Like many Nigerians, I didn’t know what to do with my degree after school. After returning from Nasarawa State, I felt stuck. I had studied microbiology, yet the path ahead looked blank.
You all know what it’s like in Nigeria. If you studied microbiology, there’s close to zero prospects for you. Hospitals won’t take you, laboratories won’t take you, you can only go near research institutes if you have the right connections.
I got tired of feeling stuck and turned to writing, something I loved doing. I picked up small gigs that barely paid. Some clients offered peanuts for so much effort, and the inconsistency drained me.
Home wasn’t helping either. African parents love jobs that take you out of the house every morning. No matter how much you earn, they don’t believe remote work is real.
One day, my dad sent me a link about applying to UBA. Someone had forwarded it to him, and he told me to give it a try. I didn’t expect much, but I applied anyway. That was how it all began.
The first assessment came, and I passed. The second followed, and I passed again. It surprised me because the tests were tough. In October, an email came from UBA Banking School inviting me for training under the GMAP program.
From November to March, everything revolved around that training. We had online classes, weekly exams, and hands-on sessions in real bank branches. I rotated through operations, customer service, sales, audit, and internal control. The last module, treasury and credit, was supposed to happen in Lagos, but we ended up completing it online.
I graduated in March, hoping to get posted anywhere but the sales department . Yet that was exactly where they posted me.
Sales is not for the weak. Every day comes with new pressure. The targets keep changing. One moment you are chasing loan clients, the next you are opening new accounts or submitting endless reports.
Some people thrive under that pace, but I struggled. My science background did not prepare me for this world. I am also a creative at heart. Before all this, I was writing stories, not chasing targets.
Marketing is no joke. Anyone who says it is easy has never done it.
The environment makes it worse. My branch is especially toxic. Imagine a superior telling me she hopes I “fall sick or get admitted to the hospital”. That is the level of pressure we live with.
I made myself a promise. I would only stay for one year and leave. Once I complete that one year and avoid any penalties for leaving early, I am gone.
Now I save like my life depends on it, more than half my salary goes into savings each month. My goal is simple. By March next year, I want enough to fall back on while I search for something better. I am already applying to jobs nonstop.
The only good thing about this job is the money. As an entry-level staff, I earn nearly half a million naira. It helps me pay bills, buy things I need, and still save. That financial stability gives me a little peace.
Still, it does not always feel like enough. The job drains me, and most days I can even see the effect on my body. I am constantly tired.
Yet, I have learned something from it all. This experience shows me what I do not want. If I ever stay in finance, it will be in audit or control, somewhere structured, calm, and clear.
You make all these plans thinking they will work out, but life is crazy. It’s even crazier and messier when you are a Nigerian in Nigeria.
Because honestly, how did I end up in finance after studying microbiology with a passion for public health?
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