The People Process Technology (PROTEN) Human Resources organisation successfully hosted the “Yes I Can” 2.0 workshop on Thursday at the Fidelity SME Hub, Gbagada, Lagos.
The Guardian reported that the event, themed “Overcoming Self-Doubt and Limiting Beliefs for Career Success,” brought together corporate leaders, mentors, and educators to empower young professionals and youths on skill discovery and building a successful career path.
Navigating the Career Circle
Ademola Fagbile, the Senior Manager of Operations and Strategy at PROTEN, provided youths with a framework for navigating the natural phases of a career. He identified the ages of 25 to 35 as the “exploration stage,” a critical time for tackling career choices.
“If you don’t get it right, don’t give up, but you have to be consistent in what you want to achieve. It will shape the next stage of your life,” Fagbile advised.
He noted that the period between 35 and 45 is the “establishment stage,” where a career needs to be more stable due to increasing responsibilities.
Fagbile also outlined key steps for career roadmap decisions, which include self-assessment, listing options, prioritising goals, taking action, and continually reflecting and re-evaluating the chosen path. He stressed the importance of research, finding one’s niche, and the crucial role of determination, consistency, and hard work.
“We cannot overemphasise the idea of mentorship. Overseas, we have organisations that offer internship opportunities to youths; however, don’t limit your idea of internship to working with a corporate organisation. Figure out skills that will help you grow. There’s a need for determination, consistency, and hard work,” he stated.
He encouraged youths to seek mentorship but cautioned against limiting the idea of internship solely to corporate organisations, urging them to “figure out skills that will help you grow.”Strategies for Overcoming Self-Doubt.
The workshop featured insights from top professionals on tackling the prevalent issue of self-doubt. Peter Daodu, Product Marketing and Communication Associate at Piggyvest, acknowledged that self-doubt is “inevitable,” but can be overcome by taking a step back to review past career achievements.
Oyinka Sola Ayedele, a fashion entrepreneur, concurred, describing self-doubt as “that voice that says I’m going to limit you.” She advocated for positive self-talk, urging youths to state, “I can do it,” even after making mistakes.
Ayedele also championed confidence as “showing up authentic everywhere you find yourself… consistently showing up your real self.”
The Power of Purpose and Sharing Success
Speaking on career discovery and purpose, Ibukun Olaseile-Obator, a Market Insight Analyst at Interswitch Group, noted that challenges faced during the time of purpose discovery often “refine the next direction.”
Ayedele added that finding purpose is a process, and impacting others’ lives during the phase of self-discovery can help individuals identify areas where they can excel.
“Personally, I think confidence is showing up authentic everywhere you find yourself. You’re not trying to be somebody else. Confidence is consistently showing up as your real self,” she noted.
Peter Daodu also highlighted that sharing your success story with others is a way of building confidence and overcoming self-doubt.
“If you don’t come out to say it while you are achieving results, you are not just depriving yourself of elevating to the next level; you are also depriving those who are looking up to you of the opportunity of discovering their purpose,” he stressed.
He drew a parallel with popular culture, noting how Wizkid’s Ojuelegba song resonates because “he reminded a lot of people that greatness can actually come from the slum.” Daodu added that once you share your story and inspire others, “you’ve cleared all self-doubt.”
