Barrister Benedict Agozie Okonkwo is a legal practitioner with repute. His interest in practicing law is taking him places with outstanding experience in and outside the legal practice. In this interview with Saturday Vanguard Rising On The Job, Okonkwo, from his years of experience vividly explains the secret of rising on the job. Excerpts:

I am Benedict Agozie Okonkwo, a legal practitioner based at Amawbia in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Okonkwo: Employees need training to satisfy employers

When asked how it all started before he became barrister, he affirmed, yes, I am the first child and first son of my parents. Of course we are only three- two males and one female.

Though my parents were teachers but they really provided us with the most basic education upon which we were ble to become what we are tody ,especially myself.

I went to Practicing Primary School, Adazi Nnukwu, Bubendorff Memorial Grammar School, Adazi Nnukwu. Later I went to Anambra State College of Education, Awka for my N.C.E, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka for my BED before reading law at the same university.

It was easy for me because I had a focus and an agenda before I proceeded. Obviously during my academic era I passed through difficultie period but that did not affect my interest in what I wanted to be. Before you rise, in any stage of you life, there are challenges but you must remain focused at all times.

In his becoming a barrister, he was asked to narrate his secret of rising, Okonkwo said, one basic fact about life is determination coupled with agenda.

In this I mean for you to progress you must have a focus and begin to plan toward achieving that focus. Some people may call it aims, goals or objectives.

But in all, determination becomes the hallmark of any achievement one desires to attain. From childhood, my parents nurtured such traits in me and my younger ones and upon such I utilize it to a maximum end, that today I am what I am but I cannot belittle the grace of Almighty God in making it.

In addition, being committed to what you do and also learning from others bring a lot progress. All these I put into actions cum what I learnt from school.

When asked if his parents influnced him to choose law as a career choice, he answered of course not. It was my determination and interest I have for law. In addition, the motivating factor was to speak and defend the defenceless in the society.

Though I could vividly remember that my father once said he would be very happy if any of his children will become one but he was not aware that I enrolled to study law after my first degree in education. So it was my entirely interest and decision to read law.

On his opinion on the effect of wrong career choice on employee’s rising on the job, he said, basically it should not have any effect, what matters is the desire to progress along in-service training, attending seminars, workshops, symposiums and other on the job training programmes within the said system or organisation.

Sir, how can you handle certificate without initiative and skills at the work place?

Good, it is better and best to provide the said employee the opportunity inherent in in-service training and other relevant on the job training programmes to enable the employee acquire the necessary skills required in such specific task.

With time the employee will become master of the task.Okay, consider a person without a banking knowledge and you will find out that with time he or she comes in tandem with the rudiments of banking skills as well as becomes guru in such field.

On what interests him in an employee before he or she can earn his promotion as an employer, Okonkwo asserted that though criteria differ from person to person but output level of an employee counts much for promotion.

In addition, effectiveness and efficiency cannot be divorced from productivity which is the output level in question. So for an employee to earn promotion productivity which goes with other virtues must be exhibited by the employee.

For an employee to rise on the job no matter the knowledge he or she acquires the job virtues must be at the back of the mind of an employee which includes amongst others as commitment, hardworking, honest, training, taking correction as well as always ready to accept task and work toward achieving the task.