I got a call some days back that I should come again to Funmi Iyanda’s show. I was asked to pick a topic to talk about for about 25-30 mins, and guess the first thing that came to my mind! ……GFS! I shot back, am I allowed to talk about Finance? In my mind, I was like, what a wonderful way to to sell this product 🙂
I thought about it again, and decided, against it. I shouldn’t go there to sell anything, I should go there to talk about a topic I am passionate about, and that I believe would help young people make a difference quickly in the market place. I’ll talk about a topic I’m passionate about. I’ll talk about Volounteering – The gap between apprenticeship and internship!
The program was aired this morning, so if you want to watch it, you might need to stay awake till 1am after midnight when they’ll have the second airing. But if you are going to miss all of it, let me give you the gist.
Funmi Iyanda was not around, but Ireti Doyle did a fantastic work holding forte for her. Where does NTA get these bright ladies from. Listening to and interacting with Ireti was so natural, I daresay that the future is blinding (too bright).
We started with the usual wonder at my Afro, it’s interesting that I carry a natural conversation starter along with me everywhere I go. People look at me, and look again. A security man once respectfully asked me, “chairman, is that hair?”. I walk around town and barbers look at me lustfully, licking their lips and longing to exercise their clippers. The young ones start running away from barbers, they want to grow their hair like Uncle Deolu’s own. It’s a brand that has come to stay believe me, at least until all my debtors pay – I wouldn’t want them not to recognize me now, would I?
Let’s get to business… Volunteering is the concept of a fresh graduate consciously approaching a company that has the capacity to give him the kind of experience that he needs and volunteering his time and efforts. This he/she does without expecting to get any financial reward in return. During internship, a student goes into the corporate setting to get the opportunity of putting his theory into practice. The student goes to learn, and in the process earns a stipend. The system to support this exists, and for students who get good internship jobs, it’s an experience they take away with them. The apprentice on the other hand, goes to a “master” with the objective of learning, but instead of being paid, he pays to learn. At the end of his apprenticeship, he is celebrated as he starts his own business.
In the middle ground between internship and apprenticeship lies the concept of volunteering. With the present economy capable of absorbing only 10% of the graduating students every year, the ambitious student must get competitive, the star student must look for opportunities to stand above the crowd, and gain experience. I tell people, experience is not experience because you were paid for it. It’s experience because you did it!
There are some obstacles that become immediately apparent the moment one ponders about the concept of volunteering. These hurdles are there to discourage the majority, you need to know them and scale them. “Know your limits, then break them”.
1. The quick question one first asks is, it’s going to cost money to volunteer. I’ll have to go to work every day, and that costs money. Free? This will not work for poor people. Wrong! You will still spend money if you were completely jobless, you’ll spend money making CV’s, going from employment test to test, going from pillar to post to drop CVs, you’ll work hard during this period and it won’t be marketable experience. You have the alternative of spending this time developing skills somewhere and using their facilities to apply as well. The company also does not need to be too far away from your house, it only needs to have a use for the skill you want to learn.
2. The next issue is, will the companies take me? There is not structure on ground for many companies to take volunteers today, but if you make your offer compelling, you’ll get opportunities. I have a friend who’s first job was by volunteering, before he spent two months he had got an experienced job in a bigger company simply by virtue of the kind of experience he had gained. After working for one month in that company as well, the MD had to call him and tell him that they cannot but pay him a stipend as his contribution was clearly seen.
3. What will I tell my parents I’m going out to do everyday, they won’t understand. True, most parents will not understand why you finished from school and perhaps NYSC and now you want to work for free? Are you crazy? Let them understand that the world is changing, that you need to polish the skills that will make you confident about the value you want to add. It’s not something you’ll do forever, 3 months is ideal. As for their support.
4. What types of companies can I volunteer with? Don’t go for the big popular names, they’ll know you are looking for a way to get into the system and disappear into thin air. Go to the companies where they are few and overworked, go to a startup business, a company going through crisis, these kinds of places will give you accelerated growth.
We have been able to graduate nothing less than 5 volunteers from the company I work for. These were people who joined us without knowing much and left us for experienced Jobs. I currently serve as referee for them, haven trained them and seen their work, and also help to prepare them for where they are going. I don’t get shocked or feel bad when a volunteer leaves, I feel happy and have a sense of pride. I love it when they succeed and progress. I have made my contribution. I tell people, your third class usually only matters until you get your first Job, our higher institutions teach a lot of things that are not aligned with corporate needs. Volunteering helps to develop a better candidate.
I’m thinking it might be a good idea for a company to exist to manage volunteers for companies, keep a pool of candidates and send them to different companies for 3 months. This company can train the candidates on basic things and the company can pay for value added, if any. For people who want to start their own corporate businesses, who want to be entrepreneurs, a good way to go is by the way of volunteering as well. What you make happen for others, happens for you.
Hope that was helpful, you can check out everything else on New dawn. And of course we took pictures, and you can watch the video…
18 thoughts on “On New Dawn with Ireti Doyle”
Good one!
We just have to start from somewhere and it comes with this “attitude” thingy!
It’s called value anyway and it doesn’t have to be money.
This picture with Ireti looks like a mother-son relationship!
