The Alum Sessions: Oluchi Agba on Career Paths and Opportunities Outside Pharmacology

The vibrant User Operation Specialist walks us through her experiences during and after her academic journey, internship, and professional career outside of Pharmacology. By Adefunke Adesegun.

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May 01, 2024

For April's letters, we brought APSoUL back home and talked to alums who have worked and built in different fields, including startup culture, art, public health, drug discovery, and finance. Here, they shared their post-undergrad journey with us and gave us a much-needed hint of what to expect as we leave the smelly yet safe confines of our hostels.
APSULites, meet the final instalment of our Alum Sessions, with Oluchi Agba of Paystack.

Without a doubt, Oluchi is proof that multiple career paths outside Pharmacology exist that can be harnessed to produce great things even within Nigeria. All it takes is a little self-belief, resilience, and a sprinkle of confidence.

Oluchi Agba, a User Operations Specialist at Paystack, is a shining example of the potential for success in alternative career paths. With over four years of experience, she has been instrumental in helping companies solve problems and build sustainable operations. Her previous role as the Community Operations Associate at Workstation, Nigeria, further underscores her versatility and adaptability.

Factually, for someone with such impressive achievements in tech and business operations, it might be tempting to assume that she chose this path from the beginning. However, that isn't the case. In fact, just like most of us, Oluchi had a path set for her to become a doctor or, at the very least, an avid pharmacologist.

"Like many Pharmacology students, I didn't plan to study Pharmacology. I actually wanted to study medicine, but I got Pharmacology. I had a conversation with a friend who was in Pharmacology once, and he asked me, 'What was your intention with Pharmacology? What do you want your life to be?" And since then, that line has stuck with me.

In 200l, I banished the thought of moving to medicine and focused on the course I was on. Looking back, if I could make the choice again, I'd choose Pharmacology because it was a perfect melding of my interests."

On her experiences as an undergraduate

Undergraduate life definitely has its challenges, and no one is exempt. But with Oluchi, the experience was quite the thrill.

"While in university, I was quite the nerd—I still am. I liked studying, and I liked learning about drugs and their effects. It came easily to me. While many people might beg to differ, Pharmacology was good to me. The lecturers were nice, and I made friends. I really liked my time there."

"There used to be some popular, social people in our department, but we were small compared to bigger departments with over 100 students. The good part, however, was that due to this size, we were quite close. People showed up for each other. I am still close to some of the friends I made at university."

On her Transition into tech

"When you're in 400l, you have some free time, so the workload wasn't hefty for me. I decided to get an internship at a co-working space. I enjoy talking to people. I enjoy learning about people, how they work, and whatnot. So, the role I applied to as a community operations intern was on the same line. I filled out a Google form and got in, which opened me to an entirely different world.

"Before the internship, all I'd known was traditional medicine, law, engineering. But at Workstation, I saw people from different paths working there. From tech to writing, freelancing, editors, lawyers. People who owned their stuff and were operators in their rights. And I was fascinated by that world.

Once I was done with university, I returned to Workstation and did my NYSC there. During that time, I applied to join Paystack in 2019 as a customer support representative when Paystack started to gain traction. It's been five years since then, five years of growth as a company and personally. Now, I am the team lead of the user operation team, which is in charge of compliance operations in the company."

I'd like to think that my life's trajectory changed in 400l. Frankly, if I hadn't done the internship then, I'd probably have gone on to get a master's degree in Pharmacology. In fact, up until my NYSC, when I was posted to be an assistant lecturer in OAU, I had seen my trajectory in life. And I turned back.

I wish for everyone to have the opportunity to make that decision for themselves."

On how useful her degree has been in her career

Despite changing career paths, Oluchi affirms that her degree in Pharmacology has been quite useful. So, it's safe to say that the lecturers were right. No knowledge is lost. And it's not just because people around her dubbed her the go-to person for clarification about drugs, health, or treatments.

"A degree is not the most important thing to people in tech. I've seen people get hired based on their skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm about concepts, even without a degree. And I think that's fantastic.

The truth is, a first-class or second-class upper would get you in the door; it makes things easier because it sounds good, and it's recognized that it's not easy to get a good grade, so it's much appreciated. But that's where it stops. It's an entirely different ball game in the world of employment. Life gets real outside of the university."

But then again, I'm an example of someone who went into an entirely different line in her career and still did well. I also know a couple of people who got one degree and did entirely different things. I also know people who still built something for themselves without a career."

On life after school

To most students, the thought of life after school is a bittersweet one. From the excitement of freedom to the anxiety therein, life after school is a mystery; you never really understand it until you experience it firsthand. Oluchi provides words of comfort. She says:

"Life gets real after university. In my experience, it gets easier, too. As much as the university had its challenges, things got clearer once I was done with school. I realized that the authority over me was in my hands. I could make decisions myself without being influenced by ASUU, lecturers, and whatnot.

Truthfully, I love Pharmacology. Science was still my first love, but opportunities are bountiful. There are so many things you can do. After school, I could see that."

On positioning yourself to be ready for opportunities

Oluchi has just one piece of advice for everyone seeking to achieve their goals, whether within or outside their Pharmacology Degree.

"Apply. I've had people ask me how I got into Paystack, but the truth is, despite how helpful networking can be, you have to put yourself out there. Don't be shy about applying to various roles because the worst anyone can do is say no, and even when that happens, you can still apply again.

People love it when you're enthusiastic about the role you're applying to. In fact, in my role, I've had the opportunity to recruit people, and we gravitated toward people who were enthusiastic enough to take an extra step or put in just a little bit more work. Paying just a little bit more attention to detail can put you exponentially ahead of other people.

So, if you come across any opportunity you're interested in, apply and do your best. It pays off eventually. Ultimately, pursue excellence because excellence shines through."

If you loved this piece, trust me, you will love the person behind the words even more. You can connect with Oluchi on LinkedIn.

EIC’s Note

Hi everyone! Precious here.

Throughout April, we read the stories of some highly accomplished former APSULites, hear their struggles, and see their journey unfold. That's a privilege I do not take for granted.

I want to thank Eunice Torufa Biyere, Joseph Anya, Abdul-Azeez Lanihun, and Oluchi Agba for being vulnerable enough to share their journeys with us on APSoUL. I'd also love to thank my associate editors Iyore and Funke, for their fantastic work, and our publicist Yetunde, for keeping communication lines steady and open with these people. Trust me, pinning them down for hour-long interviews was not easy on our blood pressure.

Lastly, I'd love to thank you, our readers. I'm in a bit of a sentimental mood this May, especially with APSoUL's birthday coming up next Wednesday. So thank you for your reads, shares, and comments. They do not go unnoticed.

If you have gone through all the alum sessions and are still unsure what to do with your life post-pharmacology (which is perfectly normal), this article by Imade Iyamu has changed my viewpoint, and it might change yours, too.

https://imadeiyamu.com/2023/08/02/how-to-know-what-to-do/

Thank you once again.

Ka chi fo,

Precious Umeasalugo

Founding EIC, APSoUL

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