On Friday, 22nd of June, 2022,Jobberman, Nigeria’s leading career platform, hosted its inaugural networking mixer themed ‘Drive your Ambition’ for professionals across various industries with a minimum of 5 years of experience. The event held in partnership with Mitsubishi/Massilia is part of Jobberman’s efforts to create and establish a community of high-achieving Nigerian talents. The goal is to ensure that these senior professionals are continuously steered towards the pinnacle of success while making it easy for employers to tap into their wealth of experience and skills through employment opportunities.
The event kicked off with a welcome address from Chisom Ofili, the Head of Recruitment at Jobberman, who introduced the Jobberman Top Professional Community and what senior professionals stand to gain when they join.
Some of these benefits include access to a curated list of top premium jobs across different industries, closed members-only masterclasses with top leaders across the country, and a platform of expression as leading experts in their own rights.
The inaugural mixer also featured a panel discussion with seasoned industry professionals moderated by Mojibade Sosanya on how to Negotiate your Value to Earn your Worth.
The panellists included: Akanimoh Ojo, The Country manager, Leatherback, Funmi Abiola, The Head of Marketing and Communications at Massilia Motors and Ahmed Alaga, Programme Manager Partnerships at Jobberman Nigeria.
With the theme ‘Drive Your Ambition’, the panellists offered valuable insights on salary negotiation, defining and adding value in the workplace, and the importance of having a long-term plan for career development.
Here are a few quotes from the speakers;
“Read the room, know when to bring up the topic of salary negotiation” – Ahmed Alaga.
“Have a progress tracker when negotiating for a raise, this will help you and your supervisor see how much value you’ve added to your company” – Akanimoh Ojo
“Underpromise and overdeliver, work towards exceeding expectations” – Funmi Abiola
The evening wrapped up with great music, food, drinks, and the opportunity for professionals to expand their network.
Commenting on the event, Jobberman Nigeria’s Head of Marketing Oge Agu said “Jobberman is dedicated to supporting career professionals at every stage in their journey because we fully understand that growth should be a never-ending journey. While we have initiatives in place to support entry-level professionals, we have created the Jobberman Top Professionals Community to give mid and senior-level execs a tailored capacity expansion experience that meets them where they are and helps them get to where they aspire to be faster.”
In 2019, Christian Obi, popular as the “Igbo Wolf”, made his first “official” Instagram skit.
Before then, he just made videos for fun, sharing them with his “two followers on Instagram”. But he soon got tired of making skits because his old LG mobile was barely holding on for life.
Two years later, in August 2021, he bought an iPhone and decided to start making video skits again. But he couldn’t have imagined how ready the world was for his content. He went viral just two days after he bought the phone.
The natural thing to do would’ve been to ride on this popularity and milk the content style as much as possible, but Igbo Wolf didn’t do that. He wasn’t confident having not done comedy for a while. So he took a step back.
“With TikTok,” he tells me. “You don’t need to create original content.” Since Tiktokers can remix other creators’ content or just hop on trending sounds, he decided to hang around in that space for a while.
But one afternoon in early 2021, he remembered a former classmate in secondary school. The student, Kunle Ogunfowokan, had a teacher who always mispronounced his name with a deep Igbo intonation. Christian had an idea. He swiped to his Camera app and recorded a skit which would quickly become another internet sensation.
The idea was simple: take on an Igbo lecturer persona, who he named Professor Uwa (pronounced “Pro-fess-uu-wa”) and do a roll call of Yoruba student names which had lewd or negative meanings in Igbo. But a mistake happened while shooting that would launch him into pop-culture relevance.
“When making videos, I don’t like cutting and joining,” Igbo Wolf says. “So I have to do everything right in one take.” So while filming, after his Professor Uwa character listed out the Yoruba names, he forgot his lines at the end. But he needed a conclusion, so he said, “Dazz ya name?” on the spot and ended the video.
“It made me cringe,” Igbo Wolf tells me, “And I wanted to remove it.” But he eventually decided to let it stay anyway. “Instinct,” He recalls. “I just said, ‘let me leave it there.’”
When he posted the video on Twitter at 6:24 p.m. on September 21st, 2021, he didn’t expect his line to become an internet meme. “The next morning, I started seeing, ‘Dazz ya name’ everywhere!”
