, the essence of working is to attain a measure of economic and financial independence and achieve set goals in life.
Ezenwa observes that experiences in Nigeria have shown that those who improve themselves by acquiring additional skills tend to get rapid promotion and are more likely to achieve their set goals faster than redundant and uninspiring workers.
To this end, achieving success in a career, Ezenwa notes, necessitates doing what one is really interested in.
As far as the career coach is concerned, it is necessary for people to make use of their creative abilities in a new work environment, saying that it is also advisable to latch on to available opportunities that come one’s way on the job.
“It is strongly encouraged that prior to making that next career move, people plan, ask questions before going ahead. We should not waste our energy and experience doing the wrong kind of job,” the expert cautioned.
Kelechi Ewuzie
