My Pivot Journal is a Ventures Africa weekly collection documenting folks’s profession transitions from one business to one other, particularly to tech.
Oluwagbemisola Ayinde is a caring and decided particular person. She determined to comply with her childhood dream of finding out genetics when she seen her autistic cousin dealing with social challenges. While utilizing poetry to increase consciousness for folks with autism, she unexpectedly discovered her path in content material writing and digital marketing. Here is Ayinde’s pivot journal.
How it began
I pursued my ardour for genetics after witnessing the challenges confronted by my autistic cousin throughout my childhood. This expertise ignited my need to perceive the genetic elements behind autism and discover methods to assist people like him. I studied Cell Biology and Genetics on the University of Lagos, Nigeria, pushed by the urge to unravel the mysteries of this situation and discover efficient methods to handle it.
Studying genetics was no simple feat, but I discovered immense satisfaction within the pursuit. My dedication was fueled by a profound curiosity to comprehend the underlying causes behind my cousin’s situation and to uncover efficient methods to help him. Despite the challenges, my ardour for understanding the complexities of genetics saved me motivated, propelling me ahead in my academic journey.
During my college days, I channeled my enthusiasm into writing heartfelt poems to increase consciousness about autism. I shared these poems on social media, aiming to foster understanding and acceptance. To my shock, my writing resonated with many, main to requests to write lyrics for songs, messages to manufacturers, social media captions, broadcasting messages and proposals for occasions. Eager to contribute positively, I embraced these alternatives. And I acquired paid for it.
Epiphany
While I used to be deeply concerned in genetics and my need to assist folks with autism, an sudden shift occurred in my profession. Even although I used to be primarily centered on my scientific research and noticed writing as a aspect job, issues took a special flip throughout my National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) project in 2019.
On my first day in a Molecular Biology Lab, I confronted doubts due to my small stature, making me really feel disheartened. However, I used to be finally allowed to work, so long as I averted heavy lifting. With my colleagues often out within the discipline, I had loads of free time within the lab. During this downtime, I began looking for distant work on LinkedIn.
After sending out purposes, I landed a content material writing job with a global firm. This marked the start of my sudden journey into the world of content material writing within the digital marketing house.
Oluwagbemisola Ayinde, Marketing Associate at BillBoxx.
Transition
Having ample time on my fingers made it comparatively simple for me to juggle my two jobs. In my position as a Content Marketing Intern, I used to be tasked with producing two articles per day. Initially, this proved difficult as a result of I used to be accustomed to writing short-form articles, whereas the job required long-form content material. Despite the preliminary battle, I managed to adapt. This internship lasted for a month earlier than I secured one other alternative—a global 4-month internship as a Digital Marketing Intern. Concurrently, I used to be additionally dealing with social media content material initiatives for a number of small manufacturers.
Following my NYSC expertise, I made a decision to consider content material creation as my major focus. As I utilized for positions within the digital marketing discipline, I noticed that I lacked a few of the important {qualifications} listed within the job necessities. To bridge this hole, I turned to on-line programs. Twitter grew to become a priceless useful resource; I adopted accounts like “Omo Alhaji,” which supplied business updates. The account holder not solely assigned weekly duties but additionally supplied free programs for our skilled growth. Additionally, I used to be lucky to discover a private mentor who guided me within the realm of digital marketing.
In my quest for data, I enrolled in varied on-line programs, resembling “Digital Marketing Masterclass- 24 Marketing Courses in 1” by Phil Ebiner and Diego Davila, “web optimization Training for Beginners,” and “Basic to Advanced Content Writing: Become a content material author,” amongst others. Furthermore, I participated in Side Hustle coaching and joined the Cybersafe Foundation Digi Girls cohort.
How it’s going
I’m at the moment employed as a Marketing Associate at BillBoxx, a B2B fintech startup that makes a speciality of offering billing-to-payments software program. Our platform assists companies in managing their funds successfully by providing digitized invoices, automated reminders, and bill financing, making certain they’re paid promptly and keep a constructive money movement.
My position as a Marketing Associate at BillBoxx encompasses varied tasks. It may be very dynamic. I oversee the corporate’s social media presence, draft emails to purchasers to assist improve their model development, and create articles, blogs, and newsletters. Transitioning into the realm of digital marketing inside a fintech firm has been an enlightening expertise. During my preliminary days at work, I tackled duties step-by-step. However, my strategy has developed since then. I’ve developed the capability to deal with a number of duties concurrently and collaborate carefully with my colleagues to keep a seamless workflow.
For occasion, I collaborate with the design and engineering groups to make sure the content material I publish on the web site aligns seamlessly with their designs and the general look of the web site. This expertise has prompted me to unlearn and relearn varied features of marketing, permitting me to develop and adapt on this ever-changing business.
Career hack
Never cease studying. Keep studying and rising. Take programs, internships, and attend workshops. Read related books. Also, construct a powerful skilled community. It would grow to be a priceless asset all through your profession. Connecting with folks in your discipline helps you keep up to date with business traits and fosters profession development.
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