Entrepreneurs.ng believes the entrepreneur should tell their story the way they want it to be heard. Getting to know people who are already making leaps in the entrepreneurial journey is a great motivator to budding and aspiring entrepreneurs. So, today we caught up with Ogugua Belonwu, the founder and CEO of Myjobmag, one of the leading job sites in Nigeria. Myjobmag is a multi-million naira site ranking 13,466 globally and 78 in Nigeria as of today according to Alexa.com
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Ogugua loves the backstage and does not like ‘showing’ his face which is why we are more than happy he gave us the privilege to peek into his world.
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Ogugua Belonwu is a serial entrepreneur and a man of ‘substance’! (Don’t ask me how I got that information, I know his net worth). People who are doing ‘real’ work and making ‘real dough’ are humble to the core. This is something I noticed about him and I fell in love with his personality. I want to be like you when I grow up Sir.
He was more than happy to answer all our questions. So, tighten your seat belt and enjoy the ride.
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Why your chosen industry?
The internet enables me express my energy and passion with minimal infrastructure. The online space basically eliminates geographic limitations and provides one with a global marketplace. The fact that I have a degree in computer science may also have contributed to my choice of career.
My interest in the HR world dates back to pre-university days when I was advised to read Tuesday and Thursday Guardian newspaper. The interest grew over time and after acquiring the right skills, I decided to launch into HR Tech.
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I have clarity of vision. I know where we are headed and will always drive the team towards the vision. We know what we hope to achieve. The objective is simple: make recruitment and job search easy and straightforward.
Family Influence
My father has been my greatest influence. We sat down together to fill my JAMB form. Then, I had two options Medicine and Computer Science. After properly analysing my interests, we went for Computer Science. I read and learn from a lot of people. You get to pick great content from books, opinions and interactions with people online and offline. I basically get mentored daily.
Tell us about Myjobmag. How long it has been running?
MyJobMag is a career portal developed to improve hiring and job search experience. MyJobMag v1.0 started in 2010 as a product of Best Value Providers and was later incorporated in 2015. Our firm is built on excellence. We believe great people can do great things and change the dynamics of many. We love what we do and are determined to solve the HR challenge and have millions globally use our HR solution.
Two years ago, MyJobMag was only operational in Nigeria. Now, we are operational in Kenya and we are one of the top 100 websites in Kenya as we speak. We are on our way to becoming a global career company and we are currently positioning ourselves for that. In a few years, MyJobMag will have an impactful presence in major countries in Africa and beyond.
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How long do you plan on running Myjobmag?
We will run MyJobMag till we achieve our objective (We are getting there). When the objective is fully achieved, we can either choose to remain operational or become part of a bigger goal.
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In what ways have you leveraged technology for myjobmag?
We adopt technology to deliver top notch service to our users. Some of the tech services we offer are: personalized push notifications, free CV Builder for candidates, data based salary platform, applicant tracking system and personalized internship subscription.
What has been your biggest challenge so far and how did you manage it?
Getting the best angle in the career and recruitment industry is pretty challenging in Nigeria but we are flexible. We quickly try new models. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail. We never fail to learn from mistakes and once we learn, we move on to new things.
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How have you been able to sustain Myjobmag in terms of financing?
Finance is a constraint for small businesses but for Myjobmag, we have been bootstrapping. The company is making profit and we re-invest the profit into the company and diversify our portfolio .
Can you share a few secrets with us – About your business strategy for Myjobmag?
We love our users so we built our major strategy around that love for users. It means that we consider our users first before other things. We believe that when users love us, revenue will come. We love the lean startup model as well however, in retrospect we ought to have recruited some strategic hands earlier.
How do you give back to the society? Any CSR projects?
We support training programs, offer free CV clinics and partner with organizations to organize events and seminars for candidates.
Tell us about other business interests you have apart from Myjobmag.
I have interest in data science so I am considering setting up a data company. Music appeals to me, I love good music. Setting up an entertainment company is one interest I will pursue when the time is right.
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What advice will you give to a person who is starting out in the HR field?
Love what you do and put in your best in it. It is not a “part-time” business. If possible, carve out a cash cow which may be a related service.
Advice for budding and aspiring entrepreneurs?
First, pick the right idea. The right idea is economically viable and you have the capacity to pilot the crux of the idea. Then, you have to give the idea your best shot.
Tell us how you unwind.
Youtube (Laughs) and a few hangouts here and there.
A word for entrepreneurs.
Just keep pushing!
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