my jobs in kenya
How much do you love nature? Most people think they would love to live in a nice forest, mountain or ocean area, but it’s not always possible. However, there are some companies that have found ways to get you as close to your favorite location as possible! Here are some jobs that let you live in some of the most beautiful areas in the world! Maybe one of these will be your next adventure! Do You Love Riding Horses? The first job on our list lets you see some of the most amazing sights while also getting paid!
How I got the job
Before my current role, I had to go through a hiring process. Like most companies today, we looked at how well people perform in technical interviews and how they could potentially fit within our company culture. I started off with a phone interview, which was mostly comprised of behavioral questions. Then came an on-site interview at one of our offices where I got to meet everyone on my team who would be supervising me during my internship. I also had two technical interviews: one with my boss's boss and another with another engineer on my team.
After several rounds of interviews, I was offered a position on my team. Once I agreed to take it, I had to sign an offer letter which outlined my duties and expectations. We also held a new-hire orientation where we went over company policies, financial benefits and other administrative details. Before starting my new job, I also completed an employee onboarding process that covered everything from how to dress professionally to our internal HR policies. Some companies may not require onboarding if you’re just starting as an intern or part-time worker. Others may assign a mentor to help ease you into your job during your first days at work.
The benefits of working there
Why do people want to work at Amazon? Given that it's no secret that working at Amazon is not for everyone, it may seem like a strange question. But consider all of its benefits: a stable job with good pay, health benefits, retirement packages and stock options. Perhaps most importantly, if you're looking to get ahead on your career path and plan on staying around for awhile, Amazon provides training and mentorship from top talent. You'll also have plenty of resources available to you.
It's likely that Amazon has built a strong reputation around its willingness to invest in its employees, and it often comes with a higher workload than many are comfortable with. But if you're looking for a work-life balance, Amazon probably isn't your best option. The benefits include competitive pay, as well as learning and growth opportunities if you take advantage of them. So if long hours don't scare you away but have turned off other employers, it may be worth considering whether Amazon is right for you.
Life as an expat in Kenya
Out of all possible expat postings, Kenya is definitely one of my favorite locations. With safaris, beaches and a relatively stable economy, there are certainly many things to like about working as an expat in Kenya. However, there are also a few challenges that expats may have to overcome during their time abroad: learning to live with crime and corruption while maintaining good health can be difficult at times; however, learning how to live with them is important if you want to make Kenya your home for many years. Aside from these challenges living as an expat in Kenya can be truly enjoyable; just remember it’s not a vacation!
Because living as an expat in Kenya is a bit more difficult than your average posting, it’s important to fully understand what you're getting into before making any permanent decisions. First, you’ll want to consider if you’re going to live as an expat in Kenya on a short-term or long-term basis. Short-term positions tend to be seasonal while long-term positions are more common; however, they both have their pros and cons depending on how much time you actually plan on spending abroad. Also remember that these rules apply even if you're only working as an expat overseas for part of your year: not taking into account tax regulations could get tricky since foreign income may need to be reported.
A day in the life...
Here’s a rough idea of what my job at Amazon was like: 6:30AM - Wake up, do morning exercises (I used to play competitive soccer and that’s a huge part of who I am). Quick shower, check email. Here's an example from my last day on Amazon (May 22nd 2016): 7 emails related to getting new devices for customers as well as international regulations for exporting/importing items into various countries. Oh, how I love technology!
Breakfast, respond to more email (customer related issues), get ready for work. 9:30AM - I'm out of my house and usually show up around 9:30-10AM depending on traffic and bad roads. I was doing 12-hour days at most until recently so if a customer needed something done urgently or if there were very few emails that morning, my day would only last 8 hours. It was quite common to leave at 7PM though. If you take these things into account, it's actually not an easy job by any means although it is still an amazing experience! Work Hard, Play Hard has never been truer to me than with Amazon.
The good and bad of being here...
I’ve been here 3 years and I have seen it all. The culture shock was huge and while I do not like everything, I do love some aspects of life here. Everything is so cheap (for good reason) but some of us haven’t adjusted yet. My advice is to be frugal for a year or two then you will be set for life (no kidding). Try it out, get used to living how they live, learn their customs and try to understand why things are done differently than you are used to. They are interesting people with interesting lives so get involved and be open minded! You will enjoy your time even if you don’t want to go back home. :) Be respectful of them and they will respect you as well!
