You know how we are always complaining about how you’re never able to catch a break as an adult? Apparently, there’s such a thing as an “adult gap year”; it’s just not available in your location. Gen Zs in Europe are pausing their careers to travel or work on personal projects for a whole year!
Must be nice, right? 😅
Anyway, back to reality. Today, we’re featuring Toluwalope Oyewole, Senior Social Media Specialist at Moniepoint. She’ll be sharing her story of how she went from graduating with a degree in Physiology, feeling unsure of her next step, to landing a role at one of Africa’s top fintech companies.
🔎 IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH TOLUWALOPE OYEWOLE
If your career journey were a movie, what would the title be and why?
I’ll call it “figuring it out.”
I’ve spent most of my career just figuring it out. I’ve rarely had the full picture from the start, but I’ve always had to dive in headfirst and figure things out as I go.
Tell us about your journey into the tech industry.
My first introduction to tech came in my final year of university. An alumnus was invited to speak during our final year week, and he had achieved so much. It gave me hope that I could do the same. After graduation, I did my service year. Then, I landed an internship at an advertising agency, which, in retrospect, feels divinely orchestrated because I just went for it with pure audacity.
I attended a program for SMEs, knowing the speaker ran an ad agency. My plan was simple—I wanted to work for him. I sent him my resume, and by some stroke of luck, he called me in for an interview and gave me the internship despite my lack of experience. Within a year and six months, I got promoted three times and worked on several campaigns. I started as an intern brand strategist, and I grew from there.
Working in an advertising agency exposes you to various brands, unlike working with just one brand, which gave me a huge advantage. I was in Abuja at the time, but I knew I wanted to move to Lagos because I’d heard that was where tech was happening. My family was against it, so I needed a solid reason to make the move. Thankfully, I landed a job at GTBank in their marketing communications department, where I got to work on even more campaigns.
While at GTBank, I realised I wanted to be fully immersed in tech. So I started taking courses and talking to people in my network. One of my friends encouraged me to enroll in AltSchool Africa, where I got a product marketing diploma. After that, I applied for countless jobs—trust me, I applied and applied.
Finally, in March, my neighbor, who’s an HR recruiter, reached out to me. Someone from my current company had contacted her, saying they were looking for someone to fill my role, and they didn’t want to advertise it publicly. She asked if I knew anyone, and I immediately thought, ‘Are you joking? I’m the person you’re looking for.’ I went through all the stages and eventually got the job.
What’s one thing most people believe about your field that’s not true?
People think social media marketing is a joke, but it takes a lot of work. It’s not just about jumping in front of a camera. There’s planning, strategising, copywriting, editing, and customer research. A lot goes on behind the scenes of a single video before it ever goes live. So, if anyone out there thinks an ad is just casual fun, please—stop it!
You’ve worked across product marketing, community management, and social media marketing. How easy has it been switching between these roles, and how have all these experiences helped shape your career?
One good thing about marketing is that once you’ve worked in one role, the skills are very transferable. I’ve been fortunate to work at companies where I was stretched. I started at an ad agency, managing different brands, developing strategies, doing copywriting, market research—you name it. In marketing, if you’re a content marketer, for example, you can likely handle social media marketing. You might not have all the skills, but there’s enough overlap, and it’s up to you to level up from there.
For anyone looking to switch roles while reading this, I’d say don’t limit yourself when reading job descriptions. Honestly, everyone’s figuring things out as they go. Sure, experience matters, but if you’ve got 7 or 8 out of 10 skills, or even 4, people get jobs and level up on the role. Understand that you have transferable skills, and this applies across industries. I believe whatever I’m doing now will be valuable in my next role. Also, don’t limit yourself to your specific tasks at work—reach out to other departments. You never know where your next opportunity might come from.
Would you rather be a specialist or a generalist?
I’d rather be a generalist who’s a specialist in one area. For instance, I specialise in social media marketing, but I can also handle content writing, copywriting, and event marketing. Maybe it’s because of the industry I’m in, but in a place like Africa, you rarely find companies that niche down. Most marketing professionals in Nigerian companies are wearing multiple hats.
What advice would you give someone looking to build a career in social media marketing?
Not to sound too motivational, but just believe you can do it. Try things out. Take your personal social media page, for example—build with it. When you tell people in an interview that you’re a social media manager, they’ll want to see your numbers.
Social media marketing is one of those jobs where the results are almost immediate. Sure, some campaigns take time to pick up, but in the end, the numbers will speak for themselves. I recently started managing a new brand, and I’ve seen growth in just a few weeks. It takes strategy and a bit of luck because, honestly, you never know what content will go viral. Don’t sit around waiting for it—just keep researching, planning, improving your skills, and trying things you believe in. Find people you admire and learn from how they do things. In marketing, you can always copy and adapt ideas to fit your brand.
You recently got a new job. What are the things you did that you felt helped you land the role?
I’d say, speak up. People won’t know you’re looking for a new job if you don’t tell them. Like I mentioned earlier, I was recommended for my current role because I had mentioned to someone that I wanted to switch jobs. When you’re ready for a change, shout about it—post on LinkedIn or Instagram if you’re not too shy. Let everyone know, even people you think don’t matter. I never would’ve guessed my neighbor would recommend me. She’s in HR, but not even in the industry I ended up working in!
Also, prepare. If you know the field you want to move into, start learning about it now. If it’s fintech, for example, read up on the industry, study the companies you’re interested in, follow their employees on LinkedIn, see what they’re talking about, and keep up with the products they’re launching. All of that adds up during the interview process. And, of course, there’s the God factor—I’m a Christian, and I believe that everything I do ties back to God.
We’d be having an online event this Friday focused on the complexities of juggling multiple jobs and how it impacts productivity and work culture.
Come listen to the real time edition of the Founders vs Devs debate that happened on X a few weeks ago.
A button that says Register Now
Tech Debate: Should you use LinkedIn’s open-to-work banner?
When job hunting, one of the most debated topics you’ll come across is LinkedIn’s “open to work” banner. Some say it’s a useful way to signal to recruiters that you’re available, while others argue it can come off as a sign of desperation or weakness.
Even recruiters can’t seem to agree on this. Some see the banner as a red flag, others are indifferent, and a few actively look for candidates displaying it.
If you’re stuck in this dilemma, this article will break down both sides of the argument to help you make an informed decision.
Poll of the week
Checked through clicks on our previous mails, people are not clicking on the link to the poll at all.
What We Are Looking At
- Why creating multiple versions of your resume works: How to know if you need multiple versions of your resume
- Your resume is probably getting too long. Here’s how to fix it: Learn how to write a balanced resume that is not hard to read
Resources and Opportunities
- Archivi.ng Fellowship: A free six month programme for people who care about helping people understand Nigerian history. It comes with a monthly stipend of ₦500,000.
- McKinsey Forward Program for Young Talents: A 10 week learning program designed to help you develop practical skills to succeed in the future of work.
Random Dump
Gen Zs are not catching a break anytime soon😅
A piece of advice from my boss to young tech talents
Meme of the week
See you next Thursday.
