When reality hits after graduation

It is graduation season and I have a very short message for my fellow brothers and sisters. Please demonstrate the power of gratitude and connecting.

Not only will this season mark the finishing point of your studies but it will also mark the beginning of your new life adventure. It is a beautiful thing really if we decide to focus on the short-term goals of the whole thing.

This is the ceremony that will close the door on one era and open another to a new era. It signifies a successful end to an academic period in which you are handed your prerequisite.

For most of you it is going to be a change of horizons. You are going to break the chain of routines you were used to and start knocking from office to office without any positive feedback.

“We are sorry to inform you…” is going to sound like just any normal conversation starter because you are going to get a lot of those in your mailbox.

Not because you do not qualify for any of the jobs you would have applied for but because our country has run dry of jobs to offer besides being crowded by people that are driven by nepotism; a friend of a friend’s child with no qualifications would rather have that job than you with the necessary qualifications and a university degree.

This is nothing personal, but perhaps I am spitting out the bitterness I swallowed three years ago after graduating with good grades but failed to score myself a job.

Believe you me, commencement into this new journey is not going to be something easy to endure but I bet you there will be a way. At the end of it all the hard work you put in your studies will pay off and a new life will unfold before your eyes. That shall be your warm welcome into the work world.

The most important thing you should remember is that good grades, a handful of skills, and connections play an important role in our lives. I am not in any way insinuating nepotism and corruption (although these two are no longer taboo in our state) but socialising with the big boys and being very much hands-on shall reward you handsomely.

After graduating from high school, not all of you were lucky enough to get admitted to institutions of higher learning. When you are done celebrating this milestone you have achieved, please go out there and put out the same energy you put into qualifying for those admissions in order to qualify for your first job posts. Use that power carefully.

Employment, an office job where you get a salary every month-end might not be the only answer but again entrepreneurship is not for everyone, only the brave can walk into that field and work it without breaking. Do not let those who succeeded in private businesses discourage you from applying for jobs continuously.

Always reach out to the people who were involved in the years devoted for your studying when the going gets tough, they’ll help you find a way. Make new connections by volunteering so you can showcase your skills and abilities.

This will help build up your curriculum vitae and might score you a good landing. It does not always have to be about being awarded at the end of the day, sometimes you have to sweat a little to prove your capabilities before your potential employer.

Acknowledging people and expressing appreciation are the greatest of life skills no one will ever teach you and they come in handy in this journey you are about to embark on.

You know when the British settlers came into Africa many years ago, not only did they introduce this type of education that has got us all hyped up this season, they also introduced to black people this game Moraba-raba – to go around in circles.

It’s an interesting time passing game really. It can be played quickly but its strategic and tacticalaspects run deep. This game has three phases; placing, moving and flying the pebbles.

The placing phase needs a clear mind. You’ve got to be strategic because placing your pebbles will determine your future in the game. The moving phase is quite easier because you’ve already created a mill on the board.

Then there’s the flying phase which leads to the end. A player is allowed to fly their pebbles to any empty intersection; they are allowed free movement because they have proven their capabilities. Now the winner becomes one who picks more pebbles on the board.

In this journey that you are about to embark on, your skills and your certificates are your pebbles. It is your responsibility from this day to place your skills wherever you think they will fit and it is your responsibility to keep moving around to acquire more skills and build necessary relationships that will help you grow career wise.

Although moving from one job to another may not be advisory, it does help if you do not feel challenged enough to practice your skills and abilities to help grow you and your place of work.

Education is still key to success and experience puts you on the forefront of selection but character, attitude, and reliability are most employers’ priorities because anything else can be taught.

Bokang Masasa