LESSONS FROM DAD #1

I will go through it this way…
His words will be quoted while I build on it.
Here we go…
“At some point, your certificate will be useless. Age will make it so. It is your skills that will last”
~ Oluwole Scott

Hmm

How many of us agree with this?
Imagine you being in and out of job. At some point, age will cheat on you. How do I mean? These days, the age limit is getting shorter. Maybe soon, it will be pegged at 18!

We live in a society where so much emphasis is placed on certificates and so, you find people doing everything possible to get a degree to include cheating, sleeping with lecturers and buying marks.

When the hurdle of a first degree is crossed, you find everywhere saturated and then you go again for a masters certificate. From my interactions and observations with people, I have found out that some just keep building on a wrong foundation. They simply enroll for masters programme just to be “better qualified” by certificate again and not because they really want to get some skills they can work with.

Universities these days are not helping matters by continually dwelling on theories and doing crash programmes all in a bid to make money and print out certificates.
So here we go again… the masters graduates comes out and expects that tendering his CV with masters will guarantee him automatic employment. You’d be shocked!

Hmm

You must have heard of various interviews where they tell some people that well, there are people better qualified than you (certificate criteria) but we chose you based on this and that.
We are gradually being measured by our practical skills now and not just our papers so wake up!
Imagine again if you are to be 45 years old and you’re still carrying your certificate gotten over 20 years about. How possible do you think you’d get a good job if you’ve not added skills either by practical professional courses or “handwork?”

Ask yourself this question… If you were to be 40 years old and still looking for a job with your certificate, how easy will it be???

Think about it

Take in this hard truth…Even at 20, if all you’ve got is your certificate, you’re poor!
“The ultimate of every certificate or degree is money”
~Oluwole Scott

You can’t deny that!

Well, you might want to say it’s not all about money but fulfilment. I so much believe that too but sincerely, fulfilment will not put food on your table!
Of what use is a certificate hugged by a hungry man? I’m sure if some people were to trade their certificates for just a million naira, they’d gladly do so and go back to school to acquire another. This is because the document is paper in their hands! It has not been turned over.
Illiterate people on book work all over the world are employing graduates of all levels!
Graduates of all levels work as drivers, cleaners and engage in all kinds of menial jobs.

So what is the conclusion of this matter???

Certificate and skills should be siamese twins!
May God honour your steps of obedience by waking up to the reality of the insecurity inherent in just a certificate and then give time and attention to Skills that will stand the test of time and of age.

Do share if it added anything to you.
Thank you.
Bukola Adeolu-‘Dele