“Will Doing ‘Odd Jobs’ Kill My Career?” 5 Things You Should Know

“Will Doing ‘Odd Jobs’ Kill My Career?” 5 Things You Should Know

By Elizabeth Benu
John is an IT Graduate looking for a job. Two years after graduating he has been working at a construction site as a foreman. He feels that his dream of venturing into the IT Industry is dead and gone.

Caroline on the other hand lost her accounting job earlier this year and has since been operating her own business- selling second hand clothes- to make a living.

They both feel that their odd jobs are killing their careers slowly. Beth Wanjira a Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services shares her advice on this issue.

Do odd jobs really kill a career? I ask

“You are the only one who can kill your career. We have all heard of CEO’s who cleaned toilets as their first jobs but look where they are right now. Do not let the current situation determine your future,” Ms. Wanjira affirms.

She also adds that most people take up odd jobs because they do not want to be idle and there are needs to fulfill.

“These needs may include the basic needs, bus fare to go to interviews and looking the part. The odd jobs give you a financial boost to aid in the search of a career,” she adds.

“If that odd job is the only option that you have, remember that we all start from somewhere. Just don’t let that somewhere be where you settle. It is just a means to an end and you should strive to use it as an opportunity to get you somewhere,” she states.

Ms. Wanjira is quick to add that the main mistake most people make is looking down at themselves because they are in an odd job with a degree or after losing a well paying corporate job.

And what would be the advantages of having an odd job, you’d ask?

Ms. Wanjira says, “It gives you a different experience that you will never get in an office job. The key thing to borrow from that odd job experience is how to handle different people and develop skill for yourself.”

She also explains more by adding that, “Not everyone will be happy with you even in an office but the experience humbles you as you transfer into the corporate world.”

And what advice does she have for these two job seekers?
“An odd job is just the beginning not the end. Try to put yourself out there and not confine yourself to the same role. John for example can talk to the lead engineer at the construction site and tell him he has a degree in IT and would love to pursue an IT career. It may sound small but it may go a long way,” she says

“For Caroline, it would be best to use the networks she had from the corporate world to get her back there,” Ms. Wanjira advices.

Ms. Wanjira concludes by saying, “Do not despair. There are opportunities out there and do not make an odd job your comfort zone nor settle for less. Odd jobs are a stepping stone to greater things.”

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