2019 Annual Ball Highlights
Before you dive into the pictures from the Career Nuggets Annual Ball 2019, let’s do two things… First, Save the date for 2020: The next Career Nuggets Ball will be (God willing) on 5th of December 2020 (More details to come soon.) And secondly… Let’s play a game… It’s called “SPOT THE FASCINATOR“… The fascinator is a beautiful and unusual headdresses. it was a fun suggestion by Morenike and the ladies did not disappoint. Feast your eyes… And now, the highlights of the Career Nuggets Annual Ball. We worked hard to create an elegant enjoyable experience for attendees. The founder, hosts, hostesses and planning committee We started with an informal networking session with cocktails and networking games. The purple carpet: While we were networking, some used the opportunity to pose for photos with the career nuggets banner. After the networking games and cocktails we proceeded into the main ballroom and started off with opening prayers by Pastor (Mrs) Benedicta Olagunju Followed by sponsors presentations Our keynote speaker Alexander Amosu challenged and inspired us with his life story and wise words of advice. The Emcee DJ Olabella and saxophonist brought a level of entertainment and contributed greatly to making it a fun relaxing and enjoyable experience. And the food was both gorgeous and delicious… The games and raffles and prizes The exhibitors showcase The Positive Role Model award winners And of course the socialising and dancing A big Thank you to our main sponsors. And finally I want to thank all the people who made this day possible with their presence, their support, sponsorship, organising, donations and bringing their craft, creativity and drive to making this an amazing event. Till we meet again next year, I wish you the best for your life and career in 2020. – Morenike Ajayi (Founder, Career Nuggets) More Credits: DonorsMr and Mrs LabodeMr and Mrs HassanMrs Adeola BelloAbby AkinolaMr and Mrs OluyedeDr. & Mrs Tikare Mrs Fola KutiMrs Fola Olusanya Vendors: Saxophonist- Ben AuduEmcee – OlabellaDJ – DJ OmoCatering – Taste HavenDessert – DHoney DessertsPhotographer – Dazzitto Event Planner: Sarah Graphics, Video, Website and Social Media – Eme Bassey www.emebassey.com Save the date: the 2020 Career Nuggets Ball will be 5th of December 2020 (More details to come soon.)
Mentor Academy
(NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR NEXT MENTOR ACADEMY) CLICK HERE TO FILL THE REGISTRATION FORM (CLICK IMAGE TO OPEN THE ACCELERATE BROCHURE) MY STORY: When I decided I was going to start my TV program, most of the people who knew me at the time said “What?!? You?!? I can’t really blame them though… After all, my friends knew me as this timid shy woman so the thought of me being a TV presenter – of all things – was hard to imagine. They thought I was being foolish, unrealistic, delusional and impractical and one or two of them went ahead to tell me so…(*ouch) It can be painful, knowing that some of the people closest to you don’t believe in you or think you don’t have what it takes. It is also incredibly lonely to be that person dreaming of something or trying to achieve something that people think is “too big for you”. It was not surprising that as I grew into myself and embraced my calling, I grew apart from some of those friends. Luckily there were a few people that surrounded me, supported me, encouraged me and cheered me on… And the rest, as they say, is history. (Season 3 airs very soon.) I am not saying this to brag. I just want to give you a reality check. This is real talk… When you are ready to move to the next level, it won’t be easy. Don’t let anyone deceive you or tell you differently. It is a period where you have to strengthen your foundations as well as stretch and grow. You are going to become better and that means you will seem different – and some people will not be comfortable with that. Many don’t prepare for these changes and so when things get hard or seem uncomfortable, 95% of people give up, go back and settle where they have always been. I don’t want that to be you. If I, Morenike, whole nickname is school was “Timi-dee” (dear Lord, I was so timid)… If I can do what I do today, there is no reason why you cannot also put yourself on track to career excellence and achievement -even if you are stuck in a rut today. The key is to surround yourself with the right people, information and systems. I am happy to say I have created just what you need. It is called The Accelerate Program: A mentoring, mastermind and accountability program. (CLICK IMAGE TO OPEN THE ACCELERATE BROCHURE) I took a group of people through this program in 2017 and the latests graduates were from 2019 and they got amazing results. Accelerate is a combination of coaching, nurturing, mentoring accountability and support where we work together to help you create specific targets and achieve tangible progression. Candidates will work closely with me and a cadre of 15 high level mentors from various industries. To get the best results, we are keeping this group small. We only have spots for 20 people – strictly first come, first served. The programme runs for 3 months and I guarantee you that if you plug in and participate, you will get results. It is time to surround yourself with a team that is committed to your success. These 15 spots are being offered to over 3000 people so if you know this is your time, you must get in touch immediately – don’t delay. Simply FILL THIS FORM to reserve your spot. Need to know more? Click here to download the brochure. This is not for everybody but if you know you need this, do not hesitate. You will not regret making this investment in yourself. I look forward to working with you. Morenike Ajayi
Is your Career Future-Proof?
