Segment: Stop Blaming Unemployment - There Are Jobs, You Just Lack the Right Attitude

Summary

Konnected Minds Podcast with Derrick Abaitey

Episode Segment: Stop Blaming Unemployment – There Are Jobs, You Just Lack the Right Attitude
Date: June 13, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Konnected Minds Podcast tackles the hot topic of unemployment, particularly in Africa, and challenges prevailing narratives. The discussion dives deep into why many young people struggle to find employment—not because of a lack of jobs, but due to issues such as attitude, work ethic, and willingness to start from less glamorous positions. Host Derrick Abaitey and his guest (an accomplished Entrepreneur/Business Leader) confront limiting beliefs around work, service, and the prestige of entrepreneurship versus employment, delivering hard truths for listeners seeking to break out of cycles of joblessness.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Value of Service, Not Just Rewards

• The guest opens by criticizing the idea that every act of service should be transactional or immediately rewarding. He recounts how most acts of service won't be rewarded directly, but the real value comes from the attitude of service rather than the expectation of a reward.

  • Quote [00:30]:

    "80 to 90% of people that you serve would give you zero reward. The reward must come from an attitude of service, not from the reward of the service."
    — Entrepreneur/Business Leader

• Shares a personal story about becoming a BlackBerry brand ambassador in university—a prestigious role at the time that wasn't well compensated materially—but which later led to bigger opportunities, including becoming CEO of a major group.

  • Quote [03:31]:

    "I did it because it was cool, because it just, it was just okay to serve. And now that same opportunity... 15 years later, they came up and said, you know what? You want to be CEO of the group? I said yeah, if not, why not?"
    — Entrepreneur/Business Leader

  • Memorable moment: The guest emphasizes that he now makes more money with his business than from his CEO role, but does both simply because he can and enjoys the challenge.

2. Reframing Attitudes Toward Employment

• The conversation explores why nine-to-five jobs and employment are often looked down upon in entrepreneurial circles.

  • Quote [05:25]:

    "Do we look down on nine to five? Entrepreneurship, yes."
    — Derrick Abaitey (Host)

  • The guest highlights that many of the world’s richest people achieved wealth as employees, not just founders.

  • Quote [05:36]:

    "Footballers are employees. Most people assume employment is all nine to five. Footballers have a strict regimen... it feels like it's fun."
    — Entrepreneur/Business Leader

3. The "Unemployment Crisis" Is More Complex Than It Appears

• Derrick notes the widely held belief in Africa that there is a huge unemployment crisis and that entrepreneurship may be the solution.

  • Quote [06:08]:

    "There's a huge unemployment crisis in a lot of African countries. Now entrepreneurship will create opportunities for other people to be employed. Entrepreneurship may be the way."
    — Derrick Abaitey (Host)

• The guest counters, arguing that the real issue is not a lack of jobs, but a lack of people willing to take available jobs—especially those seen as undesirable or insufficiently lucrative.

  • Quote [06:23]:

    "I don't think there are not enough jobs. I think there are not enough people who want to do jobs that are not pleasant simply because it doesn't have enough financial rewards tied to it."
    — Entrepreneur/Business Leader

  • Quote [07:24]:

    "When I was starting out, we were struggling too. When our parents were starting out. If you had asked them, then it was struggle for them... Now on the other side, I'm like, yeah, anybody else can do it. It's easy because I've gone through it."
    — Entrepreneur/Business Leader

• Points out that narratives about job scarcity exist even in developed nations, but the persistent underlying issue is often skill gaps and, more importantly, attitude gaps.

4. Attitude vs. Skill: Why People Really Lose (and Fail to Keep) Jobs

• Derrick asks if simply listing job types and required skills, then teaching those skills, could solve the issue.

  • Quote [08:50]:

    "If there are jobs, why don't we list all the jobs and the skills required and then teach people the skills needed?"
    — Derrick Abaitey (Host)

• The guest asserts that while skills are important, it's the attitude that determines job retention and satisfaction.

