by Ebun Oluwole

“How do you plan to contend with that on a 9-5 pay?”

In recent times, if there’s one thing I’ve grown to realize; It is the importance of having more than one stream of income, that is, ’side hustle’. The importance of having sufficient funds to fall back to in case of any eventuality cannot be overemphasized.

Young people of this generation need to lead the revolution of ‘side hustling’ and I’m glad some of our celebrities are already paving the way. A whole lot, if not all of them, are venturing into other businesses that would serve as a backup plan if peradventure, their relevance in their various industries expires, which is quite inevitable. But then some of them, maybe due to negligence, fail to follow this route and drown themselves in extravagance forgetting that money has wings. They end up becoming broke pity parties soliciting for funds when major incidents arise.

All I’m saying in essence is, whatever industry you are, find something of interest aside from your major profession or occupation to invest in. Something viable that will sustain you if peradventure, that pay check doesn’t come at the end of the month. There’s no employment security in this country.

Companies and establishments aren’t smiling at anyone. Workers are being laid off left,right and centre. I mean, the least you could do is to have an alternative, pending the time you secure another job. Then, there’s the issue of cost of living. Rent is ridiculously high and internet subscription has gone bonkers. Everyone wants to drive fast cars and use the latest gadgets. How do you plan to contend with that on a 9-5 pay?

I’m not an SME of any sort, but I’m conscious of the happenings in this country and I don’t want to be caught unawares throwing blames. Young people especially students need to form the habit of engaging themselves even before they graduate. As I always say; Start something, start small. For instance, what if there are no jobs waiting for you when you leave school? What would you fall back on? Your parent’s allowance? Develop that skill you’ve shown interest or have passion for. During the holidays, get trained. Build yourself. The returns will come eventually but only if you’re more interested in building your brand than in making instant money; Take your time and trust me, you might never need to write a cover letter.

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Ebun Oluwole is a freelance writer currently studying French and International Studies. She tweets from @eBunite and blogs at http://ebunoluwole.com

30 Days, 30 Voices series is an opportunity for young Nigerians from across the world to share their stories and experiences – creating a meeting point where our common humanity is explored.

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija