Chekwube Uchea: Leading Digital ID transformation and career success in tech

When human resource personnel are focused on helping their organisation manage day-to-day activities, Chekwube Uchea is doing far more. As an HR expert and leader in digital technology, she was not only helping her company, VerifyMe, lead a digital ID transformation but also helping other young people who want to build a career, giving them a headstart, step by step guide and practical solutions to prepare for, start and launch their careers in tech and beyond. Chekwube Uchea shares with us today the motivation behind her new book and how it can help thousands of job seekers in Nigeria, Africa, and the world.

Editor: What was the title of your first book?

Chekwube: I was going to ask what made you think this was my first book. Maybe I have written three other books, you know. Anyway, the first of many of my books is titled How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile to Land Your Dream Job.

Editor: Tell us a bit about your book.

Chekwube: The book discusses the importance of building a solid personal brand and how having an optimized LinkedIn profile is a great step towards achieving this. It also explains the steps one can follow when creating a LinkedIn profile. It states that recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn in their hiring process and encourage all job seekers to have an optimized profile to attract opportunities and eventually land their dream job.

Editor: Who inspired you to write your book?

Chekwube: The first reason was my coach, Edirin Edewor, who, after learning how I individually helped people, urged me to immortalize my knowledge. The second reason is based on my experience and expertise on LinkedIn. Due to my commanding high influence on LinkedIn, many people reach out to me for support in optimizing their profile for a job. I’m able to help a couple of people, but there are hundreds, if not thousands more that also need the help. This is why I decided to write a book that holds nothing back, helping qualified young people get tech jobs by optimizing their profiles.

Editor: How did you find the time to write?

Chekwube: I wrote the book alongside my second book, ‘How to Ace an Online Job Interview’, during the lockdown in 2020. It turned out that I had a lot of free time on my hands as we were working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’d say we create time for things that are important to us. If writing a book is important, you’ll create time for it.

Editor: How long did it take to write your first book?

Chekwube: This particular book took one month to complete. However, this is not the case for all books. It can be longer or shorter, depending on your mental frame and other circumstances.

Editor: Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?

Chekwube: LinkedIn isn’t only for job search. The platform is excellent for networking with like-minded people. Those who have businesses can promote it by creating a LinkedIn company page. An optimized profile can attract lots of benefits across the world. For example, I have gotten speaking engagements online and offline from LinkedIn, I was invited to be an HR Influencer for one of the top Nigerian platforms, which also has the largest job placement website, and I have been nominated for different awards and won a few in the HR category. I have made life-long friendships, too. I can go on and on.

Editor: Did you go the traditional publishing route or did you self-publish?

Chekwube: I self-published my book on Amazon, thanks to my coach, who taught me how.

Editor: What important advice would you give a first-time author?

Chekwube: If you’re passionate about any subject or topic and want the world to hear your views, why not start writing a book? The book doesn’t have to be a thousand pages; the content matters, and as long as your target audience finds the book useful, that’s what’s important. You never know whose life you would be changing by deciding to write a book today.

Editor: What are the benefits of being an author?

Chekwube: Being an author opens numerous doors because it establishes you as an authority in your field. It also helps to solidify your brand. Aside from helping your brand, it helps your business by attracting clients and generating more leads. Once you become an author, you become credible, expand your following, and be perceived as a subject matter expert.

Editor: Do you have plans to write more books?

Chekwube: Yes, I do. You can follow me on my different social media platforms, so you’ll be the first to know about it…laughs