It took him some time to remember that he’d even used the line, as he had to rewatch the video himself to see and hear it. To this day, he still doesn’t understand why people like the phrase, but as long as it gets the people going, he’s happy with it.
However, Igbo Wolf is not one to rest on his laurels. While he initially rode on its popularity, releasing viral video after video, he decided to retire the Professor Uwa character. His reason? He sees himself as an actor and wants to continue evolving.
And his broad portfolio of comic personas is a testament to his creative ability. Several more characters have hit the limelight. From the frowning Work Chris who’s ironically always happy to go to work, to the toxic, uber-religious RonkeHR; his characters touch across relatable themes in Nigeria’s youth culture.
When asked how he consistently hits the Nigerian youth cultural nerve, he admits that his characters are a reflection of his state of mind at the time he creates them. When people see comic characters living out their reality, they fuck with them. Take the “happy” Chris meme, for example.
In December 2021, Igbo Wolf’s year-end holiday was restful. For the first time in a long while, he took a break from his product manager day job, hung out with friends, cooked, ate and played games. But when the time came to resume work on January 4th, 2022, he struggled to find the energy to get out of bed. When he finally got to the gate of his workplace, he turned and went into the restaurant opposite it to gather himself.
While there, he tweeted a selfie of him grimacing and captioned it “Work is such a fun adult activity especially after spending 2 weeks consistently getting drunk and eating”. He returned to his office at around 11 a.m.
Work is such a fun adult activity especially after spending 2 weeks consistently getting drunk and eating pic.twitter.com/yk7Rtp6Hto
He continued taking selfies, captioning them in a similar way, until the end of January. “It wasn’t just content for me,” he says. “I was miserable, and [making those tweets] was my own way of dealing with stuff.”
So when his first “Happy to be at work” tweet blew up in February, he felt dejected.
“It wasn’t just Nigerians. There were other Africans and white people,” he says. And when people started hailing his comedic prowess with compliments like, “Nigerian people understood the assignment”, Igbo Wolf couldn’t deal. “It wasn’t even an assignment, to begin with. It was just my way of dealing with my state of mind, but now, I was content to these people? I felt like they had taken something away from me.”
That day, he resolved not to post again. But the following morning, he experienced the same sadness that plagued him the day before, so he took another selfie and tweeted it, again with an ironic caption. More people could relate to his struggles and respond with selfies of their own tired, stressed faces with “happy to be at work” captions. Igbo Wolf had to get used to being a pop-culture trendsetter.
The turning point, he tells me, was when he attended an event and some guests were excited to meet him. The following Monday, he opened his Twitter DMs to see messages from some of the guests, telling him they were waiting for him to make his usual Monday morning tweet.
Other characters in his portfolio are just as relatable. Work Chris is the Nigerian youth who has to deal with toxic workplaces, Mama Elo is Elon Musk’s mother reimagined as Nigerian and Professor Uwa is most Igbo lecturers who’ve found themselves teaching in a Yoruba town.
An interesting aspect of Igbo Wolf’s skit-making is that he keeps the use of slapstick to the minimum and never employs exaggerated voiceovers or sound effects. “I hate them”, he says. “Because I see myself as an actor.” He does his best to get into character and lets his acting and mannerisms carry the humour. Also, he shoots his skits indoors when no one else is around, as he considers himself a shy, indoorsy person — a testament to his artist name which is a combination of his spirit animal (lone wolf) and his ethnicity (Igbo).
But Igbo Wolf is not afraid to deviate from his creative formula. He’s constantly writing stories; the pressure to keep up with his popularity keeps him grounded. To hack productivity, he always has at least six skits banked.
When he’s not producing viral content, he’s working as a product manager in Lagos, a job that has inspired some of his most iconic videos. I asked him if going to work still causes him pain. His response? Not really. But in future, he hopes to get a remote work arrangement, so he has more time to create entertaining content and achieve a perfect balance between his day job and his content creator life.
Calling all the hotties who are working hard at figuring out their shit and moving towards the next step on their journeys. You inspire us — so much that we created a flagship dedicated to celebrating your success.
