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BN Book Review: From Clueless to Success by Adedoyin Jaiyesimi | Review by Oluwadunsin Deinde-Sanya
For many young people, determining what to do with their lives can be a very daunting task. From choosing what career path to take, to what organization to work with, and what the next step is, navigating through the corporate world can be, urggh, exhausting!
From Clueless to Success, written by Adedoyin Jaiyesimi, mirrors the experiences of young people who have a lot of unanswered questions about who they are, what they want to be, and what they want to do with their lives. In this book, Adedoyin explores the intricacies of the corporate world, acknowledges the difficulties young people face in climbing its ladder and trying to eke a living, and gives useful tips that will help them discover their purpose in life.
What do you do when you have your future all planned out and then life pulls the rug from under your feet? For many people, they become disoriented, petrified, and clueless. That’s exactly what happened to Adedoyin when, with a law degree and an unfinished masters’ degree, she had to come back to Nigeria.
In the first section of the book, Adedoyin takes us through her journey as an IJGB who screamed “I don’t know what I want to do with my life!” during a mentoring chat. But in that same section, she moved from an HR Consulting firm where she was paid 20k every month, to becoming an intern at YNaija, then becoming a staff writer, a copy editor, to hawking magazines around the streets of Lagos.
For someone who studied law at the University of Leeds, finished with a distinction in law school, and was, at some point, doing a Master’s degree in Finance and Management at one of the prestigious universities in the UK, one would think Adedoyin would sail smoothly in the career world, right? Haha, life doesn’t work that way.
“There is a higher calling to your professional pursuit that goes beyond the money you earn, the title you have, and the organization you work with. That calling is impact. That calling is purpose. You must stand back and consider how what you do impacts the people around and beyond you. You must ask yourself, “What can I do to make a difference with the gift and skills that I have?”
In section two, Adedoyin describes herself as ‘the clueless professional’, one whose professional life was driven by money. But she would later discover something greater than money, and that is finding purpose. She yearned for more and there was an acute need to be someone better.
Finding one’s purpose is not all roses and candies. In fact, I dare say that it’s one of the most difficult phases of human existence. In From Clueless to Success, we see how Adedoyin swims through the murky waters of the corporate world – arms moving, heads up, fighting the voices in her head, and struggling to remain afloat. Within eight years, she moves from that clueless young lady to one who founded three companies at different times.
In From Clueless to Success, words of encouragement are weaved so beautifully that the readers begin to feel like they can have their lives all figured out. Adedoyin does not shy away from telling the readers about her failures and that, in itself, is a beautiful thing. We live in a world where success is glamourized and failure is condemned, yet, in this book, the author says: “hey, look, it isn’t so easy but you can do this.” Flipping through each page will make you feel like Adedoyin is your friend, like she knows exactly what you are going through and she is readily available to help you.
“I urge you to look beyond yourself as you go through your professional journey. There is a bigger picture that goes beyond what you currently do.”
Even though the book encourages us to pursue our careers and find fulfillment in our journey, the author still encourages us look beyond our noses and stretch ourselves.
From Clueless to Success is a story of hope, patience, and perseverance. In this book, Adedoyin’s emotions are raw, her words are compelling and satisfyingly honest. The author touched on other topical areas like trusting God throughout your life journey, having faith in yourself, and not being scared of diving into untested waters.
From Clueless to Success is one book I love very much. It’s very easy to read, relatable, and difficult to let go of once you start reading. Most importantly for me, it is not an aspire to perspire book; this is real life, real events, real people. As I savoured each page, I found myself being strengthened by her words, making new resolutions, and making better decisions. I finished the book feeling anew and refreshed.
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Photo Credit: Adedoyin Jaiyesimi/Instagram
