Real ways Nairobians hustle

Living in Nairobi is quite a challenge, especially at the current time when a good majority are jobless and securing a job has become a luxury. In an effort to secure a job or even hustle to make a living, there are things I have highlighted that if you have not done two of them and above, then you better start tracing your half a hectare piece of land back in your village and start toiling.

Having sent your CV to all recruitment agencies and visited all the online job websites. These websites offer a wide variety of jobs from various sectors in their platforms. This makes them a preference for many on their job hunting as they don’t have signing in or subscription issues. You just check in, spot a job a get the email and you are done. Go back, sit and relax as you wait to be called. Sounds easy, isn’t it? There is also that time when the government needs people. You have to take all your documents to their offices, hand delivery in this case. You reach there and find ten sacks full of applications and place yours in the mix, hoping and praying that it be recognized.

While socializing on your gadgets or job hunting, you come across a post: Wanted, earn 35k working online, a new company looking for those specializing in Web Design, Art, Sales and Marketing, e.t.c., ambitious, 19years and above, KCSE Certificate, and several easy minimum requirements. A number is then provided to contact. Since you and a good percentage of the jobless meet the qualifications, you decide to give it a go, having high hopes. You contact the number and you are directed to a certain building in downtown Nairobi, a certain floor and a certain room, for orientation and seminar. You find several other hopefuls, smartly dressed too as instructed. Several speakers come and company history and profile is done by one of them, the next lectures are the most interesting: Testimonials. Success stories. Former employees of Banks and Insurance companies give their testimonies of how they started years ago from the exact place you are sitting and are now Millionaires and they have never looked back. Hmm. Let me leave that here for another day and go to hustling (our main topic). The next lecture now is now about the real deal. You are taken to the warehouse, where their products are. You are required to pay to buy the products, then sell and get commission. My friend, unachezwa (how is reserved for another day too). If you get lucky, you buy and start your journey of being a millionaire. Ahem. Real hustle here. In some instances, you are not required to even buy, just sell a certain number of pieces and get a commission. I know this applies to even some big companies, and yes, that’s the idea, real hustle, except some go through the above process. Some are even simple, refer your friends to refer a friend and refer a friend to refer a friend and you get all the credits.

Another way you will have to hustle to make it or break it is also popular. Be an entrepreneur yourself. Come up with a business idea, a kinyozi, saloon, cyber café, movie shop, shoe selling, cosmetics, etc. Get support from family, chama, loan or friend (very rare); get a karoom ya bizna and you are good to go. This is one of the best if your feasibility study and viability plans work out well. This is also the most preferred by even salaried people to boost their income and to keep their spouses, siblings and visiting relatives busy and away from the house at daytime. Most households are also fully supported by this means of hustle. If you don’t do your research well, you will see the wrath of doing such a business in Nairobi too.

Online jobs. You have to be smart here. Freelancing is gaining popularity and when you are smart enough, you can be sitting in your house for a whole week and pay rent for five months advance. You only have to buy a laptop, bundles and electricity tokens then sit back and be creative. This one needs a lot of dedication and time. If meeting deadlines is not your thing then my friend, look elsewhere. Log into any hustlers email and you will find several subscription and newsletter emails to online job sites.

Casual labor. Not quite a liking for our modern QWERTY generation. Being a mjengo guy, mtu wa mkono (right hand man) to a Fundi wa Stima (Electrician), Plumber, Mason or Painter to a site in various parts of Nairobi is also very common with most people. Get a good contractor and you will be assured of an income at the end of each day, and you will work in any location in Nairobi at random; or being a tout or driver to public transport (the squad guys), falls under this category.

So in every way that you find suitable to keep you busy as you wait to be called for the success of that interview, just make sure you keep it real, hustle hard and avoid idleness of just utilizing electricity and water and clearing the fridge contents in the house. Have a hustle free time.