Saad Mustafa Aboulela was born on the 17th of July 1922 in Omdurman, Sudan. He was the grandson of Hassanein Aboulela and Hassan Beik Abdelmoneim.

His father was Mustafa Hassanein Aboulela and mother Fatma Mohamed Aboulela.

He had four brothers: Abelsalaam, Abdullah, Izzat and Fouad, and five sisters, Sayda, Hayat, Hanim, Aisha, and Fawzia (in order from oldest to youngest).

Education, Career and Impact on the Sudanese Economy

He attended school at both the School of Omdurman and Coptic School in Khartoum and completed High School at Victoria College a British boarding school in Alexandria, Egypt considered to be the Eton College of the Middle East where he graduated in 1942. He excelled during his time at Victoria College, see transcript from newspaper published sharing that Saad Mustafa Aboulela had been awarded two prizes in an award ceremony and of him with other Sudanese students attending Victoria College during his time:

He was determined to study at Oxford University in England and got accepted, however due to World War II he was unable to travel. Due to his natural talent at a young age at business and commerce he kick started his career by working in the office of Hassanein Aboulela and Sons in Cairo, Egypt and Younis Ahmed and Abdelmoneim Mohamed in Khartoum, Sudan where he learnt the necessary skills and experience until 1948.

Then in 1948 at the age of 26 he co-founded alongside his uncles: Mohamed Aboulela, Awad Aboulela and his father Mustafa Aboulela the Group of Aboulela Companies known as:

1. Aboulela Trading Co Ltd

2. Aboulela Real Estate Co Ltd

3. Aboulela Agricultural Co Ltd

4. Aboulela Engineering Co Ltd

5. Aboulela Cotton Ginning Co Ltd

He was selected as one of the Board of Directors for all the above aforementioned five companies and in 1977 became chairman for all of the five boards of directors.

He took over the agricultural projects and through that became one of the pioneers and leaders in the cotton industry by leading on ginning, marketing and exporting of cotton. He also exported, sesame seeds, ground nuts, textiles…etc. He was exceptional in this sector and was awarded an honorary award by the University of Khartoum Faculty of Law for his impressive knowledge of company law. He was highly trusted by the Sudanese judiciary, was an authenticated business arbitrator and was often invited by the Sudanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry to help resolve business disputes. See honorary doctorate degree below:

He developed countless agricultural projects in the Blue Nile and White Nile states and supported the agricultural revolution in Sudan between 1950-1970 until the start of the Agricultural Reform Law by the government of President Gaafar Nemeiri which abandoned the private sector run agricultural schemes by taking away their licenses to manage the agricultural projects. This was similar to land reform schemes in Egypt which succeeded in achieving equitable distribution of land in Egypt because land ownership was restricted to few owners (known as Bashas) and farmers operated the land (known as falaheen). However, in Sudan there was no shortage of land and farmers owned the land. Managing companies helped operate the land and would purchase harvest for a fair price.

Despite developments regarding nationalisation and Agricultural Reform Law, agricultural activity, cotton ginning and international exportation continued and Saad Mustafa Aboulela was elected as president of the Union of Sudanese Cotton Producers in 1968 and continued in this post till he passed away. He exerted a large amount of effort to ensure fair compensation to all the private sector agricultural schemes. The culmination of his efforts succeeded in securing the rights and pay-outs for many agricultural schemes by 1987. They were never fully fairly compensated by the government, but given the circumstances they were able to put pressure on the government to partially compensate them.

Saad Aboulela won the hearts and respect of the people operating the agricultural land as his focus was to achieve sustainable development by providing healthcare, job opportunities, education and income to deprived communities. Aboulela family succeeded in this by building schools and hospitals in rural areas which transformed the lives of many living in rural parts of Sudan.

Saad Mustafa Aboulela helped establish the banking system and played a significant role within the financial system in Sudan. He was on the Board of Directors for the Bank of Sudan, Sudanese Commercial Bank (the first national Sudanese bank) and the French Sudanese Bank. He also helped manage the Gezira Scheme one of the largest irrigation projects in the World. His reputation preceded him as a successful and noble businessman.

He was elected as chairman of the board of directors for countless other institutions and companies, to mention a few:

1. Sudan Cotton Co Ltd

2. Sudanese Tea Co Ltd from 1969-1988

3. Coffee production and trade Co Ltd 1972-1986

4. National Cooperative Bank 1975-1978

5. Blue Nile Insurance Co Ltd 1981-1988

6. National Cigarette Co Ltd 1965-1988

7. Aldamazeen Agricultural and Livestock Production Co Ltd 1976-1986

8. Sudanese Chamber of Commerce 1977-1988

9. Blue Nile Cigarettes Co Ltd 1968-1988

10. Vice President of Sudanese Football Union

11. President of Al-Hilal Football Club

He was a member of the board of directors for the following institutions and many more not mentioned below:

1. University of Khartoum Board of Directors 1956-1988

2. Council of Trustees for Ahfad Schools 1964-1988

3. Council of Municipality of Khartoum 1959-1969

4. Regional Council of Khartoum 1961-1964

5. Sudanese Basketball Union

6. National Tobacco Co Ltd 1965-1988

7. Bank of Sudan 1978-1988

8. National Research Council 1977-1988

9. Sinar Cotton Ginning Co Ltd

10. Sudan Airways

Character and Interests

During his lifetime and for the purposes of work and leisure he travelled to many countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, America and the Middle East.

He was an extremely well read and educated man. He had an impressive library and book collection and had a keen interest to learn more, expand his knowledge and read about a range of topics from politics, history and economics. He was truly wise and a man of few words.

Saad Mustafa Aboulela was a major football fan and he was the president of Sudan's Hilal Football Club from the early 1950s, see photo with the football club below:

"He was offered to take on political positions, but he politely declined because his main goal and purpose was creating jobs and opportunities for Sudanese families, expanding the economic foundation, infrastructure, production and exports which was more important to him than having the title of a minister which he believed would distract him from his mission. He would pay Zakat to families and wouldn’t disclose the names of those families out of respect and would pay bonuses despite both not being tax exempt which all speaks highly of his character" - Mohamed Awad Aboulela his nephew

An example of his generosity was when there was a lady who hadn’t paid her rent for two years and the company raised a lawsuit against her, when he found out her circumstances he was upset at management, closed the lawsuit and registered the property in her name because she was widowed.

People that knew him described him as organised and meticulous. He wouldn’t leave his desk at the end of the working day unless he ensured every paper and paper clip was in its right place.

“He was very meticulous when it comes to work and business. He organized the Aboulela business; how it was run and ensured records were very well kept. If you go through a file of correspondence compiled by him, you would appreciate his work and how that made a difference for the family business. He was a perfectionist.” - Mohamed Awad Aboulela his nephew and mentee.

This was evident from his 1940 college books and handwriting, see extracts below:

Art and Music

Saad Mustafa Aboulela was extremely poetic and was very close to the famous singer Ahmed A-Mustafa and cousin of the poet Hassan Awad Aboulela. He wrote some of their musical lyrics and one of the famous songs he wrote for Ahmed Al-Mustafa was "Haram Ya Zaza" which he wrote to his wife Dr Zarouhi Sarkissian, whom he nicknamed as Zaza. It's a beautiful love song I highly recommend listening to if you haven't before.

Marital and Social Life

Saad Mustafa Aboulela was married twice. Initially to Suad Qurashi Aboulela whom he divorced and then married Dr Zarouhi Sarkissian in 1955, the first and youngest female Sudanese doctor. She supported him greatly and dedicated her life towards elevating his career. She was a smart and intelligent woman. They had a very trusting relationship, both seeking the best interest of each other. They had three children together, Leila, Nader and Nada. As the saying goes “behind every great man is a great woman” and this was very much the case here as she really understood and catered to his needs. They both positively influenced other people’s lives and genuinely cared about the family and others ( #relationshipgoals ).

Saad Mustafa Aboulela was very social and had a wide and far reaching network of friends. Some of his closest friends were: Basheer Mohamed Saeed, Mamoun Beheiry, Al-Sharif Hussein Al-Hindi, Mahdi Shareef, the poet Hassan Awad Aboulela and the singer Ahmed Mustafa. He treated everyone as an equal and always stayed in close contact with his family and friends. It is no surprise that for a person with such character, that the day before his passing away he had visited so many friends and family members, and people he took under his wing and looked after. They woke up to the sudden and sad news that he passed away when he woke up the next morning as if he’d said his farewells to them the day before, sub7anAllah.

His friends and family took the initiative and set up Saad Aboulela Hospital which is under the management of University of Khartoum Medical School which specialises in Obstetrics and Gynaecology which is a public hospital, in memory of a person who performed many great deeds for Sudan.

If you want to contribute to his legacy and donate to the hospital, please get in touch with me.

It was really important for me to write this piece as I never had the opportunity to meet my late Grandfather and I’ve heard countless beautiful stories and memories others have shared with me about him and his life, so the purpose of this blog was to pull some of it together into one place to preserve his legacy and share his story with others so that they can hopefully learn from his journey through life.

I still feel this blog does not do him justice as I could literally write an entire book about his life. The legacy my grandfather left us can’t be measured in material goods, or black and white photos. When I told my uncle Mohamed Awad Aboulela what I wanted to do and asked him to try and sum Saad Aboulela in a few words he said to me "You cannot capture in words his nature and impact. He was an all-round person. His skills were limitless in all areas and his behaviour was well-balanced. He won the hearts and respect of everyone across different age bands. They all loved him. He was فخم (fakhm)”

I think the most remarkable heritage that my grandfather has left us which is a quality I see shine through my mother (Nada Saad Aboulela) and other family members who knew him well is his love for family. His indomitable spirit enabled him to build a life of purpose and to always strive to improve himself and the lives of others. He has inspired me to always do my best, value family and to live a life filled with purpose. I hope that someday I can extend his legacy into our own generation.

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I think society’s most underappreciated relationship, is friendship. A close friendship is one of the most influential and important relationships a human life can contain. But culturally, we primarily and understandably value familial and romantic relationships more.

Day to day, our friends influence our tastes and moods. Long term, they can also affect how we spend our money, feel about our bodies and spend our time. We grow in response to each other, in ways both intentional and subconscious. But, I feel that most people don’t talk much about what it really takes to stay close for the long haul.

I read the book Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close’ by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman recently which got me thinking about how my own friendships are formed, challenged, and preserved. It got me to evaluate some of my own friendships in all of their complexity, actively choose them, invest more deeply in them and in some instances walk away from them.

The book is a poignant memoir of a big, invaluable friendship and frank manifesto on how to nurture the important friendships in our lives in good times and bad. In each chapter, Sow and Friedman demonstrate how they navigate the nuances of their long-standing friendship with elegance, warmth, and generosity. This is the kind of book that makes you want to reach out to your best, biggest friends to say thank you, thank you, thank you for walking in this world with me.

So I wanted to share some of the lessons I’ve learnt over the years about big friendships:

1) Give and take is necessary from the very beginning because no two people are exactly alike. You’re not the person you were 10 years ago and you won’t be the same person in the next decade.

For a friendship to survive it has to adapt.

So, I feel a deep appreciation for the friendships that have grown through different phases of my life. I realise that some friendships change and grow through the years and that’s fine.

2) A healthy relationship involves stretches in both directions. When you’re stretching you’re both making an effort to figure out how to adapt to your differences.

It doesn’t have to feel equal in every single moment sometimes one person will require more from the friendship than the other, but overtime the give has to even out the take.

If a stretch feels fun and emotionally low stakes i’m all about it. However, if it’s challenging me with discomfort, series of disappointments and the pleasure reward isn’t tangible or involves having a hard conversation repeatedly over a long time, then it’s not worth stretching for.

For a friendship to last it requires two people who check in with each other and both sides willing to do the work to maintain the friendship. But, I’ve realised once I evaluated some of my friendships that some felt quite one-sided and that I was investing more into it than the other. It felt like I was almost always the one initiating contact, checking in, making plans, planning occasions, buying gifts...etc. The worst part was that I didn’t see that shifting anytime soon and I realised that the friend probably doesn’t even realise it because she’s not the one who’s feeling stretched so it can be hard to notice all the effort I’ve been putting into sustaining the friendship.

