We are often taught to think of university degrees as the beginning of a straight career path. Study Law and become a lawyer. Study Accounting and become an accountant. Study Public Health and find a job in healthcare. But for many women, the reality is much less straightforward.
Sometimes, the job market takes you somewhere completely different. Sometimes, marriage and motherhood change your priorities. Sometimes, you discover that the career you imagined for yourself isn’t actually what you want. And sometimes, you simply stumble upon an opportunity that changes everything.
For this article, we asked women to tell us what they studied in school, what they do now, how much they earn and how they feel about the journey from one to the other. Their answers show just how differently a career can unfold.
Chidinma, 27, Abuja
Studied: Law | Now: Litigation Associate | Earns: ₦700,000 monthly
I studied Law in university, graduated with a First Class and decided to play it safe by being a lawyer. I work as an associate in the litigation department of what people will call a Tier One firm, and I entered through its graduate trainee programme after completing Law School.
I earn about ₦700,000 as an entry-level associate, and it feels really good whenever I think about it because if you hear what lawyers are earning, ehn!
Janet, 48, Ibadan
Studied: Computer Science | Now: Fashion Business Owner | Business revenue: about ₦50 million monthly
I studied Computer Science in university. As soon as I graduated, I got married and had kids. My husband, a businessman who imports and exports building equipment, asked that I stay at home while he brought money into the house. So, for about 23 years, I was a stay-at-home mum.
I focused on taking care of my kids and keeping my home. It wasn’t always easy, and sometimes I wished I had chosen to have a career, mainly because I felt I couldn’t connect with my friends who had jobs.
About three years ago, a relative asked that I join her as a co-founder of a fashion business, because she loved my sense of style. I said yes, and it’s been one of the best decisions of my life.
The business started out with us shopping from the market. Now, we are bigger than the people we first bought from, who used to frown whenever we came to their shops to snap goods. Now, we are importing items in bulk directly from suppliers. I have my own money now, and I can relate to so many things my friends do and have. The business rakes in about ₦3 million a day and about ₦50 million monthly.
Urenna, 27, Lagos
Studied: Law | Now: Lifestyle Influencer and Business Owner | Current influencing income: ₦0
I studied Law at the University of Birmingham, but somewhere along the way, I realised that law wasn’t where my passion lay. I returned to Nigeria for Law School, and the last time I wore a wig and gown was on my Call to Bar day.
These days, I’m a lifestyle influencer — and as a Leo, I know the spotlight is where I’m meant to be.The feeling after a video goes viral? So satisfying. However, my least favourite thing about the job is watching through hours of footage to edit.
I also run a business, Bag Bay, which helps fund my content and allows me to keep creating. While I haven’t started making money from influencing just yet, I’ve started building a community, gaining fans, getting invited to events and receiving gifts from brands. I’m excited for the next phase, that is, turning all this momentum into real income and building something even bigger from my passion.
Tomi, 29, Abuja
Studied: Accounting | Now: Marketing Manager | Earns: ₦420,000 monthly
I studied Accounting at a university in Nigeria and spent my NYSC year convinced that I was going to become an accountant. After working in finance for a while, though, I realised that I enjoyed the business and communication side of my work much more than the numbers.
I eventually moved into marketing and now work as a Marketing Manager for a growing consumer brand. My first marketing job paid around ₦180,000 a month, but I currently earn about ₦400,000 monthly, with bonuses depending on performance. I also occasionally consult for small businesses that need help with their social media and marketing strategy.
I sometimes joke that I spent four years studying Accounting just to discover that I wanted to sell things. But studying Accounting gave me a strong understanding of budgets, numbers and business performance, so I don’t think those years were wasted at all.
Queen, 36, Abuja
Studied: Statistics | Now: Security Officer | Earns: ₦35,000 monthly
I studied Statistics at a polytechnic. I currently work as a security officer at a Nigerian government agency and earn ₦35,000 a month. As a side hustle, I plait the hair of little kids. That helps to sort out one or two expenses.
Chika, 29, Lagos
Studied: Agriculture| Now: Remote Virtual Assistant/Freelancer | Earns about $800–$1,200 in a good month
I studied Forestry at university, but after my NYSC experience in a Nigerian ministry, I realised pretty quickly that I didn’t want a 9-to-5 and certainly didn’t want to work in my field, as I didn’t find interesting opportunities. After graduation, a friend encouraged me to join Upwork.
I currently work with international clients remotely, helping with things like email management, scheduling, research and social media support. I charge at least $7 an hour, although some clients pay me $10–$15 an hour, depending on the work and how much experience I have with them. My income isn’t exactly the same every month because it depends on how many hours and projects I have, but I can make around $800–$1,200 in a good month.
I’m able to control my time to a large extent, and getting paid in dollars has been life-changing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dami, 26, Abuja
Studied: French | Now: Gym Coach | Earns: ₦100,000 monthly + ₦90,000 from personal training
I studied French at university, but I couldn’t get a job after graduating. I started with being a receptionist, earning ₦50,000, and then my friend, who was a gym coach, told me that the gym he worked for needed a female trainer. I agreed because the pay was a little higher than my salary at the time.I’ve been there for over a year now and now earn ₦100,000. There, I help members with their workouts and also handle some of the day-to-day operations.
