Chevening is looking for individuals with strong networking skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your networking skills, and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future.
the power in network
As any business man knows, your worth is directly related to your network. A prime example of this is how I got my first job in 2015. After building the BUCC for my school, I was introduced by a friend to a software company that had interest in acquiring our product. Although we never concluded our business, they were so impressed with my presentation that they brought me on-board, immediately starting my career as a business Development officer. During my stay at Flexi, I represented my company in events such as ASNE and Google ,amongst others. These events were instrumental in developing my networking skills, as a business Development officer one of my roles was furthering the company's corporate interests by developing and maintaining relationships with prospective clients.
Infact, it was a former colleague that suggested I apply to AYE, a reality styled Tv show influenced by BBC's Dragon's Den. Our company, Sunset Drive was selected as finalists which saw me present our Business's operations to an international panel and defended it's value preposition on national Tv. This experience has brought connections with many in the Nigerian Cinema and Entertainment industry as well as a few curious investors. I am currently in the process of sitting for my Project management certification, once awarded it will further expand my network by giving me access to some of the top ranking professionals in business and government. I make a habit of storing all the business cards of my contacts in a box, recently however, I've transferred these contact to LinkedIn. Many of which have become close friends, partners, mentors and a few have invested in business projects.
Leveraging on my experiences from multiple industries I created a WhatsApp group in 2018 which consists of individuals who I've worked on projects with to mentor youths in our community. Although it's initial objective was for the purpose of sharing our network of industry contacts it has since transitioned to providing on the phone consultation for individuals starting businesses or open to other income generation methods.
As a prospective Chevening Scholar, I plan to engage the Chevening Alumni Association by developing initiatives that will address poverty and unemployment in my country. I will start by facilitating meet ups to share and discuss business ideas and opportunities, and I plan to do this by utilizing social media platforms. I hope to inspire the spirit of enterprise by narrating my experiences and encouraging others to do the same. Through my established networks, both in Nigeria and abroad, I plan to use my diplomatic connections to further the existing relations between the two countries to foster cooperation and development of human capital.