Kenneth sat by the roadside, his head down, hands folded, tears gathering in his eyes. He tried to hold them back, but he couldn't. When he came to the realization that he was in public, he cleaned his face immediately, sighed heavily, stood up, and continued working.
The situation in the country is hard. Graduates are going through a lot whenever they finish their respective institutions. Getting employment is a tug of war. There is so much competition in the industry that favors one over the other.
The population with low employment rates is becoming increasingly alarming day by day. Kenneth has been on a job hunt for the past six months after completing his NYSC.
He had designed different application letters for various positions and organizations in a bid to secure one tangible job.
Sometimes, he would stay up all night drafting his curriculum vitae (CV) to avoid making any mistakes or errors, but all his efforts were fruitless. He had even managed to secure a job at a farm, where they did hard labor, with no machinery to assist, and only a few workers, including him.
However, Kenneth fell sick along the way and had to leave the job because it was too strenuous. He worked for just two weeks and a few days. An adage says, "Work has a longer lifespan than the breath of man." Therefore, he chose to keep hunting for better employment.
Later, he got another job, but the salary was too low. It was at a bakery, and the job was so hard and time-consuming, yet the pay was insufficient. According to one of the workers, if any bread went bad or fell on the ground, it would be deducted from his salary.
pThe salary was not even enough to feed one person for two weeks, let alone for a month. He left the bakery after working for a full three days before resigning. Kenneth was recounting all this sad experience he had before going to this venue where there was no vacancy.
He grew up in a poor background where there was no help from any family members. He sponsored himself throughout his tertiary education, and the only thing left is to get a good-paying job or start a business before planning to settle down.
The young man attended several Interviews, seminars, and traveling here and there to different places to secure a job have been up to no avail. He was coming back from a company that had earlier invited him for an interview.
In his thoughts, he was sure that he had secured a job already. Kenneth dressed up happily that fateful morning. He was excited that his struggles had finally come to an end.
As soon as he got to the entrance of the company, he saw a notice board with the inscription, "No Vacancy."
"Oh no, not again!" Kenneth shouted. He tried calling the number of the person who had asked him to come, but it was not reachable.
Kenneth was dismayed, worried, and confused. He had spent all his savings during the process of searching for a job. No money was forthcoming; he had borrowed money from different people and even from online loan businesses just to survive.
As he was thinking about all this, dragging his leg beside the road to go back home, he got tired on the way and sat down in front of a shop by the roadside, where he cried so bitterly.
Fortunately, he received an email from one of the companies he had submitted applications to just as he was about to leave. Initially, he didn't want to even look, thinking it might be another interview.
However, he summoned the courage and checked the email. It read, "Dear Kenneth Owolabi, you have been offered a job at Greenstone Company Int'l. You are to resume work tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Thanks."
Kenneth thought it was a joke until a call came in that confirmed the email. "It is real! I've got a job!" he screamed.
Some pedestrians were alerted by his voice and wondered what was going on, but they later focused on their way.
He just got a job with a salary of 350,000 naira, along with a house and a car attached to it. Apart from his salary, there is also an allowance and free lunch.
Immediately he dropped the call, Kenneth stopped a taxi and went straight home to break the good news to his family.
“Mama! Papa! I made it!” he laughed happily. His parents had been praying for their dear first child to secure a good job so he could take care of his two siblings, who are also in school. This good news is an answer to their prayers.
Thanks for reading.
