My Pivot Journal is a Ventures Africa weekly series documenting people’s career transitions from one industry to another, especially to tech.
As a first-class graduate of Industrial Chemistry, Success Egbekhuwa Bello had a promising future in science. However, her brief experience as a quality control analyst was not fulfilling. During her free time, she discovered her passion for optimizing content and helping brands create strategies for growth while scrolling through social media platforms. This eventually led her to a successful career in digital marketing. Here is her pivot journal.
How it started
During my formative years, I harboured numerous career aspirations. Initially, I aspired to be a nurse, but my interest shifted towards becoming a pharmacist. I got interested in the sciences due to my natural proficiency in mathematics, which guided my career choices.
Eventually, after enduring several challenges associated with gaining admission into a Nigerian university, I pursued a course of study in industrial chemistry, which still aligned with my career interests. In 2018, I became a first-class graduate of Industrial Chemistry from Crawford University in Ogun State.
Upon graduation, I hoped to secure a position in a pharmaceutical company, perhaps as a lab analyst, with a long-term vision of establishing my own company. However, my entrepreneurial ambitions did not come to fruition.
Epiphany
After a year of working as a quality control analyst at MaryBell Nigerian Limited, I was unsatisfied with what I was doing. The repetitive nature of the job and the rigid processes left me yearning for something more dynamic yet challenging. So during my leisure, I found myself touring various social media platforms. During this period, I discovered my innate passion to optimize content and help brands create strategies that help drive traffic to their content/pages.
Transition
Having reached a turning point in my professional journey in February 2021, I decided to pivot towards the tech industry. While the tech field presented broad opportunities, I was particularly drawn to the digital marketing sector due to its potential for constant learning and exploration of new concepts.
To facilitate my transition into the tech industry, I pursued various learning opportunities. I completed several courses like Google data skills for Africa. I learnt a lot from platforms such as Coursera and Udemy. My most valuable sources of information and learning came from browsing and watching videos on YouTube.
It was not a seamless transition, and I faced some challenges. However, through persistence and hard work, I gradually became more comfortable with the new work environment and acquired the knowledge necessary to excel in my field. I took free and paid courses because I realised investing in my education and professional development was crucial to learning rapidly and achieving my goals.
Initially, I offered my services free of charge to friends and family, assisting them with increasing their online business visibility. Eventually, I received payment for my services in handling the marketing for a jewellery brand. So what started as a mere pastime soon turned into a full-fledged interest, and I realized that I could leverage my skills to pursue a career in digital marketing.
How it is going
Presently, I work as a digital analyst/brand strategist with Omnioption Creative Agency. I have worked for multiple brands, and I am enjoying the experience.
My role as a digital analyst is crucial for helping businesses make informed decisions about their digital marketing strategies and improving their overall digital performance. I help them create a powerful brand that resonates with a target audience, establishes a strong market position, and drives business growth.
I find my job very interesting and time-consuming, but as an introvert, it keeps me occupied. I find job opportunities by using every means to advertise myself, and I have the best support system. What I like about my job is that it allows me to be creative, pushes me to continuously develop myself, and helps brands achieve their goals.
Career hack
Keeping up with trends.
Keeping up with trends is crucial, and it is equally important that you develop yourself as you keep up with these trends. Additionally, it is essential to be good at what you do, so whenever an opportunity arises, you are the first person that comes to mind. You must not be comfortable in whatever level you are present. I personally still turn to YouTube as a valuable source of information and resources to further develop my skills and knowledge in the field of digital.
