When Western cultures describe Africa, they often label it as largely informal due to an apparent “infrastructure deficit” upon which their formalization was built. This perspective, while not entirely inaccurate, fails to capture the nuanced reality of Africa’s economic landscape. While it’s true that there exists an infrastructure gap compared to more developed regions, the assertion that Africa is predominantly informal oversimplifies a complex situation. In fact, Africa’s economic structure is far more formal than one might initially assume, albeit in a way that diverges from traditional Western models.

Our challenge in understanding Africa’s formalization lies not in the absence of formal structures, but in the lens through which we view them. The Western world typically associates formalization with institutions such as banks, mobile operators, and high-tech distribution chains. However, Africa’s approach to formalization is uniquely centered on communities rather than large-scale institutions. This community-centric model has evolved as a response to the challenges posed by the existing infrastructure setup, which makes it difficult for conventional formal institutions to scale rapidly enough to meet the diverse needs of the population.

So, what exactly happened in Africa’s journey towards formalization? The continent developed its own model, one that differs significantly from what you’ll observe in developed countries. This unique approach to formalization is what I’ve begun referring to as “communities as an institution” or “community formalization.” This concept recognizes the pivotal role that community structures play in facilitating economic activities, social support, and resource distribution across the continent.

The Formal Africa

African culture has always been deeply rooted in communal values and practices. This communal ethos is evident in various aspects of daily life, from the simple joys of childhood to significant life milestones. Growing up, children often play together on the streets, fostering a sense of shared experience and mutual understanding from an early age. During holidays, it’s common for families to stay with cousins and grandparents, reinforcing intergenerational bonds and collective responsibility. The tradition of gathering under trees for moonlit storytelling sessions serves not just as entertainment, but as a means of transmitting cultural values and wisdom across generations.

At the heart of these communal practices lies a fundamental goal: to ensure that everyone within the community is looked after, regardless of their individual circumstances. This principle of collective care and support is deeply ingrained in African societies and forms the foundation of many social and economic interactions. It’s a system where the success of one is celebrated as the success of all, exemplified by the way entire communities come together to celebrate when someone becomes the first university graduate among them.

This communal approach to life and progress is not limited to social interactions but extends into economic systems as well. Consider, for instance, the Igbo trade system, a prime example of community-based economic formalization. In this system, influential businessmen take young apprentices under their wing, providing them with practical training and mentorship. These apprentices serve under their mentors until they reach a point of “freedom,” at which time they are set up to establish their own businesses. This cycle of mentorship and empowerment continues as these newly established businesspeople take on apprentices from their own communities, perpetuating a self-sustaining model of economic growth and skill transfer.

Another illustration of community-based economic formalization is the ajo/circle/sarco system. This traditional rotating savings and credit association (ROSCA) involves community members contributing money to a common pot, which is then distributed to participants on a rotating basis, either weekly or monthly. This system not only provides a means of saving and accessing lump sums of money but also strengthens community ties and fosters financial discipline among participants.

These examples demonstrate how Africa’s formalization has been built around its inherent community nature. This unique approach to formalization is reflected in the success of some of the fastest-growing companies on the continent. These businesses have thrived because they have understood and leveraged the power of African community formalization, tailoring their business models to align with this cultural and economic reality.

Let’s examine some notable examples of companies that have successfully tapped into this model of community formalization:

• Moniepoint: This fintech company processes billions of dollars monthly in Nigeria, leveraging a network of agents and community-based transactions.
• M-Kopa: Having deployed over $1 billion worth of credit to individuals often labeled as “underbanked” by Western standards, M-Kopa has made significant strides in financial inclusion. Notably, 42% of their customers are first-time smartphone users, highlighting the company’s role in bridging the digital divide.
• OPay: In less than three years, OPay amassed a customer base of 10 million, surpassing the size of many “formalized” tier 2 banks. This rapid growth demonstrates the effectiveness of their community-centric approach.
• M-Pesa: This mobile money service processed an astounding 66.5% of Kenya’s GDP in 2022, showcasing the immense impact of community-based financial solutions.
• Bet9ja: By commercializing sports betting, Bet9ja tapped into community networks to rapidly expand its user base.

The success of these companies is not coincidental. Their very naming conventions often reflect a deep understanding of community formalization. Take Moniepoint, for example. The name “Money point” suggests a focus on accessible points for financial transactions within communities. This naming choice likely came after realizing that their previous name, TeamApt, didn’t fully capture the essence of their business model, which revolves around money distribution via communities (agents, businesses, retail outlets), eventually leading to their retail banking services.

Similarly, M-Kopa’s name is a clever blend of “mobile” (in English) and “kopa” (meaning “to borrow” in Kiswahili). This naming choice reflects their business model of distributing both physical and digital assets through a network of community-based agents. By incorporating a local language element, M-Kopa signals its understanding of and commitment to serving local communities.

What are the fundamentals?

