This article was originally written on August 14, 2026
One of the young guys I spoke to some months back at the Banking School walked into my office today. I had a session with his cohort where I attempted to answer all their questions: how do I know this is my career? What can I do to move up the ladder very fast? What if I’m deployed to an area I don’t want? How do I manage a toxic supervisor? And many other questions.
Today, the young man was worried. He got what he considered a very good offer from an organisation, but he wanted to discuss it with a trusted senior before making up his mind. After listening to him and thanking him for the trust reposed in me, I asked him if he was a football fan and which club he followed. He answered in the affirmative.
I told him that the career of a banker and most professionals is similar to that of a footballer. When a footballer is just starting his career, money is never a consideration. The pay check or sign-on bonus does not feature in the player’s consideration. The early clubs are usually not very well-known names. Some are football academies or low-tier clubs. The focus here is skills development, physical fitness and game understanding.
That is what a banker or career professional should aspire for in the early years. Learn all you can. Hone your skills. Develop yourself. Find the position that best works for you. Have a good understanding of your role. Dig your foundation. The lower you can dig, the higher you can rise. The aim is to get regular playing time so you can get better and better.
Don't choose an opportunity only because it pays more. Choose the one that helps you become more. Share on XI recalled how I would wait till everyone left the office and I would pull out credit files to read. Those were the days when we wrote our credit memos longhand. I was hungry for knowledge. Whatever I didn’t understand became a topic for a session with one of my Line Managers the next day.
People who make a success of their early years will most likely go far. I told the young man to build in structured training during this time. His mind is fresh. He should add a master’s degree, a professional course or a certification. It’s a period of investment in self. The priority is capacity building.
After a while, top professional clubs begin to look out for star players at the feeder teams or smaller clubs. Then you begin to hear of good offers. Suddenly, you realise that you can attract a better offer because of your worth. At this point, you need a manager to guide you on how best to move, which offer you should take, which club will be best for you, how to negotiate, etc. A career professional also needs a mentor. To maximise your career, don’t go alone. Leverage other people’s experience. They know which offer will keep you on the bench and which offer will give you regular playing time.
While you may not be able to choose which organisations you started your career with (most of us just wanted a job), you now have to be deliberate and intentional after a few years. Choose the organisations that would best give you leverage. Look out for the brand. I recall that at this point of my career, I chose an international financial institution. That was one of the best career decisions I made. Focus here is on maintaining peak performance.
Salary and other perks should only be a consideration at this point. You’re realising your worth. You’ve built your capacity. You’re now a manager of men. Your scope has increased. You’re an important member of the team.
Your early career is a season for learning, growth, and capacity building. Don’t be in a hurry to chase rewards before building the value that attracts them. Share on XNevertheless, you need to be careful about your career trajectory. Always plot a graph of your career mentally. Where do you see yourself in five years? Or ten years? When do you want to retire? And how?
I ended my conversation with the young man by asking at what point Ronaldo went to the Saudi League or Messi went to the MLS. They only did so after playing at the top for many years. Now, they focus on the salary and other perks. They can move to any League of their choice at this point. There is time for everything.
I trust that this young man will ruminate on all I said before making his decision. When you start your career, don’t chase money. When you have achieved sufficient depth, you can demand your worth.