A $500 grant or #30K grant, a free course on entrepreneurship, facing rejections, and a party for Naija women!
5 minutes read
Hey sis,
I hope you are having an amazing week! It’s been a few days since we opened submissions for our small grants program, sponsored by Shop NNO. Because of their generosity, we were able to raise NGN 241,000 for our community in March 2024. This enables us to give grants of NGN 30,000 each to eight sisters! Good news: We’ve decided to extend applications until Friday, April 19!
To win a 30K grant, post a 60s video on Instagram sharing how you’ll invest in your business, personal development, or career development with this grant. Tell us how you’ve invested in yourself previously. Make sure to follow us and Shop NNO. Don’t forget to tag us + comment done so we can track it! Learn more here.
Tomorrow, we will be sharing an exciting giveaway! Two sisters will win - one from IG and one from TikTok. Make sure you are following us on Instagram and TikTok!
We are partnering with Jobberman Nigeria to deliver certified business and career training to women in our community for free. The sessions will be held in April and May 2024. We will be kicking off with the Entrepreneurship Course on April 27. Learn more and register here.
A snapshot of this week’s letter
Attend the biggest women-only party in Nigeria!
Earn $3000 in this remote fellowship for climate leaders.
Yvonne answers this sister’s question about rejection in her job search.
We found a paid internship and a national scholarship for two sisters!
Partner Spotlight
Sisters, it's that time of the year! It's the third edition of Zikoko's women-only festival: Hertitude '24. HERtitude by Zikoko is an annual gathering of women of different backgrounds to meet, connect, party, let down their hair, and have the most amazing fun ever.
This year, you'll get a chance to make new friends through speed dating. There will be games, a bouncing castle, and a fashion show! You'll also enjoy performances from your favorite female artists, and you will watch your fave DJs battle it out.
Get your tickets here: https://tix.africa/discover/hertitude
Ask A Career Consultant
Hi Yvonne. My name is Rose, I am in a very confused situation. I studied Educational Technology, finished in 2021 but I have always wanted a career in the finance industry. Toward the end of my NYSC year, I started applying for graduate trainee roles but till now, nothing has clicked. 2023 was a tough year for me, I applied back to back and I have started again this year. I want 2024 to be better. I have all the requirements for those roles, I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. What advice can you give me, please?
Yvonne says,
Hi Rose, I’m sorry you’re facing job search setbacks. Job search is an incredibly tough and sometimes stressful phase. The job search process should also help us improve by offering insights into what we could do differently. Ensuring you have a plan is the first step, and your plan should include a mission statement detailing why you are going after a career in finance, your work values, and what kind of roles you’re looking for. Then, you need an application tracker and a SMART goal - remember a SMART goal needs to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Ensure that your application materials are excellently written - you wouldn’t believe the horrid CVs I review regularly, or poorly worded cover letters and statements sent to me. An additional thing I recommend is making yourself stand out from the competition - how much visibility do you have on LinkedIn, and how much networking are you doing? Write those cold emails, and cold messages to recruiters and hiring managers. Connect with other graduate trainees and ask for referrals. Volunteer with passionate causes while you wait.
And finally, remember to write yourself daily affirmations and meditate on them so you don’t get overly discouraged by the rejection. Remember to recognize opportunities and be flexible with your goals; rejections may just mean redirection. Intensity with job search is good, but consistency and resilience are even better. I have a lot of articles on my blog to train your mind on managing challenging periods and emerging stronger with clarity. Good luck!
For last week’s answer on pursuing your dreams without being a jill of all trades, click here.
FindHer
Our sis is a law student interested in global affairs looking for a remote internship in digital marketing: Communications Intern at Global School Leaders (Remote, Paid)
Our sis is a graduate of Human Physiology and a stay-at-home mum looking for a scholarship in Nigeria: Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) Scholarship Awards
Opportunities
What’s New
Click on each opportunity to apply.
AmplifyMe Experience Finance Simulation Events - Bank of America: The event is designed to provide an immersive experience for African undergrad students, to elevate their technical knowledge and supercharge their career in finance.
Researcher Diversification Initiative Grants: The priority themes are social protection, climate, agriculture, education, and health. Funding of 10,000 USD will be awarded to each project. Eligibility is restricted to Africa-based researchers. This refers to individuals who are (a) currently studying at a university or research institute in Africa, and/or b) currently teaching at an African university or research institute.
