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Kààkàkì: My Career Journey; A story of Growth and Lessons learned from my Salary path.

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Kaakaki

Hi, Goal-getters. It’s Duke again.

But guess what? We’re doing things differently today.

For those who are new to this page, let me re-introduce myself;

I’m Fikayomi Duke, your friendly neighborhood content writer, a charming, young, handsome African man, and a dreamer with an insatiable drive for growth and new experiences.

Case in point >>>>

An image of a young black man ( Fikayomi Duke Famakinwa).

Fikayomi Duke Famakinwa

Gather ’round as I share my career experiences, especially regarding my salary path.

As I dig into this part of my career journey, I’ll share the adventures that molded me in different stages. This’ll also contain the issues I faced and the useful wisdom I garnered along the way.

Hopefully, you can learn a thing or three from my story.

Let’s get on with it.

The Beginning: The First Step in the Salary Path and my career journey

Picture this: a wide-eyed university graduate with a degree and drive to conquer freelancing.

Oh, the dreams I had and the mansions in the air I built! I couldn’t wait to put my acquired

certificate and skill to use, ready to make an impact with my innovative ideas.

But reality hit harder than Mohammed Ali’s power punch. The job market was somewhat of a

maze, and I faced everything possible.

An image of a palm holding 3 coins.

Pennies!!

My first salary? 😂😭 Let’s not even call that a salary. I’d like to call it a low-level quest

reward. (Ugh, flashbacks😭😭)

Okay, but I carried on, working like an elephant. Every hero has to start somewhere, yeah?

Early Lessons: Challenges and Opportunities

I remember facing several other issues back then. I got used to rejections so much that I

expected them on every job application I sent.

Tragic Tragic!!!

It took a while, but I saw the need for a growth mindset. I learned to focus on learning from

my mistakes rather than sulking.

I started networking with colleagues and searching for my Sensei. Oh dear, you’d be so

surprised by the many hidden treasures in effective networking. Imagine being pitched for

high-level opportunities in your absence simply because you connected with the right

person.

A wise person once said; the 9th wonder of the world after “Compound interest” is “Networking”.

(Yes, it’s me… I’m very wise, thank you).😂🤣

In the end, what’s an adventure without allies?

Climbing the Ladder: Moving Up in My Career

With time and more experience, I realized my purpose was greater. To be more impactful, I

found better opportunities with better stacks. 💸🤑

Around this time, I’d just completed a negotiation course at the University of Michigan. I put

the newly acquired skills to good use and negotiated my worth. At every career milestone,

my value increased, and so did my negotiation power.

An image of a hand saying no to another set of hansa holding a clipboard.

Salary Negotiations

Hills and Valleys: The Daunting Salary Fluctuations

Don’t be deceived! It’s never all highs. There are the highs, lows, and the in-betweens.

Besides the jubilations after a successful salary increase, I also recall salary stagnation.

Sigh, I remember leaving an organization due to restructuring and working for another

company that offered less remuneration. I took it anyway cause I needed the job.

The Turning Point: Seeking Career Growth Beyond Money

As I got deeper into my career journey, I reached a turning point. I realized that the quest for gold

wasn’t my only motivation. I wanted more – the savory taste of job satisfaction and personal

growth. My eyes opened to a world beyond finance figures, and I began gaining wisdom.

I realized that continuous learning is a powerful asset. With this, I treated every experience as a stepping stone to becoming part of the top 1% in the writing industry.

Paying It Forward

An image of a white paper note with lessons learned scribbled on it.

Lesson Learned

As my story unfolds, I find joy in inspiring others to chase their dreams. I now enjoy sharing my story and advising others to embark on their own salary path with confidence and grit.

Today, I stand at the present and future crossroads, grateful for every step of the journey.

But I’m not done yet! I’m focusing my sights on new horizons, fueled by the passion to

grow and learn without bounds. A true adventurer never settles for mediocrity.

My final thoughts

As my mini adventure ends temporarily, I hope you snatched the big balls of inspiration in

your mind. Embrace the journey of growth, my dear friends, for every challenge and triumph

will shape you into the pro you want to be.

Remember, it’s not always about the salary involved. (Well, yes, we do need to sort many

bills). Yet, you should focus more on learning, overcoming obstacles, and finding your true

potential. But if money is still your paramount motivator, learn how to negotiate to get what you’re worth… and more.

If you want more beautiful content like this, feel free to follow our blog post. You can also

subscribe to our email to be among the first to see my next post.🤭

Fair winds and happy trails, fellow goal-getters! Until we meet again.💎

_________________________________

An image of the Author.

Fikayomi Duke Famakinwa

Meet Duke, a creative and results-driven copywriter and content writer passionate about bringing brands to life through words. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Duke has been helping businesses of all sizes reach their target audiences and achieve their marketing goals for over half a decade.

When Duke isn’t busy crafting compelling content or developing effective marketing strategies, you can find him indulging in his love of all things food-related, exploring the great outdoors, or snuggling up with a good book and a cup of tea—Duke’s versatile skill set, allows him to tackle any project confidently and creatively.
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