The week of my final examination was a very emotional one. I felt feelings of happiness, anxiety, and excitement and I was ready to get a degree and move on to the next stage. I anticipated the freedom from homework, my new independence, and a chance to leave my mark on the world. I tried to take it all in.
With a major in Mass Communications, I wasn’t really worried about getting a job. I thought I will be a hot cake in the labor market. I was wrong. After a year with no job prospects and all my carefully laid out plans not working, I felt like a loser. I kept going for interviews and at the end of some interviews, I will be certain that I will get a callback but I kept getting disappointed. Depression almost set in. All thanks to the word of God that is always timely I was able to pull through.
LEARNING THE HARD WAY
I learned people make promises without keeping them. Even most of the government policies did not give hope to university graduates. The pressure to perform combined with a future that looked blank was depressing. I endured the looks of pity and disappointment and side talks from people close to me. My books and novels were my escape during this period. I read anything I found interesting like “Chicken Soup for the Soul” by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Chicken Soup for the Soul gave me all the inspiration I needed and changed my perspective about life. I decided never to take “NO” for an answer and that no matter how many people said NO to me, someone was eventually going to say YES, all I needed to do was to keep moving.
TAKING THE FIRST STEP
After failing to find a job in the corporate world, I decided to go out on my own and be an entrepreneur. The first entrepreneurial and business venture I started wasn’t very profitable but it gave me a lot of experience. I helped a friend to market her products and I got a little commission in return. It was a very stressful job but I didn’t give up. Then came my next idea. I had a pair of custom-made sandals a friend gifted to me before my graduation and almost everybody I met loved them and wanted a pair. And so my new business idea struck me. I started my business with 10 pairs of custom-made sandals. Getting funds was a bit of a problem but I kept pressing on till I finally got enough funds. Marketing the sandals and getting people to buy was a challenge initially but eventually, it paid off. I worked so hard that I was sometimes too tired to eat but my business was growing and I was happy. Now, I have so much demand I have to order new inventory all the time.
NEW HOPE
I love the freedom of being my own boss and putting a smile on peoples faces. I haven’t lost hope of getting a job, but I am happy doing what I am doing. I made a promise to myself to make ME happy and not to get upset about my life just because everyone else looks like they have their life sorted out. I promised myself not to get mad because my circumstance left me without access to a lot of resources, talents and wealthy possessions. I also realized that I’ll be perpetually unsatisfied if every time a friend had success I respond with bitterness and jealousy instead of joy and genuine support.
I have found a new meaning of happiness. Even if I don’t get a job, this week, or next month or next year, I won’t freak out.
I have found a new meaning of happiness.
It’s been three years since I got my university degree and the road has not been easy but I now realize that good things take time. I have accepted that my dream career might not be what I hoped for but that does not mean the time and money spent on getting a degree was a waste. It was all part of the journey and process of getting to where I am today. I took advantage of the resources around me and I have carved my own path and I know at the right time, my big break will happen.
How did you navigate all the changes you had to make and go through post-graduation? Share below.
