My CV: How I Got a Job With Barclays & NIC With Just a Diploma From Mount Kenya University

By Tabitha Makumi,
Whether you have a PhD, MBA, or even a form four certificate, we all have a job search journey to tell.

24 Year Old Hillary Omondi Odago graduated in 2010 from Mount Kenya University with a Diploma in Business Administration and started looking for a job right away.

“I started dropping CV’s in January 2011 with all the companies that I wished to work for. Barclays Bank of Kenya was among one of them. Five months later (June 2011) they called me with a Customer Advisor job offer,” he shares during an interview.

Prior to getting the vacancy at Barclays, the only experience he had was from an attachment at the Ministry of Immigration where he worked as a Clerical Officer tasked with minute duties such as sorting of files, filing, data entry and preparing payment vouchers.

“Sometimes you have to believe in yourself when you are job searching and pray your application yields results ,” he says.

He adds that most diploma holders will ignore looking for jobs with big companies just because they feel intimidated by those with high level of education.

“True, a degree is important but not all of us can afford to get one. You have to make do with what you have,” he says.

Which is exactly what he did with his diploma.

“I attended the first interview which was conducted by a panel of 4.

He expounds that, “The interview questions were more on my education background, the kind of responsibilities I was tasked with during my internship at the Ministry of Immigration, what I learnt during this period and so forth.”

After two weeks, he received a call for a second interview and got the job.

“Since I didn’t have experience in the banking industry, I was trained on how to handle customers, how to understand people with different needs, and most of all being, truthful in all my transactions.”

His first job at Barclays lasted for one year and 10 months until NIC Bank came calling and he had to give a one month resignation notice.

While at Barclays, Mr Odago had successful run a campaign in the credit department and a manager at NIC bank had noticed his hard work and dedication.

“I didn’t even apply for the vacancy. I had a phone conversation with the manager about my availability and on June 2013, I had a new job as a Customer Product Advisor.

It was here where he was tasked with marketing and selling NIC bank credit cards, opening accounts to both existing customers, assisting prospect clients and customers with documentation for different bank products among other duties.

But that opportunity did not last for long. In February 2014, Mr Odago, who is the first born of his family left his job at NIC to take care of his ailing mother.

“She has since gotten better and I am positive about finding my next opportunity,” he says

Does he plan on upgrading his education?

“I have siblings who currently want to join universities,” says the young man. He adds that, I will settle for CPA’s for the time being since they are not as expensive.”

In the mean time, he is looking forward to progress in his career in the financial market, operations, management or in customer care.

“You have to start from somewhere even if it means personally dropping your CV’s. As far as your level of education goes, you can always advance,” advices Mr Odago.

Do you have a story to share, contact tabitha@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke

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