We had an IG live series with TeamApt to have conversations with some of their senior team members. In this series, they shared their transition stories and how they are able to build thriving tech careers. Didi Uwem, Head of Marketing at TeamApt was one of our guests and here are 5 things we learnt from our conversation with her.
1. You need to speak out
When Didi realized microbiology wasn’t what she wanted to do, she started speaking to people around her about her interests. From having conversations with people close to her, she was able to identify her interests and make a decision. She also got her first job from speaking with her friend about her dreams of building a career in digital marketing. Even if she didn’t have a mentor, she leveraged the community she had to find her path and get started.
2. Listening is a vital skill
To find solutions, you must first understand the problem you’re trying to solve. Listen to your clients, separate your preferences from work and focus on their needs. It’s okay to make suggestions to your clients but understand that the key to deliver quality work that gets your customer satisfied is to fulfill your clients demands not yours.
3. You can learn anything
Didi studied microbiology in university, she is now the head of marketing at TeamApt! This is evidence that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. One of the first things she did when she made a decision to become a digital marketer was taking a course. Learning has been an important part of her growth so far. She took courses, asked questions and did a lot of research to produce good results. Some books she suggests are “Hooked” by Nir Eyal, “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight, “Poke the Box” by Seth Godin, “This is Marketing” by Seth Godin, “Show Your Work” by Austin Kleon and Steve Jobs’s autobiography.
4. Volunteering is an opportunity to grow
There’s so much value you can get from volunteering. Didi was able to learn skills like networking, public speaking because she volunteered. Even if there’s no monetary value attached, there’s so much more value you can get from volunteering with organizations. Didi says “Volunteering is an opportunity that allows you make and learn from your mistakes to be a better person and build yourself up without great consequences because you are doing it for free and it gives you access to people”
5.A little here, a little there
Irrespective of your career path, you would need to work with people in other careers especially as co-workers. Being able to understand the basics of their work would help you work effectively with others. While you don’t have to know everything, its important that you are willing to understand the basics.