MY BIGGEST GAMBLE. A THREAD!

1. I gambled. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush; not always though, if you really know what you want. I was engaged in a free internship with @merckgroup in Ghana. Kind courtesy my mentor @ikadupong who was then the country manager.

2. I had passed my Pharmacist licensure exams yet I had no knowledge in commercial pharmacy because it wasn’t taught in school; so I volunteered and got paid, not in cash, but in skills and knowledge. I learnt from people like @RxDerek who were holding the business down then.

3. 3 months into the internship, there was an interview with @merckgroup which I attend. Same day, I had an interview with another company (A 3rd party distributor). I had to sneak out to go for that interview since I was keeping it on the low.

4. Few days later, I had an offer from the other company. Standard salary for the job, especially for someone without extensive experience. I looked beyond that for prospects for growth and development and compared it to that of a multinational company. Naaah! It wasn’t it.

5. In the Pharma Sector, some multinationals can take up to 3 months or more for their hiring processes. I was in that position. A bird in hand, and two in the bush. I just had to talk to someone; someone aside God. I opened up to my mentor @ikadupong

6. I had to because I couldn’t keep it anymore. I told him about the other interview I attended on the same day that he interviewed me at Merck; then I went on to talk about the offer. I asked his opinion on the next action to take. These were his wise words:

7. “Joel, whether you have made a cut to the next round of the interview or not, I can’t communicate till it’s done officially”
That has been my greatest experience of the word “Integrity”. I had to let go of the expectation to hear my verdict unofficially. Then he went on;

8. “So Joel, if you reject this offer, and later you get rejected by Merck, and you regret deciding to decline this offer you have now, then your choice is apparent; so you can go ahead and accept it straightaway. Otherwise, you may want to take the risk with Merck”

9. I learnt another lesson. In a mentorship relationship, NEVER TAKE DECISIONS FOR PEOPLE, EVEN YOUR MENTEES. Guide them to make their own decisions, else you will weaken their decision making processes and prevent them from exercising their sense of responsibility.

10. I was pressured. Family pressure, especially from Mr. Anaman, was mad. “You have finished school, you’re a pharmacist and you’re still doing internships. Find a job o Jojo”
Ladies and Gentlemen, know what you want. I was doing 8am to 4pm at Merck, then an evening shift...

11. ... from 5pm to 10pm at a community pharmacy at Adjiriganor. I remember I used to talk to @auka_sh and @jux_Bella a lot during that time. Anyway... I prayed about it and made a decision. “I want to work for a multinational and that’s that. If Merck doesn’t pick me, ...”

12. “... I will continue to intern here till I get a slot with a Multinational company”. After making this decision, I took the greatest risk of my life; well so far. What I haven’t mentioned is that the other company was very impressed to hear that I took the internship to learn

13. So I called and informed them that because I was interning with Merck for the past 3 months, they have offered me a job, so unfortunately I would have to decline their offer. They accepted my response and that was it. Another 3 months of Sakora

14. My colleagues: @anokye__ @GraceArmah @EmilyPremo, had bagged their jobs by then. I kept being hopeful. January came, I interviewed with another multinational via Skype but no show. My mentor resigned that month to pursue his passion: People Development

15. He had helped me build some form of resilience. I would say the greatest gift I had from him was his Mindset Orientation exercise. He oriented my mindset so positively that I was all about results, results! RESULTS! Everybody needs a mentor

16. February came in and I had qualified for the next round. Isn’t God good? I did nail the interview. Thanks to @RxDerek, the 2 Richmonds and Henry for the invaluable tips. I remember how I could bother these guys to hit the field with them. No be small disturbance.

17. On 3rd April 2017, I signed my first contract. After 6 months of “unpaid” internship, 8am to 10pm work and betting my last coin on myself and letting go of a job offer, here it was; SUCCESS and the beginning of my career. God had come through and the dedication paid off.

18. Yesterday was my 3rd Year Anniversary. It’s been long since I GAMBLED. I may be gambling soon; who knows. Grateful for having colleagues like @henrykoning1, Yvette and Richmond and an Amazing boss, Miriam. One day I will talk about her.

19. All I’m trying to say is that you need to own your success. Trust God, take risks, make sacrifices to build capacity, remain focused, make wise choices and get a mentor while at it. It’s been amazing so far. Thank you for reading. Please follow my passion @ProductivityOpt

20. I hope this inspires you to do more. To break out. COVID19 may be tough and challenging for your career. What you may not know is that you’re Tougher. Create the success you want to enjoy