Funmilayo Ojikutu: How Business and Liberal Arts Shaped Her Career

Funmilayo Ojikutu ’07, understands what it’s like for a student to change his or her mind about the future. And for students at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, she’s there to help guide them as they decide upon new career path.

Ojikutu came to Shenandoah thinking that she might one day be a professional dancer, focusing on jazz. But, she also loved business, and made that subject her minor. As she pursued her studies, she realized that while she adored the arts, being a professional dancer was no longer her goal.

After graduation, she worked for a while and then decided to earn a marketing-focused MBA at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. As a graduate assistant, she served as a peer career adviser – her first exposure to being in a career services role.

With her MBA in hand, she dove into the challenging and often unstable world of startups. She relied on friends and family for support, while working at companies that could go under with the loss of one big client. She began to think that education would be a better fit for her talents.

She found her career niche at the University of Arizona, where she was assistant director of career management. Then, she found a job that allowed her to cater to a particular subset of students, as assistant director of EPIC (External, Programs, Internships and Career Services) at Northwestern University. There, she connects School of Communication students with alumni and provides guidance to students, as well. For these students, carving out a career path requires both talent and fostering relationships, with the latter being the specialty of Ojikutu and her team.

As a career services professional, Ojikutu also has some advice for students interested in getting the best return on their educational investment and being happy in the workplace:  

• Be flexible and open minded.
• Look at the bigger picture and to choose education programs that are the right fit for you – this is far more important than selecting a program or school based on prestige factors
• Remember, that it’s OK to not have a job right away, and stress is to be expected — that’s why you have a support system