Things No One Told You Before Graduation

 Things No One Told You About 9-5 Jobs

While still studying at the university, there were times we envied the working class in the society. We would imagine ourselves dressed in suit and trousers, clutching a briefcase and sashaying in pointy heels. We would feel thrilled when we think of the pay that will be added to our account every month. We would grin in anticipation when we imagine ourselves speaking confidently in meetings.

LOL! I laugh out loud in Lagos traffic! I laugh out loud in the faulty organizational structures of Nigerian companies! I laugh out loud for standing at bus stops with rumpled shirts and chewing from nylon of groundnut with your sweaty hands! I laugh out loud in everything 9-5!!!

Okay! *Breathes in and out*

Here are the things that no one told you about 9-5 jobs.

 

(a)

It is actually 6-9

I still don’t understand why we still call it 9-5. Okay. Let’s leave the time spent on the road aside first. It is rare to see a company that actually sticks to the 9-5. You would often see 8-6, 8-5, or 9-6. Some companies even extend this period to 8:00 pm!
Now, let’s talk about 6-9. To work as a full-time staff and meet the resumption time, you have to wake up early and prepare for work. This means you have to leave much earlier. Most Lagosians leave their houses before 6. But let’s say you leave your house by 6:00 am. By then, you’ve started working right? Because you’re on your way to work.

After you close from work, you’ll be commuting back to your house. This means you practically spend the whole day for your 6-9…I mean ‘9-5.’

 

(b)

You have only the weekends and public holidays to rest

…and sometimes you don’t. Being in a 9-5 job is like selling your time to your employer. So, you don’t have the freedom to wake up on a Tuesday morning and decide:

‘No way! I’m not going out today. I’ll lie in bed all day!’

 

(c)

Commuting is the main job

Your major job will be done on the road if you work in Lagos. Imagine leaving the house before 6, spending hours waiting for a bus and draining all energy left in you to struggle for a space in the bus, and exchanging words with the conductor. Then, returning to the road to follow the same process in the evening.

Haha! Please, what’s the strenuous work? The one you perform at the office or the one while commuting?

 

(d)

Monthly salaries can make you too relaxed

Do not forget, I repeat, DO NOT FORGET that nothing is permanent. It is easier to feel relaxed knowing full well that your account will certainly be credited at the end of the month. Remember to never feel too relaxed.

Your job can be lost at any point in time. You might also need to further your studies and gain new skills.

 

(e)

You will have to become organized

As a ‘9-5er,’ it is ideal that you effectively plan your time and create a to-do list. If you don’t, it might be difficult to balance your personal life with your work life. You might find it challenging to accomplish your goals and spend a memorable time with your family.

 

(f)

It will become your second home

Yes, your workplace will become your second home! Remember you will be spending a large part of your day outside of your home? You might not even know your neighbours. LOL! Your colleagues at work will also become your ‘new’ family members.

 

What are those things you found out only after graduation? Care to share? Send a mail to abdulwahabmaryam11@yahoo.com or mareeam802@gmail.com.