In case you missed it, The Elevator is a mini-series dedicated to chronicling the journey of exceptional women in their careers as they make their way to the top. This year, in line with the official International Women’s Day theme, “Breaking The Bias”, we decided to expand the definition of ‘the top’ from corporate, white-collar jobs to less conventional careers.
We chose the women in this series because they stand out in their fields, with award wins and features in international events and magazines as proof. Most of them found their passion at a young age and continued on their paths despite pushback from their parents.
For each of them, that path looks different. For Kiss, becoming an all-round international producer is the top she aspires to, while Chigozie Obi wants to be able to provide opportunities for other visual artists, especially women. One thing everyone featured in the series agrees on is that the top of their careers is a place they haven’t reached yet, but they know their way there.
The top is a shapeshifting place defined by whoever is there or close enough. The world we aim to build is one where women can embark on the journey to success in their own ways, without the distractions posed by misogyny. The Elevator will lead that conversation with real-life examples.
Now that The Elevator is over, HER still has a few special things lined up for the rest of the year. In May, we have ToHER, a series of letters written by women to the women in their lives. Also in May, us hot girls will be meeting up at some fun place to shake our asses. You don’t want to miss what we have planned for you. To stay tuned, fill out this form.
A Week in the Life is a weekly Zikoko series that explores the working-class struggles of Nigerians. It captures the very spirit of what it means to hustle in Nigeria and puts you in the shoes of the subject for a week
The subject of today’s “A Week in the Life” is Kelvin Alaneme, a Nigerian psychiatrist in the UK. He walks us through the heartbreaking aspects of his job, navigating a long-distance relationship with his family and juggling multiple businesses because he thrives in chaos.
MONDAY
My mornings follow a strict regimen. I’m preparing for a medical exam, so the first thing on my to-do list is to study for two hours when I wake up at 4 a.m. By 6 a.m., I hop on Telegram and Discord to follow up with my cryptocurrency communities. There’s never a dull moment in this group, and this motivates me to keep sharing knowledge and resources.
I have to go to the hospital at 9 a.m., but first, I post content about my career, cryptocurrency and immigration tips on my Facebook and Instagram profiles.
I’m a specialist doctor at the NHS, so when I get to the hospital, I resume ward rounds. If there’s no consultant around, like today, I become the most senior staff member on-site. I’ll spend the rest of my afternoon reviewing patients, preparing documentation and writing tribunal reports.
I look forward to studying and reviewing past questions after work for my licensing exams. I live in the UK, but my wife and kids live in the US. I can’t wait to pass this exam so I can relocate with my family. Which reminds me — I need to call my family before I sleep. It’s 6 p.m. in the US now; if my wife is still at work, we’ll talk briefly, but if she’s back home, I’ll video chat with the children too.
After the call, all I can think about today is our long-distance relationship. My wife is also a doctor. When I left Nigeria to pursue a master’s in public health in London, she had just completed her US medical licensing exam. She and the kids joined me in the UK but had to leave for her US residency programme — something she’d always wanted to do. We had to come to terms with the prospects of a long-distance relationship.
But it wasn’t supposed to be for long. In July 2020, she relocated to New York with the kids. When I completed my master’s later in September, I was going to flee to the US to join them, but in the days leading up to my departure, I received three middle-grade doctor job offers here with juicy salaries and great perks.
We started to rethink our plan. The jobs offered me career progression, which I couldn’t get in the US yet as I had not written the US medical licensing exams. Staying in the US meant I would have to do low-wage jobs while I waited to take the licensing exams. That meant I would only make enough to cope and would strain my wife’s income. We decided to stay apart for a little longer.
TUESDAY
There’s nothing as fulfilling as helping patients with mental illness get better. I’m a psychiatrist, so my job is to diagnose, treat or help people prevent mental illness.
This is why facing a progressively deteriorating mental illness is the heartbreaking part of my job, especially when I have to have difficult discussions with the family of the patient. I have to explain to them why a patient who initially responded very well to treatment is suddenly not responding again. Or why a patient who was supposed to be admitted for a month has been receiving treatment for six months. Then I also have to tell their families and friends that this is the new normal, that their loved ones may not return as the person they once knew — or return at all.
