After graduating from the university and concluding the compulsory one year national service, I spent years looking for a job. I applied to many government agencies and private firms to no avail. One thing with securing a job in Nigeria is that most jobs require being facilitated by politicians or other powerful individuals. Especially when it is a government job. At one point, I became tired.
The motivation that kept me moving was from my late elder sister. I went to Abuja and stayed with her for a while. She was very concerned about my unemployed status. She wouldn't hesitate to inform anyone that came to her shop who she thought could be of help that her younger brother was in search of a job. In some instances, she did this in my presence. She was a hair stylist.
On a fateful day, a member of the national youth service corps came to her shop to get her hair done. The lady was well kitted in her uniform. I was seated in the shop. She entered the shop and exchanged pleasantries with my sister.
My sister pointed to me and said, "this is my brother that I talked to you about."
The lady greeted me again and a little conversation ensued. She informed me that there was a vacancy in the school where she was carrying out her national service.
"There is a vacancy for a mathematics teacher," she said to me. "But the pay is very small. Mathematics teachers are paid 26000 naira."
My spirit was dampened with the hearing of the salary. 26000 naira was nothing to write home about in a month.
"I will get back to you when I think over it and decide on whether to bring my application letter or not," I told her.
"You need to think about it fast so that if you are interested, you can be snappy about it to avoid the school hiring someone else."
Within me, I was perplexed. "How would I jostle for a 26000 naira job with others? I don't have that energy to waste," I told myself.
"He will bring his application tomorrow," my sister cuts in.
"Hope you have copies of all your credentials?" She turned to me and asked.
I nodded in affirmation.
After the Corper left, my sister had some discussions with me about the job. She convinced me to go and apply for it.
"You have been praying for God's favor. The favor of God would hardly come home to meet you. You need to be going out and interacting with people. It is a human being like you that God will send to you. Go out there and stand a chance of meeting that person."
These were the words from my sister that convinced me to put in my application.
The following day, I arranged my documents inside an office file and I left for the school.
I submitted the application to the principal and I was asked to write an aptitude test the same day.
A week later, I was offered the job by the school.
A year into my stay in the school, a colleague, Abdul, resigned. He got a teaching job with a bigger school with better pay. After spending a year in his new school, there was a vacancy for the position of a mathematics teacher. Abdul called me to bring my application. I submitted the application, did an interview and I was employed. It was a tremendous growth. More than 200% increment in salary.
While I was in the new school, a colleague of mine got the information of a vacancy in Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and he hinted me to apply. He connected me to someone in the institution that helped me with recommendation. I went to the Academy and did the interview. I was offered the job.
It was a dream come through.
It was made possible because of the encounter my sister and I had with the Corper at my her shop.
My sister is late and I don't have the Corper's contact but today, I still thank God for the conversation that we had in the shop that fateful day.
That event changed my life till date.