Stop Waiting for the Perfect Job: Sometimes, You Have to Start From Zero

Some people will tell you there are no jobs in Africa, especially in Nigeria. And yes, finding decent employment can be difficult. But there is another side of the conversation we must be willing to address: some people are not willing to start small.

Look around you. You can see a child who has no parents or anyone to depend on waking up early in the morning, carrying a bucket, putting water inside and going out to sell just to survive. That child may not have the opportunities others have, but the child understands one important thing: survival sometimes requires starting from somewhere.

Then you see a grown adult with strength, hands and legs, saying, “I cannot do this kind of work. They will pay me only a small amount.” But the question is: what happens if you refuse to start because the beginning is too small?

In today's Nigeria, we cannot always sit down and expect opportunities to come from another person's pocket. You may have to start with something small. Sell water. Learn a skill. Offer a service. Trade something. Assist someone.

Start a small business. Do honest work that can put something in your pocket while you continue looking for something better. There is nothing shameful about starting from zero.

The problem is that some people want to move from something to something, but they do not want to move from nothing to something. They see someone who is already successful and forget that the person also had a beginning.

Don't be jealous of someone's progress. Ask yourself what that person did to get there. If they started somewhere, you can start somewhere too.

This is not an argument that people should accept exploitation or work indefinitely for unfair wages. It is a reminder that honest work is still work, and a small beginning can become the foundation for something much bigger.

You may not start with the job you dreamed about. You may not earn the amount you want immediately. But if what you are doing is honest, useful and moving you forward, don't despise it.

Take the first step. Start where you are. Start with what you have. Start small if you have to. Because sometimes, the road from zero to something begins with the very opportunity you almost rejected.

And with hard work, patience and God's direction, that small beginning may one day take you somewhere you never imagined.