After graduation, you will find yourself in search of a job. Borrowing money from your parents will become a job on its own, but soon you will have to look for an alternative that actually pays. Here is a list of odd jobs a recent graduate is likely to undertake.
Here is a list of odd jobs a recent graduate is likely to undertake:
Data Entry
So something about data entry jobs is that to land the job, you must have the right connections.
Orientation happens on the first day but there are data entry organizations you’ll probably work for without knowing the name of the organization or the pay to expect. Jobs go on for weeks, so to meet deadlines more people are employed within the week. For a day’s work, one is paid ksh500 per day and are expected to leave no earlier than 6:00 pm. Between the pressure of daily targets and the mundane work of keying in data, you will soon realize the degree you earned is going to misuse every day you clock in to punch numbers.
Sales
This job is based on a commission structure. The more merchandise you sell, the higher the commission you receive. For many, the pressure of targets can be overwhelming and to be honest, it is quite a daunting task to convince any Kenyan that they need an obviously low-quality product for the low, low price of 100 shillings.
You will realize Ksh100 is worth way more than you think.There’s this group of people who act interested but never buy anything. They’re known for showing plenty of interest, giving compliments and finally concluding that they wished they had money. Another customer will probably be someone with two daughters. They’ll be nice, with lots to say. Then they’ll actually end up buying a product because you remind them of the daughter.
You will also meet many who’ll tell you they have no money.Interacting with them will remind you of what ksh100 can do. From paying the fare to Donholm to buying milk and a loaf of bread to buying a liter of kerosene and here you were thinking it can only buy airtime or fries. A sales job will teach you lots about human behavior, body language and exploiting them to close the deal.
Promotions
The first rule about promotions is if you’re dealing with food you can eat as many food samples as you want from the display cart. But you can’t carry any. The most interesting thing about this job is you leave with great observation skills. You will learn how to tell who your target market is. It’s all about the interesting behavior patterns human beings have.
A customer staring at the aisle section with biscuits that cost Ksh 100 for 100 pieces, has a 90% chance of not buying biscuits that cost ksh500 for 100 pieces.You will learn couples are easy to convince because it’s not easy to say no when one’s girlfriend is around unless you want to look stingy, broke or mean.Dads are also an easy target because the kids do all the work. Take advantage of it. Beware of the chatty customer who will try everything and buy nothing.
Multilevel Marketing
You’ve probably heard of these jobs popularly known as pyramid schemes. There could be 7 levels where you are expected to sell the organization’s products and earn a commission. You assume that with all the relatives and friends you can expect to be at the highest level within a month.This might be the only time you’ll trully question the relationships you have. To make it to the top of the pyramid, you will need perseverance and persistence.
During that gap year before joining the university, be open to new experiences and the lessons available to you while you tackle these odd jobs. These jobs will teach you vital lessons necessary to propel your career.
This article was written by Capital Campus Correspondent Evon Mercy Vala.
