I have a job and I’m about to study my master’s degree. People see that and think I’m successful, but I want to share my backstory, the rejections I got and the struggles I went through, so that anyone reading this is inspired to help refugees. Or if you are a refugee, you know that you just have to keep working and waiting for your time. No matter the obstacles, you are eventually going to get the job.
I’m from Sudan. We are a very educated family, most of us are doctors or work in the IT field. I have both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science, and I worked as an ICT teacher for primary children. I’d worked since I’d graduated, I lived a good life, and I was very independent.
In one moment, I went from excitement for my masters, to becoming a refugee. I lost everything.
I arrived in the UK in January 2023 to study a master’s in business analysis and consulting. However, war broke out in Sudan, my company were no longer able to sponsor or fund my studies and it was not safe for me to go home. In one moment, I went from excitement for my masters, to becoming a refugee. I lost everything.
I started to apply for jobs. It was so hard. Sometimes they think that you are overqualified because of the degrees that you have, most companies didn’t answer my applications, and a few told me that you have to be a British Citizen to work for them. I had some interviews but I didn’t get the jobs and they didn’t give me any feedback so I didn’t know how to improve.
Then I came to Breaking Barriers and I met Safia, my Employment Adviser. We started by working on my CV and cover letters, and I realised that I needed to tailor them for each job. She also helped me with my interview skills, and to think about the kind of role I wanted to focus on.
Most people think that you should focus on low-profile jobs in your early days in the UK, but Safia saw my potential and helped me gain the confidence to apply for jobs where I could develop my skills.
I went on courses and workshops with Breaking Barriers and their partners too. Most were with Microsoft and were in my field of interest in AI and data science. I was granted a LinkedIn premium account, so I can do more courses there too.
Most people think that you should focus on low-profile jobs in your early days in the UK, but Safia saw my potential and helped me gain the confidence to apply for jobs where I could develop my skills.
I applied for a role as an Employer Engagement Officer and got an interview. This was good news! Breaking Barriers helped me to prepare for the interview and I thought it had gone well. Ten minutes after leaving, the manager called me and offered me the job.
I got a flat too. It was empty but I have good friends and family who have helped me to start over again. Since I started to work, I began buying things bit by bit, and now I feel like I have a home.
I came to the UK to start my masters, and this is still my primary goal. I’ve learned that if you don’t have a UK qualification here, people don’t take you seriously. Especially if you come from Africa. I am going to start my masters in September and continue working at the same time. Then I hope to pass my driving test and to fully independent again.