Watching families come to terms with that knowledge — denial, sorrow, pain, defeat — is crushing. I wonder: if I feel this way for telling them, I can’t imagine how it must be for them who are actually affected. But I have to help them face it. As a professional, finding the balance between objectivity and empathy is the most difficult thing in the world. But this is what I’ve signed up to do, and it is a responsibility I must bear with grace.
WEDNESDAY
While I have a full-time job at the hospital, I have my hands in many other places. I’m also a musician running a record label.
Sometimes, I wonder how I have time to pursue all these endeavours. I think it’s because my wife is not around. We were talking about it last week, and it struck me that if we lived together, things might be different. If I were living in the US, I wouldn’t have time to be starting new businesses up and down.
I look at myself and shake my head because it’s just a life of stress. But I’m grateful for my wife. She is patient; she sees the big picture and gives me massive support. Because of her, I can close my eyes and just do what I do.
THURSDAY
Today I’m grateful for immigration. Moving to the UK changed my life. When I first came here in 2019, I worked as a bartender and a waiter, then I taught nursing and medical students in London for nine months until I got my licence to practise as a doctor. I’ve been practising for two years in the UK, and the quality of my life has skyrocketed. I want as many doctors and nurses to move here.
I’m also grateful for data management: I just retrieved a patient’s medical history and records at the click of a button. I practised medicine in Nigeria for five years, and many of the centres didn’t have functional equipment or the power to run them, and it always broke my heart. Getting told there’s no oxygen when you need it to save someone’s life does things to you. I’ve been in the UK for over two years, but it still blows my mind that CT scans get done in minutes and I can receive MRI results by the next day.
I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.
FRIDAY
I can smell the weekend! On weekdays, I’m a full-time doctor; at night and weekends, I’m a serial entrepreneur chasing my passions. I’m looking forward to the weekend because I’ll have more time to pursue my other interests. After hospital work today, I’ll check in with my team of developers and designers.
Coming to the UK helped me get into tech — I wasn’t always interested. In 2020, I won the Voices of Tomorrow Competition for a healthcare financing solution that will help Nigerians reduce out-of-pocket expenditure. Healthcare is free in the UK, and it’d be nice to create something that’ll help Nigerians get a semblance of that. I now have contacts in Silicon Valley, which scares me as much as it excites me.
I love being exhausted and when I die, I want to die empty, knowing that I gave everything I could give. To me, life is an orange, and I’m squeezing out every last drop of juice.
Check back every Tuesday by 9 a.m. for more “A Week in the Life” goodness, and if you would like to be featured or you know anyone who fits the profile, fill out this form.
Everyone wants to get into tech nowadays, but what tech career will actually make you blow?
Take this quiz and we’ll tell you. So you don’t waste your time chasing the wrong career.
Looking to develop the right skills for a tech career and get your hands on some of that tech money?Apply to earn a Diploma in Software Engineering at AltSchool Africa here.
I’ve never really been a tech-savvy guy. As a graduate of marketing, I had a day job where all I needed to do was meet my monthly quota, then at night, I was a Canva Graphics designer. I was unhappy, unmotivated, and constantly exhausted. My guys could never relate, they had the financial flexibility and were generally in tune with technology and its latest trends. So, I figured it was time for a change.
After months of cluelessness, I finally mustered up the courage to admit my ignorance to my closest pal, Tobi, and asked the million-dollar question, “where una dey see this money?” After laughing at my question, he gracefully used the opportunity to boast about his many achievements, typical, then he went ahead to give me some insights. You see, in this race against sapa, I was ready to win at all costs.
Tobi talked about how he had taken an assessment online which helped him discover where he fits in this increasingly digital world. Some online courses and a few certifications later, he was able to get a much better job than his previous job. He kept emphasising the fact that the world was going digital and I needed to acquire skills that would “future-proof” my career.
I’d heard it all before. It was almost like an apocalypse was coming and we all had to go somewhere, anywhere. But I wasn’t about to give up. I was determined to find out how this digital thing worked and how I could take advantage of it.
He told me that first I needed to know what my digital strengths were. In my head, I was like strengths? I’m coming as a novice to the digital world and you’re asking me for my strengths?This time I was the one laughing at myself until Tobi mentioned that Jobberman had recently launched a behavioural assessment that lets you know your digital strengths, the space you occupy in the digital world, and what skills you need to develop to stay ahead.
