A Nigerian X (Twitter) user shares her story on how she rejected a well-paying 9 – 5 job in Lagos Island. The user whose name is Amaka with the user handle @TweetsByAmaka explained how she got the job and what influenced her decision into rejecting the job offer.
According to Amaka, the event happened last year, 2023, while she was still a corp member. A family told her about the company which needed corp members with a 90% chance of being retained after her service year. She was excited to apply but later changed her mind after she was offered the job.
She explained that the stress of getting to the organization and back influenced her decision to reject the employment. She was then living on the mainland while the organization was based on the Island and it wasn’t an easy journey to and fro.
Here’s her full story:
The best decision I made last year was rejecting a well-paying 9 to 5 job on the island.
Last year, while I was serving, I applied to a company in Lagos that was in need of Corp members. A family friend who had recently resigned from the company for a better position elsewhere told me about it. He assured me of their excellent career prospects and mentioned that 60% of their staff were recruited from Corp members, with a 90% chance of retention after service.
I saw this as my golden opportunity to settle in the almighty Lagos and secure a job immediately after NYSC. I applied and, after the first online interview, was called for a second-stage interview at their office.
On the interview day, I dressed up and headed to the island from the mainland. It was my first time crossing to the island from the mainland. I was thrilled by the view on the 3rd mainland bridge and also scared at the speed of the cars. While I was wondering why they were so in a hurry, something caught my attention: all the passengers on the public transport were sleeping, even in the Serena I was in. I thought, “At this time of the day?” Mind you, I left the house as early as 5:30AM, as I was advised to leave that early to make it to my 9 AM interview on time. I was staying in Gbagada with my sister’s brother-in-law’s family.
The company’s office was around Admiralty Way, Lekki. As a novice, I kept reminding the driver where I was going to drop off, and luckily for me, he was nice even though I forgot to take my change. He dropped me just in front of Evercare Hospital, showing me where to get a cab directly to the office.
I arrived at the office just in time for the interview, and we were interviewed by three different people. The last interviewer was the manager who wasn’t in the office, so we had to wait from morning until around 3 PM before he showed up. He apologized and called us in one after another for the final stage. By the time we were done, it was already the end of the workday, and I was tired and hungry.
I was thinking about how to get home when one of the interviewers asked where the other Corp member and I were headed. Luckily, she was also going to the mainland, so she gave us a lift.
By the time I got to Gbagada, I was extremely exhausted. I was close to fainting. I sat down on the parlour floor as if I was lifeless. My host and his wife almost died laughing, just looking at me. He asked his first daughter to give me a bottle of chilled Smirnoff Ice and told me, “Welcome to Lagos.”
I got the offer letter and was told to resume immediately. I went to the cyber café to print all the documents I needed to sign and make copies, even my medical fitness. While printing those documents, I started asking myself, “Amaka, is this the life you want to live?”
I got a lift down to Gbagada, and I was this tired—imagine what would have happened if I had taken regular cabs. Maybe I would have actually fainted. It was at that moment that I understood why everyone was sleeping that early morning. Coupled with the fact that I needed to find a place to stay because I was squatting after just leaving camp, I didn’t need anyone to advise me. I jejely sent them an email saying I wouldn’t be resuming. Omo, they no gree.
They even sent the other Corp member to convince me to take the role because we were both offered employment. I no still gree. I want to live long. Immediately after service, I ran back to PH biko. I can not come and k I l l myself.
Currently, I’m not doing bad, and I’m grateful to God for that. The family friend who got me the link wasn’t happy with the decision, but omo, I know myself I fittn’t can abeg. See my struggling with ulcers just after spending a few months in Lagos.
