In one of my writings, I have wondered about who was that guy that was the very first to become jobless. I mean, think about it…this issue of getting jobs to make a living did start at some point in time, but not at the very beginning of life.

Last year, I gave a Keynote address to some College Students on a topic I called, “The Seven Detrimental Philosophies in the Modern Job Market”. That message was received very well that I decided to write a whole book about it, Self Executive Officer coming up early 2015. Immediately after my speech, several students lined up to talk to me.

There was one Graphics students who was not just interested in shaking my hands, but also took my contacts…and did actually call me. He followed me up few months later for a simple coaching session where I encouraged him to start making money from his artworks while still at school. I told him that I needed graphics for my blog and I would gladly pay him.

I showed him how to open up a blog where he can start showcasing his work. We discussed about setting a weekly goal of at least two fine graphics on that blog. Of course he told me about his passion for photography and how owning a camera was his biggest dream and how his uncle had refused to purchase it for him. I explained to him how he can motivate his uncle to get the camera for him. After a one hour informal coaching session, he was on his way.

Why the Familiar is More Dangerous than the Unfamiliar

Unfortunately, we lost touch. His numbers are off. He has not talked to me since that meeting. Hopefully, he will graduate a couple of years from now and start looking for jobs!

Would you believe it?

And this happens to us (including myself) on a continuous basis. We lose touch easily with the unfamiliar and often retreat back to where we are most comfortable!

If I took stock of what I have to offer the world right now, I would have a full-time job. I would resign from my current position and head home to change the world! Is it safe that way? Of course not. There are no guarantees that I would make it.

But I would say this: The degree to which I cherish the unknown and the unfamiliar determines how thorough I am exploiting my potential! To some extend in the world of success, the familiar can prove to be more dangerous than the unfamiliar.

In my current job, at least there is a guarantee that I would be paid…but for how long? It remains the familiar, which is dangerous.

In the modern era, things have changed so big that we cannot continue to seek that J-lettered word and make it the key pursuit of our careers (jobs). We urgently need to replace this word with another word. Its an O-word. Can you guess what it is?

What I presented this student with was a chance to operate in his gifts (as exuded for now), develop it and earn from it.

• He had a ready market: I need copyright graphics for my projects in droves
• He had a Mentor: I have blogged for years and can easily show him the ropes. (He never knew what a blog was before we met)

Did he take the chance?

No. (Maybe I should say ‘Not Yet’).

In our modern world, we need an alternative to jobs. The stage has never been this interesting since the world began for more and more people to be Self Executive Officers. This path is seldom taken because like I said, no one guarantees you a salary and other benefits. With a job, you sign contracts that guarantee you a monthly package and other things. But the fact is that jobs have become so hard to come by lately.

The Ingredients you will Need

The path I am suggesting as an alternative will need the following ingredients:

• Courage: To take an opportunity head on. Take a risk at something more ‘unsafe’ than a job.

• Action: Unfortunately, the bulk of action taken by job seekers is preparing CVs, applying for jobs and attending interviews. These actions do not develop people in any way. If you take the path am about to suggest, you will need to take a plunge and create, think, present, research, ask, seek, knock. This grows you more than any academic certificate.

• Lots of patience: Don’t be fooled. You seldom step out today and get a massive following the same day. Lots of patience and endurance is needed. It’s what forms your foundation. A fool is the guy who appears on Oprah, is watched by hundreds of millions of people and has nothing to offer them thereafter. Your obscurity at the moment is your major blessing.

• Failure: The longest and perhaps the best way to learn. You need it very often. When is the last time you failed? A decade ago? Then that tells me that you are not making things happen.

• Wisdom: To know what path you are taking is the right path. A quick wisdom call here is this: There are no shortcuts to success, do don’t take any.

The Perfect Replacement

In our Modern world, we need to replace and re-engineer the vocabularies of our youths (and even ourselves) with one perfect word: Opportunity! Here are my reasons why:

1. Opportunity is broader than a job: Jobs are limited.

You stand a big chance landing a job in the niche in which you are trained only (even if you hate it). You are limited. With opportunity, you choose where you feel you are most valuable.

2. Opportunity is more common than a job:

It’s a fact. Jobs are increasingly rare. How many people are jobless today? How many more are entering the job market each month from several educational institutions world-wide?

3. Opportunity is unconventional:

And therefore the prospects of adding value and being compensated are unrivaled. They are not set by someone else, but by ourselves.

4. Opportunity reverses the process:

Instead of remaining a waiter (waiting for someone to give you something to do), you create your own and do it.

5. Opportunity gives us the pressure to grow:

Knowing that you are the one to serve your world puts a heavy demand on you to deliver. You grow bigger and probably at a faster rate than if you had a job.

Please share with us how you have benefited from taking opportunities in your life.

Thank you.