  • Quote [08:59]:

    "Because the jobs there are not skill driven, it's attitudinal. You get a job because of your skill, you lose it because of attitude more than 89% of the time."
    — Entrepreneur/Business Leader

• Shares firsthand hiring experience, noting chronic challenges in filling roles—even in fields with a low bar for entry—because people either lack the attitude to stick with roles or expect immediate, outsized rewards.

  • Quote [09:11]:

    "There are jobs. There are people who have the skill to do the job. They just don't have the right attitude for the job. And you can't teach attitude in schools—that is self-taught or from home."
    — Entrepreneur/Business Leader

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Service Without Expectation [00:30]:

  "The reward must come from an attitude of service, not from the reward of the service."

• On Perseverance [07:24]:

  "When our parents were starting out...it was struggle for them too. Now on the other side, I'm like, yeah, anybody else can do it. You can do it. It's not that bad. You won't break."

• On Attitude Over Skill in Employment [08:59]:

  "You get a job because of your skill, you lose it because of attitude more than 89% of the time."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:30: Service, value, and stories of early-career opportunities
• 05:25: The status of 9-5 jobs and the dignity in being employed
• 06:08: Africa’s unemployment crisis and entrepreneurship
• 06:23: The real barrier—willingness to do “unpleasant” work
• 07:24: Generational struggles and changing perceptions of hardship
• 08:59: The primacy of attitude in job retention and the hiring struggle

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Takeaways

• Attitude—Not just skills—is the differentiator. Many roles go unfilled not because people lack skills, but because too many shy away from hard, unglamorous, or modestly-paid work, or enter with unrealistic expectations about reward.
• Service unlocks opportunities. Often, the rewards of serving or “starting small” show up years later, opening unforeseen doors.
• Perseverance is always required. Every generation faces its hardships—enduring and learning builds the resilience and perspective needed for long-term success.
• Change the mindset before chasing opportunities. Limiting beliefs about employment, skill, and status need to be challenged if one is to truly build unstoppable confidence and thrive.

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This episode serves as a candid wake-up call to young job seekers and aspiring entrepreneurs: the right attitude and willingness to serve, even with modest beginnings, are essential to career growth and unlocking lasting opportunities.

Transcript

[Person Selling Car]

I sold my car in Carvana last night.

[Friend]

Well, that's cool.

[Person Selling Car]

No, you don't understand. It went perfectly. Real offer down to the penny. They're picking it up tomorrow. Nothing went wrong.

[Friend]

So what's the problem?

[Person Selling Car]

That is the problem. Nothing in my life goes as smoothly. I'm waiting for the catch.

[Friend]

Maybe there's no catch.

[Person Selling Car]

That's exactly what a catch would want me to think.

[Friend]

Wow. You need to relax.

[Person Selling Car]

I need to knock on wood. Do we have wood? Is this table wood?

[Friend]

I think it's laminate.

[Person Selling Car]

Okay. Yeah, that's good. That's close enough.

[Friend]

Car selling without a catch. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pick up fees may apply because they're

