Please listen to two (2) friends have a short conversation.

Aaron: Lynda, I saw an advert for a job/scholarship online and I need to apply.

Lynda: Aaron, you should know better. Please forget that thing, na scam. These things advertised online are all fake. They have already pre-selected people for these offers.

Aaron: Chai! Quite true! Make I no waste my time jor.

Well, most of us have lost out on some opportunities because we have been told they are fake and don’t work. (As reflected in the conversation above)

Okay guys let me tell u a short story.

It was my penultimate year in the University (NSUK) and quite usual at that time, I was surfing the internet in a café (who I be to get laptop then? I bought a 30-minute ticket (I am sure some people could relate to this🤣).

I saw a scholarship advertised by Total (an oil company). Having met all requirements, I rushed to tell a few friends and guess what? Most of them said “Aaron, forget that thing, e no dey work, dem don get who dem want give that scholarship” (The scholarship hustle started a long time mehn)

Anyway, I applied with a few friends I succeeded in initiating to the scholarship application team. We were invited to Abuja for an examination. I had a hard time convincing my late dad to provide me transport fare (God bless his soul). He had felt it was a waste of time. He finally obliged and I took the trip.

Fast forward to few months after his burial, a few of my friends and I were selected as awardees for the scholarship and were to be given the sum of **** annually until we graduated. (Omo come see where orphan begin chill like president pikin). I will disclose the amount later🤣.

I guess that is where I got my title “The privileged orphan”🤣

Before you get all excited for me, let me break your hearts a little and tell you how I missed out on something #massive due to this “all adverts online are fake” attitude.

On 20th August, 2014, my friend (and brother) told me about a job advert on www.hotnigerianjobs.com. It was a job role with an International NGO. I felt it was a waste of time citing “pre-selection” as my reason. He encouraged me but I refused applying.

However, on 10th September 2014, he was invited for an interview in Abuja (it was at this point I began to use the popular line of “I would have applied o”). Few days after, he was asked to start.

He has since grown on the job. His impact has been huge, and I lack the guts to mention how much he earns monthly too. Most of my friends are modest. He has pleaded not to be mentioned. Lol

Guys, this is my point:

We have misconstrued most opportunities and lost out on many simply because someone (or yourself) told u it cannot work when you have not even moved a finger to try.

The idea of everything advertised online being fake has denied us massive opportunities.

Although within our context, there may be some truth in this but what do we lose by applying in the first place?

Apply for everything and anything you DESIRE and are ELIGIBLE for and shut your ears to the negativities. Granted you may have other reasons not to apply, “online adverts are fake” should not be one of them.

Until you have tried, you wouldn’t know what’s on the other side.

#AAPTalks #CommunityDevelopmentWorker #Aa2Zi