Working With Your Skills To Earn Financial Rewards

More skills equal to more money

This was a statement that was made by a friend of mine during one of our chats. I know it may look a bit vague, but what he meant by that is when you work with the skills that you have, you will increase your value, and that also increases your net worth, which then correlates to you earning more. In this era, many fields of human endeavour now favours skills over your area of discipline. As a matter of fact, for your value to increase, you have to prove that you have something to offer and something to bring to the table. This is why I always tell people to get at least a secondary skill apart from what they studied in college.

There was a time a very renowned manufacturing company in this part of the world was hiring for their ICT department. When they released the requirements for candidates to meet before submitting applications, it was amazing. They never talked anything about university or college degrees, but they focused on what ICT skills you possess - like programming skills, system networking skills, etc. They realized that this is what matters to the growth of the company: that is, adding of value, not bringing in theories. I also verified from other big companies and also found out that they also favour skills over degrees.

It is true that getting a degree or certification is very good and very welcomed, because of course, they will grant you access through certain doors that you cannot enter without them. But much more than that, you need to acquire more skills to make you have an edge and to remain relevant. Imagine this scenario: if 10 people are applying for an ICT job that has only one vacancy and 10 of the candidates have degrees, but one of them has both degree and system networking skills, who do you think would be more favoured for the job? Obviously the one with an extra skill. This is actually what you stand to gain when you acquire skills.

I remember an experience my friend shared with me. In his company, he was initially employed as a clerk because he had only an Ordinary National Diploma (OND). Before that, while he was in school, he learnt how to repair generators and was doing that in school. But when he graduated from his OND and got a job, he left the generator repair hustles. However, in his workplace where he was employed as a clerk, a day came when the two of the company's engineers were unavoidably absent from work and the big generator broke down. All attempts to get it started did not work. So the guy told the unit head that he can fix it, surprised by the statement, he allowed him to have a try.

In less than 45 minutes, the generator was back up working very fine after he replaced a particular nut that was loosened. Amazed by this, the unit head asked how he knew what the fault was, he told him that he acquired a skill in the repairing of generators and he was doing that before he was employed. The unit head told him that they were looking to employ a third staff for the engineering department but they wouldn't, since he can fit into the vacancy. That was how he was upgraded from a clerical staff to an engineering staff with a salary raise of over 100% even though he did not study anything relating to engineering. You see, what made a way for him was the extra skill that he was able to get and perfected on it.

To live in this era without any skill that you can boast of is to live in risk. As the days go by, the demands of the world, even in the labour market, are getting more intense that you need something to give you an edge and that is getting an extra skill. You will be surprised that it may be the skill that you acquired today that may be what will save you tomorrow. Even if you earn salary in your regular work, it does not mean that you should not get a skill. It may not be relevant to your present work but you can get a side hustle from it.

I have a friend that know how to barb hair. Even though he works in an organisation, when he dismisses in the evening, he will open his barber's shop that is in front of his house and also on weekends too. Because of the skill at which he barbs, people now come either in the evening or weekends to get a haircut. Now he makes money in two places - from his job and his barbing salon. When he was learning how to barb hair many months back, people did not understand what he needed it for since he was already working. But now, the skill is putting extra bucks in his pocket. This goes to prove that you can trade with your skills to earn money. So whatever you do, try to acquire one or more skills, you may need it tomorrow.

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