"AT FIRST, I UNDERESTIMATED THE TRAINING, BUT THE CLASSES CHANGED MY MIND"- Alumnus, Anthony Aliduh

Anthony Aliduh had high expectations coming into the training. He has always been passionate about growth and personal development and when he was presented with the opportunity to learn something new, he was excited about it.

He participated in the Calabar training and when we asked if his expectations changed when he joined the training, Anthony was excited to share, 

"NO! As a matter of fact, I underestimated the whole thing. Everyone I referred to the programme, gave me the same feedback too. 

Initially, I had fears; how am I going to spend 9 hours sitting in the classroom to receive lectures? because after my traumatic experience in the university where I barely graduated with a very poor result because I couldn't keep up, I made up my mind; "you see this school of a thing? avoid me henceforth 

". However, when the training started, it got more interesting and I couldn't wait for each day of training. It was a great experience for me."

Although he had no formal job shadow experience during the training, Anthony used online learning platforms to improve his web development skills daily.

He was really interested in freelancing at this time and the training had prepared him on how to ace interviews and write a compelling CV, so after the training, he started applying for jobs on Upwork,

"After just 3 days of reactivating my Upwork account, I got lots of invitations to collaborate internationally. However, I chose my current employer (despite the lower pay) because I feel their long-term goals even as a startup, align with mine, and I have the opportunity to grow too."

Currently, he is employed at The 7D Affiliates LTD - a remote-based digital marketing company and also as a freelance PHP/Laravel developer taking up projects whenever one comes.

He also shared what he loves about his job, "The fact that I can make money while doing what I love most!, the freedom I enjoy while working when I want, where I want means a lot to me and it has been evident in my high commitment levels.

Another reason I'm in love with my job is the wonderful and forward-thinking team I work with."

Anthony highlighted the skills he learned during the training that he continues to apply on the job, " As a freelancer, everything I learned, was very important. However, the most important of them remain problem-solving, managing expectations, teamwork, time management and effective communication because these are what drive the team."

Anthony is earning better financially and is happy he can contribute to his family, "I'm from a very poor home so it's a great relief, that I am who I am today. My mum and one of my elder brothers have always wondered how possible it is to make clean money from the comfort of my home, without dressing in a suit and tie, until they saw the evidence. 

My Dad still has his doubts shaa and still advises me to shun any form of fraud 

"

Anthony's dream job is one that allows him to solve problems in society and would also give him the freedom to build the life that he desires while taking care of his family and needs. 

When we asked him to give a piece of advice to job seekers, he had this to say; "Invest in personal development. Money shouldn't be the focus when starting out (I mean, money is important, but it shouldn't be your focus) when you become a person of value, prospective employers see you as an asset."