Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Unemployed? What's Your Excuse?

   “When most people leave school, they leave confused and stupid.”
-Robert Kiyosaki.
When I saw this tweet on my twitter page, it sounded kind of insulting. After reading it over a few times, its real meaning came to me. But guess what? That "insulting tweet" is the reason I wrote this article.

Just in case you don't know, Robert Kiyosaki is an entrepreneur and author of the RICH DAD series. He's my mentor in the aspect of the human mentality and financial intelligence and I've read almost all his books.

Why did this tweet sound insulting? Well, I guess it's because I'm still an undergraduate but I'm pretty sure that I don't fall in this category. The truth of the matter is that some people do belong in this category and it's not just undergrads.

It is true that unemployment is an issue in most countries, especially the developing ones. Millions of college students leave school every year only to join the millions already out there. They obediently join the queue and the "wait for the job" syndrome flows down to them. Getting a job is not bad but waiting for the job to come to you is just not the best. That job you're waiting for is going to get to other people on the same queue before it gets to you. If the job eventually gets to you, what do you do? Do you let it also pass you by or do you counter it and make your position its dead end?

That tweet only becomes true when you don't do your part in securing that dream job. One thing I've come to realize is that no matter how high the level of unemployment is in any country, some guys just seem to have it going good for them. Within one year of graduation, they get jobs and steadily climb their way up the corporate ladder.
The important question to ask here is, 'how do they do it?' There must be something they know which the others don't. Sometimes it's not about having the right contacts or being impressive in an interview. Most times, it's about you. Does that sound strange? Well, it shouldn't. Let's see a few ways you can make those jobs come your way.

1. Become Employable.
From my part of the world, most people go to school with the mentality of getting good grades and then getting a job. Robert Kiyosaki calls this the "poor man's mentality". What they don't realize is that those grades are just not enough. Graduating with a distinction doesn't make you the only one with it. Millions of others have that same grade too. In a situation like this, the only thing that can stand you out is that extra thing that you know. Most companies today don't hire based on grades but on productivity. You'll need to learn something extra within your field if you want to make any headway. This will be a very good form of leverage, especially if your fellow interviewee only has school grades.

2. Look in The Right Places.
"The elevator to success is out of service, but the stairs are always open."
-Zig Ziglar
So many people want to get to the top of the stairs without climbing it. With our little qualifications, we target high positions and then blame the government when we don't get what we want. To dream big, you have to start small. This doesn't mean going for the lowest positions in a company but working on yourself before launching out. A lot of people leave school prematurely without even knowing it.
Looking for a job in a promising startup isn't such a bad idea. This will definitely assist you in gaining the experience you need for those high positions. Sometimes, working in small businesses are the best first steps you can make.

3. Be Your Own Boss
You can help reduce the level of unemployment by creating jobs for yourself and others. You could be that small start-up that a job seeker could gain experience with. The best way to do this is to have the ability to spot opportunities. You really don't need to join the millions of jobless people out there who just talk about their problems. Look around you for something that needs to be done and be the solution. By doing this, you'll be helping lots of people out there and you know what; you'll be happy doing it too.

Do you know better ways to reduce unemployment and make people realize that they create their own future?
Share your views and let others learn from you. Your comments are welcome.

Books Related To This Post:
How To Identify Business Opportunities
Guru, Greatness and You

12 comments:

  1. You raise some valid points in this post. You have a right to be offended, but you go on to define some reasons why Mr. K may have used that particular word. This is a well thought-out post.

    Another item I might add to y your list is network, network, network. Get to know people because today it is not only what you know, but who you know that may help you land that job. I'm not saying I like the "who you know" world, but that's just the way it is today. So get to it, connect with people and companies that you would like to work with! Use social media in a smart way to expand your networking base. This is also a valuable tool if you choose to become self-employed.

    My opinion - you will go far. You have the right attitude. Keep up the great blog posts!

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  2. I agree with you cspeno. Who you know and what you do with who you know is also important. I've learned something from your comment. Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. School provides some common shared knowledge, but does very little to develop the necessary interpersonal skills and leadership skills employers demand. I would add construct a plan of action and stop playing the role of Captain Wing It where you spray your actions all over the place and pray for something to stick.

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  4. That's also true. Setting goals and working towards their attainment is just as important. Thanks for stopping by Leanne. Hope you check back again.

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  5. This is excellent advice. I am a personal fan of number 3. :)

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  6. Helping people should be everyone's priority. You can do this effectively by being your own boss. I'm also a fan of this one. Thanks for stopping by Alexis.do this effectively by being your own boss. I'm also a fan of this one. Thanks for stopping by Alexis.

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  7. Great post and I couldn't agree more. I agree with cspeno. I'm never satisfied and I'm always looking for the next challenge (hence the blog writing). I talk with anyone that I can and help out as much as possible. You never know when it will come back to you. By the way, Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a great book.

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  8. We can't help everyone but as you said, that little help we offer can go a long way. Thanks for stopping by Jim.

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  9. I love your post and it rekindled a memory of one of my summer jobs while I was in college. We were counting toilet paper squares for military survival kits and our pay was determined by the number of completed toilet paper bundles (I think it was six sheets per bundle) we had by the end of the day. One of my friends poured her whole heart into the task and she so surpassed the rest of us in pay that we couldn't believe it. That was an important lesson I learned that summer--whatever you do, do it with passion and give it your all! Love your blog!

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  10. You're right Sandra. Passion and commitment are important. Thanks for stopping by.

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  11. I agree with you and comments above. These days with an easier access to education, having degree does not make you any special. It is good to have it though. I would have one more advice for those who struggle to find a job. join any charity organization and work for free for a while ( I know it is not ideal but better than doing nothing). I had to take a break from work for a year but was helping local charity with organizing events, which turned out to be sucessfull. It really helped - managed to meet lots of people ( networking) but also my future employer could see if I managed to comitt to sth for free and make it work, I will perform even better while being paid. Opprtunities are everywhere, just need to find them.

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  12. Robert Kiyosaki once said in RICH DAD POOR DAD that sometimes working for free makes you open to opportunities. I agree with you Kasia. Thanks for stopping by.

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