‘Dear Young Professional’ Written to Inspire Youths on Mindset of Excellent Stewardship –Soname

By Adejuwon OSUNNUYI 

 

 

Given the changes since the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, to address the challenges faced by young graduates in remaining fulfilled and relevant at their work places, a book authored by a young Management Consultant and Corporate Trainer, Christina Soname, titled ‘Dear Young Professional’, has been unveiled in Lagos.

 

The book, Dear Young Professional, is a 128 pages fictionally storified book which looks at the real stories of real professionals in the workplace, drawing out practical insights to help young professionals navigate the world of work and experience accelerated career growth.

 

Described as ‘a book we all should have read when starting our careers’, by one of the reviewers, using the story of three fictional characters, the Dear Young Professional, highlights practical insights for building a successful career within the shortest possible time.

 

Speaking at a press briefing at the weekend, Soname said she was inspired to write the book in order to inspire young professionals embrace the dignity of labour and commit to a culture of excellent stewardship in their personal and professional lives.

 

“There is dignity in labour. Young professionals should know that working is not punishment. You must enjoy whatever you find yourself doing.”

 

“The world of work is rapidly evolving, no doubt. It is becoming less about carrying out tasks and duties and more about solving problems. The need to be efficient with resources, including human resources, has become more amplified than ever before.”

 

According to the 27 year-old First-class graduate of Economics from Babcock University, she firmly believes that the quality of work delivered by young professionals will fuel the economic growth and empowerment of enterprises across Africa.

 

Shedding more light on the first chapter of the book, which differentiates between a job and a career, Soname said; “Young Professionals should not hustle or dabble with their career. It is not all about the “benjis”; it is not all about the money. They must build their career – and for that, they need a career plan and path.”

 

“Talking about the difference between a job and a career, in summary, building a career is synonymous with going on a journey towards a destination you have envisioned. As you move closer, the endpoint keeps getting clearer. What makes it a career path is not that it is a straight-line journey, but that it is a continuous journey towards a specific destination. The first and most important question professionals should ask and keep asking themselves is “What do I want?”, or “What destination do I want to arrive at in my career?” When you know what you want, you are able to identify how your personal career goals align with the corporate goals of the division/organization you work in. Identifying how these two goals align is a source of self-motivation.”

 

“Young professionals must know that their career journey is not just a movie. It is a series with sequential “seasons”. For some, the seasons occur in a simple, progressive manner. For others, it could occur in multiple cycles. What is most important is to recognize the season you are and make the most of it. The Four seasons professionals experience in their career journey are – the Apprentice, the Experienced, the Master, and the Authority. Each of these seasons is described in detail in the book. It includes a description of their peculiarities and the most important things to give attention to in each season,” she submitted.

Married to her best friend, Mr. Oluwagbemiga Soname, Christina, a former employee of KPMG, heads the consulting team at LYD Consulting Limited, a fast-rising firm of Management Consultants and Corporate Trainers.

 

She is responsible for coordinating consulting and training engagements for clients across industries, including major banks in Nigeria. Christina has designed and deployed training interventions for organizations like Google, Lagos Business School, GTBank, First Bank, Union Bank, Stanbic Pension Managers, amongst other corporates.

 

Christina is an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, an Associate member of the Learning and Development Network International, and a Fellow of the International Management Consultants Certification Board. Christina is also a member of the internationally renowned John Maxwell Team.

 

 

Asides her core function as a consultant, Christina is hosted as a speaker at workshops and conferences, and she enjoys compering formal and semi-formal events.

 

The book can be purchased from any of the following platforms/locations

 

1. www.christinasoname.com

 

2. Amazon

 

3. Jumia

 

4. Roving heights bookstore – Surulere, Lagos and Wuse 2, Abuja

 

5. CIBN bookstore, Adeola Hopewell street, Victoria Island

 

6. Players and Readers bookstore, Magodo phase 2