Don't give up! How I learnt a skill after loosing my job.

My journey to becoming a fashion designer.

Growing up, I wanted to be a lawyer, but after high school, I couldn't get admission to study law at a university however, I was offered admission to study accountancy. After school, I secured a tellering job with a commercial Bank known as keystone bank. I worked with at their Ikot ekpene branch for about three years before the bank rationalized and closed down some of their branches that were not posting profit. At that time, they closed down a total of twenty two branches across the federation and my branch was one of those affected. This cost me and many other staffs our jobs. I stayed without a job for about two years.

As a banker

Within this time, I relocated from Ikot ekpene to stay with Tony my friend at Eket, Akwa inom state. At a point, I discovered that I was now a burden to some of my friends who I call on phone to assist me with money. Some even stopped picking my calls. That was when I realized what bad I did myself for not learning any skill all along.

One day, Tony told me of his plans to settle down with a certain girl he was going out with. That was when I realized that my stay at his house was coming to an end. So I started to brainstorm on my next line of action.

However, I realized that liked tailoring. I know this because, while I was in school, I loved going to my friend's tailoring shop at my free time. I loved to watch him do his work, I would also help him with a few things he wanted me to do for him. I immediately sought out my friend; Gabriel. Gabriel is another friend and a fashion designer based in Aba, he used to make clothes for me while I was in school and while I was working with the bank. I initiated a chat with him through Facebook massenger and he was plesed to hear from me.
However, He was surprised to hear that I wanted to become a tailor at that point in my life, he asked about my work, I explained everything to him and he sympathized with me and accepted to train me. He gave me a list of requirements and told me to come whenever I am ready.

It took me two weeks to organize myself and relocate to aba to face the next face of my life. When I eventually arrived Aba, I met him and did all required of me and my training commenced.
I understudied Gabriel for about two years. After I concluded my training, I started off my own fashion house, and have been runing it gainfully for the past six years.

With colleagues

How my tailoring work have helped me.

I started earning and meeting my financial obligations immediately i started understudying my boss. The first thing I learnt was "measurement." With this, I started informing my friends that I have started a fashion house. I even started posting some clothe samples on my social media handles. My friends were my first set of customers. When they give me these jobs, I outsource them to other people that could handle them, I continued like this till i could handle them.

This skill have been veey helpful. Through it, I take care of my parents and siblings, paid all my bills, rented and furnished an apartment for myself.

Apart from the financial gains, I am now respected amongst my friends and poo

Conclusion.

As you must have seen, it have been a very difficult journey to this point. But I don't regret it. Rather, I wish I learnt this skill or another earlier.

Before now, I had trained two persons who are now on their own. I however, have three people that are currently understudying me, and four staffs that I pay.
I am willing to teach more people who are willing to humble themselves and learn. I said this because apprenticeship is a place of discipline and loyalty. Certainly, I need to highlight that this profession is not a get rich quick scheme, again, you must seat down and work to earn every penny.

I therefore encourage our youths to try and learn at least a skill while they go to school, you may need it if at the end of the day you are not haired by any company, you can be independent and an employer of labour. Even when you are employed, you can use it as side hustle and use it to earn some extra cash.

Certainly, you must not be a tailor just like me, there are many other high paying skills you can acquire. I will list some of them below,
Plumbing, Barbing, hair dressing, make-up artists, manicure and pedicure, welding, electrician, phone and laptop repairs, mason, photography, carpentery, shoe making and many others.
Moreso, there are also some digital skills you can also learn and earn therefrom, they may include; copyrighting, codding, web designing, blogging, content creating, graphic designing etc.

A senator wear I made for myself.

Finally, for #LPUD I just powered up a total of 128 Leo.

Thanks you for visiting and reading through my blog, I hope this piece will be helpful to some people.