Community formalization, at its core, mirrors the dynamics of a local community. It’s a model where businesses create symbiotic relationships among people who share similar characteristics and geographic proximity. These business ecosystems are built on a foundation of trust, shared goals, and pre-existing networks of people who interact with each other regularly. This approach represents a significant shift from traditional business models that relied heavily on physical infrastructure.

In the past, establishing a presence in a new market often meant setting up physical branches in various locations. However, the community formalization model has changed this paradigm. Now, the key to market penetration and growth lies in cultivating communities of agents and distributors who are already embedded in local social structures.

Companies that have successfully adopted this model recognize the critical importance of having a presence within communities. To achieve this, they invest heavily in recruiting and educating local agents. These agents become the first point of contact and the face of the business within their respective communities. Their roles are multifaceted and crucial:

• Customer Onboarding: Agents introduce community members to the company’s products or services, explaining their benefits in a way that resonates with local needs and contexts.
• Transaction Facilitation: They handle day-to-day transactions, making services accessible even in areas where traditional banking infrastructure might be limited.
• Customer Service: Agents provide front-line customer support, addressing queries and resolving issues promptly.
• Agent Network Expansion: Successful agents often recruit and train new agents, organically growing the company’s presence.
• Brand Legitimacy: By being respected members of their communities, agents lend credibility and trust to the brands they represent.

This model creates a unique dynamic where the customer’s relationship with the company is primarily through their local agent. For instance, an M-Kopa or Moniepoint customer doesn’t necessarily need to know the location or details of the company’s head office; their trust and interaction are centered on their local agent. This localized trust then extends to the brand as a whole, fostering a strong symbiotic relationship between the organization and the communities it serves.

The beauty of this system lies in its efficiency and scalability. By leveraging existing community structures and relationships, companies can rapidly expand their reach without the need for extensive physical infrastructure. This approach not only reduces operational costs but also allows for a more organic and culturally sensitive integration into new markets.

Changing the narrative

As stakeholders in Africa’s economic future, it’s imperative that we begin to shift the narrative surrounding our markets. Instead of perpetuating the notion of an “informal” economy, we should advocate for recognition of our “community-formalized” systems. This shift in perspective is not merely semantic; it has profound implications for how our markets are perceived, valued, and engaged with on a global scale.

However, embracing community formalization doesn’t negate the importance of traditional formal institutions as defined by Western standards. What Africa needs is a hybrid model that seamlessly integrates community-based systems with more conventional institutional structures. This approach should leverage technology to strengthen the connections between these two models, creating a comprehensive framework that truly defines what formalization looks like in the African context.

For local investors, founders, and operators, it’s crucial to move away from characterizing these markets as “informal.” This label often carries negative connotations, suggesting high risk, high interest rates, and expensive development costs. In reality, when understood and approached correctly, these markets can be both accessible and profitable.

The real cost lies not in building businesses within these markets, but in the missed opportunities and misallocations that occur when the global community fails to understand the unique nature of African formalization. By continuing to view African markets through a Western lens, we risk overlooking the innovative and effective systems that have evolved to meet local needs.

As we move forward, it’s essential to educate global partners, investors, and policymakers about the strengths and opportunities inherent in Africa’s community-formalized systems. This understanding can pave the way for more appropriate investment strategies, policy frameworks, and business models that are truly aligned with the realities of African markets.

In conclusion, recognizing and embracing Africa’s unique path to formalization is not just about changing terminology; it’s about unlocking the full potential of a continent rich in resources, innovation, and human capital. By acknowledging the power of community formalization, we can build more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous economies that benefit both local communities and global stakeholders alike.

I often get asked, “How do you build a profitable business?” The truth is, it comes down to scaling — scaling margins, increasing outputs (volumes), and reducing inefficiencies (waste). However, there are some fundamental aspects of scaling that I refer to as The Business House.

A house is a building that functions as accommodation and shelter. Similarly, building a business is like constructing a house. It has essential elements like a “roof, pillars, foundations, and fences”.

The Roof (Margins)

The roof, which covers all aspects of a house, can be likened to margins in a business. Margin refers to the remaining revenue after deducting the variable costs of producing a product or service. It determines how much each sale contributes to covering fixed costs and ultimately, the business’s profit. The more output sold per dollar, the better the margins. This raises the question, “Which is more important: higher volumes with lesser margins, or higher margins with lesser volumes?” While I lean towards the former, understanding your business is crucial in making this decision.

The Pillars

Pillars in a building serve two main functions: they provide structural support and enhance its aesthetic appeal.

Similarly, in business, pillars refer to core areas that a company identifies as crucial for its success. These include:

• Management Team: A strong management team allows for sound decision-making and efficient execution.
• People: Employees are the lifeblood of an organization. They build policies, procedures, and processes that allow for efficient execution.
• Technology: It improves work efficiency and allows operations to scale beyond physical limitations, reaching remote locations.
• Customer Focus: Prioritizing customer needs, just like prioritizing the king in chess, can lead to success. Always build for your customers, not just for what you prefer.
• Operations: The way you run your business is essential. Solid operations allow quick service to your customers. They are not interested in your company’s inner workings; they want reliable products or services.
• Pricing: The process of setting prices for your products and services can enhance your competitiveness.
• Working Capital: Cash is important, but cash flow is crucial. Remember, the queen is the most versatile piece on a chess board. Even a profitable business can fail if it runs out of cash.

