How a gatecrashed interview and a ₦49K job launched my journey to success
By Comr. Vincent Aluu PhD
Do you know why many people haven’t reached where they ought to be or landed their dream job? It’s because they want to start big. They want to be comfortable from day one. Worse still, they often surround themselves with people who do not push them forward.
When I finished university, I was about 25. I made an unusual decision: I delayed my NYSC to focus on job hunting. I remember gate crashing a job interview at UBA in Calabar. Yes, I wasn’t invited — I simply showed up. I had both a degree and a diploma in Public Administration. That day, I presented my diploma, not my degree.
Why? Because that diploma was born out of an earlier failure — I didn’t score high enough in JAMB to gain direct university admission. Rather than stay idle, I enrolled in a diploma program. That decision turned out to be a life saver.
I got the UBA job and worked there for 11 months. The pay was ₦49,000 — not much, but it was a start. Eventually, a better opportunity came calling: Fidelity Bank. This time, my degree was required. My salary tripled, and the benefits were much better.
I was living in a face me i face you at Ikot Ekpene road opposite former Airtel office by Food Affairs. The toilet was separate from.the building and i was cooking outside. I lived there for three years before moving to a two bedroom apartment.
Looking back, I often wonder: what if I had rejected the UBA job because it didn’t match my qualifications or expectations? What would have become of me? Would I have returned to the village to trade, like many young men from my region? Who knows?
That UBA job happened because of a big friend, Prince Godwin Ntukudeh, PhD, who spoke to the late Barr. Ben Udonwa, then UBA’s Regional Manager. My move to Fidelity Bank was also made possible by a friend — Obinna Okorie — who recommended me to the Area Manager.
Along the way, I kept developing myself — academically and otherwise. I’ve never lived extravagantly. I’ve always been conscious of my humble beginnings. Two years into working, I built my first house in the village and gave it to my parents.
I denied myself many luxuries. I heard about trending clothes, phones, and gadgets, but never chased them. I chose to develop myself first before enjoying the finer things in life — not mixing the two.
Over the years, I’ve earned:
- A Master’s Degree in Human Resources (Open University)
- A Master’s in Public Administration
- A Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism
- A Doctorate in Public Administration
- Certificate in Public Relations
- Certificate in Project Management
- Certificate in Social Media Marketing and E commerce
- Certificate in Effective Oral Communication and Writing
- Certificate in Research, Data Analysis and Documentation
- Certificate in Legislative Drafting
I’ve also taken countless trainings, courses, and skill-building programs. It’s been so long since I submitted a CV or attended a job interview — today, opportunities come to me.
And it all started with gate crashing an interview I wasn’t invited to — and accepting a job that paid me the least and didn’t match my full qualifications.
Today, I am more than qualified to hold positions across several fields.
My message?
Start small. Use what you have. Grow from where you are.
If you do nothing, you become nothing.
Looking back, accepting that UBA job — though far from my dream job — was one of the best decisions I ever made.