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

saying, I know what one man did for one guy. The boy tried to help him and see him now did not help him. This is a problem that a lot of young people have today. They don't want to serve. And I'm not saying that. And I'm saying it very honestly. I don't think that all service would lead to value. It's not everybody you serve that will provide you with a reward. As a matter of fact, 80 to 90% of people that you serve would give you zero reward. The reward must come from an attitude of service, not from the reward of the service. I'll give you an example. People say now that I work at Red. Nobody. If I tell you the story of how I got my job at Red, my very first encounter with them was from doing something that was. That was useful but didn't have value. Red was in charge of an account called BlackBerry back then, the BlackBerry devices, they came to Unilag where I was a student and they posted notice board and they see stickers on notice board and said they are looking for BlackBerry is looking for ambassadors and they want people who are cool. The coolest kids on campus, you know. And they were asking for a lot of things. And this was an era where being a cool kid required you to be again. Was a real prestigious role for you to call the cool kid on campus unit. Like I said, you were one of the big boys. There's this guy, he makes movies now play the mixer, recreating play if you look more his play. They had those cool parties that they used to do back then in uni. You know, they were the cool kids. So when BlackBerry came to campus, they were looking for those kinds of kids. We're talking people who currently right now entertainment industry are like Ubiko banners. We're talking the real cool cats of Unilac campus. Like what did this? They define them and it was. You could clearly tell who they were looking for and then they wrote it there. Guess what they're offering them in return for the cool kids? BlackBerry shirts, tags and a BlackBerry phone. In the era when all the kids had BlackBerry phones, all the cookies already had BlackBerry phones. It's like someone coming and saying I'm coming to campus. I look for the coolest kids, all the hottest tiktokers. If you are trending, if you're like the pella of the future, you are this, you are that. And guess what? I'm going to give you return new iPhone 17 Pro Max. Maybe they didn't say, I didn't see the big one. Said they soon it was only like a ninth Pro Max. Like they're going to give like an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 type thing. IPhone 13. IPhone 13 Pro Max. Nice t shirts, branded iPhone and face caps. This is your opportunity to be cool with iPhone. How many people take that job? A lot of the cookies on campus refused. Of course they will refuse because it wasn't, it wasn't exciting. I look at it, I'm like, I was considered a cool kid. I'm like, what's so wrong getting a new phone with my phone I already had an ad library. I'm like, what's wrong getting a BlackBerry? Nothing. But I would say I have a BlackBerry Ambassador. Okay, that's not enough. And I filled the application, I wrote it, I made my mouth, I filled the application, filled it. Three gently were 10,000 people who applied. 10,000 across the country. Wow. Shortlisted to three shortly sessions that we did multiple interviews from 10,000 to 500 to 50 to 10 to three and they picked three of us. And when someone asked me so why do you want to do this? They asked me like, so what do you think you're going to get from this? Like what is it for you? Because it makes no sense. Yeah, this was a cool kid. Why I said I just wanted the opportunity to do something different. I was there. It's BlackBerry, it's cool enough. I was okay doing it just because it was BlackBerry. I could have made, I could have done a lot more things that would have been cooler. That job. Then eventually put a salary to it, which was funny. They didn't offer a salary, but it was a salary.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

It was a salary that if I mentioned now people like, it's a lie. And they were paying me that kind of money at that time. Yes. I'm talking 2009. They pay me real cool money. It Was it was ridiculous. And I think myself and that's when I met them at the Boland Chile for the first time I see they had that was their project. So again think of where I started from. I was doing it because the money was involved. I did it because it was cool, because it just, it was just okay to serve. And now that same opportunity length appointed by 15 years later they came up and said, you know what? You want to be CEO of the group? I said yeah, if not, why not again? I always say it every time. If I tell you the revenue of my business and revenue of Red, it will shock you because I make more money on my company than I make it Red.

[Interviewer/Host]

Right.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

I, I, I, I say it without my full chest. I earn more from my business than I am from Red. So it's not a salary thing, huh? But yet people will ask me why didn't everybody knows enough for Red. Yeah but if we talk about how much money I'm making, I do more Enrique sir. I do more people company. But you know why I do it? Just because I can. And that should be the only reason it if you can, why not? Why not? What is the downside to doing great things?

[Interviewer/Host]

No, I think I'm. I'm gonna ask you this question again because interestingly a lot of the people that listen to us, they, they are either entrepreneurial or they are thinking of starting. But here comes you that are saying that it's cool to serve.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

It is.

[Interviewer/Host]

And through your service you get rewarded. Do we look down on nine to five Entrepreneurship? Entrepreneurship, yes.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

Yes. One of the richest men in the world. Paul Alle was an entrepreneur.