Because I’ve known some friends for so long I’ll stretch without reciprocity, but even that has its limits and that’s okay if I realise it’s not sustainable and that actually I’m not willing to do the stretching anymore.

3) A healthy relationship is where people are bringing their true feelings and need into the relationship. However, if your needs aren’t being met then something needs to change.

It’s so important to speak up, but I’ve realised that I also can’t change how people act and that I can’t ask/force certain things, so instead of expressing how I feel if I’m not getting what I want or expect from a friendship I’m going to match my friends energy and lower my expectations to avoid disappointment because it’s important for me to feel that our friendship is balanced over the long term. In my opinion though, naturally that friendship will dwindle down because any ‘big’ friendship requires an investment of time and energy.

With the ease of having been so close to some friends for so long it can almost feel like a threat because so much goes unsaid and is assumed and friends can get complacent and used to the imbalance and just expect more from the other than they put into the relationship because that’s how it’s always been.

4) Invest in your friendships worth investing in

It’s so important that I invest in those big friendships which feel so rewarding by: celebrating their wins as if they were my own (#ShineTheory), offering a helping hand, spending quality time with them and expressing words of affirmation because life is too short!

5) Being a friend means being there for each other even when things aren’t fun without making the other feel like a burden.

I was talking to a friend who literally said to me something along the lines of we are each other’s burden, which helped me reframe what it means to feel like you can depend on someone. If we’re going to say that our friends are a part of our support system and part of what makes us healthy and whole people then it means that we’re going to go through the good and bad together.

It’s okay to ask and receive help from others, that’s partly what friends are for!

A couple of weeks ago I was flying out to Khartoum from London and I was working from home up until the last minute. My friend offered to look after my plants while I was away and so when she came over to pick them up she could see me frantically trying to pack and clean out my fridge so she grabbed the sponge and started cleaning my fridge and helping me around the flat. Sometimes it’s not even about the big gestures it’s the small acts of service!

So in summary, friendship is a beautiful connection and choice we make. And that laziness in tending to friendships is dangerous, and that regardless of the circumstance, whether geography or pandemic, friendships must be nourished, or they will wither.

I really wanted to write about this topic because if you dig deep enough into research on happiness and wellbeing, one of the biggest factor that comes up again and again is the quality of a person’s relationships.

If you’re able to maintain good relationships with family and friends, you’re going to be healthier mentally and emotionally, experience less anxiety and feel more satisfied with your life in general.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the lessons I’ve learnt. What are some of the lessons you’ve learnt about friendship? Please comment and share below!

Her father sadly passed away on 2/10/1930 after she was born on 8/9/1929 leaving behind his widowed wife and two daughters Taqwi Sarkissian and Zarouhi Sarkissian and his step daughter named Rifqa (also known as Zainub Mustafa Bayomi). Dr Zarouhi Sarkissian graduated from Unity High School and entered Kitchener School of Medicine (now known as the University of Khartoum) in the year 1946. At the time she was the youngest student to be enrolled into this school at the age of 17 which was uncommon as most students would enroll to university between the ages of 18-20. She graduated from Kitchener School of Medicine in the year 1952 making history as the first Sudanese and youngest female doctor to graduate among eight other male doctors and alongside her colleague Dr Khalda Zahir who was three years older. Dr Zarouhi Sarkissian and Dr Khalda Zahir were both seen as pioneers in their field particularly given the challenges at the time around female empowerment and male dominance in society.

She went on after graduation to work in Wad Madani and operated her own private clinic. During this period she established herself and through her dedication to her patients and strong work ethic she inspired many other women to follow in her footsteps and pursue medicine as a career. She was featured in the famous Egyptian magazine Al Masawar (المصور) in an article about her career as the first female Sudanese doctor in the issue of 9/9/1955.

She wanted to pursue Obstetrics and Gynaecology, however, in 1955 she married Saad Mustafa Aboulela and dedicated her life thereafter to raising her three children Leila, Nader and Nada Saad Aboulela. Although she left the medical field she maintained her strong relationships and ties with her colleagues in the medical field e.g Dr Ahmed Abdelaziz Yacoub, Dr Sayda Dirdirri, Dr Taha Talat, Dr Fouad Abdo Idris, Dr Salah Abdelrahman, Dr Ali Taha, Dr Widad Gronfoli, Dr Abdelsalam Saleh, Dr Abdelhalim Mohamed Halim and many more. This is a true testament to her continued passion for the field throughout her life.

Dr Zarouhi Sarkissian converted to Islam in 1960. After she declared her conversion to Islam she was renamed Thuraya Mohamed Saad. She was infamous for her generosity, friendliness, hospitality, culinary skills and infectious sense of humour. She performed a lot of charitable deeds and was humble towards everyone which was largely driven by her upbringing. She was a pet lover and owned many pets throughout her life.

But above all she was brave. She was a true feminist and never feared challenging the status quo. An example of this is during a terrorist attack on the Saudi Embassy in 1973 in Sudan she was called upon by the wife of the Saudi Ambassador to attend to her asthmatic son. Despite the risks, Dr Zarouhi Sarkissian rushed to the scene without any hesitation to provide medical support but was stopped at the barricade and not allowed to enter due to the hostage situation.

Dr Zarouhi Sarkissian passed away in London on 1st December 1986 at St Mary’s Hospital and was buried in Brookwood Cemetery in London.

I had the pleasure of watching Spandana talk at the One Young World summit in the Hague in 2018 about her start up ZoEasy, so I knew right after I had to reach out. She founded ZoEasy, a platform which educates and matches blue-collar job seekers to the right employment opportunities using ethical and transparent hiring. They also educate them on the pros and cons of migration, working conditions and cultural similarities/differences, to increase transparency and facilitate informed decisions.

Her team has worked relentlessly to generate a database of 65,000 job seekers from the Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia and Africa. Moreover, they launched a pilot and successfully facilitated employment for 150 job seekers, who now have better salaries and working conditions. They’ve also connected over 170 job seekers to training programs by Education for Employment (via Accenture) to help diversify their skills and explore different employment opportunities, especially during COVID. They are now leveraging partnerships (State Governments, One Young World, Credit Suisse, Expo 2020 Dubai, WEF Global Shapers, International Labour Organsiation etc.) to enable international level training programs for youth and drive economic empowerment. They’ve even been recognized by platforms like Forbes, the World Economic Forum, Financial Times and KPMG, truly incredible!

Her top tips for anyone wanting to launch a start up is:

1. Invest in yourself

2. Validate your idea and grow your network

3. Storytelling is key

4. And finally, make mistakes, persevere and be wise

What did you study at university and how did you find it?

I graduated with a First Class Honours in Business and Management from Aberystwyth University, UK.

As a 17 year old who was about to graduate from high school, making a decision that could decide your entire life and career path can be pretty daunting, to say the least. There were so many subjects I loved; from Biology to English Literature to Business and Economics, I wanted to explore it all! However, one thing I knew for sure, was that I was very entrepreneurially driven and super passionate about creating impact in the areas of Education, Employment and Health.

With this in mind, I decided to move halfway across the world (born in India, brought up in Dubai) to a beautiful little student town in Wales to pursue a BSc Econ (Hons) in Business and Management. I preferred this over more specific courses like Accounting and Finance, as it was extremely flexible and provided a broad range of subjects to work with. Though the course was more theoretical / research based, the Program really put every skill to the test and ensured that students were given a taste of all the major functions required to run a business successfully.

My 3 years at University were incredible and really helped shape me into the person I am today. The town’s vibrancy and natural beauty, combined with students from various cultures / backgrounds really allowed me to expand my horizons. We also had access to a wonderful faculty along with practical/theory based leadership & course specific seminars which resulted in valuable networking opportunities. Overall, the experience not only gave me a more positive outlook towards life but instilled that self-confidence to help me set off on my entrepreneurial journey.

How have you applied your major in your career field? And what are other courses you took or you wish you would have taken that would also add value in your career?

I have actually been able to apply a lot of the stuff I learnt during my 3 years at University. However, I think the module that made the most impact was probably the Research Project in Management, i.e. my Dissertation! This was my first “independent” peek into the startup world, as my topic focused on incentive strategies for retaining talent within entrepreneurial firms. In the process, I got to interview Founders from a diverse set of industries and Startups of various sizes. I also interacted with their employees, some of whom were from the blue-collar community, on a one-to-one basis, providing deeper insight and an all-round perspective.

My summer internship in KPMG’s Consulting Department during my second year also had a significant impact, as it was the first time I actually ventured into the world of work. I was given the opportunity to work with seasoned finance and consulting professionals whose support, encouragement and advice helped me develop the necessary skills to strategize, plan, pitch and implement my startup idea in a systematic manner.

I wish I had done a few more internships during my time at University, I feel like it would have given me a lot more thought clarity and expanded my network.

Also, though my University offers this course now, I wish “Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation” was a compulsory module during my time. It would have been great to have this as a foundation, especially during ZoEasy’s early stages!

How did you find your way to where you are today? Share a little about your professional journey. Also, what motivations fuelled your career path?

Five years ago, I was 20, fresh out of college, still figuring out my next career move. My first inclination was to pursue a career in Consulting at a “Big 4” Firm, and after gaining some experience, eventually start a social enterprise. However, I have always been entrepreneurial and socially driven, with a particular passion for education, employment and youth empowerment.

Since childhood, I’ve had the privilege of interacting with people from diverse backgrounds and different walks of life, a large majority of which were the migrant blue collar community. However, I noticed a disparity in the way this segment was treated. I’ve met English Teachers from Nigeria working as cleaners and I’ve met Software Engineers from the Philippines working as waiters to make ends meet.

Most migrant blue collar workers go overseas in search of economic empowerment. However, recruitment in this sector is archaic and cumbersome, as it relies on low qualified middle-men who prey on the financial desperation of workers. This community mainly comprises youth, where many young people lack the basic education, guidance and skills needed to pursue overseas careers they aspire to, thus, making them susceptible to fraud and exploitation. Many job seekers (and employers) cross 6 layers of middle-men, and can pay up to USD 3,000 in advance for a job they aren’t fully aware of or prepared for. There is also often a disparity between skills and expectations of job seekers and employers, leading to conflict, low productivity, high costs and attrition.

So what did you decide to do to address this issue?

To address this, I founded ZoEasy, a platform which educates and matches blue-collar job seekers to the right employment opportunities using ethical and transparent hiring. We understand job seeker requirements, assess their skills/psychometric, enhance skills via training, and place them with best-fit validated employers. We also educate them on the pros/cons of migration, working conditions and cultural similarities/differences, to increase transparency and facilitate informed decisions. We are now leveraging partnerships, and our established networks to enable international level training programs for youth and drive economic empowerment.

In a short span, our team has worked relentlessly to generate a database of 65,000 job seekers from the Indian Sub-Continent, South East Asia and Africa. Moreover, we launched a pilot and successfully facilitated employment for 150 job seekers, who now have better salaries and working conditions. We also connected over 170 job seekers to training programs by Education for Employment (via Accenture) to help diversify their skills and explore different employment opportunities, especially during COVID. We are now leveraging partnerships (State Governments, One Young World, Credit Suisse, Expo 2020 Dubai, WEF Global Shapers, International Labour Organsiation etc.) to enable international level training programs for youth and drive economic empowerment.

What do you love most about your job?

Honestly, there are so many things that I love about being a social entrepreneur!

From seeing your idea slowly turning into a reality, to the learning curve you experience as a first line entrepreneur, the journey is absolutely amazing.

You are exposed to so many elements of running a business, so early on! From implementing tech, to building a team, to raising capital and networking with the right people, you pick up unparalleled skills in every area!

The element that acts as my major driving force is the social impact and awareness we are trying to bring to a community that usually goes overlooked.

Through my work, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with people from different backgrounds and walks of life, and also establishing networks that I would never have imagined. I got the chance to meet so many inspiring change makers and help facilitate impact through my networks with One Young World, the Global Shapers Community at the World Economic Forum, State Governments etc. and received amazing guidance from Challenge Partners like Credit Suisse via One Young World’s Lead 2030 Program, and Expo Live’s Innovation Impact Program, an Expo 2020 Dubai Initiative. We’ve even been recognized by platforms like Forbes, the World Economic Forum, Financial Times and KPMG, something I would never have imagined during the initial stages of my business.