Fences (Moats)

A moat is a deep, wide ditch that surrounds a castle, fort, or town. It’s typically filled with water and serves as a defense against attack. In business, moats are defenses that protect you from competition and new entrants. They give you a competitive edge and help maintain profitability. Moats include:

• Partnerships
• Distribution
• Scale efficiency
• Network effects
• High switching costs
• Cost advantage
• intangible assets

When planning to start a business, consider the aforementioned components and how each one can contribute to your business’s profitability.

On the 6th of May 2019, I took the job to be Safeboda’s first-ever Country Director and the mission was clear, take Safeboda from an East African company to being a pan-African company starting with the expansion to Nigeria. Over the last 26 months, I have kept building to solidify that vision and today I hold my head high as I stepped down a week ago from the reins at Safeboda.

In over a year of commercial operations, with a 50+ people team, we have;

• Completed 1.5 Million trips across Ibadan
• Onboarded 5,000+ drivers
• Enhanced our embedded finance play with the launch of cashless payment, airtime and driver buy-now-pay-later offerings
• Built solid partnerships with companies like Imalipay, Paddycover, Allianz, and a host of others.

The journey wasn’t always easy and sometimes met with frustration, grit, and resilience but, nonetheless, it has been the most exciting journey of my professional career. Super thankful to Maxime Dieudonne and Alastair Sussock who gave me the opportunity to build an AWESOME team who are all Seyi from SafeBoda and I trust will keep advancing the mission until Safeboda becomes a household name across the continent and beyond. Also excited that a replacement was found internally and trust he will continue to lead the company to groundbreaking heights.

On what’s next? Well, I’m currently taking some much-needed family bonding time (shuttling Lagos — Ibadan wasn’t easy on us), enjoying a glass of whiskey with friends while preparing for what’s coming next. In the words of the contemporary poet known by his stage name as “Zinoleesky”- “extraordinary thing I’m doing, ordinary things no fit move me again, again no-no” so whatever it’s going to be, it will be EXTRA — WAIT FOR IT — ORDINARY.

Signed

Babajide Aka MC Oluomo with a MacBook

On the 3rd of May 2019, I told the world that my watch with Andela was finally over. This was one of the turning points in my life. Being at Andela was a great experience, moving to SafeBoda was a terrifying one. Was I going to do a great job? Would I fail on the job? What kind of team do I need? How will I get the right people? What type of people will I deal with? What did I know about running a country?

All these questions were running through my head the moment I got appointed Country Head, SafeBoda Nigeria.

To be fair, they must have seen something in me that told them I could cut it, but a lot needed to be done to get us ready for take-off and that was the terrifying part. So, what did I do?

Building the first 90 Day plan

I resumed on the 6th of May 2019 and day 1 was actually at SoFresh Yaba. It became the home of Safeboda for 3 months and we still laugh about the chopping board sound during meetings with the global team. Back to Day 1. I was met by the VP of Expansion who had initially shared the “market Scoping Deck” with me. He had done an awesome job in highlighting Lagos and the company’s decision to expand to Nigeria. After walking me through the deck, we then started to put together a launch plan which centered around;

• What would the team look like?
• What were the moving parts (Getting the pieces of equipment like helmets, reflectors hairnets)
• Stakeholder mapping (who should we be talking to)
• What is the right entry point (for both drivers and customers)

By the end of the first 3 weeks, the launch plan was ready, then we began execution which meant building the team, looking for an office and corporate apartments, looking for riders and engaging stakeholders, then the Curveball came…

Should we be doing Lagos really?

Lagos is the commercial hub of Nigeria and as such, it made sense to look at her as the launchpad for SafeBoda’s entry into Nigeria. But upon engaging the stakeholders, we did not feel welcome (this was sometime in June). There was a level of disdain in how we were treated. I was once told: “Shut up, what do you know about building transportation for a megacity? Don’t come and give us investor pitch here” at a meeting before and then I thought, should we be really looking at this place after 3 weeks of active engagement?

“So if not Lagos, where then?”

Ibadan is an ancient city that holds the position of many firsts. From the first 24 Storey skyscraper to the first Teaching Hospital in Nigeria, and many more, it was never a question of “Why Ibadan?”, it was a question of “Why not Ibadan?”. This was one of the best decisions we made because we were justified when Lagos was hit with the Okada Ban.

How did we move into Ibadan?.

To break into a business, you have to know the business. You have to communicate with the man at the base of affairs. I’m pretty sure the Okada riders in Ibadan know me very well. I sat with them, talked with them, ate with them. I practically became one of them (except for riding a motorcycle, I still can’t do that).

