Day 365.

This is a short 365 days reflection since I got into a new space. Check out my journey here. I would have loved to write more but I am still on this journey. These lessons, however, have stood out for me.

A while back, HR asked me if I was enjoying my work at the firm. My reply was that enjoying this role would be asking for too much.

And yeah, that’s how I feel about this most time. Okay, maybe that was not spirit-lifting, let’s start from the great part.

For one, I am super duper grateful to be working at this firm. I think it’s one of the best financial institutions in Nigeria. Dope people and relatively good work culture. To top it all, I have great teammates.

This is not a paid advert.

What I ordered was close to what I got.

I have learnt however that there is no perfect career or organization. Our idea of an ideal organization differs just like our realities/expectations differ. You would probably never find an institution that ticks all your boxes, maybe except you build yours.

Most of your corporate careers might include getting into spaces/organizations that tick the majority of your box or the crucial boxes. Negotiate for better if you can but also be ready to make compromises.

I felt stupid sometimes

I wish I could tell you that I was a genius at every task I was given. The learning experience/curve was quite humbling. In the early stage, I struggled and flopped at some tasks. I was angry with myself most times because I hated being seen as incompetent and maybe I also struggled with impostor syndrome.

You would most likely encounter some challenges in your career transition process, brace yourself. You may want to ask for help as often as possible(hopefully you have considerate teammates like mine). Have the humility to ask questions and learn fast.

Also, remember the fact that you are where you are in your career means you deserve that spot.

Learn fast, fail forward

I think one of the greatest skills you would want to develop in this era is to learn to consume knowledge as fast as possible. Luckily for us, it is a great time to be alive. There is information everywhere; even at your fingertips. You may want to commit more time to learn via whatever means so you can keep up, especially if you somewhat have a fast-paced career like mine.

Also, my boss once told me that it is okay to make mistakes but don’t to make the same mistakes twice. You may have to spend extra hours dedicated to learning to keep up, which is fine.

PS: You would get thrown under the bus a few times. Keep your receipts close.