Freshly into the corporate world, I find myself going through people’s stories of what they wish they had done while fresh in the corporate world.
These things are not regrets per se, but they are stories to motivate us – us being the people in the corporate world or those getting freshly into it.
We are still determining what awaits us on this other side.
The corporate world is not for the weak. I am a year into it and don’t feel like I love it. Do you guys love it? Especially those of us who are in Nairobi where the traffic jam in the morning has you waking up early.
Earlier than you used to, even in high school. (Here you thought your math teacher was lying when he said wake up early then and sleep later – look at us now, having slept then).
Many of us could use these tips. I have been trying to live by them, and they are actually helping me, and they might help you, too. So, allow me to share some of the things I loved the most:
Apply for the jobs you think you are underqualified for
One thing I keep reminding myself whenever I apply for any position is that I am more than just my papers. I plan to start including that on my CV.
Personal details and then “I am more than just my papers.” If you are a boss, you would be intrigued by that. In my quest to hustle for a job, I once went to a particular company to look for anything to help me pay my little bed-sitter rent.
I didn’t have any of the technical skills they were looking for (I still need to, but I’m getting there). However, I had the soft skills.
I am more outspoken and was taught confidence as early as primary school, so the boss hired me to head a department.
I didn’t know anything about the department but learned as the days passed. I can’t say I was surprised, but I can say I sold myself better. I convinced them to buy me.
That’s the thing about applying for the jobs you think you are not qualified for. You might be having something that the company thinks they are not looking for, but until they meet you, then it dawns on them that they need it.
Apply for every job you find on your way – even the ones way above your level.
Speaking of which, when is the next presidential election?
I might not be a good example because you don’t know me and think this is not even true. A more relatable example, if I may, is Kenya’s Felix Odiwuor Kodhe alias Jalang’o.
Jalang’o was one of those who never got into university because of a lack of financial resources.
However, while looking for a hustle, he got to sell himself without any papers. He once heard that Kiss FM, a popular radio station in Nairobi, was looking for a presenter and was determined to get to the interview. As usual, there were thousands of them.
The first selection was that people with a degree should step to the left while those without to the right. Confidently, without the degree, he went to the left. What’s the worst that could happen anyway?
The following determinant was for people with a degree in media-related courses, and he still kept stepping to the left. The final was those with a degree in communication and who had never worked in radio before; he stepped to the left once again and saw the other people leave.
The selection had left around seven people out of the thousands.
The final selection was when the interviewers realized he had not met the requirements.
When asked, he confidently said he didn’t have anything they wanted but believed he was the person they sought.
The boss was so pleased because he saw his confidence. When they were taken for the tests, they realized he was the guy they were looking for.
Confidence, my guys, confidence! Where is he now? So, if you see a position you want to go for, then go for it.
Negotiate for salary after taxation
No school teaches us how to negotiate for our salaries. Okay, let me speak for those who went to public schools. But then again, how often do you bargain?
Why is it so easy to deal and negotiate for that pair of trousers you want to buy than negotiate for your salary – the one helping you purchase the trousers?
Many of us negotiate our salary before tax. I was offered this job opportunity the other day, and they mentioned that they would pay me this amount, which was very good.
I learned later that I would be getting half of what they were offering after my first pay, and the taxes had taken almost everything. Who am I working for? The taxes or myself, I needed to ask myself that because there was no way I was working for both (Kenya Revenue Authority, I come in peace).
You must tell your bosses what you want and negotiate to have a sustainable net. Be aware of the gross income.
Big numbers don’t mean big money. Also, your bosses might just be waiting for you to speak up. Negotiate your salary after taxation.
Sit down with your boss and inform them that the money they give you should have you remaining with this amount after taxes. There and then, you will know how to sustain yourself fully.
Increase investments
Many of us are living through the system of hand-to-mouth. We are primarily paid to the bill if that’s a thing.
I have that cyclic relationship with my salary. I get paid, pay the bills and debts, and then have my entertainment money (significant). Until recently, I watched these videos and people are emphasizing the importance of investing.
Just Ivy Africa, for instance, lives by this mantra: “You are not what you earn. You are what you invest and what you save.” This got me thinking: how much do I save? I save for my savings to save me before the next pay slip.
The stories on Investments have been changing my way of thinking and my way of questioning my financial decisions. You have to start changing how you think about the money you earn. There is a difference between how can I afford it and can I afford it?
One implies that you are willing to go extra to get the money to afford it, but the other is being risky and letting your savings save you. It’s more like using your emergency fund for things, not near an emergency.
Are you working for your money, or is your money working for you?
Start thinking of the long run. Start thinking about the impact that suddenly losing your job will have on you.
Where are you before the salary? Where are you currently? Where do you want to be? How can you achieve those things?
Will living from pay slip to pay slip interest you? Invest small. Invest big. Invest for various reasons. Invest in financial security and sustainability.
Network
I am a Gen-Z, so I may use some of the current trends I am accustomed to. I am just going through TikTok, and I see this woman speak of how she landed her current job.
In her story, she talks about getting into big rooms and interacting with everyone. Whenever she is allowed to introduce herself in a meeting, she would talk about everything she is doing.
