The 21st LBS Career Fair Day was held yesterday; November 16th 2023. It is an all-day event that provides an opportunity to interact with potential recruiters from various organizations. There were over 20 organizations present, some of which were Cadbury, ISN Medical, Lafarge, Air Peace, TGI Group, Sahel Consulting, Interswitch, AFEX, GB Foods, Mckinsey, Greater Washington, Omni Biz, One Acre Fund, Leadway Pensure, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Nestle Nigeria. Before the event, we were expected to share our current CVs and profiles with all the participating organisations. It was a great time.
When the event kicked off, the CEO of AFEX (AfricaExchange), Mr Ayodeji Balogun gave the keynote address on Embracing the future of work: navigating opportunities in a rapidly changing landscape. He shared how they had built AFEX from a breaking point to be where it is presently. Some of the things he shared were:
- The importance of your first job: the first job you take after your MBA program can be what will shape the trajectory of the rest of your career. You need to choose wisely and learn all you can on the job.
- Never stop learning: You need to keep learning at every stage of life, Conrad Hall said “You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward.” Even the famous Albert Einstein said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”
- Understanding business wholistically: As a manager, you must understand how each part of a business works and how they relate to each other.
- Finding the right talent: Know how to find the right talent for the job. You will need people who know better than you in certain areas to help you carry the vision in your heart.
- Go Big: It’s as difficult to do something big as it is to do something small. If you don’t have the means to start big at the beginning, think BIG from the beginning.
- Go Bold: Successful entrepreneurs, managers and individuals have the confidence and courage to ACT when the moment comes. Take those moments. Show up!
- Serendipity (Opportune Time): There is nothing like being at the right place, at the right time (Kairos). You can do everything you know how to do, but one of the wisest men that ever lived said: “Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.”
After the cocktail break, presentations were made by the MBA ’21 students. They had presentations on different sectors such as the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), Banking, ICT, and the Oil and Gas sector. Having a first-hand experience of how presentations were done was both nerve-racking and enlightening at the same time. I saw different styles of presentations based on the personalities of the students. The storytellers, the energetic, the engaging speakers and the nervous ones. I also observed the importance of working together as a group and supporting each other.
Finally, networking with recruiters from different companies allowed me to gain insight into available roles in their organisation. I got to confidently share my current work experience with them and why I was interested in their company and products. Networking with the MBA 21 students was very insightful, they shared some of their knowledge with me, and tips and tricks on how to navigate the MBA program.
Every second spent at the 21st LBS MBA Career Fair was totally worth it. I look forward to the next experience.
#MMBA5
