There is only one person that I felt would be the best to start us off on this platform and that is my good old friend Josphat. He and I go way back to 2016 when we joined the same company (PwC Kenya) as part of their Graduate Trainee program straight out of university. With two other colleagues we were in the same department, Risk Assurance services – IT Audit for that year’s intake of graduates.
Starting off a career at a young age straight from university in Professional firms is not easy and takes a lot of courage and strength to go the distance. There will be trying times and moments where you feel you can no longer continue. At such moments the people you surround yourself with will make the biggest difference.
Josphat played a big role in my move to work in London. After close to 3 years at PwC Kenya I decided to take a career break and spend time off work. At the moment I didn’t have any plans on my next career move or what I intended to do. All I knew was I wanted a break and went back home without any job prospects.
During the first few months of my career break Josphat reached out to me and told me of these opportunities he had come across to work in the UK within the IT Audit field. Initially, I was not interested. The prospect of moving so far away from my family and home country at the time felt very scary, I was not too sure how this would work and frankly it seemed too bold a move. In addition to that, I did not know anyone who had made such a move, let alone if it could even be possible.
Some months passed by and Josphat took the plunge and applied for an IT Audit job from the opportunities that were coming his way, he got a job and he moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. I think at that point I felt brave enough to also do the same having seen him make the transition. He helped me throughout the interview process and even gave me pointers on what I should expect when I moved to London. I know Edinburgh is miles away from London and are two very distinct cities but to some extent it gave me comfort that at least I knew someone in the UK and that’s all I needed.
I will always be grateful to have Josphat both as a friend and as a colleague and for pushing me to take bold steps in my career. I normally joke with him that if a book was ever written about my career, one chapter should be dedicated to him.
Everyone who has interacted with Josphat, both senior management and junior staff, friends and acquaintances can attest to how good he is at his job and at interacting with people through coaching and leadership. He’s someone reliable that you want working on your side because you know he will always deliver.
I reached out to him to have a candid conversation on his experience moving to the UK and how that has shaped him.
1. Why did you move from Kenya to Edinburgh, Scotland:
It was a dream of mine to work and live outside of Kenya and the UK was one of those places that I was drawn to. My father had explored opportunities to study abroad many years ago, however, that never materialised. My moving to the UK in some way was to fulfil his dream as well.
The timing was right when I got the opportunity. I was young enough without anything tying me up, old enough to venture out to unknown territory and had the right work and life experience needed. If the opportunity had come a few years before or after, I may not have been able to take advantage of it as I did.
2. At what point did it dawn on you that you had actually moved away from home:
The moment I landed at Edinburgh Airport, it was a cold Sunday evening in June 2019 with just one suitcase and a back-pack. It was at that instance that I realised that there was no turning back, and it felt a little bit intimidating.
3. What do you miss most about Kenya:
My family for sure without a doubt. I do miss my friends as well but not as much as my family. If I had my family with me in Scotland, I feel settling in and life in general would be so much easier. Every time I go home, the realisation that my parents are ageing by the day dawns on me and on top of that I miss out on so much time with them including family life like birthdays, graduations, new-born nieces/nephews.
4. What don’t you miss about Kenya:
The traffic, the morning and evening commute to and from work was no fun. It took so much time going to work every day plus the roads were quite chaotic and unreliable during rush hour. I don’t miss that at all.
5. What was the biggest challenge you experienced when you made the move to Scotland:
The relocation costs leading to the move and initial couple of weeks can add up. Of course, you do get reimbursement however my finances took a hit around that period.
6. Covid happened when you had just moved, how was that period for you and how did you cope being so far away from family:
Although some would disagree, I do consider myself a little bit introverted which meant that being indoors was not too hard on me. I was generally okay most of the time. I kept myself busy with work and made regular calls/video calls with my family and friends.
Being indoors and not having the freedom to go out meant that my fitness and general wellbeing was not at the best during that period. I was constantly worried about my family back home and the uncertainty of the whole situation.
7. Looking back, what is that one thing that you could tell yourself when you first moved to Edinburgh:
Always carry an umbrella and/or a jacket when in Edinburgh haha.
8. What have been the pros and cons to moving to the UK so far:
Pros:
Achieving my dream of living and working in the UK. It’s something I always wanted to do, and I’ve done it. No matter where I end up, that’s one item crossed from my life’s bucket list.
Career-wise I feel I’ve done well, no regrets. Along the way I’ve had people supporting me, learnt a lot, developed significantly with a clearer direction of what I want out of my career. I’ve gained great experience and validation of my abilities through the career progressions.
I’ve expanded my professional networks, met colleagues who support my career and made new friends
Cons:
It took me a while to get used to the food here as it does taste a little different from what I was used to back home in Kenya.
9. What are your career reflections and what advice would you give to people out there:
PwC Kenya was very instrumental for me as it’s where I started. In a span of three years, I learnt a lot and the experience that I gained set me up for the next challenge of my career. The learning and training allowed me to get opportunities. KPMG UK enabled me to progress in my career and move on up. I wouldn’t change anything and if I could do it again I would do it the same way. In both companies I’ve had people that believed in me and saw my potential, for that I will always be grateful.
Advice: Decide what you want and go for it. Seek out people that can help you achieve your goals and remember you can make it anywhere you are.