This time I was the one laughing at myself until Tobi mentioned that Jobberman had recently launched a behavioural assessment that lets you know your digital strengths, the space you occupy in the digital world, and what skills you need to develop to stay ahead.
Without wasting any time, I took the assessment, then I got my friends to endorse me as well as identify my strengths and weaknesses. Much to my surprise, the assessment was quite simple. All you had to do was pick your top attributes from the list provided then your colleagues would pick the ones that they think are your best 6 attributes. After which, I got a report where my strength profile was compared to a set of roles and capabilities that are important in a digital business environment.
So, results were in and I was placed in the category of “citizen”. This category described me as a person who uses the tools of the digital ecosystem to drive efficiencies and grow businesses. The first thing that came to my mind was, yeah, marketing! This is what I already do, to grow businesses by increasing sales. And then it hit me, digital marketing!
Step two, take courses in that field and get certified!Two certificates and 7 weeks later, I became a certified digital marketer. Next step was to quickly update my Jobberman profile and before long, recruiters noticed me on the platform based on my assessment and recently acquired certifications. A few interviews later, I landed my first big gig! And today, I am balling with my guys and passing through gigs like water! Goodbye sapa!
I am Quadri Balogun and I am so grateful that I was able to find my digital superpower with the help of Jobberman!. You too can step up and find your digital superpower! Take the assessment, whether or not you’re interested in technology. Trust me, it will give you a sense of direction, especially now that everyone is in a frenzy about going digital.
We consider these celebrities to be the kings and queens of the dual life. Take this quiz to see if you can recognise their double jobs.
You can have a dual career just like your favourite celebrities. Learn how here.
At a job interview, how you say something matters as much as what you say. The most effective way to convey your passion and excitement is through action and behavior. Unfortunately, most people don’t pay attention to these things so they end up ruining their chances.
There are certain things to do to improve your chances of “congratulations you got the job” over “we decided to pursue other candidates.”
These are some common interview mistakes to avoid:
1) Not researching the company.
It seems very obvious to research the company you want to work for but many people don’t do this. It’s important to know how their core values and mission statement tie into your role. It also helps to know key senior employees in the company in case they are in charge of the interview. Don’t be caught unaware as failing a question about the company can make it look like you don’t care enough about the job.
2) Wearing the wrong clothes.
Check for culture fit for the role you are applying for. Don’t wear casual clothes for a formal interview and vice versa. The wrong clothing screams “I don’t belong here.” That’s why it’s important to research the company you are applying to and dress appropriately.
3) Arriving late.
Man, there is nothing tackier than arriving at an interview late. It’s better to not even go because interviewers can get the impression that you don’t value their time. Try to arrive some minutes before your interview so you are mentally prepared and settled. Being calm before an interview greatly increases your confidence.
4) Not being coherent.
Try to rehearse the answer to “tell me about yourself” over and over again so that it reads smooth and natural. It won’t help if you are just thinking about the answer to this question on the spot. It will make you come off as scattered and disjointed. This can also reduce your chances of getting the job.
5) Outright lying.
Try to avoid claiming expertise you don’t have because some interviewers can decide to test your claims in real-time. Once they spot a lie, it becomes difficult to believe any other thing you say no matter how true it is. It is just safer to avoid such a scenario.
*Proficient in excel left this chat*
6) Disturbing the interviewer.
After the interview, constantly calling and sending emails to the company will not increase your chances of getting the job. This only shows them that you are sort of desperate (which you are but it doesn’t mean they should know). Try not to nag the interviewer so much in such a short period of time as this can put them off.
In case you missed this, here are killer questions to ask at the end of an interview to blow your interviewer away.
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As a career changer, I can tell you that switching is the single most scary thing in the entire world. And I am not even exaggerating. A career change can be so frightening because many times you are leaving certainty for uncertainty.
It gets even more difficult when you are not sure what you should switch to or should be doing with your life. It can be overwhelming with you constantly asking yourself if everything is okay at home.
While there is no set in stone answer, I have found these frameworks for thinking about the process useful on this journey.
