Are You an Aspiring Member of #Suit&Tie Twitter? Here’s How to Be the Perfect Subject Matter Expert the Nigerian Way

Thanks to technology and the digitalisation that has swept through (this part of) the world, the workforce paradigm has shifted from being just certificate-based to skill-based. This means that we now live in a society where acquiring digital skills is very important if you want to scale in your career. It doesn’t end there. You also have to be vocal online, offer value, invest in personal branding, and network to gain the recognition you deserve.

One thing about acquiring skills, in Nigeria, is that you have a lot of people who are willing to teach you how to do this or how to do that. If you open your social media pages, you will see a lot of people claiming to be experts and organising one event or another on how you too can become a guru like them.

We live in a country where everybody is now an expert in his/her field, you too can be a part of the geng. We have these awesome tips for you. Let’s do it the Nigerian way:

Carve your niche

In Nigeria, you can be an expert on anything. However, you have to pick one or two. All you have to do is think of what you like doing or what you have passion for and voila! You’re now an expert. So, do you like making nails? You can become a nail expert. Is Twitter your favourite app? Nothing stops you from becoming a Twitter expert – otherwise known as influenza. Are you good at boiling water or making noodles? There you have it… Noodles expert! The idea is to convince people that you know your onions and you can teach them.

 

Have little knowledge

To be an expert, you don’t have to know so much –  just the basics. With time, you can easily wing it as you go. In order to pull this stunt of winging it, you have to make Google or YouTube your friend. So when someone asks you a question you don’t have an answer to, you can easily search for the answer.

Fun fact: A lot of people are too lazy to source for information themselves, so your secret is safe. ?

 

Aspire To Perspire

Look, you cannot be an expert if you are not a good orator. How will you convince people that you are the best person for the job? You have to be able to inspire them to aspire to get to the level you are, so they can pay you to help them acquire your skill(s) and level of expertise.

 

Create a LinkedIn Profile

An expert with no LinkedIn account? Couldn’t be us. One of the ways to recognise some Nigerian experts is through their LinkedIn account. The first to note is the peng picture where they are standing, bone-faced, their arms folded at their chest region. Then their bio will have keywords like ‘strategists’, ‘professionals’, ‘consultants’ ‘proven track records’, ‘expertise’. Once you can achieve these two – peng photo, ghen ghen bio – you are already on your way to being an expert.

Social Media Presence Popping

What do they say about personal branding? The way you present yourself is the way you will be addressed. To be an expert in Nigeria is to be intentional about your brand, the kind of pictures you take, and the kind of publicity you give yourself. Want to be an expert? Have a sound social media presence. Let people know you. Become popular. Across your social media pages, dish out inspirational quotes, career tips, news of people who have done amazing things in their career and let people know you can take them to the next level.

Masterclass, Webinar Loading

Masterclasses, webinars, WhatsApp and Telegram community are the latest things in town. If you are not doing any of these, you’re not an expert yet. Nigerian experts love to organise masterclasses, seminars, and webinars. The good thing about them is that they don’t do this for money, they are so passionate about helping young people scale through in their career – and every other aspect of their lives. That is why these masterclasses, seminars, and webinars are usually free. That is also why the information they share are things you cannot get anywhere else in the world. You can’t learn this on Google! I’m the best at what I do, Geng!

Network, Network, Network

If my friend is an expert, then I am an expert too. You don’t have to know so much, just be in the right circle and let your friends push your hustle. Being an expert means knowing the right person in your field. Do you know how to make Semo well and you want to be regarded as an expert in Semo making? You have to know – and befriend – someone who is publicly regarded as an expert in Semo making. This ‘expert’ will constantly give you a shout-out, you’ll have several collaborations and be a part of an inner circle. It doesn’t matter if your Semo has tiny lumps in them, your networking will open the ‘expert doors’ for you.

Have a tribe

A tribe is a group of like-minded people who have access to exclusive information on how to make it in life. If you don’t own a tribe, you have to return your ‘expert badge’. To be an expert, you have to have your own tribe. Your own tiwa n tiwa. These people will pay a monthly subscription fee – that is not expensive at all, they will then have exclusive information, tips. They will be able to network and have special connections. If you don’t have a tribe, you can’t sit with experts.

Ready to be an expert? Follow these tips and you’re good to go.