Building a community requires knowing the pieces that fit into the puzzle so, instead of hiring some suit and tie “experts” to be part of our Core Operations Team, we hired actual Okada riders( we started with 4 of them actually) and worked right out of an Airbnb. These amazing guys were people who had direct information about riders, about the okada industry, people who had lived it and could share insights. We talked about prices, insurance, opportunities and many more. We then entered over 400 Okada rides to map out the per kilometer charge and time.

After figuring out where to launch, I had to put together the rest of my team.

From Customer Acquisition to Customer Success, Finance, etc. It was a struggle sifting through CVs, talking to different brilliant minds all in a bid to get the best fit for the company (some days we had 16 interviews). At a point, it went from Brilliance to Culture fit because all the people I spoke to had great talents.

To launch or not to launch

From December 2019 to January 2020 to “we’ll get back to you with a launch date”, it really seemed like we were wasting time. To be frank, I had reservations about the launch until we finally did it. When the day was set for March 2nd, 2020 and I told my team, we were as skeptical as we were excited.

And we are LIVE!

Launch Day was the most terrifying day of my entire adult life, no jokes. From making sure that we had enough riders for the projected rides to ensuring that these riders followed all they were taught at the Academy. At one point, I had to do a James Bond-esque road trip with my SB when one of the riders decided to follow “one-way”.

The first week was exhilarating, we exceeded even our expectations and it was just like I tell my team, “Tech business is a lot of code, preparation and a sprinkle of the Blood of Jesus”. That sprinkle came in handy countless times. We have seen a tremendous amount of growth which is showing early signs that the market does exist here and to be honest, I feel this is the best place to learn about expanding to other parts of Nigeria.

Was this a learning experience? Yes! Would I want to do it again? Maybe not, Would we be successful? Time will tell but the market has all the right ingredients for success.

The road to Launch was definitely something to experience and I’m excited to do great things in Ibadan and Nigeria at large with SAFEBODA. So till next time, Stay Safe. (Insert cheeky emoji)

SafeBoda! SafeOkada!

SafeBoda Nigeria: The road to launch was originally published in SafeBoda Nigeria on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The day was December 1st, 2016, I just resumed as Andela’s first ever Community Manager, Technical Talent. My task was

- to lead the community and own the brand of Andela, to attract new community members and Fellows (now Engineers) to the organization.

- build and own regional strategy, outreach and messaging for the Community-at-large.

- build models, metrics of success and growth strategies, ensuring long-term success and growth of our community.

Coming from being a Talent Acquisition Officer at Access Bank with no clue of how to build communities, today I leave Andela knowing I have;

• grown Andela Nigeria’s internal developer community by a whopping 600%
• supported Andela’s expansion into Rwanda to recruit the first 2 cohorts
• supported our external community through the ALC to impact 30,000+ African developers with so many success stories of how lives have been changed
• supported @forloopAfrica, a developer community which has grown to 35+ cities within 8 African countries with a community of 10,000+ members
• been part of a brand that everyone in Nigeria can be proud of which has proved that “brilliance is indeed evenly distributed”

I step out knowing I was part of an awesome movement and will forever be grateful for what seems like the most impactful 2.5years of my working career. Massive thank you to the support system I had;

• Seun (wifey) who always ensured I showed up to work with the power of 2
• James Ndiga, Anthonio Pinheiro, Mike, OLUWAGBENGA OMOLAYO, Sadiq Ademosu, @Kehinde Banasko, Kenny and Ezinne Chimah who brought true meaning to how colleagues can become brothers/sisters and lifetime friends
• Rotimi Okungbaye who was forever present with his camera documenting my Andela story
• Agnes Muthoni my manager who taught me that growth shouldn’t only be vertical but horizontal
• My direct reports Annabelle Amotsuka, Konko Adeola Alokolaro, and @Chisom who brought the best out of me as a manager
• Evan Green-Lowe who constantly challenged me to be better than yesterday
• Seni Sulyman, from whom I learned what type of leader I would like to be.
• the entire pre-fellowship team (LOS, NBO, KLA, KIG) who put up with my crazy energy on a daily basis and showed me nothing but love
• all of the Andela team who have become family!

Anyways, I’m off to the next challenge, where I go to lead an existing startup coming into Nigeria in the capacity of Country Head. I’m super excited and can’t wait to see what the next couple of years hold.

For now, at Andela, my watch has ended……

More often than not, as a Community Manager Andela, I have had tech managers, startup founders, developers, and technology enthusiasts approach me with one critical question in mind; “What Skillset should a developer have — and why?”

At Andela, We believe that developer skills can be categorised under two major groups which are Work Skills and Team Skills.

