After receiving a book gift, Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School by Richard Branson from Blessing Olisa, a Mass Communication graduate of University of Lagos Otufodunrin Lekan asked Olisa to share what she didn’t learn in media school that has worked for her .
In 2011 I graduated from University of Lagos at 21 having no idea what to do with myself wise. My colleagues asked me and I said “I don’t know what to do, but I am sure God will direct my path” and indeed He did.
By March 2013, I was done with NYSC and was at home for three months. One day in May 2013, I got tired of staying at home and walked to The Nation newspaper (a 10-minute trek from my house). I met the front desk lady and told her I needed to see the admin manager.
“Do you have an appointment with her?” she asked. “No, I don’t”, I replied, afraid of being turned back. Then she politely said “you may need to come back because she’s in a meeting”. I then asked to see Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin and was told that he was in a meeting as well.
Then I waited to see him. When I met with him, I told him I was tired of staying at home and would not mind volunteering for the experience. He then went on to ask me what part of journalism interested me. None actually because I had a mindset, and never imagined that I’d practice journalism after graduating with a degree in Mass Communication.
However, I had an interest in photography then, so I said I wanted to be on the photojournalism desk. He didn’t advise against it, but instead suggested that I stayed in the online department (which he headed) till I could fit into somewhere. I resumed on June 1, 2013 and started working with Editor, and my career path began to form.
I worked without pay, surviving on tips from senior colleagues who had different kinds of intention towards me. A couple of times I unintentionally endangered myself with some people who I looked up to because I admired their works, but they thought I was just a pretty face who didn’t have anything to offer, just like the other girls roaming the office.
Well I didn’t know this until one of them saw a video I created and was surprised that it came from me. I particularly enjoyed working late hours because my house was really close to work. I also spent nights in the office working on one thing or another one.
Then I learned to write news stories and basic content but it was always very hard for me to write because I didn’t enjoy writing. About five months after I started volunteering, Editor asked me if I could work on video content for The Nation’s video channel, and I said I had never done it, but I would learn to.
Six months and two weeks after I started volunteering, I got a letter offering me my first job as a Reporter (online) at The Nation Newspaper. I was constantly learning on the job and attending training to improve on my skills and get better.
I am no longer in journalism, but the skills I picked up and learnt as a rookie reporter have worked for me on countless occasions and have gotten me places I never thought I’d have been.
Update: Enter the Digital Marketing Trainer!
Last Saturday, August 5 was defining for me. It’s okay if you think you understand what defining means especially because you probably don’t.
The last time I talked about the #digitalmarketingtraining by Nuels Haven, I talked about my mum praying and hoping that I would just teach for her many justifiable reasons. However, it is my life to live and my choices to make. I never considered teaching because I thought that I would make a horrible teacher because of my ‘weak chill button’, but I was an amazing teacher last Saturday.
Before me, the best teacher I had ever encountered is Dan Mason, the most patient teacher ever who gave me foundational knowledge of telling stories with multimedia tools. Amazing man!
After him, I am the next most patient teacher I know, especially because I teach what I know and I enjoy myself while doing it. My students had a ton of questions, but I had a myriad of answers for them, using the most-relatable examples to every one of them.
So, I’m about to consider some more higher learning so that I can teach some more. This time, not because my mum has many good reasons for me to, but because I’ll be teaching people how to make good business decisions using the cheapest available resources – digital channels. (P.S: The channels don’t make the skills cheap). Thank you Nuels Haven for putting this training together. It was truly rewarding and DEFINING (for emphasis’ sake.
On. To. The. Next. One 
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#digitalmarketing #digitalskills #trainer #teacher#Lagos #Nigeria
