Written by Amara Itua- Ojefua
Relocating to a new country can be challenging. Competing with nationals of your new country for a job can be much more challenging! This was the situation with one of BFAN’s members- Peace Abraham-Ajayi. Peace had been job hunting and had sadly received rejections on a good number of her job applications.
She attended BFAN’s event for the first time on 24 March 2018. Incidentally, this was the day BFAN organized its BFAN/TD Accounting & Finance Network Session. The event featured executives and human resources representatives from TD Bank who generously shared their insight and expertise about finance and accounting careers. Peace seized the opportunity to widen her professional network by connecting with the guest speakers and other experts in her field. She was able to relate experiences shared at the event to her personal circumstance and in Peace’s words, “In few hours, I learnt lessons that propelled me to the next level. My hope was rekindled and above all, I gained faith to believe more in myself and see things through the recruiter’s lens”.
Peace having an interactive discourse with the TD Bank Panelists during the event
Peace fondly recounts her BFAN networking experience in these words,
“Every opportunity to volunteer gives you an opportunity to prove your worth. The sponsor you so desire might just be someone who has been observing your diligence and attitude all along. If you don’t make yourself available for task A, you would not be considered for Task B. It takes you succeeding at those little tasks to gain the trust of others and make them willing to risk their jobs and integrity just to give you a chance. While others are dancing and having fun, prioritize what is most important and make the best use of that opportunity to network and leave a positive imprint in the hearts of those you meet. Your background and the challenges of your parents do not determine how far you can go in life. It is all about you and how focused you are in your pursuit of excellence. Let others know you as a FIX IT kind of person. What you have is not enough because there are so many other people who have your skills and even better qualified. Though who you know could be a differentiating factor, it is who knows you that will give you that push, referral and sponsorship that you will need to take you to the next level. These are what will differentiate you from the crowd’’.
The TD Bank team led by Kelvin Vi Luan Tran
Here are key learning points from Peace’s success story:
- See criticisms from a positive lens.
- No one knows your worth except you tell them. No one knows your needs except you tell them. Even when God lays it in someone’s heart to bless you, most times, they wait for a confirmation. If you don’t raise your hand while drowning and muster strength to shout, help won’t be near.
- Foolishness is when you do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.
- Success is a conscious effort. Preparation precedes Performance. Self-deceit is the worst form of deception. Even the bible says “let him that lacks wisdom ASK”.
- It is not the volume of connections on your LinkedIn profile that matters, it is the value of your connection. Who do you know? But more importantly, who knows you?
- Do not join the crowd. You are the only one that can limit yourself. Look for people who have made it in your chosen career and reach out to them. Keep your eyes fixed on what you desire. Acquire all the relevant skills you will need to attain your desire so that when the opportunity presents itself, you are ready.
- Ask and it shall be given, seek information and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.
Peace sharing her story on how BFAN provided the platform upon which she landed her dream job at TD Bank as a Senior Internal Auditor, within two (2) months of joining the network!
At BFAN, we focus on creating opportunities for black females to share knowledge and experience. We empower each other! For information on our upcoming Women in Leadership Summit, click here.