Accountability:
See, if they leave me and you from today till tomorrow to start something new, we won’t. I don’t know about you but I am lazy af. That’s why the best thing to do when trying to change a career is to surround yourself with like-minded people who are also trying to escape. That way you can all trade ideas, motivation, and make sure that you don’t slack too much on changing career. Because left to my bullshit, I am going to sleep my life away.
Action:
I don’t know about you but I plan for Africa to make up for my inaction. The truth is that clarity comes after doing and not before. Therefore, when trying to switch, it’s important to be familiar with the industry you want to go into. You can volunteer your spare time to test the waters so you understand quickly if this is really your thing, or you should abandon the mission. It also makes it easier to break in once you fully decide to transition.
It’s only by doing that you know what works or doesn’t.
Interpersonal relationships:
Don’t let anyone lie to you that famzing is bad. In grownup speak, this is called networking. See, when you are going somewhere new, your C.V is not going to be impressive so therefore you must famz network with the industry leaders. Jobs aren’t littered on the road but they are attached to people therefore you must seek them out. What you need at this point is the experience from your old job and the enthusiasm to face and conquer a new challenge.
Remember that closed mouths don’t get fed.
In case you missed this Zikoko goodness about resigning from a job, you should read this.
It’s important for people to break out of their comfort zones and try new things. It’s also important for people to know their limits. These 5 celebrities listed below did not know (or refused to acknowledge) their limits and it led to hilarious pieces of pop culture that’ll haunt them forever.
1) Genevieve Nnaji
In 2004, when she and a couple of other Nollywood big names were on a temporary ban from Nollywood for charging too much, Genevieve Nnaji stormed the music scene with a single that no one saw coming (or even wanted) named “No More.” It became a smash hit mostly because it carved a hole for itself in the “so bad it’s good” category.
What no ever talked about, though, was how the song was lowkey a women empowerment anthem. In it, Genevieve sings about how she finally has the strength she needs to move on from an abusive relationship. Here are a few lyrics from the chorus:
“No More hits oh. No more Crying oh. No more fighting oh. No more tears oh. I got my freedom power and more!”
Genevieve Nnaji: a feminist queen ahead of her time. This is why we have decided to stan forever. 🙌
2) Omotola Jalade Ekeinde
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YkFSAW25rk
2005 (a year during which she was under the same ban Genevieve was under) saw the release of Omotola’s debut album titled “Gba!“. It spawned the single “Naija Lowa,” a generic western-sounding party song that was very much a product of its time. In 2012, she released the single “Feel Alright” (the video above) to raise awareness for an album she planned to release that year named “Me, Myself, and Eyes.”
The album never came out.
3) Jim Iyke
This nigga woke up one morning in 2007 and decided to start his own record label. As if that wasn’t enough, he released a whole ass album and even managed to drag some music big names into the mess of a project. His debut single titled “Who Am I?” featured 2Face, and I’ve spent the better part of my adult life wondering how.
4) 2Face Idibia
In the early 2000s, when TuFace was at the height of his powers, someone convinced him to star in a movie named The Twist alongside Carol Dajuma (née Ekanem), and Emeka Enyiocha. The only thing funnier than his acting was the movie’s plot. In it, TuFace and Emeka Enyiocha play brothers who fall for the same girl (Carol Ekanem). While both brothers fight over who gets to have Carol’s character, she picks Tuface. This leads to a marriage proposal and an offscreen genital bump session. By the end of the movie, it is revealed that all three characters are somehow siblings. The end.
I guess you could say that this movie gave “Flowers In The Attic” a run for its money.
5) Kaffy
Dance queen and Guinness World Record breaker, Kaffy, is well known for choreographing music videos and live shows. However, in 2010, she decided to branch out into the music side of things by releasing a song titled, “Omo Gidi.”
The song was bad. But you know what was worse?
The music video.
6) Tonto Dikeh
I remember where I was seven years ago when Tonto Dikeh dropped this terrible autotune-laden banger. The internet exploded with jokes and parodies, which led to Tonto (who at this point had nicknamed herself “Poko Baby”) convincing herself that we were all haters. When she released the video not long after, the song had somehow become Dubstep, a genre makeover that did nothing to improve the song’s quality.
