The Skill of a Man...

Harris recently graduated from a College with a lower grade. He had tried all he could while in the College to graduate with, at least, a credit if not distinction, but he could not achieve it. 

Many companies are recruiting new staff who are not just College graduates but graduates with good results/grades. No company was interested in people with a low grade like Harris.

Most times, Harris' credentials would not fit to the Company's requirements for him to be gainfully employed as a staff. 

For instance, a Company's requirements to hire a new staff could be that the applicant must possess an upper credit with, at least, five years work experience; he/she must be a good team leader, and has a good sense of communication with clients. Harris would not bother to apply for any role with these requirements knowing fully that he was not qualified by all standard.

Instead of feeling dejected, Harris worked on himself and enrolled to several online classes to acquire skills that would make him self-employed and a better person. While some of these non-formal classes were free, some were offered at discounted rates.

Some of the soft skills Harris learnt are creative thinking, writing, public speaking, and leadership. He was able to put these skills into practice, and he later became a resource to people around him.

The 28-year old Harris published his first book and it was widely publicized. It was a book that addressed the problem facing his Community, and the way forward.

Millennium City was a Community that had been battling with unclean water for many years. The water was not safe for drinking because of oil spillage. 

The Community is situated in an area that is rich in abundance of crude oil. This natural resource is a pride to the people in the Community, but the only challenge they were having with it was the spillage of oil into various water bodies in the Community, such as rivers, lads, ocean, etc.

Harris was able to identify this problem and profer solution to it. He made his voice to be heard through his published work which caught the attention of the members and leaders of the Community.

Leaders of the Community were astonished at the wisdom he was able to scribble on paper. Harris became an agent of solution through his well articulated thoughts by proferring solution to the challenge of bad water facing the Community.

Harris was invited by the media on different occasions as he granted their interviews. He was able to utilise his public speaking skill in granting interviews on radio, television, and magazines.

Interestingly, no one, not even the media, talks about his College grade. What the people were attracted to in him was his ability to solve their problems through writing and speaking engagements.

Young Harris consequently established a Leadership and Mentorship School - a Non governmental organisation (NGO) and a platform to train and mentor Youths. 

Having shown a proven track record for about two years, some prominent personalities within and outside the Community volunteered to sponsor and form partnership with the NGO.

Three years after, at age 33, Harris was offered a lecturing job in one of the best Colleges in the State! This was a job Harris never would have thought to apply for, considering the requirements.

The College extended this offer to him without applying for it in order to use his wealth of experience to teach the Mass Communication students in the College. However, he was encouraged to go for further studies on scholarship while he continues to work in the College as a Lecturer.

Harris' skills paved way for him. He was self-motivated and in turn became a motivation and a source of inspiration to those who look up to him as their mentor.

© Sunday Akinrelere