Work Skills: help developers comprehend computer science as a discipline and how effectively you translate that understanding into work through programming/software development using one or multiple languages. Work skills are divided into 3 main components:

• Quality Of Work: In order for the output of a product, feature or task to be termed “quality” its must meet, or preferably, exceed pre-defined standards or set expectations. Developers can deliver quality work by understanding why attention to detail, requirement analysis, patterns/MVC, testing end-to-end, system design, performance optimisation, scalability design, agile process, algorithms, data structures, order of operations, discrete math/algebra, OOP, HTML and CSS, 2 & 3 tier architecture, security, debugging, API, UI/UX awareness/design are important in software development
• The quantity of Work: Once quality is guaranteed, it’s important to deliver consistently work output of sufficient quality at or above the expected pace. Most times, I ask which developer would you rather pick: Babajide, who delivers above the set expectation but does so 4 weeks after the deadline or James, who meets the set expectation at the right amount of time?. To deliver quality work at the expected pace, a developer must understand how to use developer tools like git etc, understand business tools like sheets and charts to represent data, project management tools such as Trello or Kanban boards to help track progress of work, and effectively use communication tools like slack which help foster collaboration. They are also able to assess and manage situations that require focus and concentration.
• Initiative: In taking initiative, a developer needs to be able to identify high-value targets for improvement, and be adept at proactively prioritising and communicating them. To identify a high-value target for improvement, skills such as creativity, decision making, problem-solving and holistic thinking comes into play. Being able to apply creative thinking to problem-solving, prioritise objectives based on the level of severity and importance, generating possible solutions to a problem, selecting the best solution, and planning the next course of action requires an understanding of the big picture of how their work impacts the application they are working on and the end users of the product.

Team Skills helps developers fit into existing structures, effectively communicate through various channels and Identify with organisational values. Team skills are divided into 3 main components:

• Communication: Communication is the ability to understand and make oneself understood via both written and verbal mediums. To communicate effectively, a developer must be willing to ask open-ended and powerful questions to gain more than the necessary amount of information, seek and request feedback, and respond in a structured and systematic way, write professionally, speak to be understood and read to understand. These are very key traits as communication sets the pillars for one to deliver quality high-value targets at the expected time.
• Professionalism: Professionalism allows a developer to react and communicate in a manner that demonstrates respect to team members and stakeholders. This allows a developer to display an understanding of the team’s goals and an acceptance of the team’s mission. A professional developer knows how to identify both internal and external stakeholders, knows what to communicate to them and how to communicate with all stakeholders. In managing these stakeholders, a developer should be able to proactively alert them to any slip-ups in delivery as soon as they become aware of them and should be able to manage expectations by setting feasible timelines for delivery and a clear explanation for the cause. Another facet is to be able to break down work into individual tasks and provide estimates and defend how the estimates were arrived at.
• Integration: Integration is the ability to embed oneself as a compatible, vital member of a team. The ability to absorb and reflect a team’s value. A developer should possess the attribute to build relationships, understand team dynamics, motivate themselves to stay positive and commit to long-term success, be culturally aware, learn to be adaptable, mentor others and transfer knowledge, understand key aspects of the company/teams they work in.

The skillsets outlined above are not exhaustive and vary from one organisation to the other, and across developer levels. For us at Andela, work and team skills have allowed us to measure nearly 1,000 data points, as our developers demonstrate the mastery of their skills as they work to become world-class technologists.

Big shout out to the internal team who designed the Andela Skills framework and to the rest of Andelans who are using their work and team skills to change the landscape of technology in Africa.

Developer Skills For the Workplace was originally published in The Andela Way on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Why should you take your Curriculum Vitae (CV) writing so seriously/soberly? Well let us start by saying your application for a job starts with writing a compelling CV. Virtually, all employment starts with a review and shortlist of a CV, I doubt there are any organisations who won’t require you to submit your CV while applying for a job. So what exactly is a CV and why do I need to get it right when writing my CV?

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a documentation of who you are, your skills, experience, and qualifications and what you have to offer a potential employer. In my own terms, your CV is an electronic version of your professional side so it’s important it is branded well. Remember we are in an age where branding is king, so why not treat your professional career like a brand.

A CV is different from a resume in that a CV is an in-depth document that can be about 2 pages long and contains high-level details of your achievements, awards, honors etc., while a resume is a concise document typically no longer than 1 page. Most organisations use CVs to match skills and person’s specifications to the job openings they have. Essentially, this is what helps them determine if you are a good fit for the job or not.

Because your CV is a digital copy of you, it has the tendency to reach places you can’t as it’s just an email away. So your CV has to be the best representation of you as you never can tell who would see it.

So what should I know before writing my CV?

Here are a few things to take note of that help in writing a compelling CV:

1. It helps if you study the job description of the role you are applying for. Understand the job responsibilities, key success factors, and skillset required to do the job. Then map out a clear list of essential skills /experiences that you possess which addresses this. Then look for key phrases that describe the personal qualities and skillsets documented in the job description as these would be included in your CV. Take note of the industry-relevant acronyms and other important keywords that are directly applicable to the role.
2. Stick to a CV writing format. Traditionally, CVs tend to be arranged in a chronological format and makes it easy for the recruiter to get an overview of an individual’s full work career. There are also other formats such as skill/functional format which focuses on skills, your experience or expertise and the achievements that you have gained throughout the course of your career. Unlike the chronological, it doesn’t care about the chronology of your employment to date or what your previous jobs were. And my personal favourite is the hybrid/Combined which is a combination of the chronological and functional CV formats. Other formats are academic, technical, mini (resume), profile etc.
3. Figure out your professional level (entry level, middle level, senior level, executive level) as this would help in what content would go into your CV and how it would be structured. For instance, graduate resumes prioritise educational qualifications and skills over experience and are mostly one page, while experienced CVs prioritise expertise and experience (for much more senior roles value proposition is added) over educational qualification.
4. Build a checklist that helps you in checking that you have captured all relevant information that is required for a CV. Your checklist could contain things like; Did you use the right font? Have you added your name in a bold format and at the top (preferably the center) of the page? Have you included a professional email address? did you list all your work experience in a dated format? Have you checked the layout? Have you done a spell check? Did you proofread the document? etc.