[Interviewer/Host]

Intrapreneur.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

Intrapreneur, right. He worked as a staff at Apple. Apple of Microsoft, I'm sure which one I think was Microsoft was one of the richest men in the world. He's one of the richest men in the world till date. He was an employee. He is an employee. Footballers are employees. Most people assume employment is all nine to five. Footballers have a strict regimen. You're going to argue because it feels like it's fun. You feel like it's a fun.

[Interviewer/Host]

I'm actually not going to argue. I'm going to make a statement that there's a huge unemployment crisis in a lot of Africa.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

African countries. Now entrepreneurship will create opportunities for other people to be employed. Entrepreneurship may be the way.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

It is the way.

[Interviewer/Host]

But, but, but, but there's, there's not enough jobs.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

I don't think there are not enough jobs. I think there are not enough people. Who want to do jobs that are not pleasant simply because it doesn't have enough financial rewards tied to it. Here's what I mean. I'm constantly hiring. That cannot be a mistake. And if I speak to a lot of my friends or entrepreneurs, you will hear the same thing we have. We work in an agent working an industry where the bar for entry is a little lowest. I'm saying you don't need a lot of academic knowledge to work in marketing. And what I mean a lot. It says that there are programs that you can do that can upskill you quickly. Yeah, there's this course, there's that course, there's that project. But you know why young people don't do it? They want to skip the work process. And I know that people will say that. But, you know, the company, the economy, we are all struggling. There has never been an easy time. When I was starting out, we were struggling too. When our parents were starting out. If you had asked them, then it was struggle for them.

[Interviewer/Host]

Right.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

The only difference is that is when they look at our generation like we actually had it easier. What does that tell you if you don't do it now, A generation that come after will tell you they had it easier, too. Because I'm looking back, I'm thinking it was easier for me, my time. But I remember that when I was coming out into the industry, it was hard, too. I thought it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. It was hard. It was hard. I had to go and learn this article, learn that. I was struck. I was like, wow, there's the whole world. I don't know of things, but I persevered, went through the pain. Now on the other side, I'm like, yeah, anybody else can do it. It's easy because I've gone through it. I'm like, yeah, you can't do it. You can do. It's not that bad. You won't break. You know, it's a real yakub. So for young people, the honesty that they would always say that there are no jobs. If you go to the US There are people who still believe there are not enough jobs in the US People will tell you that, oh, there are no jobs. The government needs to do more to provide jobs. It's part of the things that Trump is always selling. We're going to get more jobs in the economy. We're going to get more jobs in the economy. We in Africa think, what do you mean? Just get me there. Why do we think so? We think that once we just get into that place. There are jobs. My family is living in the uk. People used to do that once they get to the uk, there are jobs, but there are no jobs too. But here's the thing, there are jobs. There are just not enough skilled people to do them.

[Interviewer/Host]

This is what a lot of the time I really don't get. So if there are jobs, why don't we list all the jobs and the skills required and then teach people the skills needed?

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

Because the jobs there are not skill driven, it's attitudinal. You get a job because of your skill, you lose it because of attitude more than 89% of the time.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay, talk to me.

[Entrepreneur/Business Leader]

There are jobs. There are people who have the skill to do the job. They just don't have the right attitude for the job. And you can't teach attitude in schools that is self taught or from home. So when you find a lot of jobs, I say every time I'm hiring. I'm always hiring. I kid you not. It's so ridiculous. I don't think there's been a month in the last three years that I've not needed a new person. It's not because I sacked someone. It's because I hire someone, something will happen. They we go. I've only sucked maybe four people my entire life and I've probably worked over 130 something stuff. It's across. I'm just. And I'm ballparking here. I don't suck as much as people. Exit. Because when you quickly realize that when someone comes in, go to the Regal, they realize, this guy's never paying me well enough for all this hard work. Yes, and it's fair. Connected Minds podcast

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