6 Skills that can get you a Job without having proper education (in Nepal)
This article is for people who have either dropped out of college or failed to acquire any specific skills during their education, dampening their confidence to pursue a particular job. As an employer I have met hundreds of young people who have bachelor degrees in business, arts or science but feel themselves to be incompetent at getting a job. Their education was forced on them by their parents with the belief that it would lead them to glorious careers but now that they are finally free from the shackles of academic institutions, they feel even more bounded by their lack of ability to say that they are good at anything. The good news is that your education (or lack of it) are not the only thing that can get you a well-paying job in this country. There are several other skills that you can learn that will help you live a decent living. Here are some of them:
1. Learn a new language (preferably Chinese): When you were a child, you learned to speak your mother tongue within the first four years. And that’s without even learning proper mobility functions of all your limbs and without knowing how to solve mathematical problems or do accounts. Learning a language, therefore, is always something you can do and granted it won’t be easy but I assure you in a country like Nepal it has its perks, especially if you choose the right language. Learning languages like Japanese and Chinese don’t have to be specifically for going to that country. There are thousands of Chinese speaking Nepalese working in Thamel area as translators and with the increase in Chinese business houses foraying into the country, their demand has only grown. I personally know an Uncle who learned Japanese when he was in his early twenties and it helped him tremendously in working with the Japanese Embassy. You could be a valuable employee in a hotel chain that caters to mostly Chinese clients (as they are the largest population of tourists that arrive to Nepal annually) or if you become fairly good at it, you can also become a language instructor for the growing demand of outgoing students who seek foreign language education. Language translators that work for locally operating Chinese companies such as Oppo and Huawei specially pay translators handsomely as they are vital for them to communicate with their Nepalese counterparts.
2. Learn to type fast (English and if possible in Nepali)
Unknown to most, typing is one of the most well paid jobs in Nepal for first time earners. If someone has the knack for it, they might earn equivalent to someone who has just finished their master’s degree from a reputed college. This is because there are hundreds of publishers, printing facilities and media houses in the country that require typists. Freelance typists are also paid by number of pages typed so you would be getting paid for as much work you do rather than by the hour. There has been demand for Nepali typists for quite some time in the market and the demand is still growing. The work involves mainly reading texts from books, notebooks, recordings and typing them in a word file. Most teenagers in Nepal have been typing long conversations on that mini keyboard on their phone anyway, so why not shift to a laptop and start earning money off if it?
3. Learn computer design (Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva)
Learning to design is arguably one of the most beneficial skill one can learn at the moment in our country. Its one of those jobs where you can work a regular design job from nine to five and also freelance your services to other companies by working at home. Its not for everyone and one does need to have a understanding of colors, aesthetics, shapes and other design elements but its also not something that one cannot learn. Not everyone will become a great designer in months but if you work hard and join the right courses, there are enough design jobs in the market for you to start making a living. Companies that look for designers also don’t care much about their education as long as they are good at what they do. Of course, to get ahead in the field and become a big shot designer that earns in lakhs, you will have to put in several years of hard work and keep learning new design platforms, concepts and build up an impressive portfolio. Learning to design can be pretty easy as many Nepali companies provide design courses at affordable prices and if you are scrappy enough then you can also invest your time on several YouTube channels that teach computer design for absolutely free. One of the best things about learning design is that it is not limited to the IT industry and the need for computer designs ranges across almost all fields from hospitals, ad agencies, big business houses, printing houses, media companies to hundreds of other fields as well.
4. Learn to Drive
With the emergence of online platforms like Daraz, Foodmandu, Sastodeal, Kirana (and a hundred others) the need for people who know how to drive two wheelers has massively increased. Delivery boys earn a decent living without having the best of education. Also, with the arrival of ride sharing services like Tootle and Pathao, people have started to earn anywhere from ten thousand to thirty thousand per month just by working as riders for such platforms. The scope of advancing your career in these fields are low but they can serve as great income generators while you pursue your education and contribute to the betterment of your financial status. All you have to do is learn how to drive a bike (ask your friend) and get a license (slightly strenuous but doable).
5. Learn to Cook
Those who have interest in the field of culinary arts can now also earn a living by cooking at home. Food Mario is a unique service that allows home cooks to earn a living by creating a select menu that they can cook and sell to willing customers. The registration process is simple and although initially gaining regular customers might not be easy, it certainly is possible. Especially in the generation of YouTube where cooking recipes are abundantly available, the only things stopping you would be your willingness to learn. You can also set prices for the food items you create and establishing a unique menu can earn you loyal and regular customers in the app.
6. Learn Digital Marketing
This is one of the skills that won’t come cheap. Several institutes offer digital marketing courses but they don’t come cheap. A typical three months digital marketing course can cost anywhere from 35,000 to 65,000. However, there is an upside. Digital marketing and social media marketing are some of the most widely available jobs in the market right now. Almost every company is trying to make their brand digitally visible and valuable. But unlike in developed countries, academic institutions of Nepal don’t offer comprehensive degrees on the subject. Investing in a digital marketing course can get you started on a career that helps you make money by spending time on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Even if its expensive, this course of career has tremendous growth potential as companies that do well have entire departments dedicated to digital marketing.
As it must have become clear by now, most of these require some level of learning from the person who wants to start making money. Most businesses in the market agree that a client’s educational degree is not the final variable that gets them chosen among a pool of several other candidates. It usually depends on additional skills and talents the candidate has acquired and invested time to build on. Anyone who steps out of conventional education or works to gain skills without the adequate resources to have had accessed conventional education is respected in the job market. Sounds kind of cheesy, but if you want to earn, you have to learn.
