Acquire a skill; it is important in order for you to survive in our present society. However, have you reason deeply before you enroll for a skill? Is every skill out there suitable for someone like you, or you’re tempted to enroll for the common one? In this part of the world, I am totally convinced that parents still dictate skills for their children based on their personal reasoning or interest. Let’s get it right, if your parents are politicians or well established business persons who are ready to secure a place for you after your education, fine, you can go ahead and do whatever they choose for you. However, if you are someone like me who struggles all day in other to survive, definitely you need to think twice before you make your final decision. I didn’t plan this article, but I decided to share something based on my experience after my bachelor’s degree.
A skill after college degrees, why?
This particular question was what I asked myself when I heard about people enrolling for different skills after graduating from colleges. I ponder on it several times but couldn’t find a suitable answer until I graduated from the university. Soon after leaving the school I realized that I am now in the real world, and not where I have been for four years solving problems in papers. It is time to get a job and live the desired life, but most time things don’t really work the way we want it. No one has a standby job out there for you. You’ve got to brace yourself and pick up the challenges of getting your desired job. I am not the lazy type, but I hate to stand on queue in front of companies for interview.
Months after leaving the university, I started thinking about what I can do with my acquired education, but unfortunately, it seems that all my education is to help me fix into a position in any of the relevant industries. Now I understand why people enroll for skills after leaving the university.
For me, skills are different from the education you attained in schools, in the sense that you’ve got to apply your skills in solving everyday problems. However, in schools, you learn what has already been prepared or propounded for years. Unless the curriculum is regularly reviewed, students will continue to follow the same learning pattern, which may not help thereafter.
When you acquire a skill, you’ll be able to apply that skill to solve immediate problems. Now you might be thinking of acquiring a skill, but wait, what skill is suitable for you? Before you choose a skill, you need to think about what you plan to do with the skills you want to acquire. To be sincere, some skills are merely backups for your degrees. You need to be well informed before making your final decision. If your aim is to be able to solve immediate problems and establish yourself without looking for employment elsewhere, then you need to do your research and know the best skills for you.
Think about your passion
I am a biochemist, but now fully involved in digital marketing. Some will see this as contradictory, but my passion for digital marketing is strong enough to push me to the greatest level. With passion, you’ll be able to survive even if the going is extremely tough. When you do what you like, no amount of challenges can stop you from doing it. Tapping my computer keyboard is fun, and even if it is not yielding immediate results as planned, I still love doing it. If you want to achieve something meaningful with the skill you acquire, go for something you have passion for.
Don’t do it because your friend is doing it
As long as I believe that your passion is different from that of your friend, then you don’t need to enroll for skills because he/she is doing it. When you enroll for a skill because your friend is doing it, you’ll likely end up working for them. The only reason why I may enroll for skills my friend is learning is if I really love it.
Be strong enough to resist parents’ pressure if you don’t like what they recommend
I said earlier that parents in this part of the world still mandate their children to study what they (the parents) like, not considering the child’s personal interest and ability. I was lucky not to fall into that category though. Are you afraid of turning down your parent’s recommendations? So do I. However, you’ve got all the reasons to turn it down if you know you can’t do what they recommend. I keep talking of personal ability because it plays the major role in individual’s performance. If you’re not bold enough to tell them why you can’t do what they recommend, you won’t be able to tell them even though you’ve facing serious challenges in that field. With respect, tell them why you would not do that which they ask you to do.
Consider your environment and the available resources
In some situations you need to consider your environment before you enroll for any skill. Will you be able to succeed doing that in your environment? In fact, if your environment is not encouraging you to do more, chances that you’re going to remain static are very high. Consider the environment you live before you pick up a skill. If it will require you to educate them about it, then be ready to do the work. I usually take time to explain to people what I do online all the time, and why I have been using four mobile phones. One of the reasons why you need to educate people in your environment is to be at the safer side. I have heard of neighbors reporting digital marketers to the police because they don’t know what they do to make money online. This can happen in many fields, so be ready to educate people around you.
With this little piece, I hope you’ll be able to make the right decision when choosing a skill. Remember, it is not the name that matter most, but what you can do with the skills you learn.
CHEERS!