All in all, these last 5 years have been truly inspiring, and the amount of support and guidance that we have received has honestly been exhilarating; it may be risky, but couldn’t have chosen a better path to follow!

To what degree did you parents’ impact or influence your choice of degree or career? If your parents weren’t supportive initially, are they more convinced now?

I come from a moderately traditional South Indian Family, which means education (i.e. how qualified you are) and financial independence are two of the most important factors to settling down well in life. To achieve financial independence, the conventional route (according to society) lies in becoming a doctor, an engineer, a lawyer or working for a MNC. There is often a social stigma that comes with studying Business & Management and using this as a basis to pursue an entrepreneurial career path.

Luckily though, business and entrepreneurship are not new to my family, and they were extremely supportive both when I wanted to study Business at University, and when I declined a full-time opportunity with a Big-4 Firm to start my own social enterprise. It almost feels like yesterday, when we gathered in the living room to discuss these decisions and even mapped out an entire decision matrix for clarity!

During the company’s early stages, my parents’ dining table was my office space and I used to work about 14 – 15 hours a day. There were times I’d forget to eat, and of course, plenty of self-doubt moments about whether I had made the right decision. Though it was stressful, my parents and (younger) sister have always been there to reassure and give me the strength to keep moving forward. Moreover, my father has been an entrepreneur his entire life, and my go to person over the past 4 years. His experience, knowledge and wisdom have been an amazing guiding force and expanded my vision to prioritize the bigger picture!

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your industry? How has COVID-19 impacted your role?

More than my role, COVID-19 has impacted our work significantly, as education (vocational training) and employment have taken a major hit. Some of ZoEasy’s major industries like Hospitality, Aviation, Retail etc. have been put on hold, with many people being laid off or sent on unpaid leave. However, in the UAE, most people affected by this are still being supported by their employers through the provision of food and accommodation till things fall back in place.

In times like these, saving a job is just as important as creating a new one.

Hence, with full-time recruitment coming to a halt, we had to pivot our effort towards identifying and facilitating outsourced / productivity based employment opportunities in industries that have seen a surge in demand (e.g. E-Commerce, specialized cleaning etc.). This creates a win for blue collar job seekers who may have otherwise been on unpaid leave due to a lack of work opportunities, and employers who have access to a flexible service and diverse workforce. We have also launched CSR based training programs to help people diversify their skill sets and use the same to leverage other potential opportunities in the market.

COVID-19 has also spurred a lot of creativity and innovation! With everything (including hiring) going digital, we’ve actually been able to improve our overall technology and platform to ensure greater transparency, and a smooth process for both job seekers and employers.

What’s your advice for someone interested in pursuing a similar career path? (practical tips)

Invest in yourself

Jordan Belfort, aka The Wolf of Wall Street, famously said “Your number 1 investment should be in yourself, it always pays the best interest”. Being an entrepreneur is all about adaptability and innovation, hence, it’s very important to create a culture of constant learning and stay ahead of the curve.

If you know you’re entrepreneurially driven but are unsure of where to start, use your time at University (and just after) to experiment and discover what you’re truly passionate about. Try to do as many internships as you can in order to get a taste for more practical “outside the classroom” experiences. In fact, make a list of 10 – 15 areas of interest, identify startups that are disrupting the space and try to score an internship with them. Not only do you get a taste of the Startup culture, but you can also explore different aspects of the business at a much closer level. It’s a great way to diversify your skills and gain clarity of thought in relation to your likes, dislikes and overall values / beliefs.

Validate your idea and grow your network

If you ever want to start your own company, I would highly recommend reading “48 Hour Start-Up” by Fraser Doherty MBE. It’s a great book which helps you practice those first steps that need to be taken when building your startup from scratch; Also, it’s quite a fun exercise!

One of the best pieces of advice I can give is the one my mentor gave me- start with your finances, know your budget and always validate your numbers. This is a great planning tool, especially in terms of understanding the capital, team and resources you need to grow and finance your project. More importantly, become a master at what you do! Put yourself out there in the market, do your research, meet with people, understand the pain points and address the gap accordingly! It is also extremely important to have a good support system of mentors who can guide you during the early stages, so get networking from the very beginning!

Storytelling is Key

There are usually two kinds of people, those who are extremely proficient with numbers, and those who know how to tell a story. As an entrepreneur, it is imperative that you find a balance between these two characteristics, and here’s why;

believing in your idea isn’t going to cut it, you need to get others to believe in your vision as well, otherwise that growth trajectory won’t come anytime soon.

You may have all your facts and numbers down, but storytelling is what helps put things into perspective and engages your audience on a deeper level. The more you practice, the better you get at it, so keep pitching and modifying! See what clicks with different stakeholders, see what doesn’t and always ask for honest feedback. Constructive criticism is the best thing that can happen to you!

And finally, make mistakes, persevere and be wise

Don’t let the fear of making mistakes or the “What If” complex stop you in any way. In fact, the more mistakes you make the better, because that’s how an entrepreneur learns and constantly improves. I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but mistakes are the stepping stones of success.

However, if your mentors or well-wishers give you advice/guidance, especially when there’s nothing in it for them, just take it (and don’t forget to thank them for it)! They are a lot more experienced and can foresee things that sometimes first-line entrepreneurs don’t. Just think of it this way, would you rather be clever and learn from your own mistakes or be wise and learn from others mistakes? Trust me, it’s just better to listen and prevent the incident from happening as opposed to taking the heat and then learning from it; saves A LOT of time and energy!

What’s your favourite travel destination and food?

When it comes to food, there are two kinds of people; those who eat to live, and those who live to eat. I’m definitely one of those who lives to eat! My love for food is indescribable, every taste, every smell is an experience in itself.

Over the years, I’ve been privileged to travel across the globe, learn about new cultures and try out local cuisines. There are so many dishes that I absolutely love that it’s really difficult to pick a favourite!

However, this is one combination that I know I’ll never get bored of, and definitely can’t live without:

• A well-cooked two-egg Omelet filled with Indian spices (e.g. salt, chili powder, turmeric, curry powder etc.)

• A massive serving of white rice

• Rasam: a traditional sweetish-spicy South Indian (vegetarian) stock which can be mixed with rice and / or lentil

• To end the meal - yoghurt (mixed in rice)

It’s simple, but super delicious and filling!

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog! If you did, please share with others who may find this useful and share your thoughts in the comment section below. Click on any of the social media links below to share directly. If you’d like to be featured please contact me.

#careerblog #careerspotlight #graduatecareer #career #startup #founder #asia #africa #migrants #youthempowerment #economicempowerment #careeradvice #business

The sixth guest featured on the Career Spotlight blog series is Charon Cummins, a video content producer at Amnesty International. We both went to the same university and I’ve been so inspired by her journey and her side project @Hellaamelanin which are both so aligned with her passions. Read on to learn more about how she studied English Literature and Drama, her year abroad at Spelman College and her internship at BBC which led to her role as digital producer at ITV, social media executive at Channel 4 and now a video content producer at Amnesty International. The key takeaways for me from her career journey are:

1. Don’t self-reject. When applying for jobs or university, always aim high! Also, it can be hugely beneficial to take a gap year or a break to figure out your next steps in terms of higher education.

2. If you’re passionate about something, say it and do it. The industry is really what you make it, so speak your mind if you have an idea and believe in yourself. That self belief is your biggest weapon.

3. Lean on your colleagues when you need to, build those relationships, ask for that extra insight. It will work in your favour.

What did you study at university, why and how did you find it?

I studied English Literature and Drama studies at University. If I’m completely honest, I wish I had chosen something different but I struggled to figure out what I was truly interested in at 18 years old. Given that, I went with what I knew (and had done for A Level) as I had some level of interest in it. It took me until my year abroad at Spelman College and my final year to truly enjoy my course, I struggled to relate to the literature and found it quite difficult initially. I had a better sense of self and my interests as I progressed throughout my degree, and that made me understand what areas of literature and theatre I enjoyed, and I put that into my work. My year abroad was transformative. I spent an academic year at a historically Black College in the west end of Atlanta. It changed my life. I was inspired by the variety of courses i could take, my predominantly black professors and the passionate people I met on my way.

How have you applied your major in your career field? And what are other courses you took or you wish you would have taken that would also add value in your career?

My degree has definitely helped me secure roles but purely based on the merit of going to University. I haven’t put any of my practical experience to use in my day-to-day role. My ability to think critically, interrogate the world around and fight for social change grew out of my time at University. This has since fuelled my passion project (@Hellaamelanin), where I have been able to nurture an online community. HellaaMelanin is an online platform with the sole goal of celebrating blackness. Through the platform, we run networking/social events, do online podcasts and run an Instagram celebrating all things in between. It’s been around for about 3 years and i’m excited for it’s post-covid future!

In my day job as a video producer, experience in shooting and editing would have been super useful to add value to my career. I’m still learning as I go and loving it, but it would help!

How did you find your way to where you are today? Share a little about your professional journey and what you do currently.

I applied for an internship after university at the BBC through Creative Access. This was the biggest stepping stone for me as working at a public broadcaster opened various doors, I built networks and understood how the world of TV works behind the scenes. It also helped me figure out that I wanted to do work in Digital.

I interned in the Marketing and Social media teams across BBC One and Three, meaning that I helped produce trailers for various programmes. I also fell in love with making content for TV shows that would go live online. That led to my next steps, which included Social Media Executive at Channel 4 and being a Digital Producer at ITV’s Loose Women. I’ve just started a new role out of TV which is new for me, as I’m going into more global news as a Video Content Producer for Amnesty International.

What motivations fuelled your career path?

The idea of learning new skills fuelled me massively. I have always been eager to learn how to operate camera equipment, how to edit and produce content well. I am also a big fan of television and news, so storytelling in some way pertaining to those areas has been essential to my growth and interests in the roles I’ve taken on. I want to work on platforms and across programming with a purpose, that make positive change and fight to represent voices that are underrepresented in society.

What do you love most about your job?

The people side to it is really great. You meet people who are so talented and passionate and creative, that has been truly inspiring. I’d like to connect more and get some kind of mentoring going, as I think that’d be beneficial. I also love the creative element, having creative control over how a message is put across is exciting to me

To what degree did you parents’ impact or influence your choice of degree or career? If your parents weren’t supportive initially, are they more convinced now?

My mum rushed me quite a bit in terms of going to University. She specifically said that I should do it immediately after college otherwise I’d “never go” and I should “just get it out the way”.

Whilst I am glad that I have my degree, I think I could have massively benefited from a gap year or break to really think about my next steps in terms of higher education.

She’s convinced I made the right call now that I’m working and a little more settled aha! I know it was out of a place of love and that she wanted the best for me.

I also underestimated myself in terms of my applications so my advice would be to aim high!

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your industry? How has COVID-19 impacted your role?

I think COVID-19 has impacted the security of my role and industry massively. Whilst there is a big need for social content creators, in the world of TV it’s based on shows being filmed and made. As productions have slowed down massively, we’ve had to think a lot more about how to uplift an online audience using minimal material, and rolling with the fact that people are spending more time online now more than ever before.

What’s your advice for anyone interested in pursuing a similar career path?

If you’re passionate about something, say it and do it. This industry is really what you make it and I couldn’t encourage people enough to speak your minds, suggest your wacky/alternative/creative ideas and believe in yourself. That self belief is your biggest weapon and makes you memorable in an industry that can sometimes feel quite competitive and daunting. Also, people are lovely. Lean on your colleagues when you need to, build those relationships, ask for that extra insight. It really does work in your favour.

How do you practice self-care?

My passion project is a big part of that, as I get to channel energy into something different. I’m also big on podcasts and home workouts, they make me feel energised and informed, which I really enjoy.

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog! If you did, please share with others who may find this useful and share your thoughts in the comment section below. Click on any of the social media links below to share directly. If you’d like to be featured please contact me.

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There’s so many interesting books on Economics which I’ve found to be a fun way of learning about Economics instead of reading chunky economics textbooks. Here are my top 3 favourite entertaining books out there, which will teach you so much about Economics without even realising it:

1) The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford

This is a book which shows you that economics plays a massive part in every section of your life, and how knowing about the economics behind these everyday things can help you understand the world slightly better. It answers questions such as: Who makes most money from the demand for cappuccinos early in the morning at Waterloo Station? Why is it impossible to get a foot on the property ladder? How does the Mafia make money from laundries when street gangs pushing drugs don’t? Who really benefits from immigration? How can China, in just fifty years, go from the world’s worst famine to one of the greatest economic revolutions of all time, lifting a million people out of poverty a month?

