"I remember getting so excited to finish campus. Gown on, tassel turned and ready to do the strut as I proudly received my certificate. Little red ribbon wrapped around the cylindrical folded certificate. Shortly after this, it dawned on me that the job hunt should start. All I knew was that I would get a job in Finance, not sure how, but I figured it should happen immediately. The lies we tell ourselves.
All I had done was an industrial attachment, no more or less experience. Most jobs demanded experience, for some, if not all the positions. It was tough convincing them I was the best fit for most of those positions, although looking back, had I learned what I know now, I would have probably scored those jobs. I remember frequently searching on google for “recent finance jobs in Kenya”. I laugh when I remember this part. Waking up every day and dedicating the morning hours to applying for jobs and internships.
A few months later, my sister introduced me to Fuzu. I did the usual - created an account, crafted my CV and waited for the daily job ads to be posted. So every morning, I’d get on Fuzu and share my CV to as many jobs as I could.
It was during this time that I came across the Yusudi program on Fuzu and what stood out for me was the 5 months paid internship. At this point, I had been home for close to 4 months and this felt like a lifetime so why not apply? Plus I was going to be trained in something I had never heard of before, Business Development. It sounded too catchy to pass on and besides, I’d be as diverse as a bi-racial kid who wasn’t sure if they were foreign or native.
Turns out my choice was one of the best. I learned so much during the 6-week training, I was impressed. Skills like Emotional Intelligence, being a girl, this was big - no more jumping to conclusions LOL. I learned how to customize my CV, take action steps - this meant training my mind to think 10 steps forward and finally Business Development, this was huge.
6 months after my internship, I got my job at Jijali. I have grown consistently ever since, starting out in B2B sales as the Partnership Manager. This entailed prospecting, onboarding and closing clients who would provide us with participants to go through the Jijali program. I slowly transitioned to Digital Marketing through lots of self-learning and coaching which led me to my current position as the Marketing Assistant for the said program above.
Yusudi prepared me with the right skills that I needed for my current job and my career in general. I have been able to self-learn on most of the things required of me, and most importantly managed to deliver in my role. Had I not gone through the Yusudi program, I would still probably be jobless and frustrated. I have learned to always push myself to do better and be better, this has even contributed to my personal growth. What could be better than a program that grows you both professionally and personally?
To anyone who feels like they do not know where to start, how to, what to expect, anyone who feels stuck and unprepared for the world of work, give the Yusudi training program a try.
Bye and best of luck to you all.” Juliet Ngubiah
Learn more about the Yusudi Sales Academy here
Author: Juliet Ngubiah, Marketing Assistant, Jijali
Editor: Ivy Njeri, Marketing Lead, Yusudi