DkJay:
Thanks for sharing.

I'm a bit curious; how much did you make on a monthly basis while you were there?

Eleven years later, where are you now? What are the working conditions like for you currently?

As for my working experience, they've been mild to averagely good. For now, I work from home.

At some point, I plan to go out there and start a string of companies, but I'm not looking to work for anyone, no sir.

Jarus:
My first

I got my first job in one of the Behind investment management companies in Lagos, shortly after graduating from school, even before going for NYSC.

I found many things interesting. Yeah, good food for lunch. The informal gists with fonee speaking colleagues. I tried twisting my tongue too, make dem no think say aboki no dey speak turenchi, but my aboki accent no gree. I don improve sha.

The craziest thing was getting to work – crazy traffic. Having being used to strolling to classes in the university, adjusting to working life wasn’t easy. In the university, I used to go back to bed after my 5.45am Muslim prayers, and sleep till like 7.30am before preparing for classes. I can prepare for and get to class within 30 minutes after all. And I can choose not to attend classes, anyway.

But working in Lagos – my first post-school – was a different ball game. Not funny at all.

I stayed at a very far distance. I had to leave home by 5am every morning, sometimes having to do my Muslim prayer on the road. Of course I was hopping public buses, most times. I still struggled to get to work by 8am. Almost 3 hours on the road, every morning.

Work hours was officially 8-5pm, but with a caveat that “you may be required to work longer hours”. Well, that should actually be the rule, not the caveat. It was long hours everyday. 5pm? The work was just starting. 8pm? Okay, you may be free to go home then. And I spent between 1 to 2 hours on the road in the evenings too. Most times I got home after 10pm, sometimes after 11pm.

It didn’t matter whether there was oro (late night fetish activities in some Lagos communities with prior announcement on restriction of movement after a certain time in the night) in the suburb of Lagos I was staying. Wetin you go tell Oga? “There will be oro in my area today so I have to leave by 7pm to get home before 10? “

Well, guess where I landed on my fifth day at work?

Hospital.

I just sent an sms to my direct supervisor that I wouldn’t be able to come to work that Friday – my first Friday. I spent the Friday at the hospital. Too much stress.

Reex12:
your a very bigfool so I admired a beautiful girl I just saw & its now perversion..your father should have flushed u dwn the toilet than bring such a fool into this world..bastard

skondo:
Pls i need help for my mother treatment,she is suffering from stroke. I have exhausted all I have on her treatment. If God lay it in your heart to help me pls. Gtbank:0115737430,umonta nsikak

DkJay:
cc

BlackSan
Alzwell

There's nothing glamorous about what I do. I'm good at writing, and I got better at it. I signed up for a course to break into the Upwork marketplace.

Some people get good jobs at once. I did mine for about five months with just two jobs inbetween (that's on Upwork; I worked with other outsourcers for the usual #1.5 to #2 per during that period). But the current client I have now pays well, and we're looking to make it even better.

Robertkenny:
Miss. Olivia

11 years ago I was 23 years old, fresh from university and got employed as a mortgage banker in a local bank in Lagos. On top of my salary, I had commission income, transport and entertainment allowances. It was good right? But not all that glitter is gold.

However 6months into it I was disappointed. I realized that rosy picture I painted of work life in the finance sector was born of artlessness. Underneath that suit and immaculate appearance, I was just a saleswoman, advertising one peddling products I could not even convince myself to buy.

I also felt like I was doubling up as a club hostess peddling my services to clients, in this case they were property agents, and bribing them with fine food and alcohol in a bid to get engaged for mortgage advisory services in the event of a successful home sale. This happened on an almost daily basis. I found it absurd I spent 4 years studying accounting that turned out to have little to do with my job.

People at work were miserable. Humiliation was a tactic used to encourage sales performance. Tight date lines sent everyone panicking, which you’ve to deliver. I was told some would sleep with property agents to get business. How true I don’t know but I wouldn’t be surprised. It was a lot of money if you did well.