2) 23Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism by Ha-Joon Chang

This book left me questioning everything I know. It explains in simple language how many of our present-day economic problems are related directly to free-market policies, the book is broad in its appeal and essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about why the weaknesses of capitalism need to be addressed.

Ha-Joon Chang looks at 23 things asserted by people with a neo-liberal economic viewpoint and discusses each in turn. For example: There is no such thing as a free market, companies should not be run in the interest of their owners, the washing machine has changed the world more than the internet has, assume the worse about people & you get the worst, free-market policies rarely makes poor countries rich, capital has a nationality, Africa is not destined for underdevelopment, governments can pick winners, people in poor countries are more entrepreneurial than people in rich countries, despite the fall of communism we are still living in planned economies and good economic policy does not require good economists.

Chang explains at the start of the novel that despite the name, the book is by no means anti-capitalist and aims not to take sides but to explain the realities, although he does say “despite its problems and limitations, I believe that capitalism is still the best economic system that humanity has invented.”

3) Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems by Abhijit V. Banerjee, Esther Duflo

The authors, who are actual #CoupleGoals, are both economics professors at MIT who won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”. I really enjoyed their previous book Poor Economics , so I pre-ordered this book as soon as I found out it was being released!

It’s filled with exciting discussion of economics and what it can teach us about some of the most important issues in the world today ranging from: Immigration and inequality, globalisation and technological disruption, slowing growth and accelerating climate change.

A lot of the evidence is in the form of randomised control trials (RCTs), however, they do not limit themselves to RCTs and attempt to discern what can be learned without them on a variety of topics. They are also consistently sceptical of neoclassical theorising which is quite refreshing to read.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

#bookrecommendations #economics #books #goodreads #economist #economicsbooks

The fifth guest featured on the Career Spotlight blog series is Yousra Mohamed Abdelrahman. I came across her LinkedIn profile a few months ago and we arranged a video call and have connected a lot since. I was so inspired by her career journey, she studied Zoology, worked for Emirates Airlines, the UN and now works for the World Bank as a Program Analyst in the Urban, Resilience and Land unit, in the Sustainable Development Department. She shares so many lessons and insights which will hopefully benefit and resonate with many others who are considering a career shift or pursuing a career in International Development. The key recurring theme and takeaway for me from hearing about her career journey was don’t settle and keep working hard towards creating the right opportunities for you.

Before we start with your career journey- what fuelled your career path? And what motivates you?

You can build a successful career in any field; the key ingredient is to find something you are passionate about and pursue it.

As Steve Jobs said ‘’the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle’’. That is what I did – I didn’t settle, I chose a career very different from my undergraduate college degree.

After I started working, I discovered that I have a passion for International Development and working in motivating settings and entities that facilitates the growth of their staff and fosters knowledge sharing.

How did you find your way to where you are today? Share a little about your professional journey and what you do currently.

I graduated with a BSC in Zoology & Chemistry from Khartoum University. After graduation, I worked in different positions in the Emirates Airlines, the UN and the World Bank. Fast forward - I now work as an Analyst in the World Bank (WB) Headquarters in Washington DC, and…. I ENJOY my work!

Now, let me backtrack to the beginning. After graduation, it was clear to me, even though I genuinely admire Science and Biology and its essence to humanity - I was not particularly passionate about pursuing a career in the scientific research field. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to continue further postgraduate studies in the field. Coincidentally, at the time, Emirates Airlines had advertised a number of positions which appealed to me. I applied and was selected as a customer services representative. A key factor which led to my selection, was my fluency in the English Language, as well as my diplomatic responses during the interviews. I worked there briefly before applying for a position in the Travel Unit of the UN, which I qualified for, given my stint in the airline business, and I got the job. That was when I discovered my true career passion!

Later, I enrolled in studying International Relations and followed it up by completing an MBA in Project Management. Luckily, those two degree programs at the University of Garden City and Khartoum University, were customized to accommodate working professionals and I was still able to work full time. While doing my postgraduate studies, I applied for a position at the World Bank in Khartoum and was selected. I did a range of tasks reporting to the Country Manager, that included project and portfolio management support; office management and supervision of admin staff. During that tenure, I received a number of awards, including an award from the Vice President for my knowledge of the World Bank Trust Fund Management, the World Bank Human Resources Rules, and my leadership skills.

Few years after – I was given an opportunity to move to the World Bank HQ in Washington, initially for an extended on-the-job learning assignment in a regional Development Effectiveness Unit. I was trained on portfolio analytics and monitoring & evaluation tasks. Subsequently, I was offered a permanent position in another unit in the World Bank in Washington.

Again, I didn’t settle – I knew I wanted to work full time on an Analyst position, so I decided to work hard to create my own opportunities. I truly believe that opportunities don’t happen, you create them, and I am destined to have the career I work hard for and decide on.

I started taking a number of cross support opportunities and stretch assignments with different teams. I kept applying and moving within the World Bank. I was fortunate to work in key Vice Presidents’ offices – and I was able to get those interesting positions by always having a focus on my career- choosing carefully the kind of tasks that I take on voluntarily. I brainstormed regularly with colleagues who were in the World Bank longer than me and some who were in senior leadership positions to learn from their experiences.

I never shied away from tasks with high visibility and exposure. I sought to build a strong reputation highlighting my solid experience and knowledge of the World Bank’s operational policies and procedures. That eventually led me to my current ‘Analyst’ position at the World Bank.

Among other tasks, I provide guidance to my teams on relevant operational policies, perform regular analytics on our portfolio performance, review and coordinate our teams’ progress towards fulfilling our corporate commitments in terms of including and collecting data on certain corporate results indicators.

What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy working in the World Bank, because it provides an environment of continuous learning, and experiences from across the globe. I get the chance to work side by side with top notch experts in a conglomerate of sectors and fields. I like reviewing projects to track results on the ground using Monitoring and Evaluation matrices, to assess the real change and impact on the lives of many people, as a result of the project under review.

How has COVID-19 impacted your role?

It’s amazing how we were able to continue working seamlessly in the era of COVID-19. The World Bank already had the infrastructure to remotely connect teams across the globe - given its geographical scope and the extensive spread of its country offices. We have regular video conferences and meetings, we can connect to literally every World Bank database and system from our homes. Even projects’ supervision is now done remotely in many occasions using drones and different geospatial technologies. For some of us – we are even more busy working from home, given that the World Bank is heavily invested in supporting countries, with a dedication to help in the fight against this global pandemic.

What’s your advice for someone interested in pursuing a similar career path?

To the younger generations, starting their career journey, my advice is: Think outside the box - don’t limit your career options. Find your passion and always invest in learning languages, pursue post graduate studies and hone a set of fungible skills.

To pursue a career in international organizations, it is useful to have a degree in economics or to at least include modules in economics, international relations, political economy or similar studies as part of any other degree courses. Another fundamental advice given to me by my father, is to spend time sifting through the unit databases and to read files, reports and diverse program and project briefs. That way, I will understand the business, and the history of challenges faced by the unit and how they were overcome. My father is a retired ‘banking veteran’ if I may say. He told me that at the beginning of his career, whenever he assumed a new position as a branch manager - he used to close his office for at least half day on daily basis throughout his first month (or as much as it takes) just to read through reports on every single intervention, partnership or group of transactions handled by his new branch. To me, this was the jewel advice that I treasure and follow religiously till today, it gave depth to my understanding of my new roles. So read, read, read.

Finally, as you plan your career, think of the famous quotation: “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination’’.

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog! If you did, please share with others who may find this useful and share your thoughts in the comment section below. Click on any of the social media links below to share directly. If you’d like to be featured please contact me.

#worldbank #career #careerspotlight #washington #personaldevelopment #careerjourney #blog #careerblog #sudan #theworldbank #internationaldevelopment #analyst #careershift

The fourth guest featured on the Career Spotlight blog series is Anisa Harrasy, who works for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a global counter-extremism ‘think and do’ tank dedicated to powering solutions to counter hate, violence, polarisation and extremism. Her main focus is Sub-Saharan Africa and she works closely with youth, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and government stakeholders to design and deliver solutions. Read on to learn more about why she chose to study International Relations and pursue a Masters in International Security, courses she recommends, why she chose to work in this field, what she does in her current role, challenges faced due to COVID-19 and her advice for students who want to pursue a similar career path.

Why did you choose to do a Bachelors in International Relations and do an MA in International Security at university and how did you find it?

Since I was old enough to remember, the 9/11 tragedy and the threat of terrorism globally have been a persistent topic, and I have always been motivated to understand why these individuals act the way they do. At university, I studied International Relations and got an MA in International Security, focusing specifically on the political efforts against hate and extremism as well as the local grassroots levels. University of Sussex offered various modules within my Masters and Undergraduate, this enabled me to tailor my expertise from the beginning. Although my curriculum had several modules, it lacked diversity in regional thematics.

Through these studies, my passion only grew and, fortunately, I have been lucky enough to find a job in this field that allows me to continue learning and seeking these answers.

What are other courses you took or you wish you would have taken that would also add value in your career?

In the multicultural and connected world we are today, I deem languages as a bridge between different cultures. I currently speak fluent English, Swahili and intermediate Arabic. As an addition to International relations, I took Arabic as a module, yet as it was basic Arabic, it was a helpful grammatical reminder yet did not aid me significantly. I wish at the time I took intermediate/advanced professional Arabic courses as this would be of significant value in my work today; as when researching extremists narratives, Islamists specifically use significant amounts of Arabic.

How did you find your way to where you are today?

I currently work at The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a counter hate and extremism ‘think and do’ tank. I am a project manager working in capacity building, research and policy engagement, and I specialise in multi-level engagement across Sub-Saharan Africa. In this capacity, I often work across multiple projects, supporting delivery across sectors and helping to coordinate and advance ISD’s work in the region by leading our Sub-Saharan Africa Cluster.

ISD’s work is always evidence-based, stemming from continuous research, and engages with stakeholders from top to bottom, working directly with community members and policymakers. ISD works with the community to generate local research and build the capacity of the community – including CSOs (Civil Service Organizations), community leaders and activists – to help mobilise locally-led solutions that will increase community resilience to hate and extremism.

ISD also works with governments, through capacity-building programmes that enhance their understanding of their community’s perceptions and needs and design programmes to meet them, as well as through direct policy recommendations for how best to address hate and extremism within their constituency.

Having studied modules to do with extremism, ISD publications were a go to for my dissertations for definitions and framing. Therefore, once I had completed my masters, I applied for a MENA internship position - which I was not accepted for due to my lack of formal arabic. A week later, I was emailed to go back in for another internship position focusing on Sub Saharan Africa, specifically East Africa, and I got the job. Since then I have progressed internally from intern to Sub Saharan Africa Project Manager.

What do you love most about your job?

By working on the ground in communities, I get the opportunity to see the human impact of my work. I am in daily communication with County/Municipal Governments and community leaders and can witness how all of the work we do – the training, resources, funds, research – have made a difference locally. I have gotten to be a part of changes in important policy and watch as communication networks have evolved between youth and governments, creating space for young people to be heard and included. I have been involved in dozens of youth-led projects and government initiatives for the community that have reached thousands of people in a real, meaningful way. I get to see those people and hear their stories and know that the work we are doing is making an impact.

To what degree did your parents’ impact or influence your choice?

Coming from an African – Arab household, traditional careers such as doctors, engineers and Lawyers were always favoured. Yet thankfully, my parents have always told me to do what makes me happy career-wise. This is a topic I have been deeply interested in; therefore, they were always supportive. If anything, my career choices have led to more conversations within my household about topics that weren’t openly discussed.

What’s the biggest challenge now facing that sector? How has COVID-19 impacted your role?

COVID-19 has seriously impacted the way in which we deliver our work. Yet this work is all the more important right now, because our research has shown that extremists across ideologies are taking advantage of the current pandemic and the shift in priorities within counties.

At this time, our efforts within local communities have moved online to conform with social distancing. Through online engagement and research, community leaders and youth will work to understand community perceptions, release critical thinking content to aid community resilience and educate communities on their constitutional rights through online campaigns.

