A Career Risk That Became a Formative Decision
In 1990, I took a pay cut to join NAL Merchant Bank. At the time, it probably looked like a career risk. Looking back, it became one of the most formative decisions of my professional life.
Before then, I had joined the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, in 1989 as one of its pioneer staff. I still remember how excited I was to be part of something new. The pay was also one of the best at the time, which made the opportunity even more attractive. I worked in the Bank Examination Department, which meant travelling to bank branches to examine their books. It was important work, and I learned a lot. But after a while, the trips and the routine of flipping through bundles of dusty ledgers began to feel monotonous.
Then, during one of those trips, I received an offer letter from NAL Merchant Bank, one of the banks that later merged to form Sterling Bank Plc.
I had done my NYSC at NAL, so the institution felt familiar. The offer came at the right time, and in 1990, I accepted it, even though it meant taking a pay cut. That decision marked the beginning of my 13-year banking career.
At NAL, I worked across Audit, International Operations, Treasury Marketing, Human Resources, and Electronic Banking. It was a strong learning ground, the kind of institution where you learned sound banking, discipline, professionalism and, whether you were ready for it or not, office politics. Many bank owners, senior finance professionals, and respected experts in Nigeria’s financial sector passed through NAL at one time or another. It was a remarkable institution.
For me, however, NAL was more than a workplace. I got married while working there. I had my children while working there. I built lifelong friendships there. I learned banking, but I also learned people, relationships, culture, leadership, and the quiet ways workplace experiences shape us.
By the year 2000, although things were going well, I started getting restless. My career was progressing. I was being promoted regularly. I was in a good institution. Many people would have considered it a comfortable and promising place to remain. But something in me knew I was ready for another chapter.
I eventually resigned in 2003. Many people who cared about me were concerned. Some colleagues called me “bold,” and some executives of the bank asked if I had thought it through properly.Their concerns were valid.
But sometimes, restlessness is not ingratitude. Sometimes, it is a signal that growth is calling, or that a new assignment is waiting.
Looking back on my 13 years at NAL, three lessons have stayed with me.
1. Excellence speaks
When you do your work with care and excellence, it leaves a mark. People may not always acknowledge it immediately, but good work has a way of speaking for you.
2. Know your worth beyond your position or job title
Roles change. Positions change. Access changes. But who you are and the value you carry should never depend only on the seat you occupy.
3. Every workplace leaves an imprint
Beyond the skills learned and the roles held, our experiences at work shape who we become. Work is never just about tasks, titles, and targets. It is also about people, culture, relationships, growth, and how we are treated along the way.
In 2003, I began my journey as an entrepreneur. Hmmm! what a journey it has been – smooth, bumpy, stretching, humbling, rewarding, and everything in between.
More gist loading….
Charity Ladi Babatunde
Building Better Human Experiences
This reflection was first shared on LinkedIn and has been adapted for CharityLadiBabatunde.com.
Leave a Reply