Careers in Africa

Welcome to the Evisors Webinar

Visit us online at www.evisors.com

Careers in Africafeaturing

Mambi Madzivire

Hosted by: Career Advisors on Demand..com/webinars

http://www.evisors.com/

http://www.evisors.com/webinars/webinar/60



Careers in Africa

About MambiWhy Work in Africa?Why Not Work in Africa?Types of OrganizationsFinding the JobLanding the JobKeep in Mind





About Mambi

• MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business (2011)

• PhD, Mayo Clinic (2009)• Variety of work experiences

– Medical equipment repair training initiative in El Salvador

– Distribution strategy for a start-up medical device company in India

– Independent consulting in Human Centered Design in the U.S. and Zimbabwe

– Private equity operations in Liberia and Nigeria





Why Work in Africa?

• Hard working, driven people• Creativity and innovation abounds

– necessity really is the mother of invention• Young, growing population• Growing business opportunities

– there are many challenges, and the solution space is still quite open

• Small contributions can have a big impact• Tremendous learning opportunities





Why Not Work in Africa?

• You may have to give up/work harder/pay more for things that are taken for granted – reliable internet– constant electricity supply– certain types of food

• Cost of living can be high– rent– fuel/utilities

• If you have a low tolerance for – change– relationship based culture– inefficiency





Types of Organizations

• Non profit/NGO• Public Sector

– government advisory• For profit

– large multinationals (e.g. GE, Unilever, Nokia, Barclays, Google)

– pan-African (e.g. Innscor, Ecobank, DSTV)– national (e.g. Safaricom, Dangote)

• Investment– venture capital– private equity– impact investing

• Entrepreneurship• Research/Academia





Finding the Job

• Networking is KEY– Multinationals do advertise online, but many interesting

jobs are advertised through word of mouth– At school

• Join the African students club• Take Africa related classes – professors can be a huge help in

finding jobs• Leverage the alumni network

– At school/work• Join professional societies• LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, magazines/publications• Attend conferences• Use a professional search firm (particularly for more experienced

professionals)• Find a way to get on the ground (internship, pro bono consulting,

short term work assignment)

Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/56



Landing the Job

• Highlight what you bring to the table– technical skill (e.g. programming, finance)– industry experience (e.g. healthcare, FMCG, telecoms)– functional expertise (e.g. logistics, advertising,

strategy, operations)– qualifications (e.g. PhD, MBA, MA, MS, JD)– language (English, French, Portuguese, local

languages)• Be conversant in the specific challenges that

affect your industry or country of interest• Display open-mindedness and willingness to

learn




Keep in Mind

• Africa is not a country– each region and country can vary substantially– understand the cultural differences so that you can

choose a country that’s the best fit– target the right country for the role/industry you

want• Relationships are vital

– maintaining a good reputation is critical– make an effort to understand the relationships

between people, as this may influence decisions, behaviours and attitudes

– be confident, but not condescending




Any Questions?

• Feel free to ask me about– the job search– working environment– living environment– useful resources




Questions & Answers

Question 1:

Looking at entities like the IMF/World Bank, do they have careers in Africa?

Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/56



Questions & Answers

Question 2:

Can you provide some insight on personal safety within Africa?




Questions & Answers

Question 3:

Are employers more open to candidates with previous job experience as opposed to career-switchers?




Questions & Answers

Question 4:

Are there any regions that are more receptive to MBA candidates?




Questions & Answers

Question 5:

Do you have any media related to African news or career opportunities?




Questions & Answers

Question 6:

Based on your experience in Africa, what did you like the most? What did you like the least? What was most surprising to you?




Thanks for Joining & Good Luck!




Careers in Africa

Career

Transcript of Careers in Africa