Also, even at parties and clubs, she would continuously ask people about their professions and tell them about hers. Luckily, she is getting to freelance in most of her jobs because she kept networking.
Make yourself known.
Connect with people who are in higher tax brackets than you are and even those who are in the lower tax brackets. Read stories of the people who have made it and how they have made it. Keep vouching for yourself. Attend the meetings and while at it, be very active.
Participate in these meetings. Give your suggestions and ask questions. Let your name be mentioned in places you have not entered. Network! Do it confidently that opportunities come looking for you, not vice versa.
Don’t be loyal to your first employer
When you are freshly in the corporate world, you desperately need a job. By then, most of us will just be starting to pay most of the bills, and the math might not match.
Luck can have it, and you might get a good job immediately after your degree or diploma certificate. The job is sustainably paying.
You are still young, so you are still thinking that as long as you can have a roof over your head and just a small income, then you are good to go. There are chances that this might not be your dream job, but because you fear going back to hustling your way out, you settle for it.
It’s okay to be that person. However, if you are still seeking fulfillment, allow yourself to work in jobs for a maximum of two years. Get the experience and get the skills.
After that, look for another opportunity to build yourself continuously. You might be thinking about waiting for promotions, and yes, it might happen, but it might happen later than you think.
Continuous changes are likely to make you grow faster than waiting for a promotion that might not happen. Also, you might grow comfortable while waiting for this promotion.
Keep looking for the jobs and the opportunities. Keep looking and keep applying. When you get another job, there is a chance that you are more likely to negotiate for your salary, which, of course, should be a little higher than the previous job’s. Unless you keep looking, the growth won’t happen.
Advance your qualifications
The one thing I thank technology for is that almost everything can be accessed from your comfort.
Unlike ancient days, when our African parents would tell us how they crossed rivers (habited by crocodiles) and climbed mountains through rainy days to get to school, that era ended with them. Gladly.
Nowadays, everything is online, and they take little of your time. You are the one to select your comfortable days and time to learn anything new.
Therefore, this can be an opportunity for people to acquire more skills. Aside from your certificates, get these random certificates that are provided online.
Take the short courses. Take the classes such that people are continuously looking for you. You might be the guy who can graphically design, code, do videography, own your own company, run your own business, speak ten languages, and do everything.
Become a jerk of all trades. Better yet, do them more to improve your growth. You always need to find out what employers are looking for.
Someone once told me that employees look for something different in all applications.
We all have the degree or the diploma and the qualifications, but what is the one outstanding thing about you that you will provide to the company without them hiring another person for it?
Flexible working hours
Well, well, well, we are the 9-5 working hour nation. Many of us think these are the only hours we should be in the office.
Have you ever thought about what would happen when you ask your boss to work on certain hours and not specified hours?
Aside from providing flexibility, it will reduce traffic jams in the nation. It isn’t often guaranteed that we must all work from 9-5 because when we try a little bit to have different timing, we may have a better working schedule.
Try to negotiate for flexible working hours because you never know; you might be getting to the office in the afternoon while someone comes in the morning – as long as you get the job done.
Take leave when needed
Sometimes, we want to work hard for promotions, our bosses, and our families.
Sometimes, we work through sickness because we have deadlines and feel our work is more important. However, even though that work is essential, we should all be ready to take leave when needed.
We went to work sick only to return home because our bodies could not take it. What’s the point of that? When there is a need to take leave of any other form, whether grief, sickness, maternity, or your child is graduating, don’t hesitate.
Take the leave. Sometimes it is always imperative to you. Also, all work and no play…
Enroll in fieldwork activities
Sometimes, office spaces make us serious, and we form a respectful environment around our workmates. Office spaces need to provide better social environments.
Work with your colleagues in the office and work with them in the field; trust me, you will be looking forward to fieldwork days every day.
There is that joy that occurs when people go to the field.
Go with your colleagues to the field, and you will realize that Mike from the corner office with the huge beard talks more than the boss. Beryl, who warms omena in the microwave before you heat your food, sells the omenas freshly from the lake.
Maina, who drives that loud Subaru, is your neighbor; you might get free rides.
Fieldwork is where people bond and form connections. When you go to the field, you increase your way around people and get people to know who you really are.
Also, the connection that may be created may lead you to the next C.E.O. role or, better, to your Presidential seat. Who knows?
Enjoy your money
I am one of those people who never cook on my payday. It’s the day I apologize to my body for the hard work. Hear me out; I can’t be working this hard and just eating homemade meals when I can try restaurants and go outside and book an Airbnb and everything in between.
If I don’t do these for myself, then what’s the whole purpose of the hard work? You have earned it, and you deserve to enjoy it. Don’t let bills kill you when you can enjoy the bills away. (Don’t quote me)
These treats are often a motivation to work extra intelligent next time so that I can go to the most prominent restaurants. Yes, I dine within my budget, but I can’t wait to enjoy myself without checking the balance.
It is okay to “eat” your money. Not every time you get your cheques, and the next thing you know,, the bills and everything has eaten it all up. When are you going to eat it too?
