Ayub Omondi, a construction worker narrated how he secured a lucrative job in Jersey Island, the United Kingdom after he tried his luck on a job advertisement on LinkedIn.
Speaking to Alex Chamwada's Daring Abroad, Omondi, who now works at a construction firm on the exclusive island noted that he was doing manual jobs after his first stint outside the country was unsuccessful.
Initially working in the Middle East, the adverse weather conditions forced him to return home and work at construction sites in Siaya county.
"I went back from Afghanistan and resorted to doing manual jobs when I bumped into this opportunity on LinkedIn. So I made my application and sent my resume to the link provided," he recounted.
Omondi admitted that he was only trying his luck and was shocked to receive an e-mail from his prospective boss asking him to meet him in Nairobi.
"Nobody believed me, not even my wife. We met at a hotel in Nairobi and he told me that even though he was in the country to recruit hospitality practitioners.
"He was impressed by my CV and developed an interest in hiring construction workers. He asked me if I could recruit others like myself," he told Chams Media.
The foreman went on to his friends, who remained skeptical, and submitted their work credentials to the British recruiter, Lee Madden.
Madden stated that there was a shortage of casual labourers following Brexit. He revealed that the most affected industry was the hospitality industry, but ended up hiring construction workers in the process.
" We started looking outside the UK and it came on the name of Kenya Utalii Collage. In the process, we ended up hiring Ayub and his friends.
"The Kenyan people are very warm, very friendly and absolutely fantastic in their job and it's a win-win for me to recruit them to come here and work on a visa," he stated.
According to the construction worker, his response to the job advertisement gave him a life-changing opportunity. He asked Kenyans to stop despising manual jobs.
"People really underestimate this job but it has the demand. It has so many opportunities and it is also well-paying. What I earn here is probably what a white-collar job manager would be paid back home," he stated.
A holder of an artisan certificate from Ndere Youth Polytechnic, he called on fellow craftsmen to diversify their skills and adapt to technological advancement in the industry.
All casual labourers are hired on a nine-month contract which is renewable after a three-month break.
The British firm catered for the air tickets, and work permit applications for Omondi and six others. The funds are then deducted from their pay over the time indicated in the contract.