So how do I write my CV?

How your CV looks depends on the format you selected (remember we talked about knowing which CV format to use) and it won’t hurt to google different CV formats. A well-structured CV can direct the eyes of recruiters exactly where you want them to go and emphasise your strong points (expertise, qualification, experience, value proposition, etc.).

1. Start off with your personal information which should be; full name, email address and personal phone number (can be mobile or home)
2. Personally, I would favour a positional statement over a career objective as a positional statement shows your experience and value you would add along with what type of role you are looking for, but any of both would do as the next item.
3. As an experienced hire, I would focus on my experience detailing my progression from the most recent to the earliest. Always remember its important to focus on achievement rather than daily responsibility. An example of this; “Built a learning program targeted at teaching 178 students in 17 Secondary Schools for a duration of 4 hours over 12 weeks how to code using CSS and html” vs ‘Built learning programs for secondary school students”. This positions you as someone who is performance focused with a clear understanding of how to measure your impact on the job. For graduates, focus more on your educational qualification and any volunteer experience you might have as this is where potential employers would see value add.
4. Now you can detail your educational qualification, trainings attended, volunteer experience and interests. Employers love people with volunteer experience and interests.
5. For concluding the CV, in this day and age of data protection it is wise to use “Referees available on request” rather than listing out your referees details for anyone who has access to your CV to see. You can take it a step further by adding a signed declaration that the information in the CV describes you and can be verified. Remember your CV needs to speak professionalism of the highest order.

Hope the steps above helps in crafting that winning CV. And if you have questions you can ask me by following me on twitter: @babajiide and on LinkedIn: Babajide Duroshola.

Beginners Guide to Curriculum Vitae (CV) Writing was originally published in The Andela Way on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

One of the most curious things on a first time manager’s mind is; “Now that I’m a manager, what is my job? what do I do next? and how do I lead my team?”

Everytime I think about it, something Vala Afshar (CIO at Salesforce) said that struck me, always comes to mind;

“Dear Manager, your job is not to make people work harder, your responsibility is to help your team achieve their goals, let them know that their work matters, and to recognise and reward those who constantly help the team deliver timely, high quality and positive outcomes.”

In my professional career, I have had up to 7 line managers, consisting of authentic managers, autocratic managers, micromanagers, coaches, cheerleaders etc. However, in the last 2 years, I’ve become a manager and everyday I find myself striving to become an authentic leader as this is the leadership style that emphasises building legitimacy through honest relationships built on ethical foundations with followers who value the input.

By building trust and generating enthusiastic support from my line reports, I have been able to improve my team’s overall performance and here are a few pointers on how to achieve this;

Inspire trust: Your main goal as a leader is hinged on your ability to inspire trust while leading your team to achieve set objectives. Inspiring trust requires you to;

1. Not over commit and keep your promises
2. Admit your mistakes and own up to your own shortcomings
3. Share credit and acknowledge every team member’s contribution
4. Maintain an open book policy in sharing information whilst getting to know your team and developing a good relationship with them
5. Stay consistent in your message
6. Be a straight arrow (always give a direct answer when asked questions)
7. Not talk about others behind them
8. Listen to learn from all members of your team

Always remember you are leading a set of smart individuals and trust is like a mirror, once broken can be fixed but the cracks would remain. You don’t want your team second guessing your vision or why you do the things you do.

Lead from the second chair: Leading from the second chair means you don’t serve in the topmost seat but you are somewhere right behind the leader who serves at the topmost seat and has the opportunity to influence things. Leading from second chair would require you to;

1. Think like your leader does
2. Know your leader’s “why” and the organisation’s “why”
3. Know what keeps your leader up all night (fears and concerns)
4. Know how much latitude you have been empowered with to achieve the “why”
5. Shore up weaknesses of your leaders without undercutting them
6. Know your leader’s communication style
7. Celebrate your leader publicly and sell to them but disagree privately

Move from Blame to Accountability: Managers who want to become authentic leaders know it is crucial to move from a blame culture to one of accountability. They understand;

1. When things go wrong, they start searching for answers from their own desk.
2. Accountability means becoming skilful at making contracts with their team members and holding them accountable for results
3. Being willing to consider whether you lived up your own end of an agreement or expectation when things go wrong
4. Judgment and criticism makes it difficult to see clearly as they tend to increase their level of anger and makes it difficult to learn from the situation
5. They probably had a role in every situation

Be a Thought Partner rather than an Instructor: Authentic leaders know how to inspire others to a specific result without necessarily telling them what and how to do it. It’s based on the premise that human beings are naturally problem solvers and each individual has the ability to find the answers through proper guidance. To be able to do this, you must know;

1. How to take the vision set by top management and translate it into work output
2. How to “hold the space” when trying to walk someone through a problem and potential solution
3. How to have an open heart and an open will when brainstorming with your team members
4. How to suspend your voice of judgement of how people are

Use the Life Stories Approach: Authentic leadership involves self reflection, building self awareness and interpreting life events (trigger events). Life stories help you break from the traditional training to a much more coaching style of management. Each story is like a case study and helps you reinforce your values and morals which are essential component of your leadership.

