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!
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.
“Meet Your Mentor” 2018 – Career Mentoring Seminar 16th June 2018
“You need to know how to strategically position Yourself for You to be head-hunted in the marketplace. No one will find You unless You make Yourself visible” – Morenike Ajayi, Career Nuggets BUY YOUR TICKET HERE Career Nuggets in Collaboration with University of Greenwich presents The “Meet Your Mentor” Seminar: A Career mentoring Seminar. Theme: “Positioning Yourself For Your Dream Job… being visible in the marketplace with Keynote Speaker: Anna Baird Anna is a Digital brand leader who among other accomplishments was the Professional Services Lead at LinkedIn (see details below) Get equipped, educated and enlightened on how to be Visible in the market place: Connect with potential mentors. Discover the next step to the next level of your career? Get Access to the right network for your career progression Meet and mingle with various senior professionals from diverse backgrounds. Learn how to enhance your online digital brand and presence Q & A panel discussion Break out sessions by industries Access to a CV expert Access to a professional head shot photographer Access to a bank of 40 mentors from various professional fields, including 7 successful entrepreneurs The Organiser: Morenike Ajayi is a senior finance executive and a broadcaster. Her passion is helping people within the black community to progress in their chosen careers. She is the founder of Career Nuggets www.careernuggets.tv and producer of Career Nuggets TV, a TV program where she shares useful tips on career development and progression. She firmly believes that many have the potential to advance in their careers, if given the right nurturing and mentoring and if they are bold enough to reach out for the right opportunities. Morenike Ajayi MBA, PRINCE2™ Practitioner, CPFA, B.Sc. (Hon) is a successful senior finance executive for a Housing Association. She has taken on several roles in her career, notably with Transport for London, Pricewaterhousecoopers and the Local Authority sector. Her broad career experience has enabled her to develop her area of expertise and learn from a range of versed managers and roles. A highly motivated professional, Morenike recognizes that there is more to career progression than just working hard and having great qualifications – soft skills and work ethics play a major role too. Morenike is a recipient of many prestigious awards in recognition for her work in the Black community. BUY YOUR TICKET HERE The Keynote: In the Keynote Session, Anna will share tools to enhance your online personal brand. She will deep dive into 5 topics: 1) Aesthetics of a profile 2) Engaging your network 3) Engaging your target audiences 4) Expertise branding 5) Putting your digital presence together Keynote Speaker Anna Baird’s Bio: Anna Baird is an accomplished digital brand leader and was the Professional Services lead at LinkedIn. She draws on her customer experience consulting and technology background. In the London community, gaining traction and notoriety around her startup advisory work, Anna has been featured Alumna for PwC, has sat on panels like the recent YFood Genius Panel, as well as other speaking engagements for her Professional Service clients and Non-Profit Committees including her recent keynote at the CodeFirstGirlsUK Conference in November 2017. Anna’s mission is to help shape the way people and companies go to market and successfully drive growth and opportunity. Dedicated Advisor to inploi , Anna guides the team on revenue generation and partnership development opportunities. Involved in startup advisory since arriving in London, Anna continues to apply her knowledge of brand strategy to next wave businesses evolving the way we live and work. She shares her experience in her recent posts Soup for the UK Soul: My Startup Speed-Dating Experience. This seminar will equip, educate and enlighten you on how you can position yourself and be Visible in the market place. For more information, email info@careernuggets.co.uk BUY YOUR TICKET HERE SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave
Highlights of the 2017 Christmas Ball
