Apprenticeship

The cost of apprenticeship is often your time and energy: You may make huge amount of money for your master and may not get credit for it or receive a fair share of the money. But the benefits in terms of learning are bigger. Your master may use you, cheat you, and even dump you. But that is because you are useful.

You are not—and will not be—the only apprentice that will be taken advantage of. So, do not fight your master. In fact, fighting your master is a waste of time and energy. Consider a situation where “monkey work, baboon chop” as one of the costs of learning. “Take it as a free tutorial on the workings of your industry. Someday you will be big enough for people to know they should not think about messing with you”, says commedian Teju "Babyface" Oyekan. When you are proving your worth and you are being taken advantage of, do not fight back. Instead, move on to the next thing to learn.

But be deliberate on your choice of master, as an apprentice, if you really mean business. Choose your master carefully and be prepared to work for him. First, base your choice on accomplishment: He or she is someone who understands how the area of life or work you will like to have guidance works. Second, she is understanding: Your master has to be someone who has experienced the ups and downs of apprenticeship and is willing to be tolerant. And third, he is caring: The person has your best interest at heart.

Often, the ideal master is someone who is not overly specialized in a particular field or the field you're seeking guidance—that is, he or she has broad understanding of different fields including the one you're seeking guidance. Having this type of person for a mentor, gives you the opportunity to receive guidance on different areas of learning, and the freedom to choose your path according to your deepest inclinations.

But do not also wait until you find the ideal master to work for before you take action. You may not find him or her. An alternative strategy is to see yourself as a work in progress, which means you will be ready to change masters—if you can't tolerate any or the current one is not your ideal—until you find the ideal master.