It’s “OKAY” to Let Go of the Star-man Position: Most first time managers struggle with letting go of being the star of the team and tend to hang on to that for too long. By learning to promote your team members and sharing credit for the contribution of others’ strengthens, the trust levels within your team grows. Promoting others work doesn’t mean your downfall or reduction in visibility, but solidifies you as one who knows how to bring out the best in others.

These are the strong foundational principles I am building my leadership style on. I still haven’t cracked it 100% but I’m working at it on a day to day basis.

Big shoutout to some of the authentic leaders who have helped me on my leadership journey Evan Green-Lowe, Seni Sulyman, Jeremy Johnson , Seun Denton and @Akinwale Adesola

And to Konko Adeola Alokolaro who helped in putting this together.

First Time Manager? Aspire to be an Authentic Leader was originally published in The Andela Way on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“How do you plan for a career when you are not even sure what you are good at? “

We have all been there in university/college and your successful relatives promise you to put in a word to the hiring managers of a top company, “Just finish” is all they say. You finish and then they tell you “just finish NYSC” and some start to disappear from there. Then it dawns on you that you have been played.

But what can you do as a graduate? This is where you need to draw up a plan. This is a career plan. Career planning is an ongoing process that can help you manage your learning and development. I used ongoing because career planning is a continuous process and should be evaluated on a yearly basis.

There are 4 critical steps in planning your career as a beginner;

Step 1: Self Evaluation and Reflection

Step 2: Exploration

Step 3: Decision Making and Goal Setting

Step 4: Taking Action and Implementing

So lets take a deep dive into the 4 critical steps in planning your career

Self Evaluation and Reflection: The first step in career planning should be to gather information about yourself to assist in making a decision about a career choice. Thinking about where you are now, where you want to be and how you’re going to get there. Once you have thought about where you are at now and where you want to be, you can work on getting to know your skills, interests and values. Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• What am I interested in?
• What are my strengths?
• What are my weaknesses?
• Where am I at now?
• Where do I want to be?
• What do I want out of a job or career?
• What is important to me?
• What are the opportunities open to me?
• What are the threats to those opportunities?

At the end of this step you will have a clearer idea of your work or learning goal and your individual preferences. You can use this information about yourself as your personal ‘wish list’ against which you can compare all the information you gathered in the other steps. To help you do this here is a template of a Personal Development Plan “A” you can use.

Exploration: The second step in career planning is to explore and research your options. Exploring takes your self-assessment a step further by looking at your personal interests, skills, values, and work-life needs and narrowing down areas of possibilities. Once you have some idea of your occupational preferences you can research the specific skills and qualifications required for those occupations.

• Explore occupations that interest you and ask yourself how do my skills and interests match up with these occupations?
• Where are the gaps?
• What options do I have to gain these skills or qualify for these occupations?
• What skills do I need?
• Where is the work?

At the end of this step you will have a list of preferred occupations and/or learning options to gain the required skills for the preferred occupation. To help you do this here is a template of a Personal Development Plan “B” you can use.

Decision Making and Goal Setting: After having completed your self-assessment and explored your options you should be ready to make some career decisions. The question now is how you will decide. Start by comparing your options, narrowing down your choices and thinking about what suits you best at this point in time.

Ask yourself:

• What are my best training options?
• How do they match with my skills, interests and values?
• How do they fit with my current situation and responsibilities?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
• What will help and what will hinder me?
• What can I do about it?

By doing this step you will have narrowed down your options and have more of an idea of what you need to do next to help you achieve your career goals.

Taking Action and Implementing: Here you plan the steps you need to take to put your plan into action. Use all you have learnt about your skills, interests and values together with the information you have gathered about the world of work to create your plan.

Begin by asking yourself:

• What actions/steps will help me achieve my work, training and career goals?
• Where can I get help?
• Who will support me?

At the end of this step you will have:

• a plan to help you explore your options further (eg work experience, work shadowing such as internships, trainings, certifications or more research); or
• a plan which sets out the steps to help you achieve your next learning or work goal.

Decide which step is relevant for you right now and start from there.You should also continue to evaluate your options and make adjustments as needed.

