The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
The subject of today’s Abroad Life is Rukayat, a senior financial analyst in the UK whose side hustle is to connect foreign immigrants with job opportunities through RKY Careers. She spills the tea on her journey into resigning from a senior position at a legacy bank to relocate to the UK for her Master’s Degree and eventually starting her employment franchise.
What inspired you to move to the UK?
Oh, I moved to the UK to be with my fiancé (now husband) in 2019. As I started early, I was then at a senior level at Guaranty Trust Bank (not an executive). But I also wanted to further my education and get a Master’s degree.
What was the process like?
Well, I first have to start with the anxiety. I had to work through the fact that I was leaving my senior role at the bank to start a new life in the UK. I first tried to come in as a tourist to test the waters, as I didn’t have as much information on the process then as I do now.
However, I was later denied for reasons I’m not aware of. At the time, there wasn’t a specified student visa that could enable me to stay in the UK after my studies, so the “student visa” I got only allowed me access to the UK, which expired immediately after graduation. It was in 2021 that it became effective. I got admission to study Financial Technology at the University of Stirling, shortly after the COVVID in 2020
That’s wonderful! What was your Masters’ experience like?
I had the experience of taking physical classes for six months or four months after the peak of the COVID period. The percentage of Nigerians or even other Africans among the whites was very low.
In fact, I and one other Nigerian were the only two self-paid students in my class. The remaining two Nigerian students were on a Chevening scholarship. I also had the opportunity to pay my school fees in installments for twelve months. I was able to pay through savings from my salary at the bank, plus I had the support of my husband.
At that period, I had to live in Stirling, Scotland. Stirling was what I needed at the time because it was a very quiet and humble place. However, I didn’t live with my husband in England, so I still had to pay 350 pounds for my accommodation.
I got married a few months after I came in, was pregnant throughout the time of my studies, and gave birth at the time of my dissertation, so I needed a calm environment. It was also a struggle getting part-time jobs in the beginning (from September to December) because of the influx of international students rushing into the country. However, I could live with my husband’s support, and I finally got a part-time job in January.
Fantastic! How did you then come about creating RKY careers?
Getting my first job after school in the UK also birthed RKY careers in 2022. Going into the job market at first was scary because of the issue of not accepting Blacks lower rate than other races. However, this wasn’t the case. God favoured me with job offers, and I got various calls on salary expectations. At some interviews, I got rejected. At times, this happened in my final stage.
I was applying for jobs based on my research and had no guidance. I eventually got a job as a Senior Finance Analyst. After a couple of months, I then started to help Nigerians, from close friends and family to people in my current work who also had struggles getting a job in the UK for the first time. I first named the page “Live Careers in the UK” as a career consultation and advisory page, where I could dish out advice for first-time immigrants on careers in the country.
In the process, I also started helping people create CVs as well as LinkedIn optimisation. Last year, we also started to work on training for career professionals who wish to transition.
How did you register?
I first went to the Companies’ House where I paid a bill of 13 pounds. You can register as a limited liability company or a sole entity, but mine was a sole entity. You must also be eligible for it, as not everyone’s visa allows them to own companies in the UK.
What have been the achievements and setbacks so far?
So I’d say our team has done a good job so far regarding achievements. We had over 150 success stories of people who got jobs in the UK and even Nigeria and were called for speaking events, and they are generally doing very well. We have also empowered people to live their dreams in whichever career opportunity they choose.
The challenge, I’d say, is dealing with people, as you cannot satisfy everyone with a peculiar style. You have to offer bespoke services. It is also uncommon for Africans to patronise their own people, and even if they do, they make so many demands. I think we need to do better to respect black owned companies.
Where do you see RKY careers in the next 5 years?
We intend to make more impact and help more people be an inspiration to many others. We also need to increase inclusion and diversity in the workplace, not just for Nigerians but for all Africans.
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