The world has changed and continues to do so, on a daily basis with new developments in technology. In order to future proof your career you have to be ready to move with the times and not be left behind. In 10 years’ time it is predicted that some of the jobs that exist today will no longer be relevant. How do you prepare yourself for that eventuality? Identify a gap in the market One thing you can do is identify any areas where there is a gap of skills and fill it up. A simple search on google can reveal some of such areas. For example the Shortage Occupation List UK gives some ideas https://www.davidsonmorris.com/uk-shortage-occupation-list/ This changes every so often so it pays to stay informed. According to https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2014/aug/18/uk-youth-shortage-digital-skills, in the UK, the IT sector is a massive growth area. For instance It was predicted there will be 750,000 computer science jobs to fill by 2017, – but just 50,000 computer science students graduated in 2014. If you were in the computer science field you would know that there is massive opportunity for growth. Train yourself Once you have found a shortage area within your occupation, you need to invest in training yourself. You don’t need to wait for your organisation to send you on training; find a way to fund it. Take a class to improve your confidence and self-esteem. This will give you the courage to apply for better jobs that will improve your worth. Getting self-development classes for yourself may be something that you need to invest in. Niche Down Find a small niche area and become a master within it to remain relevant. Separate yourself from the crowd by developing an in-depth knowledge of that area that you become the ‘go to’ person; really invest your time and effort in doing this. Keep up with the digital age Keeping up with the times in the digital sector is very vital especially knowing that so much is done via social media and online marketing. Knowing how to compete in this arena would be advantageous to you. Learn how to use virtual technology and also the technological gadgets that relate to your career as much as you can. Improve your social media skills and interpersonal skills as these will always be relevant. Maintain a Network of Like Minded People Have a network of people that you can work with. These people will be central to you remaining current and progressing within your career. Be relevant in your work place Take an interest in what is going on in your work place. Make yourself irreplaceable because of the value that you add to the organisation. Look for ideas that add to your organisation, make useful proposals maintain good work ethics. Constantly update your CV Keep updating your CV: Take your time to build it carefully, so that no vital information is missing and all your achievements are clearly highlighted ; this will enhance your career goals and future career prospects. Develop an entrepreneurial mind-set Begin to think about creating a job for yourself; your own business that you can fall back on when you retire. It could be a small aspect of your current career that you choose to concentrate on and build up or something entirely different. You can start to do this on a part time basis and generate extra income for yourself as well. Nuggets Invest in constantly training/re-training yourself and you will not be irrelevant Make yourself indispensable at work by providing unrivalled value. For more information please check out my books: Career Nuggets: Undeniable Secrets for Career Success Career Nuggets: Bitesize Tips for Your Career Progression You can also watch The Career Nuggets TV show, my Flagship Career program. See Show times here.