The above steps helped me in planning my career and transitioning form a computer scientist to a human resource professional and now to a tech community manager. At every point, I did a SWOT analysis of myself, sourced for roles that would enhance my strength and mirror my interests, drew up a learning plan to acquire the skills I was lacking for each role before applying for any job. This has helped me in getting jobs in organisations like Andela , Access Bank Plc and Phillips Consulting.

Hope you found the above helpful. Here is a Career planning tool we use at Andela Nigeria that can help you. All the best in your career planning. Don’t forget to share with someone you know might need this.

Beginners Guide to Career Planning was originally published in Write on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Hello,

I’m going to give you some context about my professional journey and then dive in to expand on my new role and 7 things I had to learn to become an effective community builder.

9 months ago I made a massive, career-changing decision by switching from working as an HR professional at one of the top 3 Banks in Nigeria, to a Community Manager, Technical Talents at the fastest growing Tech company in Africa. Moving from Access Bank to Andela Nigeria didn’t just represent a career switch, but a switch in organisational culture, technical expertise and behavioral requirements. I moved from having my work done only at the office to being able to work remotely; from an HP to a MacBook Air (lol); from a restricted and highly regulated environment to a creative and open environment. But, as I said, I’m not here to talk about that… maybe in a later blog post. I’m here to talk about the switch from HR Strategist to Community Builder.

Technical knowledge is highly essential for all roles. In my particular case, I was someone who hadn’t been plugged into the tech ecosystem before, but I then took up a role which essentially deals with building tech and learning communities. I didn’t have the technical knowledge neither have i ever done it before.

So, how did I pull this off? Well, I asked myself the same question, and put together a list of the 7 things that make me an effective community builder.

1. Be an evangelist of the company: An evangelist is a zealous advocate of a particular cause. They are usually vocal and very passionate about the company’s vision and mission. They walk “the walk” and talk “the talk.” They aren’t shy when it comes to preaching their organisation’s gospel through physical meet-ups, blogging about the company and being a digital evangelist on all social networks. Effective Community Managers should be digital evangelists. Besides “talking the talk” face-to-face, maintaining a digital presence in the community by sharing a blog, or even having a presence on various social platforms will enable you become better at engaging with a larger audience. One of the goals of a Community Manager is to scale programs, and social media can be leveraged to achieve this without the worries of geographical boundaries. Though online community is important, connecting with people in-person will help strengthen the relationships you build. The offline community is just as important to facilitate through events, trainings, meetups and in-person meetings. This helps you connect and also learn from others within the community. I have done this and turns out i’ve been added to a list of 100 developers in Nigeria to follow. I live, breathe and preach the Andela mission.
2. Communicate effectively: As a Community Manager, you are synonymous to a brand manager, you are the spokesperson who can engage people in effective dialogue. Understand that your role is to help people and enable the community connect with each other. To do this, you have to be an effective communicator who articulates thoughts well. If you aren’t, you could lose the essence of the idea you are trying to evangelise. In other to do this I attended a “Story telling for change” course by Acumen which has helped me in my public speaking and engagement.
3. Be authentic: It’s not just about having a voice, but having an authentic one. I try to use my sense of humor when appropriate and sometimes not so appropriate…just to break the ice :). Being authentic helps you build trust with your community, after all, you represent the human face of the brand and people trust a brand with a face. Just imagine, would you trust a brand that was faceless?
4. Think like an entrepreneur and adapt quickly: Be entrepreneurial and have a vision for each project, big or small. Entrepreneurs are decisive, calculative, motivated, creative, persuasive, versatile, flexible and open minded. Building a community means having a strategy for it and the knowledge and drive to implement it, whether with building on a big platform or having a presence and voice on a small one. Always think of where the community is heading to an dhow you can support it to get there.
5. Partnerships, Partnerships, Partnerships!!!: Build strong partnerships through service swaps or by searching for organisations who have the same goal and partnering with them (shout out to @forloopNigeria who gave me a platform to build on). Partners allow you leverage their communities, just as Kendra who is a tech evangelist @MicrosoftNG told me when I first started out “my community is your community.” Partners point you in the right direction and also ensure you are not lost.
6. Listen to the community, add value and build relationships: Being a good listener enables you gather feedback more effectively (digitally, in-person etc.). This feedback can go a long way towards improving the quality of the experience the community members have. This helps create authentic relationships, not just ones that are based on you trying to sell your organisation. Investing in relationships will open up opportunities for partnerships (which relates back to point #5, in which you should always be on the look-out for partnerships). ALWAYS remember that social media and community are rooted in human interactions and relationships. If all you’re doing is promoting the company’s interests, you’re not a Community Manager, you’re a commodity salesman. DON’T focus all of your time and energy on shiny tools that create a confusing user experience and de-emphasize the people. Tools can be overrated. Focus on the relationships.
7. Empower colleagues to be builders: You can’t do it on your own. Building a community also includes the internal community of your company itself. Empowering your colleagues to engage with the community will make your job easier and also help them better understand the value in what you’re doing. Find a few folks within the organisation you can partner with, and let them help you tell your organization’s story.

And there you have it, Babajide’s bible to being a Community Manager, and no this wasn’t handed to me on a mountain on two tablets.