It was a bitchy industry. I was not sociable and didn’t try to get along with most of the bankers. Probably one reason why I was the victim of horrible rumor's.

The story went that I accused my mentor, someone I held in high regard, of raping me after I tried to seduce him and got rejected. That was sick. I never did any of those things; never seduced him, never accused him. I then knew why he avoided me for the longest time... Since we had never spent enough time for him to know me enough to know I wouldn’t sink that low, he likely believed them more.

Sexual harassment was common. I think because many of the women were fine with sexual exchanges, the men assumed all of the women wouldn’t mind their advances. Of course not all the men were disrespectful. A few did come to my aid at various times.

I felt that the environment negatively impacted everyone. There was a lot of money to be made and it led to people becoming mercenary, selfish, backstabbing, demeaning… those who were not, were also affected like me.

I felt my mental-wellbeing under constant attacks and it affected my personality. I was distrusting and temperamental. It hurt the interactions with people I was close to. In distress, I seek the solace of short term pleasures, consoling myself with the food and alcohol that was always on offer, but I only felt worse. My self-esteemed dipped. I was not proud of the person I had become… At some point I realized this was not living. No amount of money was worth selling my soul. I left after 2 years into the job.

You see, our work life has a huge influence on other areas of life. If you feel constantly feel shitty at work, this negatively influences your character and colors everything else you do. If you feel good at work, your moods will positively impact other areas of your life. Therefore, choose your work wisely.

However I am really grateful to that experience because I learnt so much about life and how to better identify the right career path for myself in such a short time and at an early stage of my life. It’s all good.

Thank you Bogger for letting me share my story

How was your first job experience like? Kindly share your story.

BlackSan:


I know about upwork, it requires money to register, correct? If yes, how much?

JIREN01:
Good to see a fellow remote worker. How do you deal with nosey unknowledgeable neighbors who think everyone working remotely is into internet fraud?

DkJay:


It doesn't require money to register. But getting your account approved is stressful.

If you're paying anything, it's only for someone to put you through the process.

Upwork doesn't charge you for registering. They only take their cut after you start getting jobs.

BlackSan:


Oh that's good
Are you familiar with flex Job?
I actually applied for subscription Job
Because they pay well between $15 - 25$ per hour.
Although they are required procedures before giving the Job, my problem is Paypal
I don't have a PayPal account and you know it has been banned in Nigeria?
This country is really frustrating

DkJay:


Nah, this is the first time I'm hearing about Flex Jobs.

People create PayPal accounts different ways today, some are working; some are not.

I paid about 30k for a certain information material last year detailing how to get a stress-less PayPal account.

It involves you registering a company in the U. S. through a law firm. As a bonus, you get a fully verified Stripe and PayPal account that won't give you any trouble. All perfectly legal.

You don't have to worry about phone number or address because it shows up on your profile as that of the company.

I haven't created mine yet, cos I wanna think carefully about the brand I'm creating. Secondly, it costs about $700 to set it up.

I'll be looking at it in the future.

If you spend about thirty minutes on Nairaland, you'll find some information that would help you create a PayPal account, I'm sure.

DkJay:


Nah, this is the first time I'm hearing about Flex Jobs.

People create PayPal accounts different ways today, some are working; some are not.

I paid about 30k for a certain information material last year detailing how to get a stress-less PayPal account.

It involves you registering a company in the U. S. through a law firm. As a bonus, you get a fully verified Stripe and PayPal account that won't give you any trouble. All perfectly legal.

You don't have to worry about phone number or address because it shows up on your profile as that of the company.

I haven't created mine yet, cos I wanna think carefully about the brand I'm creating. Secondly, it costs about $700 to set it up.

I'll be looking at it in the future.

If you spend about thirty minutes on Nairaland, you'll find some information that would help you create a PayPal account, I'm sure.