Building a Career Mindset Beyond Degrees and Certificates: A Nigerian Jambite Experience

I can’t remember the last time I cried the way I did en route from Nsukka to ?m?ahia. I sobbed all through my journey back home. Don’t even think about it; I wasn't shedding tears of joy, and no, I didn’t lose anyone.

16-year-old me felt sad as though my life had come to an end. I felt denied an opportunity. I have never failed at getting anything before, but now I just had a real taste of failing at something, and it hurt my ego.

It’s sad to say that I was just a myopic and naive young girl who felt her success in life depended on the school she attended or the degree she attained. For me, anything less than a BSc was a no-no.

Not with the dichotomy and status madness in Nigeria. Besides, for a 260 Jamb score, I felt I deserved better. But what’s wrong? Why couldn’t I get into this school?

Why are they denying me admission to my preferred course for the second time? I remember one of the screening officers saying he didn’t know why I wasn’t on the list, but the best they could do was offer me Music.??

Did you say Music? (No offence to music professionals) I sighed and left the office. Maybe I should have taken it. At least I would have a BSc. to my degree ??.

But I was pissed off, so I boarded the next bus home and vowed never to come back to Nsukka. "They’re so full of themselves," I said. In fact, "Na dem lose," I sighed.

But as soon as the driver turned on the ignition and Chinyere Udoma’s song began to play, tears dropped down my cheeks like a dam opened in my eyes.

When I remembered that I had the single option to go back to the polytechnic where I had already started my ND1, I wailed even more. ????

What did I do wrong? Where would I go from here? Another year of waiting? Which school would I apply to? "I’m too smart and intelligent for a polytechnic," I thought. No one would take me seriously. I would miss opportunities a BSc could afford. I felt horrible going back home.

But, right at Okigwe Park, closer to home, I heard a voice in my spirit asking, “What’s your real pain? Are you pained that your efforts were in vain, or are you afraid that you won’t find your footing in life with an HND?"

"Both," I said.

But the Holy Spirit told me that the first reason wouldn’t have been bad if not that I speak from a place of pride, and for the second, He promised me that I would one day discover that my certificate has little or nothing to do with where I am in life. And that's if only I open myself to learning and not trust in paper qualifications.

"Become the Value, Make the paper an addition," He said.

I took those words beyond encouragement; they made me see my schooling beyond a means to acquire a certificate. I already knew that our educational curriculum was outdated.

So I went back to school, not in fear of what my future would be, but with the understanding that the greatest investment I could make is not in acquiring a certificate but in increasing my knowledge base and investing in continuous and targeted learning so that it builds a career beyond a certificate.

It's about building a boundary-less career- a career defined by you, not your company or certificate.

To further buttress, Paul Cherry in his book, The Ultimate Sales Pro said,

"A boundary-less career positions you to grow beyond your current job and company. The personal value you create belongs to you and moves with you."

And for the past few years after school, I’ve seen that it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Having worked in different establishments, growing from a writer to a marketer and strategist, and building myself into a professional voiceover artiste, my bosses and clients do not even know whether I have a certificate or not. They're focused on the results.

I share more of these lessons here on my channel.

I don’t discourage going to school. In fact, the case differs in certain professions because your certificate is paramount to your becoming a professional.

But the greatest investment is making yourself?A WALKING?certificate whose value transcends innovations, policies, procedures and inventions.

How do you build such a boundary-less career? It begins with your mindset of what value is.

I know this may not be the experience of most people, but the lessons apply to almost every aspect that requires growth, especially your career. As the systems of the corporate world evolve, what distinguishes you in an AI-dominated space is the value you bring beyond tasks and job roles.

The changes happening with tech teach that we should be more strategic thinkers and professionals than task-driven. That's what makes the irresistible value of your brand.

Do you share the experience as a secondary school leaver in Nigeria? What lessons did you learn from that experience?