At some point in my life this was a very difficult question to answer, mainly because it always lead to more questions
"What do you do for a living?"
"I am a content creator."
"What's that?"
Two years ago being a content creator in this part of the world was the strangest thing. The older and even the younger generation did not understand what it entailed. Most people simply mistook me for a fraud boy
"So I basically share opinion pieces on subjects that interest me."
"And you make money from that?"
"Yes I do."
"Hmm… stares in disbelieve"
Working online has also had a negative connotation (for most Nigerians). Even till date many people still see it as a front for illegal internet activities. However, things are a lot different now (thankfully). A lot of young Nigerians wear the content creator tag, which makes me proud. I can now tell someone I am a content creator without having to explain much.
A WORLD OF STRANGE JOBS.
These days I get to hear job titles that make my head turn. Earlier today, I came across a tik tok post about a lady who referred to herself as a nightlife PR. So basically her job entails giving clubbers a unique club experience i.e getting the right table, girls, drinks, etc.
But isn't this what ushers do?
I was fascinated by the fact that she was making a living unconventionally, doing something many would trivialize. It goes to show how dynamic the labour market has become in recent times with certain very random jobs becoming more specified, and by extension creating new industries. Many young Nigerians are keying into this new market of opportunities and making the best out of it.
Most young people do not have conventional jobs anymore. Almost everyone in this age and time wants to be an influencer/youtuber, and I do not fault them because society has placed a lot of value on entertainment and most people will gravitate towards value.
The most exciting thing about this era of strange jobs is that people are getting to discover and invest in their passion. You can be famous ( and wealthy) doing the thing you love, and that might just be as basic as being stupid on camera (as long as it draws attention). That's a luxury considering where I am coming from as a millennial in Nigeria.
I remember being six and telling my father I wanted to be a football. He vehemently refused. His vision for me was to become an engineer, but thankfully I sucked at science. My passion was writing which I discovered in my late teens. I wasn't the best at it. In fact I really sucked at writing, just like science. No one who knew two decades would have envisioned that I could become a writer. However, it was what I wanted and two decades later my dream is a reality.
In conclusion, never be too scared to pursue what you want out of life. The more unpopular it is the better your chances of scaling. Life is for those who are willing to go where no one else would go, and doing the things no one else would do. Cheers!