Hi Star!
It’s been a while since I last wrote about the series; Episode 5, and to be honest, I haven’t continued because my life has been rather monotonous for the past month. My days have become a cycle of sameness, filled with repetition and an attempt to hide indoors amidst everything that’s been happening. I would genuinely love to hear what you’ve been up to since my last entry in this series. Perhaps, if I read your thoughts on life lately, it might make me feel better about my current situation.
Starting Out
Do you remember when I mentioned that I had completed my internal defence and given myself three weeks before starting on the corrections? It’s been 45 days since my defence, and I still can’t say I’m enjoying my postgraduate studies at a Nigerian federal university. During this time, I’ve been chasing people for signatures because submitting the required external documents involves getting several signatures. It wasn’t until this Friday that I managed to secure three signatures, and I now have only two left. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can get those signatures done before the end of this week, as I plan to travel back home. I’m exhausted from hiding in my current state. Perhaps, seeing my parents and helping out in their factory or shop will lift my spirits.
Table of Contents
At the moment, I find myself in a financial situation that I’m not happy with. I’ve been applying for jobs since June, and unfortunately, nothing has worked out for me so far. Given the challenges that have been happening lately, I’m surprised that I’m still holding on. Another thing I can’t wrap my head around is how some people don’t want to believe that I’m facing financial difficulties, even when I rarely complain about it.
Week in Review
Academic and School
Oh, dear, where should I start? School is not for the faint of heart, especially when it comes to studying at a Nigerian federal university. I truly miss my time at a private university when I didn’t have to run around trying to find someone to sign a document for me. Back then, I didn’t have to come to school only to discover that there was a cancellation of a meeting or a lecture.
Yeah, you might have guessed, but after I completed my internal defence, submitting the documents for external defence required a specific set of documents, and each one needed to be signed. Can you believe that I’ve spent both time and money ensuring I make the necessary payments and obtain those signatures? The most frustrating part is that no one informed me about these requirements until I asked some friends from another department.
I presented a paper at a conference and received a journal rejection after waiting for a good six months. Can you believe it? It’s so frustrating to receive a rejection after such a long wait – who does that? As for the conference, I’m still waiting for the certification of attendance and the proceedings, whether it’s the abstract or the full article. This is another reason why I’m becoming disillusioned with working in Nigeria. If you promise to send something within a specific time frame, please follow through, and if you can’t, at least update everyone involved. Don’t leave us guessing and feeling neglected.
Novellisteer
I’m feeling a bit conflicted about how to make money with Novellisteer. Initially, it started as a way for me, an introverted and ambitious girl living in Nigeria, to write whenever inspiration struck. However, with the recent increase in the value of the dollar in the past few weeks, I’m finding it challenging to continue paying for web hosting in dollars. At the moment, I’m contemplating cost-cutting measures and considering switching to a web hosting service that allows me to pay in naira, which is my current income currency.
I’ve taken it upon myself to ensure Novellisteer stays alive, and I’ve come to realize that with the amount I’m investing in Novellisteer, it’s high time I start thinking about how to make money from it. I don’t want to place ads on my site, so I’m considering starting a stationery business, creating digital products, and hosting yearly physical events in Abuja. As for the digital products, I’ve already started, but I haven’t been working hard enough to promote them.
Visit Novellisteer Digital Product.
When it comes to being consistent with content on Novellisteer, I hate to admit that I haven’t been giving it much thought. While I do have quite a bit of free time, my financial situation is not allowing me to invest my time in Novellisteer, especially since it’s not generating any income for me. Do you think I should consider starting a ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ page? Perhaps those small donations could provide some help.
Mental and Physical Health
With the amount of stress I’ve been experiencing regarding my finances, I’m quite surprised that my mental health hasn’t taken a step back. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to maintain consistency with my 30-minute morning exercise routine as I’d like because I’m stressed out about finding a well-paying job.
I’ve been experiencing migraine symptoms for almost five days now, which is why I’m in a hurry to submit my external documents and go to my parent’s home. When these migraines start, it feels like someone is stabbing my eyes and head, and I’ll end up blaming myself. It’s not that I’m wishing harm on myself; I just understand my body better. Many people might find it strange, but it’s just how I experience it
If you are reading this, I am seeking a remote community manager position for a B2C company with a marketing team. Please check my portfolio.
Work
I had not been able to get any work either 9 to 5 or freelancing even though I had submitted over 50 applications via email, company career page, LinkedIn and Upwork. Was called for interviews and I am yet to receive any response from them which I am actually disappointed with as I really want to work as a community manager for this specific brand.
It’s really weird that I’m currently in school for cybersecurity, but I find myself more drawn to marketing and communication. Sometimes, I even hate myself for it. While I do have a love for cybersecurity, I can’t picture myself working a 9-to-5 job in that field. I’m too scared to let anyone know about this because it’s not the first time I’ve considered changing my career.
In my career, I’ve found myself at the intersection of cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, and marketing. As a result, I’ve split them into three different paths. Now, all I need are funds, so I’m currently on the lookout for grants. If you come across any, please share them with me.
Let me break them down for you:
- I want to build a brand for introverted and ambitious women, which is Novellisteer.
- I want to build a media company for cybersecurity as the goal is to create content.
- I want to build a product and service company focusing on insider threat and social engineering.
Additionally, I’m working on levelling up my IT skills by taking a course on Coursera. I’m also in the process of building a paid community for Novellisteer using the community management skills I’ve acquired over the months. I’ll be documenting these endeavours here as well.
Fun and Entertainment
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy leisure activities to the extent that I would prefer. Despite the release of numerous Asian dramas during this period, none of them caught my interest, and I haven’t found the motivation to pick up a book for reading either.”
Lesson Learned
One significant lesson I’ve learned is the importance of recognizing and embracing my own limitations, practising self-compassion, and understanding that pushing myself too hard in the face of adversity can have a detrimental impact on my overall well-being.
I’ve come to realize the significance of accepting my own boundaries and limitations in order to safeguard my mental and emotional well-being. It’s a vital reminder that it’s entirely okay to step back and take a break when needed, especially when external circumstances become overwhelming and seem beyond my control.
Want to find out more in a tiny bit as my day goes, follow Novellisteer on Twitter
Let Chat
- Have you ever faced a career crossroads or found yourself pulled in different directions as I have? How did you navigate it?
- What’s your favourite strategy for maintaining work-life balance and managing stress in challenging times?
- Have you ever had to switch career paths or explore a new passion? What motivated you to take the leap?