Reporting Live from the Purple Carpet… In December 2017 Career Nuggets hosted our Annual Christmas Ball at the beautiful Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. The purpose of the event was to provide inspiration and networking opportunities in an elegant black-tie event. We were privileged to host 195 people – the event was completely sold out and the venue was filled to capacity. We were pleased to see our guests turning out dressed in their finest attire. The men in black tie, tuxedos and evening wear The ladies in gorgeous evening gowns… The logistics and organisation was overseen by Faith of Deizi events The attendees were welcomed by our hostesses and this was the just the beginning of creating a great experience for each person. Great care was taken with all the details… from the warm welcome to the elegant place settings… and the surprise gift boxes that each person took home at the end of the evening. The event was hosted by the founder of Career Nuggets, Mrs Morenike Ajayi. Looking elegant and gorgeous in a silver bejewelled ball gown with hair and make-up immaculate. As ever, supported by her husband Dr. Kenny Ajayi The keynote speaker was Anthony J Osijo. He spoke with wisdom and wit with no-holds-barred advice that served as a reality check as well as to spur us on to greatness. Our Emcee was Sheun David-Onamusi, Personal Development Coach and CEO of Growing Luxury Brand Solemate by Dapper. He played a big part in creating a friendly ambience and seeing to the smooth running of proceedings. We kicked off the event with prayer … Followed by light entertainment… Dinner was a Four-course meal prepared by the in-house chef. The entrees, main course and dessert were enjoyed by all. We heard Testimonials from people that had benefited from the networking opportunities of the previous year’s event and ongoing career support events. These included reports of new jobs, internships and career progression. The auction was one of the exciting highlights of the night. Launching the Mentor Matching Program. One of the main events of the night was the launch of the mentor matching program. This is set up so that potential mentors can volunteer their services as mentors and be registered with Career Nuggets. Potential mentees are then able to contact Career Nuggets with their needs and aspirations and we then go on to match them with an appropriate mentor. Find out about the Mentor Program here. https://www.careernuggets.tv/mentor-program/ This scheme is facilitated by Mora and Ronke and they have worked hard to bring this vision to life. They are now set to start running the program taking it to the next level with the first intake of mentees. Use the contact form on the mentor program page for enquiries. And finally, a big thank you to Our exhibitors and sponsors who brought colour and variety to the night by showcasing their creativity, products and services. Some more Faces and Friends on The Purple Carpet. (Click to see the Gallery) SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave
2017 Christmas Ball – Theme: Inspired to Excel
(Event is now sold out.) I would like to formally invite you to our Career Nuggets Annual Ball taking place on 2nd December at Doubletree Hilton, Dartford. Time 5-11pm. It’s a night of inspiration, networking and fun. Most importantly by attending, you will be supporting our dream of helping people excel in the marketplace. I hope you will be able to attend with your friends. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/annual-christmas-ball-tickets-37260961539 You are invited to an evening of Inspiration, Networking and Fun. Our popular annual black-tie networking event is here again. Theme: Inspired to Excel Featuring: 4-Course Meal Fun and Games Free Raffle Draw Knowing me – Knowing you Your network is your net worth… Dress Code: Black tie and Elegant Evening Wear Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities: contact info@careernuggets.co.uk Tickets sell out fast. Book your spot now. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave
Highlights of the Meet Your Mentor Event
We recently concluded the Meet Your Mentor event and based on the feedback we got, it was a resounding success. Many attendees, both mentors and mentees described it as “inspiring”. Our keynote speaker was Dr. Jumoke Okoya She spoke with passion and eloquence as well as a warm humour. The event was made possible by our sponsors and exhibitors We had over 100 mentees… After the keynote speech, it was time to hear from our panel of five mentors. They shared nuggets of information as well as answering questions from the mentors. This was followed by the breakout sessions. Mentors were matched with mentees based on career goals and experience. The breakout sessions were designed to give mentess one on one time with the volunteer mentees. This one of a kind event was organised by Morenike Ajayi, founder of Career Nuggets. Supported by her husband and volunteer mentor, Kenny Ajayi … Morenike, taking a short break during the event… And not forgetting her team of volunteers… After the breakout sessions, it was back together for refreshments, photographs and networking including cutting Morenike’s birthday cake which she decided to share with attendees. Photo credits: www.momentstudios.co.uk instagram: @momentstudiosuk fb: @momentstudios More photos in the gallery below: SaveSave