What’s your advice for students or people considering taking that route or applying for that role?

As corny as it might sound, find what you’re interested in and become an expert. This ranges from community perceptions, understanding individual paths to extremism, understanding the policy landscape in relation to hate, polarisation and extremism. Not only will you be researching what you’re interested in, but this also helps shape you and your experience.

What’s your favourite travel destination?

Thankfully, due to the nature of our work, in-person meetings and training are the most effective to work (where it is possible to do so safely of course), Therefore, I travel quite a lot with work and get to spend time in a lot of amazing places. Yet, every year I try to take a minimum of two personal holidays. My favourite to date is Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The culture, food and history were spectacular. My favourite highlight was the night street samba parties which brought everyone together.

What’s the most embarrassing situation you’ve had happen to you at work?

An embarrassing work moment is when I was convinced a youth activist group was called The Love Machine and referred to them as such for at least a day before they finally found the courage to correct me that they were, in fact, the Love Movement.

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog! If you did, please share with others who may find this useful and share your thoughts in the comment section below. Click on any of the social media links below to share directly. If you’d like to be featured please contact me.

#careerblog #careerspotlight #graduatecareer #career #careertips #research #universityofsussex #thinktank #subsaharanafrica #africa #extremism #violence #polarisation #government #youth #arabic #internationalrelations #masters #education

The third guest featured on the Career Spotlight blog series is Yousif Abu Agla, a seasoned Diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Republic of the Sudan) currently serving as the Director of the Office of the Assistant Undersecretary for Political Affairs. Read on to learn more about why he chose to study Economics at university, his short experience working in consulting, his current experience of working in Diplomacy, challenges he faced along the way, how he overcame them and advice for people considering starting a career in Diplomacy.

Why did you choose to study Economics at university and how did you find it?

From an early age, I was more inclined to humanities, rather than the science stream, which made it easier for me to decide which subjects I would elect during high school for my Matriculation and IGCSE Examinations. After that, and as the years went on, I became more interested in subjects like History, Economics and Literature. And when I applied for university, I was certain that I wanted to further my studies and knowledge in the field of Economics and was fortunate to be accepted at the prestigious University of Khartoum.

During my university years, I decided to specialise in International Relations and from then apply to work at an international organisation or UN agency. Coming back to Sudan for University, after a number of years of living abroad, was demanding in itself, as I had to adjust to the environment as a whole and the Arabic Language, as a medium of study. However, I learnt to embrace the challenge and enjoy the amazing diversity that the University of Khartoum is well renowned for, and I managed to excel and graduate with an Honours Degree.

Furthermore, I completed my Masters degree (part-time) at the University of Nottingham during my stay in Malaysia. This certainly wasn’t an easy task, juggling between work and my postgraduate studies. I chose the course on International Development Management, as it combines the disciplines of International Relations and Developmental Studies. I thoroughly enjoyed the different modules taught during the course especially Global Political Economy, the Politics of International Law and Field Technologies

How have you applied your major in your career field? And what are other courses that you took or wish you would have taken that would have added value to your career?

Well for me, the major that I completed is certainly beneficial in my current career, as I gained the practical tools needed to better understand and analyse the world around me, and actively became a critical thinker.

Usually, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, throughout its history, opens the applications for the position of entry level vacancies “Third Secretaries” for the graduates from the disciplines of : Economics, Political Science, Law and Arts (Linguistics). In some years, they may expand the required disciplines to include: Computer Sciences and Engineering and Business Administration amongst others. The main requirements, prior to the application process include: providing proof of the Sudanese nationality, attaining a “Second Class Upper” or “ Very Good” grade at the B.Sc. degree level as a minimum, completing the national service and a certificate of good health.

So, for people who are generally interested in pursuing such a career, they can focus on these disciplines and also further enhance their skills in the field of negotiation, mediation, peace-building, multilateral conferences, climate change conferences, international law and other writing skills proficiency.

How did you find your way to where you are today? Share a little about your professional journey and what you do currently.

Unfortunately, after graduating, I didn’t have the sufficient work/training experience to apply for the UN offices in Khartoum.

This remains one of the main pieces of advice I can give the younger generation, to best utilise their summer holidays in applying and finding training opportunities which are aligned with their future career prospects. It’s never too early to start looking for opportunities before you graduate.

So upon graduating, I served my national service (12 months) at the National Centre for Diplomatic Studies and simultaneously completed a professional diploma (4 months) in NGOs management from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology and studied French Language at the Institut Francais de Khartoum. I then applied for the position of Third Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the start of 2012. The recruitment process for the Foreign Service continued for over one year. There were many applicants and the selection process involved two interviews and a written exam. Also, they only take a few candidates and the applications open every 3-4 years depending on the needs of the Ministry. So, to be accepted almost two years after my graduation was a blessing and it paved the way for a clearer professional and academic career path.

But preceding that, I worked for a short spell (one year) in the private sector, as an Analyst in a Business Consulting Firm, where I gained more knowledge in the field of business administration. It was an interesting experience to say the least, as it was my first actual JOB! In addition, to the on the job training, the soft skills that I attained during that short period were invaluable. Subsequently, I had another offer from a Multinational Telecommunication Company here in Khartoum, but when I received the call from the MFA, I knew then where my true calling was.

I’m currently a diplomat (Second Secretary) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Republic of Sudan). Quite recently, I was appointed as the Director of the Office of the Assistant Undersecretary for Political Affairs, which is more of an executive function as opposed to the other bilateral, multilateral, technical and administrative departments.

Prior to that, I completed more than a year and a half at the Asian Affairs Department, in charge of the China Affairs Desk, which I held since returning from my first post abroad at our Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in November 2018. The main tasks involved overseeing and reporting on the developing issues in China and its foreign relations in addition to the regular diplomatic tasks that are entailed with enhancing the strategic relations between both our sisterly countries.

What do you like most about your job?

With the ongoing and never-ending changes in global geopolitics and contemporary issues in the local, regional and international sphere, it makes the tasks of our Ministry, which stands at the forefront to ensure, safeguard and maximise the core national interests of our country, more important and essential.

If you ask me, every day is a new opportunity and challenge to better serve the Ministry and my country at large. This is the most satisfaction that I get and one of the main reasons why I enjoy my job.

What does an average day at work look like?

Well, that depends on various factors. Mainly if I’m abroad or here at the headquarters in Khartoum, I’m mostly reviewing the latest news locally and internationally and if there are any meetings then I need to prepare all the required documents, follow up certain issues of concern with the relevant authorities and make sure nothing is left unsettled.

To what degree did you parents’ impact or influence your choice of degree or career? If your parents weren’t supportive initially, are they more convinced now?

My family has been and will always remain my support system. I’m quite fortunate to be surrounded by my parents and siblings whom I revert to when making major decisions and discussing the best possible options. They have been nothing short of understanding, reassuring, and helpful.

I don’t like the cliches, but one of my main inspirations and role models in my life is my father, and coincidentally, the career path that I chose, is similar to the one in which he served in during his long and illustrious professional career up to his retirement in the year 2018. He served as a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sudan) from 1971 in several posts and capacities both abroad and at the headquarters and retired as an Ambassador in the year 2008, thereafter he served for over a decade at an International Organisation. During this period, he has attained numerous medals of honour and accolades and was a true servant for his country. He engraved in us the true meanings of honesty, benevolence, humility, and compassion.

We learned, from our younger days, to love and represent our country wherever we go and to apply ourselves in our studies and always excel in whatever we pursue.

Both my parents never forced anything on any of us at the household, coincidentally, each one of my four siblings chose a different career path.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your industry? How has COVID-19 impacted your role?

Like the different sectors, in Sudan, the Foreign Ministry was quick to adapt to the health regulations that were passed by the government to contain and tackle the spread of the novel corona virus (COVID-19) nationwide. Presence at the workplace has been limited to certain departments, meetings with foreign delegations altered to webinars, and visits abroad for training and meetings postponed.

This unexpected change of events has increased the digitisation in the workplace and the efforts to attain foreign aid to contain the virus.

What’s your advice for someone interested in pursuing a career in Diplomacy?

From my modest years of experience, the advice I would pass to students and other people is:

Knowledge is Power (Education and Training) - I always feel I’ve gained valuable information from: reading books, newspapers, listening to the news and podcasts, watching documentaries and movies. In the field of diplomacy, expanding one’s skills and knowledge is of paramount importance. There are no skills that are “useless” and a person needs to learn to be a team member with the ability to excel in diverse settings as well as keeping up to date with the new technology and latest news. Picking up new languages and looking for courses that compliment one’s major ( e.g. International law, political economy…etc.) will be very beneficial for any graduate seeking to work in the multilateral diplomacy arena.

I have participated in numerous training programs in the field of diplomacy and have acquired along the way, a set of practical skills and useful knowledge, but what remains the most significant part of these training opportunities is exchanging experiences with the other participants from other countries.

Your actions reflect your values, work ethics and morals - Being in a professional and disciplined career that requires tremendous amounts of reliability, integrity, cooperation and communication skills, one has to learn to harness these traits from an early stage in his career and exert an effort to always improve on them. In addition to building respect and trust amongst one’s peers and having the right attitude in the workplace - dedication and determination- to enhance one’s productivity as well is also important.

Volunteering and taking action - Volunteering changed my life in many ways, and I believe that if each person identifies the causes they’re passionate about and starts taking action, they can certainly effect positive change in their community and the world at large.

Offering essential assistance to worthwhile causes, people in need and the wider human community, will spark others around you to follow in your footsteps.

As well as the personal development that is attained, one can expand his network which could be beneficial for his/her professional career as well.

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog! If you did, please share with others who may find this useful and share your thoughts in the comment section below. Click on any of the social media links below to share directly. If you’d like to be featured please contact me.

#careerblog #careerspotlight #sudan #ministry #diplomacy #economics #internationalrelations #china #universityadvice #applications #graduatecareer #career #khartoum #diplomat #politics #diversity #spotlightseries #khartoum #malaysia

The second guest featured on the Career Spotlight blog series is Ama-April Frimpong, a Data Engineer within financial services. Read on to learn more about how she studied Chemistry at university, moved to teaching and then self-taught herself how to code and became a Data Engineer. I’m so inspired by her journey as she wasn’t afraid to experiment and steer away from her degree and switched careers three times over a few years till she found the right one!

Why did you decide to study Chemistry at university and how did you find it?

I studied Chemistry at both undergrad and masters level at university. The reason I studied Chemistry was because I enjoyed how the subject blended theoretical and practical principles and as well as how it could stretch across to both biology and physics so the possibilities of interest were vast, hence I felt it was broad enough for me to have full career flexibility.

Most people ask me why so stayed on to do my masters in the same discipline as my undergrad, honestly, there are two answers: 1) I really hadn’t made up my mind about what steps to take after university; and 2) I enjoyed my degree and my university and thought I could carry on learning a subject I was interested in, in a place that made me feel at home.

I enjoyed the practical aspect of running experiments the most. I learn by ‘doing’ so it was great to put theory into practise. The most difficult part about my studies was how many hours I would spend not only in lectures but in the labs. Most weeks I had 30 hours contact time…sometimes more!

What career did you pursue right after completing your undergrad and masters in Chemistry?

Going into university I was quite set on becoming a researcher mainly pharmaceutical research, but during my degree I noticed more and more that a lot of pharmaceutical companies were scaling down and essentially the market was saturated with a large number of researchers and a fewer number of jobs.

I saw this as an opportunity to branch out, but had no idea where to start.

I have always had an affinity to working with children and young people all the way since primary school when I took part in a buddy system when I was in Year 5 to help Year 3’s adjust to junior school from primary. I was always a bubbly person but when it came to class I was always too shy to ask questions or even answer them. It wasn’t until one day my teacher asked me why I didn’t say an answer he knew I knew, and I said I was shy. I knew I wanted to help give young people the confidence my teachers gave me. Based on this and the fact that I like working with others I applied for a graduate job in a tuition centre.

I worked in the assistant manager role at the tuition centre for a year and although this catered to my passion for working with children, I felt like I wasn’t fulfilling my interest in a technical type role. I wanted a role that would enable me to have the best of both worlds 1) a role I felt I was making a difference to people’s everyday lives; and 2) a role that satisfied my hunger to learn challenging concepts.

