Ije Aka Olu - The Journey of Our Skills

Everyone needs to have a skill that can be converted into currency. My blog today will try to look at different skills and the value they can give. Aka Olu basically refers to the work of our hands, so let's journey guys.

If there is one thing I have learned from this COVID-19 pandemic, it is the fact that having a skill is so important. Gone are the days when it was enough to go to school, get a degree or two, then get a job. There are countless number of people who lost their jobs during this pandemic regardless of having a portfolio filled with certificates.

The one set of people just headed on home and tried to balance out whatever payouts their organizations gave to them with the hope that they could stretch it for as long as possible.

On the other hand, there are those who lost their jobs and were immediately able to take out time to recover from the loss and then plan for life after a regular job. They picked up the pieces of their lives and started a business no matter how small. When the various economies started to open up, the first set of people who could get going have been people with skills.

Take an instance with the caterer, everyone must eat but not everyone knows how to cook good food. When restaurants found it difficult to reopen, some people were able to make simple meals at home and supply clients who were aware of the delicacies that flowed from their kitchen.

We can also look at the vehicle mechanics, no matter how small there would have been a need to open shop. Cars that had been parked for months would need to be serviced in order to perform optimally. Cars that were on the road carrying essential workers also had need to be serviced and maintained to ensure our essential workers made it to and from work.

Hair stylists are also at the top of the list. As much as many people tried DIY styles at home, the queues at the salons were oppressive when the lock-down was eased. Many stylists were fully booked for weeks. Whether you were required to visit the salon, or they came through for home service, it was hectic. From fixing bushy eyebrows to sorting out unkempt hair. Haa haa haa. Especially with barbing salons, many guys were looking like ancient explorers. Well, that is a story for another day.

There was a time when it may have been assumed that the people who learnt a trade were people who could not get good grades and make it to Varsity, but look who's laughing now. The person with a skill does not have to depend on a monthly pay cheque to make a daily living because no matter how little the amount, they get some cash almost every single day. These days you find a lot of these highly skilled individuals go back to school, whether online or in a brick and mortar institution in order to improve on their management skills - the combo of technical know-how and management abilities is a killer combo. Makes you extremely successful.

I have many friends who have said they would send their sons to the local mechanic down the road so they can pick up some of these mechanic skills during school holidays. While the girls can be sent down to the hair dressing salon or seamstress in the hood. Trust me, no knowledge is ever lost.

By the way, for people who do not like to get their hands dirty no matter what the benefit may be, there are other skills such as Social selling, Affiliate marketing, FOREX trading, YouTubing, Designs, Blogging, Vlogging, Photography and much more. These are skills that you may have to pay some extra money to learn them properly but the knowledge stays with you for an eternity. Some of the advantages that these set of skills have over the physical skills include the fact that

1) You do not need a specific location to operate from,

2) You can combine them with your regular paid employment,

3) You can easily build it into your lifestyle,

4) You can deal with local and international clients,

5) You can move with your skill and client even if you relocate,

6) You can continue using this skill even when you are old and grey - so far as your mind is still active

There's so much more to write about picking up a skill. If you think you're too old to learn something new, then think again because the day we stop learning we actually stop living. Yup, the grave yard is the next destination for people who have closed their minds to learning. If you're a parent out there, you must also know that giving your child a great education is no longer enough, you must make sure they leave your house with at least one skill. I know of many people who saw themselves through school using money they made from making hair, clothes, snacks etc.

When that your certificate gets irrelevant in this ever changing world, guess what, your skill would be the exact thing you need to keep going, keep walking and keep living. Do your own research, decide on what works for you and go for it. Do not let anything hold you back.

This has been a serious conversation right? Haa haa. Perhaps we would delve into a more interesting journey next week. Until then don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram; our handle remains ije_journey.

Toodles.

Ije...........Journey

Photo by iyinoluwa John Onaeko on Unsplash