Annual Ball 2018 – the Highlights
The career nuggets ball is quickly becoming the premier networking event for the black and ethnic minority community in the UK. Here are some highlights of the 2018 Career Nuggets Annual Ball held on the 1st of December 2018. But first, save the date for 2019: The CNBALL2019 will be on the 7th of December 2019. Venue is the Hilton Hotel, Canary Wharf. Block the date in your calendar and get your ticket as soon as they are available. There is a limit to the number of tickets and they do sell out fast! And now the highlights… Arrival and cocktails: The guests were greeted by our hostesses, who signed them in with wrist tag and handed each guest their materials. Networking game We started with a networking game – People Bingo. After being served cocktails, Each person had to fill out their bingo card with names of any of the guests they could find that fitted the careers on the card. Needless to say, you would have to strike up a conversation with many different people to fill up your card. This was a great ice breaker and by the time we all proceeded into the hall for the main event there was a pleasant buzz of conversations happening all over the venue. Our emcee of the day was Wale Gates and he was on hand to introduce the various activities of the night starting with a prayer by __________ The welcome address Morenike spoke briefly on the past year of Career Nuggets activities as well as on the theme of the night which was “securing our financial future”. She spoke about making investments, getting proper advice on things like insurance and taxes. The main point was that we all need to be thinking long-term when it comes to our financial wellbeing. The games continued with musical chairs. Participation was by the guests who were lucky (unlucky?!?) enough to find a golden envelope under their seat. Testimonials and presentations. Representatives of NFA gave a presentation on fostering with a word from one of their success stories. There was a lot of interaction and many took the microphone to contribute, inspire and educate. Table discussions. Each table was given a question/problem scenario to discuss among themselves. this was a great way to keep the conversations going and to enable everyone make the most of the networking opportunities. The Panel of Experts We had short presentations from our panel of experts. Femi Dada from wbx group spoke on taxation, Tunde Sodeinde of Marketing ministers talked about creating extra streams of income by starting a side business. Yemi of Engage Transform talked about mid to senior level recruitment while ______ spoke on long-term financial planning. The Food The cocktails, canapés and the 3 course meal were served by Favour Catering and events and it was a crowd-pleaser. The Raffle Draw The Sponsors We were only able to pull off such a magnificent event through the help of our sponsors and our organising team. We appreciate you! Dance dance dance. By popular demand we had a dance floor this year and we made sure we had time to really let down our hair and dance. With music was supplied by DJ Abass. we had a wonderful time – yes, we even did the electric slide. Exhibitors: We had an excellent showcase of exhibitors adding colour to the event. They included Celario, Beautiful Hampers, MOS Beauty, Cream Dreams Cakes, Ayamashe and _____________ The Team We would like to thank the hostesses, organisers, caterer, exhibitors, sponsors and of course our guests for making the night an extra special one and a great start to the Christmas season. Enjoy the rest of the pictures here and do share with your friends and colleagues. Finally, save the date for 7th December 2019!
Make Yourself Visible
You were not meant to be hidden. Make yourself visible. This has been my battlecry. Make yourself known. Work with excellence but let yourself be seen also. Whether at work or even on the internet – always say who you are. Always put your best foot forward. Communicate your value. Say what you have to offer. If you have a skill, say it and show it. The events of the last few weeks made me realise this even more. It started when I got a phone call from Nigeria. The voice at the other end said something about representing a top government agency in Nigeria. What?!?? My first thought was that it was a scam or crank call. Ever since I lost my parents many years ago, I don’t have much family and absolutely no “connections” in Nigeria. None. So I can be forgiven for thinking it was a crank call. It made no sense that someone was calling me to ask me to run a leadership training for a group of female executives and top women government officials. When the organiser flew into the UK to meet me, I quickly realised this was no scam. We sprang into action and organised the trainers, the venue – University of Greenwich – materials, gifts and more (special thanks to Sarah my event planner). So that was the highlight of last month. We ran a leadership training for Women in business and Government and the event was a great success. I am still totally in awe of the fact that I had been sought out to provide this service. In the events that followed, I think the reality finally hit me when I saw the convoy of diplomatic cars pull up at the University of Greenwich. It was an extremely humbling experience. Was it God’s intervention? or was I found because I was visible? Both perhaps? I have my own thoughts but you be the judge. Being visible in my case is attending events, volunteering and serving in committees, speaking at events, keeping my LinkedIn profile updated, running the career nuggets blog, producing a career TV show, publishing a book, organising events, developing networks intentionally and so on. That’s me. For you it may be similar or completely different. It may be as simple at speaking up in a business meeting, serving in your community, updating your Linkedin Profile or attending a party. You never know who has their eye on you. You never know who will notice. You never know who is watching. It was an amazing experience and I learnt so much from it. I shared the rest of the lessons with my accountability group. However, here is the summary: – Trust God in every situation – Be consistent – Stay focussed – Believe in yourself – Dream big – Stay accountable – Work on your networks – Let excellence be your motto – Be visible – support others Attend the Career Nuggets Annual ball on 1 December, you’ll never know who you’ll meet.