Upon this realisation I left the assistant manager role and for the following few months looked into other more technical avenues.

How did you kick-start your career as a data engineer?

I wanted a role that was technical but also focused on helping people. I began researching technical roles for STEM students and came across roles like analyst and data engineer. Since the way we live our lives becoming completely digital, the big data sector became more visible, working for a whole range of companies.

So my career path came about from observing the job market and me wanting to scratch my technical itch.

I didn’t know anyone directly in these roles so it really helped me to utilise platforms like Eventbrite and Meet-up to go to career insight evenings and talk to people in those roles. As a result of going to one of these events I met the head office staff of a tech consultancy. They specialise in recruiting graduates and people who have recently graduated who want to transition into a career in Big Data.

All consultancies are slightly different, and their contracts and clauses will also differ. My experience completely changed my life, in terms of my career prospects and learning how to conduct myself in that particular sector. I underwent training at my consultancy in Big Data concepts and learned how to code in various languages as well as learned how to extract useful insights from data through visualisation software. This training lasted four months. During this time companies would interview you to see if you would be a fit for the team.

I was then recruited to contract for a financial services company for two years. During those two years I worked onsite with the company whilst having catch ups with a liaison representative from the consultancy for regular check-ins. After the two years I had the choice to either stay with the consultancy or stay with the financial services company, or leave both. I decided to stay with the financial services company and become permanent staff as I had built a rapport with the team and I felt the company could be somewhere I could grow and progress.

What do you currently do in your role?

I am a data engineer so I create processes that refine data and format in a way that analysts and economists can use it to gain insight and hence make more informed business decisions.

A big governing principle of my role is ETL/ELT (Extract, Transform Load/ Extract/Load/Transform) which is the fundamental basics to almost every data lifetime cycle. Where are you extracting the data from, how will you transform it, and where will it be loaded in order for people to access?

A big part of my job is understanding that there isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to solving problems. People think of ‘data’ and people either think of a black screen with 0’s and 1’s everywhere or they think of excel spreadsheets and as we come into a world where everyone is experiencing data in some way or another, both of these are correct ways of looking at things. Part of my role is to make data more accessible to business areas by processing data (in whatever format it comes in (excel, XML, SQL tables…) clean, transform and format it in a way that they find useful, which could be tabular or as an interactive chart. A great overview of this can be found here.

What do you love most about your role?

The best thing about my job is honestly, the people I work with.

I can’t stress enough the fact that yes you have to love what you do because you are doing it at least 7 hours a day, but you have to remember that for most jobs you will be interacting with others and working as part of a team, so you must make sure you comfortably feel part of the team.

To what degree did your parents’ impact or influence your choice of degree or career pathway? If your parents weren’t supportive initially, are they more convinced now?

My role literally did not exist as a career option when my parents were in their mid-20s so to convince them this wasn’t a ‘fad’ and that it had real career progression was a bit strange. I think my saving grace was the fact that I work for a well known company so that made the whole conversation very comfortable. At the beginning they were just at ease due to my employer but as time went on (and especially now I’ve been working from home due to the pandemic) I’ve been able to show them the work I do and explain it.

What’s your advice for students or people considering taking that route or applying for that role?

Be proactive with learning. I began to teach myself Python by using free platforms such as CodeAcademy and Udemy before I joined a consultancy where I underwent training to become more competent with various coding languages. This learning does not have to just be self teaching, but going along to Eventbrite and Meetup events (most of these are free or have very minimal admin fees) where you can network and learn about the job to see whether that career path is for you.

Don’t be worried about whether the subject you studied matches up to your chosen career path because two people can study the same degree and achieve the same grade and still take completely different career paths: It’s not about what you’ve studied, it’s about what you learned.

What’s your self-care routine?

I love having me time! The week can very easily get filled up meeting up with friends, colleague drinks and all sorts. But make time for yourself to decompress. Making sure I don’t bring work home, have quiet time after 7 pm, drink chamomile tea, do a face mask, read a book/or watch something fun and get an early night.

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog! If you did, please share with others who may find this useful and share your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’d like to be featured please contact me.

#careerblog #careerspotlight #chemistry #bigdata #dataengineer #education #selflearning #career #teaching #careerchange #coding

The first guest featured on the Career Spotlight blog series is Ahmed Darwish, a General Manager at Darwish Bros (Marketing Services and Restaurant Franchise Management company). Read on to learn more about his career pathway, what influenced his decision, advice for those interested in working within the marketing field and how he’s pivoting to adapt to the current COVID-19 climate.

What do you currently do?

I’m a General Manager at Darwish Bros food division which operates three restaurant brands (M Burger Joint, Munchies and Ni3ma in Sudan). I overlook all aspects of the business from HR, finance, restaurant operations, supply chain to marketing. I also head the Marketing Agency that serves our internal brands, but also provides marketing consultancy services to external clients.

What do you love most about your job?

The greater part of my career has been in marketing, having worked in the following sectors: Telecommunications, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs), Consumer Electronics and more, before founding Darwish Bros. I’ve mostly enjoyed the exposure to diverse industries that marketing exposes me to.

Also, our food business has given us the space to be creative. By serving our diverse portfolio of clients through our Marketing Agency, we accumulated a lot of knowledge and were exposed to different types of innovation which made us realise that the sky’s the limit in terms of what we can implement and how we can innovate. There is no glass ceiling.

In addition, a lot of the knowledge we gain from one industry/brand we can transfer and adapt to apply to another industry/brand. So it becomes a chain reaction of endless creativity fuelled by the innovation around us. Our current portfolio of clients operate in multiple sectors: corporate industrial brand, food, beverage and healthcare. This highlights the diversity of knowledge and insights we can input into every brand and project.

What’s an average day like in your job?

In Sudan, it’s a daily case of firefighting due to the never ending issues and uncertainty. From the corruption to lack of infrastructure, and now COVID-19 at the back of the glorious Sudanese revolution, we try to resolve external issues whilst also doing everything possible to educate ourselves and teams, be creative and stay ahead of the curve.

What did you have to do to get to where you are now?

It was a mix of improvising, taking the initiative, being bold and having the confidence in my abilities.

Also, I experimented a lot. As a junior team member at the start of my career I did not shy away from making my ideas heard.

As I gained more experience and took on more senior roles, my risk appetite grew, which translated into me becoming more experimental and not being afraid to challenge the norms.

How have you been able to monetise or profit from what you do?

It’s pretty straight forward in the food business. The marketing services though are a bit tricky. I’ve always had to be very careful about how I value and price my “ideas”. Because that’s basically what marketing is all about. I recently did a postgraduate degree in Strategy and Innovation to enhance my knowledge and credibility to the services we provide.

In terms of pricing methodology, we try to assess what value our ideas and marketing strategies will deliver to the client, and price accordingly. Plus, we need to ensure our overheads are covered, our teams are well rewarded and that we achieve fair and ethical profit margins to build our brand and positive reputation in the field.

Why did you pursue a career in marketing?

As is the case with many people in Sudan, I grew up hearing the noise of “engineer, lawyer, doctor” as the ideal careers to pursue. My logical route would have been either a doctor, like my late dad. Or a banker, like my mother and late granddad. I tried to rebel against this boring norm as I had so many different ideas of what I wanted to be and my family were supportive. But, I was also limited to studying in Sudan, so the farthest I could go away from medicine and engineering was Biomedical Engineering. Yes, not medicine, not engineering, but a mix of both!

As soon as I graduated I attempted to leave Sudan as I was not fond of the very limited options available for biomedical engineers, despite it being an up and coming profession. It was more or less engineering opportunities for medical machines. This is far from what biomedical engineering is. It’s a very wide profession and I was more interested in genetics and genomics, tissue engineering and health economics. All of which to this day are not present in Sudan. I did a mini certificate in management whilst I explored my options. And that got me an entry level HR job at a telecommunications company in Sudan, called MTN. A few months into that HR job, I felt I hit a dead end in terms of being creative and coming up with ideas. The most I could come up with was, file colour coding and an ideas portal for staff. I realised I was leaning more towards marketing so I worked my way into the marketing division at MTN.

Simultaneously, my brother Elmontasir Darwish, was embarking on a more entrepreneurial route and establishing food outlets. So I joined forces with him on a few projects especially as our first venture together was in a crepes and waffles restaurant and then a burger joint; two of my favourite foods!

From then onward, I moved to other marketing roles in different companies, while still being slightly involved in the food business with my brother. Eventually, I started focusing mainly on our food business and established the Marketing Agency.

As I mentioned earlier, the diversity, room for creativity and limitless possibilities for innovation in marketing is what resonated and drove me further. I was enjoying working for every client we served from a variety of industries. The postgraduate degree was a great boost and helped me cement my position in the market, and also widened my perspectives and knowledge, as it was focused on Strategy and Innovation.

To what degree did your parents’ impact or influence your choice? If your parents weren’t supportive initially, are they more convinced now?

Initially, I dreamt of going into a variety of different majors. From architecture and interior design, to genetics and law. You can see below, all the degree options I considered. As supportive as my family were, their advice was always “go for engineering or medicine”.

Trying to decide on degree options!

At times, during the many obstacles we faced in the Sudanese market, I would attempt to seek out job opportunities abroad, and that’s when I realised the marketing job market is very competitive abroad. It’s in those moments that I think to myself, maybe if I had listened to my mother and pursued medicine it would have been easier for me to get a job abroad to escape the ongoing and increasing difficulties we face in the Sudanese market. But, I’m glad they supported my choice not to enter medicine and study biomedical engineering.

In hindsight, my choice to pursue a biomedical engineering degree didn’t impact my long term career. My degree was a prerequisite for landing a job in MTN but it was my ability to network internally and pursue a career in marketing which led to my current career path.

As tough as Sudan gets, it’s very rewarding excelling in your own country and contributing in any way possible.

What’s the biggest challenge now facing the marketing and restaurant sector and how are you overcoming it? How has COVID-19 impacted your role?

For the food business it is certainly very challenging. Curfews and social distancing mean we lost our peak hours and main revenue stream. We are now trying to develop our delivery services. We’re also providing retail options where customers can buy the food and ingredients uncooked and make them at home.

For the Marketing Agency, much more strategic marketing is needed to overcome the challenges and be agile and innovative in making up for lost revenue. Also, there’s been a growing demand for digital marketing, in particular social media marketing, which is becoming more in demand during these challenging COVID-19 times.

What’s your advice for students or people considering a career in marketing?

Marketing continues to be a fast evolving profession. There’s so much to learn every day.

Stay up to date, but stay focused because it could become overwhelming. Improvise and experiment. Do not stick to one industry, at least during the first years.

You can learn a lot in every sector and it will help you identify which sector you enjoy the most. Or, if you’re like me you may decide to take on a role that doesn’t limit you to one industry.

What’s your favourite food?

Burgers of course and we happen to operate a delicious burger brand in M Burger Joint.

Finally, what’s the most embarrassing situation you’ve encountered at work?

I guess when you are young and have achieved a lot for your age, you tend to subconsciously make it a habit to challenge and insist on your position and be very competitive. So I remember going on an email rant with a “rival department” and in that case they were the ones in the right. But, I was too competitive and over confident that I was blinded and too focused on just being right and on proving that they were wrong.

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog! If you did, please spread the word and share your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’d like to be featured please contact me.

“So what do you want to be when you grow up? A doctor or engineer?”

Growing up in Sudan, I grew up around the notion that becoming an engineer or doctor are the “safer” and more “prestigious” fields. In my view, although they are in some ways, there are still a range of other safe and lucrative career pathways which people can pursue.

I myself was in a dilemma growing up about what it is I wanted to do at university and beyond. My late grandmother Dr Zarwi Sarkisian alongside Dr Khalda Zahir were the first female doctors in Sudan who both graduated from the University of Khartoum in 1952. Hence, there was a lot of pressure from my extended family in the form of assumptions that I was going to become a doctor like my late grandmother.

I genuinely thought I wanted to become a doctor, specifically a cardiologist, until I started studying biology and realised I actually didn’t enjoy it. So I dropped IGCSE biology in year 9 and decided I wanted to become an engineer instead. In Sudan electrical engineering is one of the hardest faculties to be admitted into and I had the grades to get into it, so I got accepted. But, before the course had started, I had obtained acceptance and the visa to pursue a foundation programme at the University of Sussex. At some point, when it all started feeling quite real, I realised I had elected to apply for electrical engineering just because my grades would get me into it and that I actually hated electricity because I got electrocuted when I was in year 6 which was a traumatising event. As a result, I changed my application and applied to Economics, which was a subject my mum had taught me at home which I really enjoyed and wanted to pursue as a career.

