Femi Bejide, CEO of STATISENSE and Clan Afric, acknowledged that younger Nigerian professionals who grasp AI, construct their digital visibility, and community successfully place themselves for accelerated profession progress.
Talking on “The Future-Prepared Occupation” on the CLEAN Convention 2025, held on Saturday on the Lagos Marriott Lodge, Ikeja, Bejide emphasised that conventional abilities and strategies might now not assure success in immediately’s quickly altering office.
“The tempo of change in immediately’s office is accelerating, and anybody who needs to remain related wants to regulate from inside,” he mentioned, noting that expertise is reshaping industries at excessive pace.
Bejide suggested younger professionals to decide to studying synthetic intelligence in depth, recommending a 12-month plan to know at the very least 90% of AI’s real-world purposes.
“Anybody who does this will develop their revenue three to 5 occasions inside three years,” he mentioned.
He additionally highlighted the rising significance of digital visibility and networking. In accordance with Bejide, 70% of CEOs at the moment are extra more likely to rent somebody with a visual on-line presence, a notion that has risen by 600% over the previous yr. He described networking as a non-negotiable a part of profession improvement.
Turning challenges into alternatives
Tosin Ojo, Companion at Sahel Capital, talking on “Audacious Objectives into Strategic Wins’ shared that she turned her challenges at Stanbic Bank into successful story of dedication, optimism and power.
“I used to be a cellular gross sales officer; it was the least of what I’d need for a job as a first-class graduate. All my desires had been to only get into Unilever or Nestle,” she mentioned.
She mentioned she selected to maximise the chance she had as an alternative of ready for a job that may by no means seem. Ojo added that for exponential progress within the office to happen, folks should begin from the place they’re, deal with private strengths, and never chase what they don’t have.
Ojo, talking on profession transitions, famous that actual profession progress usually begins the second folks step out of areas that had been by no means meant for them. She mentioned many professionals decelerate their very own progress by staying in snug roles, as an alternative of pursuing alternatives that match their strengths.
Ojo recalled her early years in banking, the place her drive shortly outpaced the surroundings she discovered herself in. Her ambition generally created pressure with senior colleagues who didn’t share her tempo. Leaving that function marked the beginning of a trajectory crammed with speedy promotions and alternatives that aligned along with her strengths.
- She confused that mediocrity has no place in profession progress and that one ought to stand out so clearly that their names come up when the most effective are talked about. In accordance with her, this deal with private strengths is probably the most priceless software for thriving and advancing within the office, not chasing what they don’t have.
Private manufacturers enhance earnings by 23%
Olayinka Oyetunji, Affiliate Companion, Ernst and Younger and Convener of the convention acknowledged that professionals with sturdy private manufacturers earn as much as 23% greater than their friends, noting that being seen is a present to each the skilled and the folks they serve.
- Oyetunji defined that arduous work alone is now not sufficient. Seen leaders are “34 per cent extra more likely to entice high-impact alternatives,” as recognition usually determines entry to premium roles in aggressive organisations.
- She described private model because the seed that defines an expert’s worth, whereas visibility acts because the highlight that amplifies it, turning unnoticed expertise right into a recognised authority.
- Highlighting the function of social platforms, Oyetunji urged professionals to prioritise LinkedIn for profession visibility, noting its engagement price of 4.5% in comparison with Fb’s 1.8% and Instagram’s 1.2%. She inspired attendees to beat fears like “my work will converse for me” or “I’m an introvert,” stressing that visibility can not develop in silence.
Oyetunji inspired attendees to take instant steps to spice up their presence, urging them to create or replace their LinkedIn profiles, make a publish, and begin exhibiting up persistently