Meet Your Mentor 2018 – The Highlights
Photo credits to Femi Odelusi of FemOdel Photography. You were created to RISE. To grow. To blossom. To always move to the next level. It is an essential part of the human experience. From the cradle to the grave, we continue to grow and evolve. This is no different for us as people of colour. Sometimes in our bid to grow and excel, we try to skip steps or take shortcuts or worst of all, we get confused and stuck. This is why Career nuggets was formed. Not just to inspire and encourage but to also guide and support. At the 2018 Meet Your Mentor event, we were able to do all of these things – Guide, Support, Inspire and encourage. For some of us, simply being there was inspiration enough – the energy, the buzz of the atmosphere and being in close proximity to like minded people – all on the same mission of moving to their next level – that was inspiring… The Theme of the event was “Visibility in the Marketplace”. Our keynote speaker Anna Baird spoke on Your Digital DNA and gave practical steps on how to create an online presence for ourselves as professionals. Another speaker was Charles Oham from the University of Greenwich. (pictured left below). He explained why it was important to adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset at every stage of our careers. He also emphasised the value of connections and collaboration as a career growth strategy. Jacqui from Robertson Bell, a top recruitment firm, gave a talk with very insightful practical job search and interview tips. Our sponsors and exhibitors were on hand to provide Information, advice and opportunities such as: He Reigns Healthcare – who provide training, apprenticeships and work opportunities for people in the healthcare profession. Tritek Consulting – who provide online and onsite training and work experience in project management and business analysis. Testing Academy – who train individuals in software testing and also provide them work opportunities after training. This project would not have gone forward without our sponsors and exhibitors. Many of whom have supported us for years. We owe them a debt of gratitude and appreciation for their support. Career Nuggets, my Book was on show, sporting a brand new cover. Our line-up of panelists featured the brightest and the best from different sectors and organisations – both career professionals and entrepreneurs. They answered questions and each told their own stories of growth, success and failure. It was extremely informative and inspiring. Morenike Ajayi, the founder of Career Nuggets spoke on Your next Level… … and shared several success stories, statistics and testimonials from last year’s MYM event. Supported as always by husband Kenny Ajayi, who was both compere and coordinator. Our mentors all volunteered their time to be matched with suitable and willing mentees. They are committed to work with their mentees for up to 6 months. Their first sessions followed shortly after the seminar in the break out sessions. The mentors met their mentees – there were face to face introductions, setting out of agendas and discovering individual needs. The individuals who worked behind the scenes are too numerous to mention by name. They brought their passion, experience, resources, and drive to make sure that Meet Your Mentor 2018 event ran without a hitch. We are truly grateful for their selfless service. All in all, a wonderful time was had by all, including several young people. Akinyemi Adeshina of Saltlight Group provided video coverage including the following video highlights. Find him on instagram @saltlightgroup Photo Credits: Femi Odelusi of FemOdel Photography, a great friend, supporter and talented photographer covered all the photography and headshots at the event. You can find him on instagram at @femodel.photography Enjoy some more of Femi’s pictures below.