"It’s a community for a reason."
Musings with Idongesit Akpan, Community Engagement Officer at iṣẹ́, who believes the place you work heavily affects the boundaries you can have.
Behind every thriving community is a a human with emotions and things to deal with. This is Community Musings: Conversations. — a series dedicated to navigating the mental and emotional rollercoaster of building a career in community.
Meet Idongesit Akpan!
I connected with Idongesit Akpan in 2022 when she reached out saying she was just getting into Community Management and someone we both knew asked her to connect with me. Since then I’ve watched her grow in her career over and beyond- she has been a speaker many times at Atlassian events, she has been a nominee for the CMX Award, she has put in great work with every community she works with and the feedbacks say it all. For anyone who thinks they have to be a decade old in the industry to make strides, Idongesit is your mirror of possibility. She formerly managed the community at HerTech Trail and is currently performing her magic with the community at iṣẹ́.
Here is her story!
Martha: What is your "I stumbled into community management" story? 😄
Idongesit: In 2022 when the ASUU1 strike started, I was learning Digital Marketing in an Edtech community for females and I was one of the best students in my track. At the end of that program, we were informed that there were two open roles in the community; community management and content management, since I didn't know what community management entailed I applied for the content role. During my interview with the hiring team, one of them said from her observation during my training, she feels I'll perform better as a community manager. I asked to know more about community management and got to know that it was actually something I have been doing and could do, so I decided to explore the career path. And that's how I stumbled into community management and I've been here for the past 2 years.
Martha: In seasons of job hunting , how did you maintain your sense of self-worth and professional identity? In what ways did you navigate the negative feelings that popped up then? Did you ever feel like switching careers? 😅
Idongesit: Before stumbling into community management, I spent about three months doing social media management, which is often mistaken for community management. So, when I am out of a job, I consider social media management.
Did I ever feel like switching careers? I don’t think so! I’ve always loved everything about community management. Instead of switching careers, I look for ways to upskill and add more value to myself by learning content marketing, getting into community management volunteering programs or cohorts, reading newsletters from community management industry leaders like Martha Essien, David Spinks, Max Pete, Rosie of Rosieland and Community Carmen. These help me maintain a strong sense of self-worth.
I also make it a point to reflect on the impact I made in my first community management role—it keeps me grounded and motivated.
Martha: As community managers, we are expected to keep the vibes up in the community, but we are humans and sometimes we don’t just feel like ourselves. How do you navigate days when you don’t just feel like it?
Idongesit: Even on days when I don’t feel like it, I still show up. But I often remind myself that it’s a community for a reason. I try to bring in conversation starters where others can carry on the conversation, and then I step back into the shadows and watch as the interaction goes.
I don’t think I’ve had many of those ‘off’ days because I know I have to show up—it’s someone’s company, not my personal business. I know some employers will want you to inform them if you’re having breakdowns or you’re really stressed but I only take breaks when I have very important commitments in school like exams or I’m medically incapable.
Times when I’m down medically, I reach out to my team lead. She can decide to give me the week off, and she also pulls in some support and shows up for me in the community.
Martha: Our role can often blur the lines between work and personal life. What boundaries do you have in place to protect your mental health while still delivering great results? How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance?
Idongesit: When it comes to boundaries I’ve always worked in places where even after work closes by 5pm, I’m on calls or still working on something, I can even be contacted by 7pm to send in a document. But I believe the place you work heavily affects the boundaries you can have.
At my current place of work, I was surprised by how they take work-life balance very seriously- you don’t message about work during weekends, after 5pm there is no work-related talk and all discussions happen the next day except we have an event scheduled for later that day. That’s one of the ways I would say I have a work-life balance but most times it’s more like a myth for me because I usually get to work with startups or communities that are just starting so everyone is always on their toes.
Martha: Lastly, can you share a tip that always works for you whenever you are faced with any challenge when managing communities- that one thing that sets you in the right direction.
Idongesit: Do your own research. Always get on the internet and look for resources that align with the things that you struggle with. Belong to a community of community managers like
, where you can ask questions and get replies from different levels of community managers- entry, mid-level, or senior.Connect with Idongesit Akpan on LinkedIn
—
*Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
- Enjoyed this piece?
- Did something stand out to you?
- Yet to subscribe?
Lovely read