Did you know that most graduates are never employed within their degree field?
Despite all the work put in in a postgraduate level, many find difficulty in finding work in their chosen academic fields. Others say that the career fields they are in at the moment are much more exciting than the fields they intended to pursue.
The same is the case in Kenya. Go around town and ask a few people if what they studied for is what they currently pursue; most of them will tell you no.
But how do they make the transition from one field to another? I got to speak to one George Muchira to know how he did it. George, who works at Centum, initially pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering but he now works as an Associate within the Strategy Office assisting the Group Strategy Director in driving Centum’s development strategy and implementation.
George also works in the Healthcare Sector under Centum Capital, the Group’s Private Equity arm, assisting in the execution of the Group’s healthcare investment strategy.
Describe your typical day
Centum’s work environment is very dynamic, which in turn requires you to be adaptable to the key tasks handed to you.
That being said, you do have the occasional market analysis and research is usually on an ongoing basis to ensure that nothing material has changed in any prospective/current investments.
What did you study in school? Is that what you always wanted to do/pursue when you grew up?
I did Civil Engineering for my undergraduate and concurrently pursued an ACCA certification. Civil Engineering was one of the ways I could tap into my passion for infrastructure; roads, buildings, dams and power projects sparked an interest in me.
However, I have to admit that they were all at war with finance – that’s why I supplemented my lack of knowledge in this field with ACCA which gave me an idea of P&Ls, Cashflows, and Financial Ratios etc.
If you had the chance to start your career over again, would you have chosen a different career path and what would you do differently?
I would have focused on 150% on finance and investments. Within that realm, you get to work in several sectors – it doesn’t have to be solely in the banking industry. Would it have changed my path, maybe? I wouldn’t know, but at least I would have a “firmer” footing in the space than I did when I began working in investments.
Tell us a bit more about your work at Centum. How long have you been there? What are you duties?
I joined Centum through the Graduate Program, inducted in August 2015. To date, I have worked in 4 sectors – Real Estate, Education, Agribusiness and my new home, Healthcare.
Being involved in many sectors is very beneficial as it exposes you to various tasks and allows you to build on skills that you can leverage in another sector e.g. in Education I was tasked with legal review of the company documents which is what I am currently doing in Healthcare. This enables me to know what to look out for, flag crucial areas etc. As for Agribusiness, I was in charge of on-the-ground execution of Centum’s Greenfield investment in Ol Kalou which included the basic procurement of machinery and equipment to financial reporting to the executive committee on the expenses against approved budgets.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to succeed at your job?
In my view, analytical skills, a can-do attitude and great communication skills are all crucial for one to succeed in investments.
With the first skill being a common prerequisite for any investment/finance job, a can-do attitude is very important because the nature of projects we engage in are somewhat daunting and may cause people to create excuses and undermine one’s capability. Also, due to the fact most tasks all inform team projects, communication is key to convey your ideas and also, to seek clarity and assistance in some areas where the can-do attitude has met its match.
You changed your career from civil engineering to joining the field of business. How was that transition for you and how did you manage to grow from where you were (without the skill set) to where you are now?
I keep getting asked this once people find out that I changed my career which is very funny. My transition from engineering to the field of business was not as rough as most people would expect. ACCA made the shift bearable as I was able to understand some of the acronyms being thrown around in the office – you know how professionals like acronyms! My desire to always learn and pick up new things coupled with a good attitude has always helped me in a fast-paced environment such as Centum.
I read everything I could lay my hands, and I still do this to date. I think that was a key plus and assisted me in getting this far. Also, I have to give credit to the business managers who take the time to ensure that the skills gap is always bridged in line with the individuals’ goals and are always approachable in case of uncertainty.
How did you create the opportunities for you to be recognized so as to be given the chance to prove yourself?
At Centum, you get to interact with people – young people – across the group who have been able to inspire me to aim for greatness. These guys are the ones who, both directly and indirectly, motivate me to keep going. Outside work, my family and how supportive they were when I opted to change my career; I believe they are my biggest fans.
In the course of my growth, soft skills together with the reliance on my ability to deliver when called upon.
How do you define success? What would you say are the key elements to being successful?
Success to me is being able to deliver an outcome or output at a high level and being happy about it – if you’re not proud of it, then you’ve missed the target. This definition is not my own but builds on a definition by famous American poet, Sean Carter, who popularized the quote that excellence is the key to success; the ability to perform and deliver at a high level continuously, leads to success. I think this is something I strive for because as much as luck can result in success, 9/10 times you have to perform and deliver 100%.
The right attitude is also crucial, because at times one work-stream that informs the bigger picture of a key project you need to deliver may not be your cup of sugar. With the right attitude, you won’t even notice how much you “hate” the thing you are doing and focus on the end goal!
What is the most favorite aspect of your job?
The scale of projects that we do at Centum is one of the things that brings me to work every day! In addition to scale, being part of a team of around 30 of the best and brightest offers the opportunity to learn not only at a personal level but also develop skills and knowledge across the eight focus sectors, especially this early in my career.
As a student, did you get involved in any clubs or activities to improve your skills?
I was very involved in high school, having been in Math and Research clubs. However, in campus I was not as active, only involved with the Society of Engineering Students. That being said, I now understand the importance of clubs and if given a chance to start over, I would be heavily involved in clubs. This is because they allow members to build networks and engage with professionals across various fields.
What advice would you give somebody just starting out in your line of work?
Self-drive is a must. Most of the times, due to the fast-paced nature of the environment, one needs to have that passion that ensures that you’re continuously delivering with minimal supervision.
Think of it this way, if your boss has to take time to do their job and also slot you into their schedule for you to do your job, there is something wrong with how you work. This is something I learnt when I started; always strive to cover your boss. This is one way to push yourself to develop your skills and grow in a career.