Hi Deolu,
As always you are right on the money with this piece!!! If only graduates (both unemployed and underutilized) would adopt this strategy to add value and significant content to their education, which will no doubt lay a solid foundation for long term career growth and hopefully entrepeneurial awakening. It takes vision, foresight and honestly a lot of balls (excuse my french) to pursue this approach , but with God and committment, it would surely pay off. NO PAIN, NO GAIN MY BROTHERS!!!. As an addendum, May I also recomment the movie ‘ In pursuit of happiness’ by Will Smith as a perfect portrayal of the sacrifices necessary for success. Or if you cant be bothered with movies, google christopher gardner and check out his story, which is the real life story behind the movie. Deolu, Remain Blessed.
@ Bolaji, is that how you pose with your mum? See your mouth :o)
Hmn!
This confirms the myth that one of the secrets of success in to love someone and marry that person, as much as possible, early.
It will help in remaining stable after the achievement of some successful feats!
Cheers sir!
Men, this your Afro, e worry o !!
I feel very proud also to be one of the five that was mentioned, I started out volunteering with Deolu Akinyemi and it was like whao! how am I going to survive? But he was there for me like a personal coach that he is still to me till date.
Some people think that the whole gist about volunteering is not worth it, but I tell you it works magic, especially if you have an experience similar to mine( You can contact Deolu Akinyemi and he will share my experience with you).
I had the privilege of working on some Consulting projects with MTN, GTB and others while a volunteer, I never knew all these experiences were setting me up for the next level;Volunteering might just be the missing link between you and your 7 digits salary.
I look back today and thank God I had that opportunity to volunteer, I will also like to use this medium to appreciate my Oga (Adeolu Akinyemi) for giving me the opportunity to volunteer.
yeah! deolu, that show was a great one, i agree with all that was said.
Volunteering especially when it involves money is a great risk, tho i have done it a couple of times but hey!, it can be really quite rewarding like kamal said.
Thumbs uo for u deolu, keep it up! more volunteers are around the corner!!!!!!!!!!!
enjoy the rest of the day.
Welldone. You can watch the show’s video highlights @
Videos
deolu,
i agree hundred percent with all you said on volunteering.you know what you are actually in the spirit ‘cos i was about seeking your opinion on the way forward with regards the high number of unemployed graduates in relation to the very strict demands employees attach to their ads.yesterday, i was discussing this issue with one of my mentors and he made me to understand that life after service is like a jungle.a struggle where only the fittest survive.A search for the most skilled man amongst many skilled and unskilled men.(he is a bizness owner and i saw the situation from his point of view)every employee wants to hire someone who will give him more than he is willing to pay for.and i wondered where do they want a fresh graduate who has not been given an opportunity to put to practice his learning get those number of years of experience from.a jungle indeed.voluntering i believe is the answer,if employees would be open to accept this idea and if we can have academies or business schools(affordable ones )where people can learn and acquire skills.
The other fact remains that employers won’t take you if you’re too old. It’s not your fault not have secure a place but if you don’t on time, chances are counting against one.
Thanks Deolu for bringing this up and I hope this re-awakening can be sustained. The quest to be paid for everything we do is one of the results of the erosion of the value system in our dear country. In those days, being a member of boy scout, girl guide, brigade was a thing of pride. Those were the organisations that inculcate the spirit volunteering and selfless giving in the youth but these days I doubt if people still join these voluntary organisations. In so many developed countries, volunteering is considered a requisite to go into local offices and even professionals serve free on community boards giving their time and intellect. Things have gone so bad that even if you ask the employed ones to do something outside their normal work scope they ask what is in it for them.
Volunteering is one of the key ingredients for building selfless service in the youth and this will go on to help build a new political class. I dey with you.
Hi Deolu,
I never knew u were this great,in fact you are too fantaskinyemi,(just kidding)
Cool,
keep the waves going, so the tides can keep mounting!! Nice one my friend!!I am not surprised at your progress. When I conclude on returning home, I should be at your feet for some entrpreneural volunteer work…..hope I qualify. Cheers!!
My mind flashed back to the movie – The Pursuit of Happyness while I was reading this post and it really got me thinking that Chris Gardner became a stock broker through volunteering.
I was fortunate to get to read the book also (about two weeks after seeing the movie). Although in actual fact, he was more of interning at the Dean Witter Reynold’s stock brokerage firm, there’s a lot of connection with his role in the movie and the idea of volunteering.
Volunteering carries along a different mindset because you really are “volunteering” your services for the greater good of not only gaining experience but also getting crucial contacts.
I had my university internship at a consulting firm and while working there, I learnt a lot in the process! While it may be a policy in some institutions not to hire interns, volunteers might have a better chance.
@ Layi: I don’t seem to understand your myth about marriage and Volunteering, do you suggest that I should go and marry now though I still squat with someone?
@ Tim: I really love your contribution, keep it up!
Deolu,
This topic is an answer to a question that agitates my mind always.if I had known this earlier may be my cousin wouldn’t have traveled out of the country to do casual jobs.
Pls,do u still take people into your programme and how can I get intouch with you ‘cos I av some sharp younger friends just coming out of NYSC and will be interested.God Bless you.
volunteering. how many parents will understand what you just said sir. many parents expect that after their children leave school, serves, the money should start coming not wanting to understand that there are processes for wealth generation. i just pray parent read this and are convinced.