Stanbic IBTC Group Graduate Trainee Program 2024: Minimum of a Second Class Upper (or its equivalent) degree in any course from an accredited University. Minimum of 5 credits (Mathematics and English inclusive) in GCE, NECO, or its equivalent.
Earth Hacks Environmental Justice in Tech Fellowship: This position will support advancing environmental justice principles in technology projects by contributing to the Environmental Justice in Tech (EJIT) Project. The EJIT Fellow will focus on research, writing, and providing content for the various EJIT project resources. : $3,000 stipend.
National Geographic Society & The Nature Conservancy Marine and Community Conservation Remote Externship: Candidates should be between the ages of 18-25 and have an interest in learning about introductory approaches to conservation and careers in conservation. Students who complete their externships will receive $500 stipends at the end of the program. Open worldwide.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Junior Professionals Program 2024: The Junior Professionals Program is an opportunity for qualified, professional women in West Africa to transform their passion for international relief and development work into a career with Catholic Relief Services.
Brighter Living Scholarships 2024 - One Young World: The scholarship will support young entrepreneurs who are making a local or global impact in creating a positive societal impact in climate and nature, nutrition and health, and social.
Communications Intern at Heifer International: The Communications Intern will provide substantive support in the communication aspects of the Heifer Naija Unlock program.
Dartmouth College King Scholarship 2024: King Scholars attend Dartmouth for four years at no cost to students or their families. This includes; tuition, accommodation, health insurance, a new computer in the first year, and annual travel between Dartmouth and the student’s home country.
About Her Culture Micro Grant: Open to Caribbean and African women + women of African and Caribbean descent, who are entrepreneurs, creatives, and non-profit founders, based in their home countries or anywhere around the world. Micro grants are USD 500 each.
Like these? There’s more where they came from. Recently, we’ve added new opportunities to our website!
Closing Soon!
Click on each opportunity to apply.
Apr 15: Rotary Scholarships for Water and Sanitation Professionals, James Buchanan Fellowship, Don Lavoie Fellowship, Youth of Excellence Scheme of China Program - Chinese Government Scholarship, International Parliamentary Scholarship from the German Bundestag, Procurement Manager at Team Ace, Stanbic IBTC Group Graduate Trainee Program 2024, African Impact Initiative Health Entrepreneurship Challenge 2024, AWS HR Leadership Development Program - Pre-MBA Internship, Remote Junior Research Consultant at UNESCO, The IFC Impact Investing Challenge 2024
Apr 17: Media Training Consultant - Speak Up Africa, Trainer - Rising HERizons, Women for Africa Foundation Learn Africa Scholarship Programme
Apr 18: MIT Solve - Solver
Apr 19: Allan and Nesta Ferguson Scholarship, Mauritius Africa Scholarship Scheme Edition 2024, The African Tech Startup Forum Market Access and Acceleration Program, Restless Development’s Safe Photography Project Contest 2024, Korea Year Celebrations Program, Communicators’ Workshop on Renewable Energy
Apr 20: Société Générale/ Women in Africa (WIA) 2024 Responsible Entrepreneurs Competition, Climate Advisor - Independent Diplomat, UNICEF Youth Advocates Programme 2024 for Young Professionals
Apr 21: Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF), Gender Research Manager - Helen Keller (Abuja), Women in Africa (WIA) Young Leaders Program 2024
Resource Recc
Whether it's launching a new enterprise with the potential for growth and funding or identifying opportunities for expansion within an existing business, this course will empower small business owners and freelancers to turn their ideas into reality. Register to attend for free here.
To-Do List
Ask - Ask Yvonne Alozie Obi, a career expert, your burning career questions here.
Share - Did you get into any of the opportunities we shared recently? Share your progress here.
FindHer - Click here to get a customized opportunity for your career goals.
Get Rewards: Refer a friend and win The Opportunity Navigator eBook, a personalized list of opportunities, and a 1:1 opportunity strategy session.
Join - Join our private LinkedIn group here. We share the juiciest opportunities as soon as they land.
Tell Your Story - We receive submissions from our community all year round!
Don’t Miss An Email - Move our emails to the primary folder of your mailbox (from Promotions) or whitelist our email to avoid missing out on our stories and opportunities.
Connect - Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn.
When you share this newsletter, we reach more Nigerian women and empower them with valuable opportunities and stories. Thank you for being a part of our journey.
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💁🏾♀️ It’s a vibe! OR 🤦🏾♀️ Not my vibe!
See you next week!