Self Employment Way Forward For Pakistani Youth

You will have a job that pays the bills. But you also will have a job that fulfills you

SYEDA SAROASH ZAHRA — Self-employment is a survival key for youth in ‘no-job’ ecosystem — it also guarantees a restriction-free environment. Massive opportunities appear for the youth, instead of waiting for jobs. Pakistani youth can therefore seek self-employment instead of expecting to be hired locally or overseas. The COVID situation has opened up more opportunities than challenges.

Usman Nazir, who has been working from home online for an overseas client says “nothing has much changed for me”. In fact, his friends he says who are now working from home for their local employers have kind of become more serious in the work they have been doing”.

Since Pakistan has a huge youth bulge –mostly rural, who may or may not have attained adequate education as their peers in urban, they ought to seek self-employment either locally or in cities.

The graph given below highlights key areas of concerns and identifies solution.

Statistical Analysis of Employment and Unemployment

Currently, the unemployment rate appears to be high 50% to 60% because of several reasons; the most prominent one is that 57% of people are not willing to find a job. Whereas, 60% of employers, who are officially considered a workforce, do not pay attention to their work. Only 8% self-employees are working on their norms and practices. This situation helps the state and government to join the hands in bringing favorable economic conditions over the crisis zone.

If our youth adopt this, it will create an environment, where they can decide to make decisions without the boundaries of space and time. A self-employed also won’t be dependent on salaries or wages, as he would generate his disposable income. Online training from professionals’ who are savvy in entrepreneurship can help comparatively faster than trying to acquire skills for employment.

Why People Lack Interest in Work or Seeking a Job?

These high rated unemployment graphs are grabbing the attention of the whole market and raising many questions. Some reasons behind this; unsatisfactory rewards, inadequate appreciation and displeasing acknowledgement are the prime reasons behind the unwillingness of employed ones to do assigned works effectively. Employers underestimate the people, and somehow, it demotivates the worker.

In such circumstances, Self-employment opens the door of freedom and gives them a chance to sovereign the skills for utilizing them at the fullest potential.

How is Self-Employment Favorable over Regular Job?

Self-employment gives adventitious opportunity to change passion into profession independently. People with less or even no-money investment can choose any area of their interest and work from home. Contractors, writers, freelancers, sales agent, insurance agents, lawyers, and tradespeople, etc. can be self-employed.

Challenges to a Self-Employee

In today’s world, where 7 out of 10 small business owners are putting efforts to expand their work, self-employment is the latest trend with various challenges giving a hard time to self-employed. It is not always as comfortable, to be self-employed, as it looks. To take hold in current environment self-employees are struggling to cope up with various problems; the financial crisis is at the top of the list.

The challenges range from personal to professional. A self-employee needs to be a multitasker that sometimes imbalances life. Technically a business runs on a healthy plan that determines how the business will work? For a single-handed, it is hard to achieve all the expertise skills to manage all the areas so a self-employee needs to have excellent managerial as well as leadership skills to tackle with exceptional situations by executing effective micromanagement.

In a nutshell, if three critical areas, multi-tasking, micromanagement, and support management are handled correctly, this can lessen the effects of trials.

“Yes, there are pressures, but these are stepping stones”, says Shireen Khan who is self-employed and working from home.

Advantages, Benefits

You will have a job that pays the bills. But you also will have a job that fulfills you. Self-employment could therefore offer a lifestyle that a person can’t enjoy as a regular employee in public or private. It expands your horizon and offers you a room to think freely and plan without the fear of losing a job. Working as a self-employ bestow a chance to evaluate your hard work and to get the full reward of your struggle. The risks can be mitigated through seeking a demand-driven and dependable supply chain within your family.

Additionally, you get enough time to experiment with new techniques and methodologies to make your subject alluring. And it leads to employing more people to help.

The writer is a 21-year old student of BS Aviation Management and does freelancing. She’s also a member of Islamabad-based Back2School WhatsApp Forum, and a blogger.