Beyond the CV: The Things I’m Learning That School Didn’t Teach Me.

 For Aminat Shittu, a Tribe Leader at Tribe Amara, graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University felt like the beginning of a straightforward journey into the professional world. She had the academic credentials, the confidence, and the determination to take on whatever came next. But stepping into the world of work taught her something school could not: knowing what to do is not always the same as knowing how to navigate the spaces where you have to do it.

Through Inspire Her Afrika, Aminat is learning to be more intentional about her career, manage her commitments, navigate professional spaces, and understand that building a career is not about trying to be everywhere at once.

What is one thing about navigating your career that school never prepared you for?

I have always prided myself on being a top-notch early-career starter who would take on the world whenever and however I wanted to. Why? I graduated from the best ‘Oba Awon University’, OAU. I always thought my time in school had already prepared me to become the best among my peers, ace interviews, and show the world what I was made of. The truth and reality couldn’t be further apart. Yes, I graduated from one of the best universities in Nigeria. However, I still wasn’t much different from my peers from institutions of the same calibre. While my knowledge of what was expected to enter professional spaces was top-notch, navigating those spaces was the real question, whose answer kept lurking until I stumbled upon the IHA Mentorship Programme.

Early-career starters can be compared to young seedlings needing adequate sunlight, water, pruning, weeding, and delicate attention to bloom, lest they wither before they are able to flourish. I never knew that you didn’t need to be everywhere as an early-career starter, but rather be intentional about your path and then research the necessities to get there.

What professional skill have you developed through IHA that you didn’t realise you needed?

I thought being able to juggle several commitments was what I needed, a trait that had been imbued in me since my school days. So, fresh out of school, I wanted to juggle multiple things, hoping one would stick and then make everything better.

Time management was also one of those things I thought I had mastered until reality dawned and the checks needed balancing. I began to realise that being busy is not necessarily the same as being productive. Sometimes, the more important skill is knowing what deserves your attention and being intentional about where you put your energy.

How has IHA changed the way you see yourself professionally?

After an intense introverted phase, the community of young women seeking answers about their career paths not only drew me out of my shell but also motivated me to keep striving.

Being surrounded by women who were also learning, asking questions, and figuring out their own paths reminded me that I did not have to have everything figured out at once. IHA has also taught me lessons I could not have learnt simply by graduating from university. The programme has provided several mastery sessions on imposter syndrome, moving beyond the first role, and entrepreneurship, among other topics. These sessions have helped me think beyond simply getting a job. They have encouraged me to think about how I show up, how I grow, and how I intentionally build the professional life I want.

What are you learning about building a career beyond what is written on your CV?

I am learning that a CV can show what you have done, but it cannot tell the whole story of who you are becoming. Academic achievements and qualifications matter, but they are only part of navigating the professional world. You also need to understand yourself, communicate effectively, build relationships, manage your time, and be intentional about the direction you want your career to take. I am learning not to confuse doing more with moving forward.

Sometimes, growth means saying no to things that do not align with your path. Sometimes, it means slowing down enough to understand what you actually want. And sometimes, it means stepping outside your comfort zone and allowing yourself to be seen.

What is one thing you wish more young African women were taught before entering the professional world?

I wish more young African women were taught that graduating from university is not the end of learning.

There is so much to learn once you enter professional spaces, things that may never appear in a lecture hall or on an examination paper. You have to learn how to navigate people, opportunities, expectations, uncertainty, and even yourself. I am still learning these things myself. But perhaps that is the point. I entered IHA thinking I needed to prove that I was already prepared for the professional world. I am leaving the experience with a better understanding that preparation is not a destination. There is always more to learn, more to unlearn, and more room to grow.

And beyond the CV, I am learning how to become the professional and the woman I want to be.