YOU & YOUR CAREER (CONTN'D)

Editor's note: This is a continuation of the previous publication titled 'YOU & YOUR CAREER'. You should have read the previous publication before reading this one in order to best appreciate the writer's line of thought. Thank you very much and enjoy your reading.

Michael Anaman Mensah.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

_______________________________________________________

Growing up has always been fun and entertaining. You eat, play, make noise, cry, sleep and have all the fun we wished. But, it all changes when we all reach a certain level where we dream and wish to be at a particular pedestal. Our desires change, our manner of play and fun also changes. We are more often caught thinking critically about some what important. We could be found thinking about what next to do or where next to go either after Senior high or after first degree.

Especially after first degree, we often think of whether to continue straight up to pursue a Masters programme or to take a job or even combine the two. Getting a job with a first degree isn't easy at all given the current rate of unemployment in the country. 

Research findings have indicated that about 250,000 young people enter Ghana's labour market annually and less than 5000 representing 2% get employed in the formal sector, leaving about 98% unemployed. It has been estimated that annual graduate unemployment in Ghana is 44%. More than 30% of the young people who enter the labour market have received education from institutions of higher learning (Appiah-Kubi, 2011).

Pursuing a Masters programme on the other hand is not also an easy decision. There are different choice of programmes to choose from. Another important factor to consider in one's decision to further his/her studies is the availability of funds to start and complete the study. In this current dispensation, you need not just choose a programme to pursue but you need to choose a programme that is relevant to industry and that will enhance your probability of being employed.

Jobs are very difficult to come by; not just in Ghana but outside Ghana as well. Globally, due to economic recessions, many organisations are laying-off huge number of their employees in order to survive and thrive. Many of such employees who are specialists in specific fields find it very difficult getting a new job. However, those in special fields who also possess some form of qualifications in other fields have higher chances of getting a new job. This is a sure way to go given the current happenings in the global economy.

The way forward in securing yourself in the job market is to build yourself in the following manner:

• The first most thing to do is to be both a specialist and a generalist. A specialist in the sense that you ought to be an expert in something. You could be an expert in say Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing among others. You should build yourself in such a way that you have greater knowledge and command in that special field. A generalist in the sense that you have enough knowledge in other fields. For instance,you could have a Masters degree in accounting and a diploma or degree in other fields. 
• Be self-reliant. Build yourself so that a high value is placed on your knowledge, skills and capabilities. Strive to find new ways of doing things and be proactive. See yourself as an entrepreneur (inra-preneur) in you job. Be a person who can work with little or no supervision. Be a fast learner and get familiarized with processes and activities in the organisation. Also, be creative and innovative as if you are working in your own organisation. Ensure that your capabilities are highly valued such that you cannot easily be dispensed with. Be at your very best.
• Be connected. Have a network of people who you know at a personal level in different fields who you think can be of help to you to build on your career. A healthy relationship with your networks will be very rewarding. Networks serve as career path-ways or as back up plans in case something goes wrong and you get hit by a problem/challenge or probably a lay-off. The most lasting network to build is that with your class or course-mates at school.
• Actively manage your relationship with your organisation. Add value to your organisation. Positively impact your organisation with your competences. Have a good relationship with your boss or the owner of the venture. Let him/her see you as having the business at heart as if it were your own.

As you step out from school, your mostly thought-of is your career. It is therefore an important decision that you need to be critical about.This is because, your career comes first and brings in other things- money, marriage, properties, honour and self-actualization. To have the best in life, choose a career you love and enjoy.