Budgeted Risk for a Grown up Man. What Happens When You are Out of Job. Storytelling...

Nothing in this world last forever. Just make sure you enjoy every moment.

The Jackson 5 had great impact in the world of music. Notably Michael Jackson the king of pop. Anytime I’m watching him singing I see the definition of life. We all would leave the world at some point. Whitney Houston aka the voice has gone. She let us understand that “Love is the Greatest Gift of all” And truly we need Love to reign in our various offices. Prince said life is like a party and party are not meant to last.

The very good example we should have use in this context is Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs is an iconic. A genius. He is Apple. And he is everything to me in business. His leadership style changes the world of work. In his lifetime, Steve Jobs faces up and own of life. He like career as high priority. Steve was sacked from Apple and still he didn’t feel that is going to be the end of the world. He continues his hustle of being CEO of his talent in the street. Just be good at what you do.

I told my team that Life can strike them at any time. Careers are not really meant to last forever. Some people have been sacked today from work. While some just receive their promotion. We need to budget for risk in everything we do. And we should lower our expectation about life. Because when you have higher expectation and it is not forth coming it would lead to frustration.

People lose job and they grow. Some people lose their job and they suffer. And whichever way always remember to be a man. Stay strong and keep moving.

When I left my wasted years. I felt renew. I told myself no matter how much I am going to suffer my skin would never change. I am black and strong. I don’t bleach my skin. So, I am good to go and face the sun. And I was also ready to walk many miles with my rugged shoe.

People would laugh at you. Friends would make gest of you. When they see you online, they would log off? ?You would go broke. Your relationship and or marriage would shake. Your former colleague would gossip you. Your former bosses would be monitoring your progress on social media. You should be ready to lose anything when you are out of job. But one thing you should never lose is never to lose yourself. Stay true to yourself.

And while working and things are going on well or not too well. Always ensure you have a side hustle. It could be your talent and may be something like your small business. Companies can fire you at anytime that is comfortable for them without having a second thought. So have a second plan called plan B.

Life is never meant to be easy.

Being out of job in Africa is really a suffer head. Being in low pay job too is still suffering. Nigeria is hard for those that are not into politics. Bills are heating. Your children school fees. The mortgage. The house rent. Debt there and there. You would feel like calling it quite from life.

I try to understand the frustration of people that are out of job. I engage them and I also listen to them. I have faced challenges in life. I have been able to cope and resolved some of them. At some point I seek support of friends. In these friends you would only find friend. I have lost so many friends during difficult times. People out there are not ready to solve your problem if that is what you think rather many of them are just looking for how to compound it for you.

We are busy working that is one of the reasons we do not understand life. Sometime when we are running race we might need to pause and reflect.?Adversity reveals so many things to a man. You would know truly the functions of family and friends. And even lovers. Some lovers just need you for their own survival. Some male friends just need you for material gain. You would meet friends that buy you alcohol but won’t be able to give you money to print your resume or CV. Modern day friends what to only use us and dump us.

Thinking that everyone would support you in this hard time means you are wrong. People are running their own race. People are after their own self motive. Not everyone would like you to grow.

Consider the reasons why you are out of work. It could be that you are tired of the toxic culture in your workplace. Or you don’t just like the pay as it is causing more mental pain to you. Or you were sacked from work unjustly. Or maybe you are like me that the gang in the service industry forced me to resign from work simply because they are afraid that I may likely become their boss anytime soon. Which ever way, you have made a good decision. People would find fault in your decision. And there are people that would find joy or pleasure in your suffering. Remember you are ahead of those that are still in one particular toxic job with low pay. No promotion and no transfer. They are busy doing the same thing on and one. That is fanaticism. Life is happening and it is moving.

The era of great resignation and inflation has really proved that many employees need rest. We also need support. The support that managers fail to provide. I’m seeing that the numbers of people at home is increasing. While the numbers of graduates in the street of Lagos and Abuja are multiplying every seconds. Who cares? Nobody. If you rely on Government to do a great service for you in Nigeria you would grow grey hair.

The one thing I know is that man must survive. I have much regard for my country man working on the street. The sun is hot. You know the kind of weather we have in Abuja. Some of these guys were pushed out of the office as a result of envy. Some of them have boss and colleague that put false accusation on them. These guys on the street are even more brilliant than some of these folks on suit and blazer.

Always remember that the scarcity of water does not call for a man to drink his own urine.

What should you be doing when you are out of job?

We have been busy making a living without making a life. Family is the key. For those of us blessed with good family. The time to be with them is during your time of separation. You have been separated from a career. Seek advice from loved ones. Good friend too has a role to play. Visit people that truly cares. Go for regular exercise. Take a walk.

Many people have died in silence. So many people are depressed. There are many cases of suicide globally.

