February 22, 2023

Step Up case study: Akunna Afolabi

As part of Step Up, a six-month program for female students in their penultimate year of university, we offer participants access to skills development training, career events and mentorship. Working with our sponsoring businesses, BT, HSBC UK, Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone, we pair our students with mentors to work with them for six months. 

There’s nothing we love more than hearing the success stories of our alumnae. So, naturally, we were delighted to hear from our stepper Akunna who landed a new role after completing the program. So, in this blog post, we’re sharing her story! 

Get to know Akunna

Akunna has over seven years of experience in the banking industry, working in various roles in Information Systems, Compliance, & Information Security.

Before joining Wema bank, Akunna was the head of Revenue Assurance & Customer Service at Femab Properties Ltd (Lagos). In this role, Akunna led the optimisation of the business processes to cut revenue leakage and ensure further cost-effective strategies for the organisation.

After achieving a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Imo State University, Akunna obtained a master’s degree in Information Systems (IS) from Kingston University, London.

The journey so far

After college, Akunna began working as a trainee IT Auditor in her uncle’s offices. During this time, Akunna developed a passion for IT.

In 2004, Akunna got admission into Imo university, where she studied ‘accounting’ for her Dad. Yes, you read that right, for her Dad. Accounting was never Akunna’s first choice, but she graduated in 2008 with a 2:2. 

In 2010, Akunna completed her NYSC in Nigeria in an Insurance company in the legal department & Accounts department at different times. Next, she worked as a systems control officer in a Microfinance bank from 2011 – 2014. 

In 2014, Akunna moved to a real estate company, working in the Revenue Assurance and Customer service department, just because she was offered a better salary than in her previous role.

After failing to find job satisfaction, Akunna kept applying for jobs before joining Wema Bank in mid-2015, working in the Information Systems Department – as a Quality Assurance & User Access Analyst. 

During this time, Akunna started tilting back towards her desired career path. Fast forward to 2019, and Akunna was redeployed to the Information Security Department as a Governance, Risk and Compliance Analyst. Akunna loved what she was doing in this department, so she decided to study for her master’s. 

After deciding to do her master’s in cyber security, Akunna kept getting rejections because her bachelor’s was in a different field. Finally, Kingston University offered Akunna admission based on her job experience, which was how she came to the UK to study for her MSc in Information Systems and graduated with Distinction. During her MSc program, Akunna applied for our Step Up program after seeing an advert on the school job search portal; the rest is history. 

Empowered by Step Up

Q. Did the Step Up programme make you feel more empowered to progress in a career in tech?

A.  Yes, it did. When I applied to the Step Up program, I was unsure how things would pan out, but I applied regardless. 

It turned out that getting into the program was one of the best things to ever happen to me! I applied all I learnt from the program at interviews, which paid off at the end of the day. Although I had some rejections, I never relented.

I have learned not only how to be a more confident woman in tech but also how to be more resilient. The program played a huge role in preparing me for an exciting future in the tech world. During the programme, we were assigned mentors from various organisations who helped ensure that we kept our heads in the game. They provided all the guidance and support we needed to search for tech jobs.

The highlight

Q.  What was the highlight of the Step-Up programme for you?

A.  The motivational quotes! Reflecting on these quotes kept me going as they had profound meanings. Also, the fact that the team were always available when we needed them was such a big deal for me.

Impactful learnings

Q.  Can you share your most impactful learnings from the programme?

A.  The list is endless, but I will mention a few! Firstly, I felt empowered to be confident in the tech industry. 

I improved my presentation skills. This point helped me during my project defence and preparing my presentation slides. 

I learnt how to be resilient.

I learnt not to focus on my imperfections or challenges that come my way- I remember Vanessa particularly said, “develop the ability always to dust yourself off and try again”.

Career progression

Q.  Have you received any new opportunities during or since completing The Step Up programme?

A.  Yes. I started working with HSBC and am now moving to one of the Top Accounting firms in the UK as an Information Security Analyst.