Omozino Eguh is the Chief Executive Officer and Head Product Innovation at Yudimy. Yudimy helps align career-talents with precision. Choosing a career is one thing students still find confusing. Sometimes, this is so because parents try to influence their children’s choice of courses to study. Other times, they want to copycat their peers or choose professions that are seemingly lucrative. Eguh, a human capital development professional with specialty in career guidance, counselling and educational psychology, behaviour analytics and social innovation counsels on ways students can get the best out of themselves career wise. In this interview, Eguh shares with UGOCHI MBA some insights on how to choose a career path.
CEO/Head, Product Innovation
Yudimy
Tell us more about Yudimy
Yudimy is an education and human capital development company that leverages on behavioural analytics and machine learning to help students, professionals, families and organisations find career-talent fit with precision. We believe that by fitting square pegs into square holes we can improve learning outcomes, human capital productivity and help our clients make better educational, career and talent acquisitions decisions hence preventing talent mismatch.
What led to the establishment of Yudimy?
I had a blend of personal and professional experiences across different phases of my life. When I was 16, I realised I had no clue of what I wanted to be but went ahead to study Estate Management because I thought it was a better course to study. There was no sense of identity or self-awareness. By 19, I knew I wouldn’t be a practising surveyor but had no idea what to do. By final year, I had a pull towards the education sector and went on to serve in a school. While serving there, I realised that the students I was teaching had the same difficulty with knowing what to do. It was this experience that led me into career guidance.
What specific needs does your company address?
After working in a corporate establishment for over seven years, I saw that the issue of talent mismatch was prevalent in organisations. The wrong people in the wrong places can’t produce great results. So what we do is solve the problem of talent mismatch by fitting square pegs into square holes, thereby unlocking employee productivity.
How can students benefit from this ?
Students can start their self-discovery journey by taking the clarity assessment which helps them understand their strengths, weaknesses, areas they need to work on in preparation for the future and career tracks they are most likely to thrive in. All these are put together by counsellors for them.
Is consultation with you restricted to a particular age?
We work with students, professionals, organisations, schools, teachers and parents. Our objective is to prevent talent mismatch and help stakeholders understand the behavioural influences of people on learning and work outcomes, so they can increase performance.
Did you study Psychology or Education in school?
I am a certified career development coach with a post-graduate degree in Education and trainings in practising measurements and psychology.
What should students consider before choosing a career?
Self-awareness is the starting point. Understanding who you are, what you’re good at and the value you can give is what sets you apart. Knowing this will help you pick the right course and also plan for your future outside school.
What is your advice to people in tertiary institutions who are studying courses they don’t like?
It’s never too late to retrace your steps and be what you want to be. Assess yourself to know what career tracks are most suitable for you once you do start exploring your interests.
What’s your take on students learning a vocational skill?
I don’t believe in doing things for the sake of survival. However if a particular skill quips your interests as a hobby and you have the ability to learn it, by all means learn it and learn it passionately. Vocational skills are important just as formal workplace skills. If the skills align with your career path, that’s even better.
Do you offer trainings?
Our trainings presently come in the form of report interpretation via group or individual sessions. We also teach through speaking engagement invitations.
Can schools consult with you?
Yes. We work with schools to train teachers on classroom psychology, assessment for classroom placements, career guidance as well as facilitation for parents.
Have you had parents who do not agree with the result of assessment carried out on their child or children?
We follow a scientific approach to talent discovery which has taken years in research and development measuring different aspects of the child’s abilities. So a report given is all inclusive and when the parents start reading the report they instantly connect with how accurately it reads their child’s qualities and when they see the career tracks best for those children they usually ask for the economic translation which is often interpreted in one on one sessions with career counsellors.
The truth is for students, a career decision made today should not be on the realities of just today but on the projected trends in that industry for the next five years. Which is one of the benefits we offer. We analyze the industries and place children on the tracks that are going have great opportunities in the next four or five years. So when they prepare on that track, by the year five when those industries begin to follow that trend, the children are not left behind, prone to unemployment or underemployment because they are fully prepared.
Are parents embracing your assessment and trusting the results of their children?
Yes they are. I’ve had parents assess take their children through the assessment over a three year period and the assessment outcomes have been consistent.
What’s your advice to parents on influencing the choice of careers for their children?
Understanding your children’s personality and natural abilities is a better way to ensure your child has great career outcomes from education. By understanding this, you will be able to make informed academic choices that are tailored towards bringing out the best in your child. Every child is a genius when they can express their abilities in the right context.