Let us keep in touch with our friends that are facing life challenges. Leaving them alone simply because we think they would tax us is not enough. If I couldn’t get cash to offer, I offer kindness.?The world is turning. We don’t even know whose turn. One good turn deserves another. There are people you have helped in the past that fails to be there for you. That is their own karma. Just do good and expect less.

There are uncles that would tell us to keep applying and praying for jobs. Unrealistic statement. Our uncle did not get this job through submitting of CVs.

If you ask some of our guys to help us in securing a job, they too would tell you that it is based on merit. Whereas they got to that position through human efforts. Nobody has ever climbed the ladder of success with their hands in their pocket.

We all have dirt in different angle and corner in our home. We are unable to attend to this due to the fact that we have been working. This is the best time to attend to such. Sitting doing nothing has effect on the human body.

Time spent outside the screen of computer is good. The system that we use has it won effect. You have been under Ac for years. The Ac too has serious health implication on the human health.

This is also the best time to know your kids and your spouse. They need attention. They need to be play with. Share stories with them. Go on outing with them. Laugh and smile with your children.

I use my time presently on writing content. Out of job should not be out of craft or talent. I write great content. I reflect on things or incidence in my workplace. I think about individual and group behavior. And that has helped me to create my own newsletters on LinkedIn. Even if I am hungry, I still write and I got good analytics. People engage with my post on LinkedIn and other social media platform.

I also used out of job time to go to fitness center. I lift light weight. Meet new people and laugh with them. Laughing is a good medicine in an adult life.

The only thing unemployment has thought me bitterly is that we call everyone friends. But not all are friends. People roll with the good times. It is very difficult to beg. When you even try it, they would run away from you. But there is still one good friend out there. Regardless of distance a good friend still cares.

The quote in the mind of college days friends is “nobody owns you anything” That quote is good for the greed. How to apply it is what many do not know. We live by what we give. Unhealthy competition brings about rivalry. ?

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Where Do I Start From? Leaving the Wasted Years

My friend told me to my face a big fact. “AJ you don’t know how to beg…how would you now cope?” That was after finishing a street hustle for the day some years back.

I have been working for a long time before I call it quit. It was a big drama between me and the large group of guys at the service center. In 2019 I left my wasted years. I was on the street. Doing some freelance job. In few months I got a new full-time job. It was hectic and interesting. Hectic because I had a day that I couldn’t brush my teeth. Laugh. I don’t have tooth paste. Only a true friend would tell you if your mouth is smelling. And only him could defend it. I walked round the street. I knew I would not fail. If I should fail that would be a disgrace to The Greatest Field in the World. The god of Kotler would never make me to fail. With all his energies in Marketing Management. I had no one to meet to support me. I have fixed many people in different organization but I couldn’t have the gut to meet them for help. I always feel reluctant when it comes to begging. The experience was painful. Each time I quit a job I always faced the consequence and I believe my confidence never fail me. And if fails me it is my decision.

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The HR Factor. The Evil HR does lives with Them

The Human Resource guys in Nigeria are so na?ve and abusive. Have you ever gone for a job interview with your last cash only to get there and they told you that the interview has been postponed? Not everyone that interview us are actually Hr. But they want to be call Hr. they are draining cash from the pocket of an applicant.

I attended an interview with Proxy Net Communication. The Hr. Lady after all talk said they want this particular religion and not the other religion. Something they did not specify on the job advert.?I believed she want to sell the job out to someone internal. Where would I record the wasted cash? She is very wicked.

?There was this interview I had with Drumstix. They placed me on series of interview. I mean 7 to 8 stages of interview only for them to offer me remuneration that is not impressive.

Many applicants have similar worst stories to tell about the stress that Hr. and company are putting them through on a daily basis.

When you leave job. It is the best time to think about your worth.

I have one of the best CV in the world. Not in design. But in content written with Design Thinking.

I have had discussions with executives in the board. I have tour so many companies all in the name of interview. I have work for different companies achieving great result. In your no job time you can take your pen and sketch a good CV by yourself. And this is also an avenue to start writing your own story.

One Hr. called me that my CV is this and that. That I switched job. I don’t work for a long period of time. I laughed. That is, it. They should look at my loyalty with a multinational firm even as a contract making revenue more than it is expected. I write my CV like a love letter. I don’t have power to lie. It is written with utmost integrity and honesty. So, no Hr. should come and scatter my head.

Another HR. called my attention. A young man interviewed me for the position of Operation Manager. I told him if my CV is funny to you. There would be someone out there that is going to like my CV like “this is what I have been looking for all these whiles!!!!!”?My field demand that I tour. Even a company need me to stay they should do the needful. Must everyone stay on a job for years? To work in operations means you must have tour firms. That is a great exposure.

Hr. folks are confusionist. You need to be bold enough to work with them. If not, they would change things for you.

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