I feel deep down though that due to societal norms I was made to feel like I had taken the “easy route”. Also, whenever anyone would ask what I studied I’d say economics and they’d respond with “so, business?” as if they were synonymous. In addition, I’ve had so many conversations with many of my friends who admit that they chose medicine solely because that’s what their parents wanted them to do.

So I’ve launched this Career Spotlight series to shine a light on a range of other degree options and career pathways beyond the less traditional ones to inform, inspire and empower others to explore their own interests and talents. I’m constantly inspired by many people around me who have taken the leap and pursued their passion and less traditional careers which are in many instances different to what they studied at university, so I’m hoping I can share their own accounts and stories.

Ultimately, I think regardless of whether someone decides to become an artist, lawyer, journalist, sportsperson, musician, politician or whatever they’re most passionate about, it’s what you do within your career that matters. And in order to excel in your career, you have to have a real drive and passion to pursue it.

You career is a personal choice.

#career #careerpathway #passion #socialnorm #careerspotlight #series

Why should you care?

Systemic racism is everywhere. To support this movement is to pave the way for more conversations about race all around the World. Racism is a global structure that still fuels injustices across the world towards minority groups and people of colour.

As a Sudanese, racism in Sudan has haunted our history and present day. Both race and ethnicity played a powerful role in the Darfur genocide and decades of civil war between the North and South of Sudan which ultimately led to the secession of the South. Throughout the revolution last year Sudanese people from all across Sudan came together in mass protests which led to the overthrowing of a 30 year dictator Omar El Bashir and chanted “Oh, you arrogant racist, we are all Darfur.” This infused a sense of “we are one” and symbolised people standing up as one against systemic, institutional and structural racism. We all recognise that for us to live in a better and reimagined Sudan, we need to tackle the problem of racism by calling it out and standing up against it.

My point is, Black Lives Matter is not just a US problem. For instance, within African countries and amongst tribes racism exists and continues to play a divisive role in relations which has been politically destabilizing. So, you should care because, if the Sudanese revolution has taught me anything, it’s that there is real power in coming together, protesting, raising awareness both online and offline and donating.

How can you help?

I think the most important thing you can do to be an ally and further the cause is to:

1. Actively listen and let the Black community be heard.

2. Educate yourself on the history and the movement as much as possible because the onus is on you to learn and unlearn wrong things you’ve been taught. Read black literature to understand their truths, the slave trade, the history of civil rights and modern-day racism, inequality and police brutality.

3. Initiate conversations with your family, friends and children on racism and anti-black sentiments.

4. Sign petitions because they have proven to work.

5. Donate to funds and charities that support black communities.

6. Support black owned businesses and brands that are allies by for example donating to the cause and ensuring diversity and inclusion.

Useful resources

I’ve compiled a list of educational antiracism resources which I think are a good place to start and which amplify black voices. I’ve split the resources into books and articles to read, charities and initiatives to donate to, petitions to sign and movies and series to watch. So here you go:

1. Books

• The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla

• Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala

• Born a crime by Trevor Noah

• Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

• Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi

• How To Be Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

2. Articles and resources to read

• “10 steps to non-optical allyship” by Mireille Harper here

• Letters for black lives is a set of crowdsourced, multilingual, and culturally aware resources aimed at creating a space for open and honest conversations about racial justice, police violence, and anti-Blackness in our families and communities.

• Instagram: George Floyd: How can I help from the UK? (via Das Penman)

3. Charities and funds

• Black Lives Matter

• Stand Up To Racism UK

• Black Protest Legal Support UK

• Liberty

• Show Racism the Red Card

• Resourcing racial justice

4. Petitions to sign

• Justice for George Floyd

• Justice for Ahmaud Arbery

• #DefundThePolice

5. Films and TV series to watch:

• The Innocence Files - Netflix

• When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix (also When They See Us Now follow up with Oprah - Netflix)

• Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap - Netflix

• Time: The Kalief Browder Story - Netflix

• Who Killed Malcom X? – Netflix

Also, the learning never stops, so let’s all please keep listening, educating ourselves and sharing resources. Please comment with any resources you’ve found useful.

#blacklivesmatter #blm #africa #sudan #antiracism

References:

• The Role of Race and Arabness in Sudan 1899-Present (Aaron Kaplan, Ashton Armstead, Fatoumata Soumaoro)

However, being in lockdown has made me confront my extroversion in a way that I hadn’t expected. It’s made me recognise that introversion and extroversion exist on a fluid scale and are not binary concepts. Many of us flick between them depending on our mood, environment and the people surrounding us. And this lockdown has forced me to embrace introversion and be at peace with it.

Lockdown has taught me that I can survive just fine without many things I thought were “essential”. I don’t need to always attend gym group classes, working out at home is just as effective. I don’t need to schedule back to back brunch dates every weekend, actually resting and enjoying a weekend at home is just as fun.

For example, this is how I’ve spent this weekend:

Saturday

• Deep cleaned (hinching is the correct new term, thanks to Mrs Hinch!) my room, bathroom and kitchen. I spent around 5 hours doing that.

• Tried out a new recipe and made grilled chicken tikka with tandoori-like grilled potatoes.

• Finished my rainbow lion painting which I spent several weeks working on.

• Video called my friends and we stayed up all night till 2 am discussing Black Lives Matter and what we’ve learnt from the past week and our own experiences

Sunday:

• Did a Kayla Itsines BBG Full body workout

• Ran 3 km in the park because I’m training for a half marathon but my legs were too tired to carry on

• Went grocery shopping at my local Sainsburys

• Ordered a Chinese feast from a local Chinese restaurant

• Caught up with friends and family on video calls

I’m feeling content and productive about my weekend, but pre-covid a weekend like this without exploring a new restaurant/place in London, being surrounded with friends or attending a group fitness class would have left me unsatisfied and restless. I must admit though, I still find myself daydreaming of hosting dinner parties and brunches and having a house full of laughing friends.

So I wanted to share my top tips and coping mechanisms on how to deal with lockdown as an extrovert.

1. Try the latest social apps to stay connected

Keeping in contact with my friends and family through video calls has created a feeling of connectedness with others. I’ve watched Netflix with friends, organised a family general knowledge quiz and had group zoom and house party video calls which have emulated hanging out in the same space.

2. Schedule coffee breaks with colleagues

I’ve missed the short catch ups on the way to the vending machine or around the coffee machine at work, so I’ve scheduled group and one-to-one virtual coffee breaks with my friends and colleagues at work to replace the stimulation of workplace interactions which is now missing. But make sure you don’t discuss work stuff otherwise, it’s just another meeting!

3. Engage in activities that stimulate and energise you

During lock down I’ve started training for a half marathon, joined several Instagram live dance classes, started and restarted several fitness programs. The pace, energy and loud pumping music I’ve found to be really stimulating and energising.

I’ve also spent more time painting and starting up my own blog, so definitely do things that excite and energise you!

4. Practise self-care and carve out ‘me time’

Listen to your mind and body and practice self care in whatever shape or form that suits you. For me that’s been applying hair oil treatments, an excessive amount of face masks, sorting out life admin I’ve been putting off, devoting more time to focus on my personal finances, cooking and baking new recipes, painting more and reading books I just haven’t found the time to read.

It’s also important to unwind from all the social interactions, work video calls and screen time. Video fatigue is real people! I’ve felt so drained after working days with 5+ video calls,

Until the lock down, I rarely carved out space for ‘me time’ but now I intentionally set more time to do nothing just so I can relax and unwind.

5. Develop a routine

During workdays I’ve been getting fully ready as I would normally prepare myself for a workday in the office. For instance, by setting my alarm at the same time every day, sitting down for my morning coffee, putting on smart casual wear (or something other than my PJs!). I even bought a fancy coffee machine to make a variety of coffees for me at home, because I love my coffee!

I also set up a workspace with a second monitor and laptop stand, same as what I had in the office, so it’s a workspace I feel comfortable to work in. I just need to replace my dining chair with an office chair to feel completely at work while working from home.

Fundamentally, this lockdown has taught me a lot, and forced me to confront some my own worst fears – and I have to admit, it has been far less painful than I thought. I have learned to enjoy my own company, and realised the importance of making time for myself. I definitely don’t think I’ll be in a rush to go back to my old ways!

#lockdown #isolation #extrovert #blog #covid #introvert

Some courses in which hands-on experience is vital to learning – like medicine, nursing and teaching – have always included compulsory placements; placement years have also long been highly encouraged, if not always mandatory, with other ‘hands on’ courses like engineering as well.

Now, however, more courses are offering students the option of getting some real work experience while still studying for their degree. Economics, marketing, pharmacology and even music are just some of the subjects you can study at degree level with the option of a year of practical training included.

After my second year of my BSc Economics degree, I decided to take a year out working in industry at PwC Banking and Capital Markets department in London. During my placement year I was working full-time while also studying for the ACA exams and completing some university coursework related to my placement year.

Taking a year out of university was daunting at first, but it was more than worth the effort in the end!

Here’s a list of pros and cons based on my experience for students contemplating whether to do a placement year:

PROS:

1. Increase your employability

By far, the largest benefit of doing a placement year is your increased employability. It’s the main reason I chose to take the plunge. Most students will graduate with little to no work experience relevant to their degree, so having a full year of experience is guaranteed to propel you miles ahead of the competition.

Completing a year in industry provides you with the soft skills needed to be successful in the workplace, as well as more technical skills required by your chosen industry. Additionally, the fact that you took the initiative to complete an extra year demonstrates you’re career focused and think strategically about your future. This is the kind of commitment that future employers want to see from candidates.

If you perform well during your placement year, you may get offered a permanent role one you graduate. If you’re on a tier 4 student visa like I was, this is a great opportunity to remain in the UK after graduation to work. Student visas expire shortly after graduation which doesn’t give international students the opportunity to apply for jobs and gain work experience.

2. Gain direction for your future career

At the end of my second year at university, I was torn about what I wanted to do post-graduation. After working at PwC for a year I realised this is the path I wanted to take in the short term.

A year in industry is a terrific way to trial a career before jumping head-first into a permanent graduate job. The best-case scenario is you find a sector you love and would like to pursue further and the worst case is that you decide that particular path isn’t for you. Even if that happens, you’ll still have gained a plethora of valuable, transferable skills.

Also, most graduate programmes involve signing a contract for 2-3 years whereas when you do a placement you only need to commit to a contract for 9-12 months.

3. Develop your social and professional networks

In the workplace, you’re likely to make friends with people of all ages and life stages and by diversifying your social circles, you’ll gain useful insight into the lives of people different from yourself, which helps you become a more well-rounded person.

With regards to the growth of your professional network, there’s no knowing the future opportunities that might arise via the connections you make during your year in industry. As mentioned earlier, many companies offer graduate roles upon the successful completion of your placement year and it’s your professional network that advocate for you, and your work that will result in that.

4. Money, Money, Money

When on your industrial placement year, you will earn a salary (yay!). There’s a special novelty that comes from earning your first steady income.

It won’t be as much as you’d probably earn in your field one you’ve graduated but it should still be a decent wage. I earned £5k less than a first year graduate even though we did the exact same role, but when I returned to the company I came in as a second year graduate which made up for it. How much you get will depend on the size of company you work for and what industry you are in.

5. Develop better habits, confidence, focus and work ethic for your final year

Doing a placement year helped me develop a strong work ethic and a routine which I carried with me into my final year at university which translated into better results. Even though my final year was more intense, I felt my time management had improved massively and I found myself getting up at 7am every morning hitting the library and finishing at a reasonable time which enabled me to do other things I enjoyed.

I felt a lot sharper and more focused. I was more confident in my abilities and understood better the importance of relationships both socially and professionally.

6. Experience living in a different part of the country (or the world!)

For some, a placement year provides the chance to live in an entirely different part of the country, or even the world. There are plenty of opportunities at home and abroad, so go ahead and pair your year in industry with the opportunity to experience a different culture, or way of life.

