Accelerate Your Career in the Age of Digital Disruption

Folake Adeniyi-Adeleye is an HR superstar disrupting the future of work by strategically aiding high-performing professionals and start-ups worldwide to achieve meaningful success. In addition to being the founder of Coachivate, she is also a certified Executive Coach, Life Coach and NLP Practitioner. Her experience as an international HR Leader spans over 20 years in multiple industries, including telecommunications, oil and gas, information technology, management consulting and strategic advisory.

In a truly inspirational masterclass, Folake imparted some of her invaluable career advice to Fellows in The ROOM – ALX's top tech talent community, sharing secrets to career success from her work with top executives. Here are our top 10 most impactful pieces of advice from the talk.

The Future is Now

“When you hear about the future of work, don’t think about 2025 or 2027. The most important thing to realise is that wherever you are in your career, the future of work is already upon us; it is here. Start mapping out your next steps towards the career you would like to build.”

Carve Out Your Path

“Careers are fluid in the age of disruption; we are constantly evolving. So when mapping out your career aspirations, begin with the end in mind and build from there, adjusting your plans where necessary as you advance.”

Authenticity is your Superpower

“Don’t be afraid to be authentic. Find yourself, love yourself, advocate for yourself and stretch yourself. Practise how you can present in ways that are true to who you are and pursue opportunities that align with that.”

Develop Your Brand

“Learn to articulate who you are — not just what you are about, but what you can do. As long as you can say what you help people do and the results you can help them get, you are on the right track. Have a personal brand statement that reflects how you wish to be perceived. Be very deliberate about how your personal and professional brands align.”

Invest In Your Growth

“Stay prepared. Building your career is a job in itself — take it seriously and do your research. Identify who your allies are. Find a coach or a mentor and keep your relationships intact.”

Your Network is Your Net Worth

“Leverage your network by placing yourself in the middle of the connections you are looking to build. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Be intentional about who you associate with. Utilise your social networks and LinkedIn to build these relationships.”

Let the Fear Fuel You

“Do it afraid. Do it with the butterflies in your stomach — that’s how you grow. Even if you fall, get back up again. Action in the midst of fear breeds confidence, not waiting until the fear is gone.”

Understand that Nothing is Perfect

“The grass is not always greener on the other side; you will face certain challenges everywhere. It is up to you to decide which challenges are worth it and which ones are not.”

Keep Learning

“Work, the workforce and the workplace are changing. Ask yourself how you fit in this new age of disruption and how you can leverage the tools available to you to develop your career.”

Don’t Stop

“Keep pushing forward; there is a place and a space for you!”

ALX is at the helm of developing well-rounded tech professionals, delivering training in both the soft skills and technical skills that are most in-demand today. Find out more about how ALX supports learners and graduates throughout their career journeys here.