If you are interested in starting or ramping up your career, then this book is for you! I shared intensely personal experiences and real-life examples to reveal what you need to know about:
*When and how to position yourself for a job change
* The dynamics of emotional intelligence and being street-smart
*How to be a great supervisor or manager
* Rules for managing office politics and superiors, and much more.
This book also contains timely secrets that will make your career future-proof. In addition, you will discover how to avoid the numerous pitfalls that can put a drag on your career.
Highly recommended read for career development, job hunting and professional growth.
Philip Amiola: How A Simple Mail Evolved To Book Publication, Website & Newsletter Deals
Today, I met Philip Amiola physically for the first time. But here's the back story:
On August 5, 2020 (almost 5 years ago), I got a mail from Philip Amiola. A screen shot of the mail is shared along with this write up. Apparently, he follows me on X (formerly Twitter) and he had a few suggestions for me.
He suggested a personal blog or website and that he was willing to take my contents and publish them for free on a weekly basis via a newsletter.
The interview took place in Victoria Island, Lagos, that year. I arrived at the venue and met other candidates who came to interview for the role. A few were people I knew from Ibadan.
When it was my turn, I got into the office where the panel interview was held and sat down after I was instructed to do so. There were about seven people on the panel, and it was led by the managing director of the financial institution—an Indian.
One of the questions I was asked was, ‘Why should we hire you?’ The organisation had just started a new branch in Ibadan and was hiring relationship managers. I smiled and responded that I knew Ibadan—their target market—‘like the palm of my hands’.
I wanted to leave that year. I think it was 2006. Banking Consolidation was over then and the industry was opening up. I got an offer of employment from another organization and I went to inform my Branch Manager.
I was a Team Lead but our title was Profit Centre Manager at that time.
My Branch Manager didn't want me to leave. He asked me to see our Regional Director. He knew I respected our RD as we used to call him. I saw him as a kind of mentor.
He was a man that truly inspired me and I looked up to him. I wrote about him recently about how he gave me a ride in his SUV.
I went to the office of our Regional Director to inform him.
Don't Run Away From A Problem You're Designed To Solve
It was circa 2009.
It was an internal advert. I was in Ibadan then but the role was in Lagos. I applied. I got a call asking why I wanted to leave Ibadan which was my comfort zone.
While explaining, I was told the location I applied was a troubled one. The branch had made losses for about 5 years. Different Branch Managers had left or were fired. No one wanted the place. It was like a death knell for any career.
I was scared initially as I spoke to the lady. She wanted me to take my time to think about my decision but I told her my mind was made up. One, I wanted more from my career as I thought I had plateaued at that time so I wanted to try something new.
I always love to start my year the right way and I'm glad the Six Tripple Eight movie on Netflix is the first movie I watched this year. It was really worth every minute of my time.
I love films based on real life events or characters. I believe the secrets of men are in their stories and this particular one was well told.
As I watched the movie, 3 major lessons stood out for me:
1. No task or assignment is mundane- it depends on your perspective about your work or contribution.
Circa 2004/5, I attended quite a lot of interviews. Those were the Banking Consolidation years and while I worked in Ibadan at that time, most interviews held in Lagos.
Interviews were physical then. Most times when I drove to Lagos for those interviews, I came along with my wife who would stay back at the hotel until I was done.
Whenever I picked her up, we would then drive towards Lekki Phase 1 just for sightseeing. We had no business there but we won't leave for Ibadan without driving round. As we looked at those beautiful buildings on the different streets, we gave a free rein to our imagination.