I lived in London during my placement year which was very different than Brighton which is where I used to live for university. The City of London is a financial district so I didn’t consider anywhere else.

CONS:

1. Missing out on a year with your university friends

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) can set in when considering a year in industry. If your friends are staying at university to finish their degrees, you’ll worry about missing out on all the laughs of final year. Although, fear not, third year is unlikely to be filled with nights out and lazy late nights watching movies on the sofa with your housemates, as dissertations really do take a toll on your social life.

While it’s true some of your friends may not be there when you return, others could stay and do masters courses or even end up doing a placement year as well. So, it’s unlikely you’ll be lonely in final year.

I made new friends in my final year some of which I grew much closer to than people I met in my first year, so if anything on the plus side you end up knowing two cohorts of students!

2. Balancing applications with your studies

Trying to secure a placement year in the first place is time consuming. The application process for bigger companies tends to have many stages and can span the course of months. When you reach the final stages, typically consisting of face-to-face interviews and assessment centers, this will involve travel and potentially missing lectures. Although this isn’t ideal, lecturers will usually be understanding and send you the content you will miss if you explain your situation.

When you begin to apply for graduate jobs, having already gone through similar application processes for your placement year, you’ll have a base of experience to draw from and will perform better because of it.

It takes a lot of dedication to stay persistent with the applications and interviews because it can get really tiring. I remember having to travel into London and practicing assessment centre tests till late at night during exam season. So definitely treat it as a priority otherwise you won’t give it the time it requires.

3. Some courses don’t officially offer a year in industry

For some, there’s the slight issue that a placement year isn’t offered as part of their course. If this applies to you, don’t assume that it’s not an option. Talk to your course leader and ask if a year in industry could be accommodated for. After all, it’s in the course leader’s interest for their students to become more employable.

That’s exactly what I did and they basically made it an option after I built a business case for it.

4. You still have to pay for university fees

Although you won’t be attending university for the duration of your placement year you’ll still have to pay a largely discounted fees.

I couldn’t rationalise why at first, but when I questioned why I was being charged the university explained that during the year I had to report to my placement officer who was my Finance lecturer, he came to visit me once in the office which was lovely and I had to prepare some coursework related to my placement so the fee was to cover that admin cost as I was still technically enrolled at the university, which makes sense!

Overall, optional placement years are optional! If you’d rather finish your degree quickly or don’t want to pay fees for an additional year there are other ways you can get great practical work experience, like a summer internship or part-time job.

However, if you want to guarantee a full-time job offer right after graduation, are keen to gain some practical work experience or are unsure what you want to commit yourself to after graduating then a placement year is a safe option.

Yes, there are sacrifices that must be made to do placement year, but I think it’s 100% worth the investment!

Over the last couple of months, the severe restrictions placed upon our civil liberties due to the Covid-19 outbreak have forced us to establish new ways of communicating with those around us – both in and out of the workplace. Video calling apps such as Zoom and Houseparty have become wildly popular, while the good, old-fashioned telephone call has also enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance.

But how many of the conversations that you have on a daily basis would you consider meaningful? Do you ever leave a conversation feeling frustrated and unheard? Or do you find yourself struggling with the burden of keeping in touch with all your friends, families and colleagues?

These are my thoughts on how we can find new ways of connecting with those around us during these tough times.

Try to get the most out of your conversations

Always start the conversation by asking how the other person is feeling. This helps you to gauge their current mindset, and signals to them that you’re opening the door to a deeper conversation. By giving them the opportunity and the space to talk about their emotions without shame or inhibition, even if they choose not to, you’re letting them know that you’re on their level and that you’re ready to listen.

Throughout the conversation, whatever the topic, try to actively listen to everything they’re saying and ask follow-up questions to show that you’ve understood.

Meaningful communication cannot exist without good listening. So, whenever someone is talking, try not to focus on your next response, but instead do your best to understand and relate to what they’re saying. This will allow you to listen with empathy, and will help the person you’re speaking to feel heard and supported.

Try to find a natural rhythm to the conversation and avoid speaking over the other person. Silence is always preferable to interrupting. Every relationship can withstand a little awkwardness, so try to lean into it. And remember, you don’t always have to give advice – it’s not your job to fix everything.

Finally, if you’re having trouble communicating with family members or friends, we’ve all been on one of those stilted video calls, don’t give up. It’s the showing up that counts. You might feel you can’t express yourself properly or that you run out of things to say, but that’s OK. Being present is what matters.

How to avoid over communication and set clear boundaries

For the vast majority of us, our phones and laptops are now our primary means of communication. This makes it really easy for us to get sucked into bad habits, like thinking we always have to read our texts and respond instantly.

I really recommend putting your phone on silent or disabling instant messaging notifications. With social distancing a lot of people tend to send messages and post things, so it can really feel overwhelming. Be mindful in what you consume and choose to engage when you want to. If you need to switch off, just let those who might worry about you know you’re safe and that you’ll be in touch soon. Most of the time, if someone needs to get in touch urgently they will call.

Special occasions should still be special

I’d recommend setting up a calendar with important dates, as it’s very easy these days to lose track of what day it is and forget. Make it clear to the person ahead of time that you want to speak to them on that day to show them that you care. But do remember to follow through on your promise because it could already be really disappointing for them that the occasion is affected by social distancing. Your call could have been a highlight they would be upset to miss.

You could also plan something fun to do virtually and be creative while you’re at it. For example, if it’s a friend or a family member’s birthday you can still light up a candle and sing them happy birthday.

Make sure you send cards and gifts via mail using websites that have safe delivery options. E-cards are another option if you want to avoid potential delays with the post, but many people enjoy receiving mail and having something to open – particularly at the moment.

Also, remember to celebrate and share the little things. If you manage to cook a new recipe or have tried a new workout, mention it! For instance, I’ve started training for a half marathon, and by sharing this with my friends they’ve all been very supportive and have held me accountable to my goals by checking in regularly and asking how my training is going. This has made the world of difference, particularly on days where I’ve felt demotivated or just lazy.

Communicating sensitive news

If you need to communicate sensitive news to somebody, for example if a family member or friend is unwell, you should start by finding how much information they already know. Once you have done this you should then establish that they are in the right environment to receive the news. If they are in a safe space, you can then start to relay the facts as clearly and as sympathetically as possible, gauging throughout the extent to which they’d like to be informed about the details. Make sure you don’t comment on their reaction, as people can respond in different ways to bad news. Offer them your support and find out how often and in what ways they’d like to be kept updated. If they are isolating alone be conscious to check in on them.

But remember: always think before you act and check the information is accurate and up to date. Spreading misinformation can trigger fear and panic and can cause people to act irrationally. It also triggers anxiety, which can severely affect people’s mental health.

On 31/08/2018 at precisely 12:01 I received a text message from the ICAEW that I’d passed my final ACA exam. I thought I’d react by smiling or jumping from joy, but instead I felt so overwhelmed with emotions and without even noticing had tears flooding down my face. I was so relieved. In that moment I was recalling all the time and effort I’d put into passing those exams over the past 3 years. It felt so rewarding in many ways.

It’s truly been a roller coaster ride from going into college to studying for exams, spending countless weekends and evenings in the office studying, nightmares about the exams going wrong, sitting the actual exams and waiting for exam results, all alongside a full time job.

I’m writing this blog because I want to share with others what I know about becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant and my top tips on how I passed.

In order to become an ICAEW Chartered Accountant students need to pass 15 exams across three levels and complete a minimum of 450 working days of practical audit work experience. Students need to complete at least 3 years on the job training with a recognised employer. I qualified after three years as a chartered accountant at PwC within the Banking and Capital Markets assurance department.

Top tips

I appreciate that most people who do the ACA exams do so whilst working, as becoming a chartered accountant isn’t just about passing exams it’s about having a training contract and showing that you’ve got the practical work experience. I found balancing exams with work to be the most challenging aspect so here are my 9 top tips based on my approach and experience with the exams:

1. Start early, be organised and follow a revision timetable

Start to work through the material as soon as you have access to it and spread revision over a long period of time so you can revisit the trickier areas of the syllabus ahead of time. Finding out that you borderline passed/failed your mock days before the real exam is unnecessary added stress, so make sure you start early to relieve the pressure nearer the exams.

Prepare a revision timetable many weeks ahead of the exam date and plan roughly how you want to split your revision time between the different subjects, particularly, if you have to sit for two/three exams at the same time. Edit the timetable at the start of each week with more specific goals you need to achieve so for instance, revising X, Y topics and attempting X many questions on X, Y days of the week.

2. Prioritise

Learn to juggle your various priorities and schedule your routine around that. So for instance, if you know that client work in a particular week is a priority then make sure to schedule time early in the morning to revise before you start work because you know you’ll be working late in the evening and won’t get the chance to revise at any other point during the day.

3. Speak up

It’s essential that your seniors at work are aware of your upcoming exams well in advance because if you don’t tell them they might ask you to do work which may require you to work overtime. However, if they are aware then they may help to ensure that you leave work on time so you can devote time in the evenings to study. You need to take personal responsibility for your exams.

4. Question practice, Question practice!

Everyone I asked for advice before any of my exams would always say “Practice the question bank as many times as you can”.

Honestly, if you take any piece of advice let it be this one.

The ACA exams are all about exam technique, particularly the professional and advance level exams. The only way to learn how to present your answers and perfect that exam technique of addressing all the requirements under time pressure is to practice the question banks under exam conditions.

One of the most challenging aspects I found was trying to answer the questions under the limited time available. Despite the advanced level exams being 3.5 and 4 hours long I still thought that was too little given the amount of information I had to absorb, numbers I had to calculate and answers I had to explain. So make sure you get your timings right which can only be achieved through question practice.

5. Find a place or routine that works for you

I always preferred staying behind in the office after work and studying in one of the empty offices till late, because I knew that if I went home by the time I arrived back and cooked dinner I’d get lazy and would have wasted a few hours which I could have spent studying. So try to develop a routine that’s convenient to you and allows you to maximise your study time.

If you’re a morning person take advantage of that by trying to squeeze in an hour or two in the morning for revision. I was most productive early in the morning, so I’d always head into the office very early in the morning while it was empty and just study until it was time for me to start working. Those were probably my most intense hours of revision as I was so focused and switched on during those hours.

Take advantage of the time spent commuting to and back from work by carrying some of your exam notes, or reviewing an answer to a long question you attempted before going into work or watching recorded tutorial videos. Embedding revision into your commute allows you to utilise a decent amount of time (depending on the length of your commute) to absorb more information which is always a good thing.

6. Take advantage of your weekends

Accept that in the run up to exams that your weekends are for revision with limited socialising. Looking back, I used to have serious FOMO (fear of missing out) which I just had to get over and learn how to say “no” to some social outings without feeling too guilty. I always told myself that if I failed an exam I never wanted to feel that I could have done more or regret moments where I felt I made a bad choice by choosing to do other things.

So do your best and be willing to sacrifice missing out on small things for a big win!

7. Practice self-care and don’t neglect yourself along the way

You need to do things to charge your batteries. The worst thing you can do is force yourself to study when you’re feeling drained and unfocused. If going to the gym, getting your nails done or watching an episode of reality TV helps you relax then do that in between your breaks in order to maintain your well-being.

8. Utilise your resources and network

If you’re struggling in some areas reach out to your tutors to clarify parts of the syllabus. Most tutors are chartered accountants who’ve been in your shoes before, so I found their exam tips and advice extremely practical and useful, so follow it!

A lot of your colleagues are in the same boat so do support one another. I personally preferred studying on my own but would always plan to meet with others in the office on the weekend so we could study around the same area for moral support. That really helped to keep me going because we would grab lunch, coffee and dinner together which gave us an opportunity to ask each other questions and just relax and get out of the office for a bit.

9. Persistence

It’s okay if you fail an exam, you have another shot at a resit so don’t waste it. Don’t dwell on the fact that you’ve failed for too long. Reflect on what went wrong and how you can approach the resit with better technique. The ACA exams are all about exam technique and knowing how to answer the questions in the style the examiner wants.

Finding out that you’ve become a chartered accountant is a pivotal moment and is something you will be proud of.

A quote that resonated with me in a congratulations email I received at work was:

“What Comes Easy Won’t Last, And What Lasts Won’t Come Easy”

So, don’t expect the ACA journey to be easy, but expect it to be worth it!