On the side, I do personal training for clients, charging ₦30,000 per client. I currently have about three regular clients, so that gives me an additional ₦90,000 a month.
Blessing, 25, Abuja
Studied: Mass Communication | Now: Front Desk Officer | Earns: ₦150,000 monthly
I studied Mass Communication. After NYSC, I spent several months applying for jobs before I eventually got a position as a front desk officer at a law firm. I currently earn ₦150,000 a month. It’s not a huge salary, especially living in a city like Abuja, but I’m grateful to have something stable while I figure out what I actually want to do long-term. I’ve also started taking online courses in project management because I’d like to move into a better-paying role eventually.
Rita, 28, Kaduna
Studied: Law | Now: Marketing Associate/Communications and Growth Strategist | Earns: ₦700,000 monthly
I studied Law in school, and I’m currently working in the music industry as a Marketing Associate, Communications and Growth Strategist. What I do entails more of inbound marketing. Basically, I’m making sure that my company is visible to our clients and potential clients. That means SEO, website optimisation, content marketing and also cold outreach. I currently earn ₦700,000.
I honestly did not know that I was going to find myself working in the music industry, but I’m now working in the music industry and I’m enjoying it. I started at the beginning of the year and I’ve been learning a lot and developing a lot as a person. I like the fact that my role is very accommodating to my growth. It challenges me. I work remotely, by the way, and I work under an amazing boss who has been very supportive of my growth.
At a point, I was scared that I was deviating from what I studied in school into something entirely new. But one of the things that has helped me transition very well into this role is that I built certain skills while I was still in school that have helped me to, one, get this role and, two, actually not be a novice. Because I’m a strategist, I need to be more confident in the things I suggest and my analysis.
I definitely see myself growing in the music industry, even though, yeah, I did Law. Still, my knowledge of the Law is not entirely wasted. We also deal with contracts in terms of our business partnerships and deciding who we should go with and who we shouldn’t go with.
Ginika, 25, Lagos
Studied: Sociology | Now: Stay-at-home Mum | Current personal income: ₦0
I studied Sociology at university. I got married and became a live-in wife. Then I had a baby and became a stay-at-home mum. I love my life. My husband takes care of me and our daughter financially, so I’m fortunate not to have to worry about paying the bills. Apart from basic bills, I truly get all that I want from him.
I don’t currently earn an income of my own, but I’ve been thinking seriously about starting a small business that I can run while taking care of my daughter. The thought came up when a close friend’s spouse died and she struggled for a while. It made me think ‘if anything happens, God forbid, but how will I take care of my child?” I have a few ideas around an interior design business, let’s see how it goes.
Ngozi, 53, Abuja
Studied: Theatre Arts | Now: Civil Servant | Earns: ₦300,000 monthly + allowances and bonuses
I studied Theatre Arts at university. At the time, I had no idea that my career would eventually take me into the civil service. I met my boyfriend not long after university, and we eventually got married. He was already working in a government agency in Abuja and helped me get an opportunity there as well.
That was over twenty something years ago, and somehow, I’m still here. What started as a job I wasn’t sure would be permanent has become my entire working life. I now earn about ₦300,000 a month, although my salary isn’t the only thing that makes the job worthwhile. We receive different allowances and bonuses that add up into millions, and those can make a significant difference to my income at different times of the year.
Sometimes I laugh when I think about it because I studied Theatre Arts expecting a completely different kind of life. Instead, I ended up spending most of my adult life working in an office. I don’t necessarily regret it. The job gave me stability, helped me raise my family and allowed me to build a life in Abuja.Now, I think I’m at the stage where I’m looking forward to retirement and having more time for myself and my grandchild.
So, What Happens When the Degree Isn’t the Plan?
These stories are a reminder that there is rarely a straight line between what we study at university and what we eventually become.
For some women, their degrees led directly to their careers. For others, their qualifications became useful in unexpected ways. Some changed industries completely, some built businesses, some found opportunities online, and others stepped away from paid employment altogether because of marriage and motherhood.
There are also very different definitions of what it means to be “successful.” For one woman, it is earning more than half a million a month as an entry-level professional. For another, it is having the flexibility to work remotely for international clients. For another, it is building a business after 23 years as a stay-at-home mum. And for someone else, it is simply having a stable job while figuring out what comes next.
A degree can open a door, but it doesn’t necessarily determine which door you eventually walk through. And perhaps that’s the most interesting thing about asking women what they studied versus what they do now: the answer tells you not just about their careers, but about the unexpected turns — marriage, motherhood, money, opportunity, disappointment, passion and sheer necessity — that can shape a woman’s working life. Sometimes, you end up doing exactly what you studied.Sometimes, you end up doing something completely different. And sometimes, you are still figuring it out.
