Life

The Desperation of the Unemployed

Unemployed man sitting on a bench, with his head in his hands --- Image by © Gideon Mendel/Corbis

Unemployed man sitting on a bench, with his head in his hands — Image by © Gideon Mendel/Corbis

While operating my phone, it beeped and I thought it was one of groups chat I belong to that was disturbing me with all manner of posts as usual. Giving it a benefit of doubt by checking, it was not a chat. It was an invitation by a bank for an aptitude test. I was not expecting it since I was not the type they were looking for. It may amaze you why I said so. You will find out soon.

I could not contain it as I quickly called my friend who assisted me in forwarding my resume.  I informed him and he wished me well. He asked me to prepare for it. At first, I was nervous not because I have phobia for exams but because I had many things begging for my attention and secondly because I was not the type they were looking for.

After a while, I didn’t bother myself much again and because of that I did only a little preparation since my conscience would not allow me to rest. On the day of the test, I went to a business centre to edit a document. In the course of that, my secondary school classmate saw me and added salt to the injury by challenging me on what I was I trying to do. I believe by now you have a clue on why I said I was not the type they were looking for.

I tried to make him see reasons with me but my excuse was not justifiable to him. After a brief chat, he wished me well and left. By then, I became more uneasy as my mind continued racing and because of that I tried to suppress it until I found myself in the test hall. Guess what when I entered the hall? I heaved a sigh of relief and the guilty conscience vanished. You know why? It was because I saw candidates that were much guiltier than me.

If there is anything a job applicant falsifies very well is age. Some even have different types of resumes. What differentiates them is just age. Some edit their CVs on daily basis because of age. This also informs why many go back to secondary school to take senior secondary school certificate exams. Preferably, they patronise NECO since it does not include date of birth in the certificate. The irony is that many of the so-called recruiting personnel are guilty of this.

I can vividly recall in the test hall, I saw the Bible coordinator of my alma mata, which I believe is in his late twenties if not above 30 years whereas the bank needed graduates of 24 years old. Do we really practice what we preach? Is bank job the only available job? Does it mean once you are close or above 30, you cannot get a good job? Is it my fault that my age has surpassed the age limit set by banks? Do I have to falsify my age to survive? I was enveloped with these thoughts, but I found out something.

I have come to realize that banking job is not the only job. Moreover, everybody must not be a banker. More so, I was not the one that determined my date of birth, so He that determines that has a reason for that. And since He designed that it means He will give me a befitting job because He is infallible so long as I play my part. Furthermore, I have come to the know that however old you are, there is a particular job that is meant for you especially if you keep upgrading yourself either by furthering your studies or adding marketable value to yourself.

In another term, for you to get out of that web, you just need to think outside the box as you cannot be doing the same thing using the same method and expect a different result. According to somebody, that is the highest level of insanity. If you are not getting what you want, why not change the way you do things?

However, this is not to suggest that the writer is unaware of the pathetic conditions Nigerian graduates are being subjected to. The writer is of the view that you do not have to falsify your age before you get something good. Yours will surely come if you do the needful. Moreover, even if you get a job after falsifying your age, the one that fits you will not come.

By Emmanuel Onoja

Other articles by Emmanuel

HOW TO HAVE MORE
LET THEM SAY
Choosing a Life Partner: Dealing with Lofty Expectations and Factual Differences

About author

Articles

Tolulope Oludapo is a young Christian who lends his voice through the media by sharing practical wisdom for everyday living in the most experiential and simplified fashion. This has fetched him the direct followership of over 30,000 users on his blog, lifegiva.com. A blog he founded. He loves to write on varying subjects that affect life, faith, relationship...everyday living.
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