Use the skills you have to make a career switch

Start with what you have – Damaris Mbugua, 24, Director, Pillow Glam by Dee

Damaris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, statistics option. After graduating from Kibabii University in 2017, she got into the home décor business.

“I make and market throw pillows. I started in November 2017 after job hunting for long,” she says.

Like any other fresh graduate, Damaris had high hopes that she would land a dream job that would be related to what she had studied. Luckily, she got a job one month after her graduation. “I was working at Bahati Agroprocessors in the accounting department. I worked for eight months before I realised that employment wasn’t for me, so I quit,” she says.

Her passion for home décor would not let her stay at the office all day. “I would spend a lot of time going through home decor photos especially those of throw pillows,” she recalls.

She would spend hours on social media researching on throw pillow markets and the latest designs. “I noticed that there was a big demand for fruit-shaped pillows. I saw this as an opportunity, and after thorough research, I launched my brand: Pillow Glam by Dee,” Damaris shares.

Pillow Glam by Dee is an online store that sells  pillows. Damaris uses social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to market her business. Her Facebook and Instagram page is @pillowglambydee.

Home décor is something she loves doing. “I am able to bring life to a room and to play around with colours and shapes to make living rooms exciting spaces. This is what makes me love what I am doing,” she shares. She draws her clientele from the hospitality industry and from individual customers.

With time, she has come to love numbers. “Given a second chance I would love to build a career in Mathematics because I really love numbers, shapes and colours, I advise young people to use the skills they have to earn a living. Do not sit and wait for that professional job. What other skills do you have? Start with what you have. Start small. With  determination and hard work, you will get there some day,” she offers.

Her long-term plan is to get a walk-in space where she can display the different designs of pillows, and then open branches in different towns.

I knew I was cut for business – Zak Syengo, 35.

Zak is a biomedical scientist who has built a career in microfinance as a marketer. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Science at Maseno University with a major in Pharmacology. “So I know a bit about what happens when you take a drug and how it relieves pain. And yes, I was passionate about the course. I actually got first-class honours,” Zak says.

Passionate about business, while in second year, he sold second-hand clothes in Bomet County. “I had to look for a way to earn money since I was struggling to survive in campus,” he shares.

So, landing a job in microfinance to extend credit to entrepreneurs was not by chance.

“I knew I was cut for business. I jumped at the opportunity. It was more exciting than selling second-hand clothes. Show me any youngster who wouldn’t love banking as their first job?” he posed.

That was the start of a successful marketing career that he has built over the years through mentorships and hands-on experiences.

“I have worked with people who have experience in marketing, been mentored by leading communication gurus and I have also researched widely on my own. This has positively transformed my skills. I did not study marketing as a core subject. I only did it as a unit while pursuing a Masters degree in Business Administration at the Strathmore Business School.

“If given a chance, I don’t think I would sill pursue a course in Biomedical Science. But I wouldn’t study marketing either. Both had their places in my life. Biomedical Science helped me develop analytical and research skills which are vital for any marketer today,” he says.

Zak admits that the trends in marketing keep changing, and he had to put in extra effort to gain a competitive edge. “In the last eight years I have taken time to learn more about marketing and microfinance, thereby growing my expertise,” he says.

In some instances, Zak has prepared papers for international conferences in the subjects of microfinance and entrepreneurship.

In the long term, he intends to combine his academic knowledge and industry experience to mentor young people, or to teach at a local university on part-time basis. “Other than that, I am an entrepreneur,” he states.

He advises young people to follow their interests and passion. “These two determine the success of your career. The course only adds value to them,” he says.

I believe I can sell anything -James Oyuko Orwa, 32

James Oyuko Orwa has risen to become one of the most respected marketers in Kenya, a career that he launched by default. “I was interested in social justice activism, fighting for the vulnerable in society. I  formed an organisation which I called Tabernacle International Provision Services (TIPS) right after I completed my secondary school education in 2005,” says James, who graduated with a  Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Daystar University. He is  now the Regional Communications Manager at Fountain Enterprise Programme (FEP Group). TIPS helps orphaned children to access basic resources such as food, shelter, healthcare and education, and operates in Mfangano Island in Homa Bay County.

It was while in university that James landed a job in sales and marketing with Strategic Personnel, an organisation based in Nairobi. “I quickly realised my potential and within one year, I was the Sales and Marketing Manager,” says James. By 2013 when he was in fourth year, Deliverance Church Secretariat employed him as a sales manager for their magazine . Two years later in 2015, he landed another job with FEP Group in their telemarketing department.

A true journeyman, James was  poached by Madison Insurance one year later as a unit manager in their sales and marketing department for life insurance products. In January 2017, he moved to Scott Christian University where he worked as a PR and marketing manager before moving to International Leadership that September to handle marketing and recruitment of new students.

In May 2018, he went back to FEP Group where he is now the Regional Communications manager.

He has had a fruitful career in marketing, a passion that he discovered by default.

“Theology gave me a grasp of the moral standards in society which are still applicable in the field of marketing. I am trying to build on that now that I have a Masters degree in Marketing from the University of Nairobi. With this I can link the professional part of marketing with the innate understanding of the subject,” James explains.

He is looking forward to owning a digital marketing agency.

“I want to go big with advertising and social media marketing,” he adds.

He has offered consultancy services for  firms such as Yonda Business Limited, Kaputei Sapuland Hotel, Millenium Limited School and Talanta Institute.

“Marketing is a job that repays my efforts. I can quantify the results. I believe that I can sell anything,” he says.

To become proficient in today’s digital marketing techniques, James continuously researches on digital marketing and has done a number of online courses.

He advises budding marketers that that is a dynamic field that requires a good measure of emotional intelligence.

“Go out there and socially interact with people. Take volunteerships to sharpen your skills,” he says.

He says that his best training ground was the volunteership he was involved in with an insurance company many years ago. “It is a challenge wearing a suit and a tie yet you have no money in your pocket, and you have to work hard to earn your keep through commissions.  It was a training ground that gave me the energy and the impetus to later handle work at Scott Christian University,” he explains.