10 Skills You Must Possess Before You Japa

The amount of money you need to japa nowadays is no child’s play. People take all sorts of risks to raise money; some sell off all their valuables, others take out a loan and I often wonder how long it’ll take before they find their feet in the new country of residence seeing as most of them japa via study route. It also makes me think that what if there was an extra way to earn more just by having some skills that can help you protect yourself not only from the harsh weather but also the uncharted economic realities of relocation. 

In this article, we’ll be exploring a fine blend of labor, technical, life, soft, cognitive and people skills that can help you earn more and stay afloat as a new immigrant in the abroad. Here are ten skills you should have in the bag before you japa

Language and Communication Skill

While I understand that this skill is not an easy feat for everyone, having a good command of a foreign language never hurt anyone I know. Whether it’s verbal or written, If it’s possible, before you japa, make sure you learn the language of the country you’re relocating to. 

If it’s too difficult to gain mastery of the language within the limited time you have left to travel, make an effort to grasp the basics or simple phrases (like hello, thank you, asking for direction) of proper communication in their local language. 

Apart from showing that you have respect for their culture, it could make a huge difference in the ease of access to necessary information, getting from point A to point B, how much you’ll save on hotels or accommodation, just because you were able to communicate with any of the locals..

Map Reading

That was one topic in Geography that felt totally irrelevant when we were in school. As a Nigerian, there was no need for a map to move from one place to the other; all you had to do was enter the right yellow bus and alight at the right spot or follow someone who knows the road or ask people for directions. And as such, it didn’t make sense to me when I was taught map reading in secondary school and I’m sure most people who had their secondary school education in Nigeria can relate. However, if you’re planning to japa anytime soon, especially to the UK, you might just need to dust those books (if you still have them) and get studying so you can reacquaint yourself with the subject of maps. Meanwhile, Google is your friend if you don’t have access to books. In case you’ve already traveled and you’re just trying to understand maps again, ensure you always share your location with at least one friend so they can easily track and locate you if you miss your way. 

Cooking

Gone are the days when cooking was strictly a woman’s responsibility and all you had to do as a guy was to have one in your life. Now, we can all agree that cooking is a survival skill that everyone (regardless of their gender) must have to stay alive. Being able to cook your meals saves you the stress of having to immediately adapt to the new meals in your new country of residence; you can gradually ease into the new tastes and delicacies.  

So while preparing your papers, bags and all other necessities, ensure to take a basic  cooking class from a family member, friend or professional, if you don’t know how to cook. Except you’re the latest money bag in town.  

If you already know how to cook and you do it well, you can help your friends that don’t know how to and make money for yourself while you’re at it. 

Plumbing

As an artisan in Nigeria, being a plumber is one of the most humbling vocations but when you japa, you’re like a treasure, especially if you know your onions. There are a lot of people trying to relocate via study route and they end up spending a lot of money to do this. Artisans, however, are in such high demand that some employers are willing to cover the expense of relocation. Don’t throw your skills away even if you have a white-collar job that pays well, you can leverage these skills to earn more. 

Hairmaking

Have you ever tried to ask your friends in the diaspora, how much they spend to make or barb their hair? When you convert it to Naira, you’ll scream. These basic skills that we look down on here are full-blown professions outside the shores of Africa. Interestingly, our hair hairstyles are fast becoming viable exports and if you have mastered this skill, you might become highly sought after you japa.

Tailoring

Everybody is japa-ing and we still want to hang out like we used to back home. We want to organize and attend owanbes like we never left home. For anyone who’s looking out for opportunities, the implication of this is that a wide net of multiple opportunities have been created and a need for well-tailored outfits is one of them. Those that have learnt and mastered this skill before relocating can tell you it’s viable. If you’ve always loved the concept of making beautiful outfits for people, now’s a good time to learn, so that when you japa, you can do what you enjoy using your skill and cash out while you’re at it. 

Teaching

Having mastery of a foreign language is a flex, being able to teach is even a bigger flex. If you’re trying to japa and teaching is one of your strengths, you should make a main or side hustle out of it, when you travel. You could also teach your local dialect if it’s in demand there. 

In more developed nations, teachers are valuable and well paid. All you need to do is get a certification or two to prove your expertise in that area and be on your merry way to earning some money. Meanwhile, some countries are paying teachers to relocate to their country. 

First-Aid 

Knowing what to do before help arrives when someone is in need of urgent medical attention is something we don’t talk about enough. I know you’re not a medical practitioner but learning simple things like CPR, checking for a pulse, being able to swim to rescue a child who’s drowning, etc, can save the life of your loved ones or even a total stranger. 

Financial Frugality 

A friend who relocated not too long ago, called me in tears after getting her first salary, saying, “Babe, I’m now a millionaire!” (in Naira of course) She had been paid about $2500 and had done a mental conversion to Naira and she was super excited! She wanted to start throwing the money around and I had to remind her of the bills she had to pay so she could calm down. 

No, I’m not a killjoy but it’s easy to get carried away when you start making money in the diaspora and you’re thinking about it in Naira. While that’ll make you feel good, you also need to remember your bills are paid in Fx and not Naira. It is important to stay frugal, avoid unnecessary expenses; take the train instead of a cab, cook your meals instead of eating out, squat with a friend instead of renting a hotel…..save what you can, invest wisely in the right opportunities and you’ll thank me later in Fx 😉 

Driving

Knowing how to drive in my opinion is also a survival skill. Even if you don’t have a car, learn how to drive. You never can tell when the knowledge would come in handy. A job or even a life, might depend on it. So before you japa, learn the basics of driving. 

Proper Me-Time Management

People don’t really talk about it but relocating alone to a new country can be quite boring and people have done really silly things due to boredom. Before you make new friends or know your way around, you might have to stay indoors all by yourself. You’ve got to learn to enjoy your own company without feeling bad about it. 

I know it’s nice to be with people or go sightseeing and all that but when those options aren’t available, find creative ways to engage yourself like; listening to your favorite music, dancing, reading a book, seeing movies, running, taking a walk, playing games,  calling your loved ones or even daydreaming😃. 

Find ways to engage your mind and stay happy. Loneliness can impact your mental health negatively and also affect your output whether academically or on the job. 

Apart from the general soft skills, ensure you learn a vocational (hands-on) skill before you japa, it always helps. The basic skills that we look down on and believe are for the (underserved in our society) artisans are major earning streams for people outside our country and nothing should stop you from acquiring these skills and leveraging them to make money. 

Which of these skills do you have and which of them will you be acquiring as you prepare to japa? Let’s discuss. Join me in the “Japa” Community on Fusion where we share insights and opportunities on how to relocate to various countries.