We recently gathered for our Monday Zoom seminar, which was the Koora Business Fellowship (KBF) roundtable. It served as a powerful wrap-up and a comprehensive round-up of our monthly focus on the vital topic of professional and business networking.
It was deeply inspiring and interesting to hear our members share their raw, real-life stories. They opened up about how they initially started networking, alongside the unique challenges and hurdles they faced along the way. True to our established KBF culture, whenever we finish a major topic, we do not just leave it there. We concluded the session by sharing the practical steps we will take to ensure that these lessons actively change our lives and finances, rather than just remaining passive information we have received.
The Crusade Connection: When Faith Meets Opportunity
The first testimony came from a professional currently working in the non-profit sector. He shared a remarkable story of how he was invited by a relative to attend a gospel crusade. At the time, he assumed his sole purpose for attending was to serve as a language interpreter, translating the sermon for the visiting man of God who was preaching.
To his complete surprise, that spiritual assignment turned out to be a divine connection for a job. Through this encounter, he connected deeply with the guest preacher he was interpreting for. This divine meeting blossomed into a powerful partnership, leading them to co-found and launch a non-governmental organisation together. This serves as an excellent example of how networking within the right, faith-filled circles enables you to meet the exact people who can alter your career trajectory.
The Power of Generational Favour in Kampala
Next, a committee member shared her inspiring story about how she secured her teaching job at her current workplace, which is one of the most prominent and prestigious schools in Kampala, Uganda. That life-changing connection was traced back to her paternal aunt, who happened to be a close personal friend of the school's headmistress.
Can you imagine the power of that relational network? Because these two older women were friends and part of the same trusted circle, the formal interview process was uniquely simplified. The only interview she was subjected to was a simple spelling test. Imagine going for a job interview at a top institution expecting big, tough, complicated questions, and all you get is a spelling test! She noted that she is naturally very good at spelling, but that is beside the point. It beautifully demonstrates that someone simply wanted to give her an open door because of a trusted recommendation.
Obedience: The Spark That Ignites Destiny
I also shared my personal journey from right after I graduated from university. I was actively looking for a job and held a big dream to become an auditor or a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). I chose to utilise my father’s professional network. My dad is a dedicated Rotarian and has been around the professional space for a long time, so he was able to give me a direct contact at Ernst & Young.
The contact was for the country managing partner himself. However, when I arrived at the office, the gentleman was extremely busy. Instead of turning me away, he kindly asked me to see one of his youngest managers. That young manager told me something that changed my life forever. I truly would not be where I am today if I had not followed his specific advice. After listening to my career goals, he looked at me and said, "Just go to the ACCA office, sign up, and start your studies today."
Ladies and gentlemen, that is exactly what I did that very day. I left his office, walked straight to the national country office for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), and registered as a student on the spot. The rest, as they say, is history. I am now a certified public accountant and I am thoroughly enjoying my career in the finance and accountancy space.
The Principle of the Faithful Servant
Our last story highlighted a university student who built a strategic friendship with his lecturer. He stood out simply because he was highly active during lectures, and he chose to stay behind after class to clean up the laboratory and do extra chores around the classroom. Unlike the vast majority of students who rush off the moment class finishes to play or get into mischief, he stayed behind to serve.
When an Asian businessman later approached the lecturer looking for computer-savvy interns, guess what happened? The lecturer immediately recommended him and his small circle of friends, those specific students who had become close to him through staying behind and helping out in the lab. This is exactly how he managed to secure his very first job. He told us that up to this day, that connection is alive and well, and they still regularly share lucrative business deals. This shows just how powerful networking can be and teaches us that once we make these connections, they can become lasting assets if we nurture them well.
Common Networking Challenges
We then openly shifted our discussion to the challenges and fears that people face around networking. One major concern raised was that people are often unsure if they will run into individuals who share the same values when they go out to network. One member shared a discouraging experience where he attended an old school networking event. He was excited to meet his former schoolmates, but the event turned into a complete nightmare. One classmate borrowed a sum of money from him, and up to this day, they have never paid it back. Because of this, he became very wary of networking events, fearing they are spaces where ill-meaning people go to take advantage of others.
Another common challenge was shared by a member who noted that when you get jobs or business deals through informal networks, the arrangements often lack professional formality. Because of the casual way the opportunity comes to you, there are sometimes no contracts at all. Even when contracts do exist, they tend to be poorly written or legally weak.
How to Overcome the Obstacles
How did we encourage our fellowship members to navigate these professional hazards?
To the person worried about conflicting values, we encouraged him not to shy away from networking events. Instead, we told him to lead by example. When you step into a networking space, the very first thing you should carry openly on your sleeve and across your shoulders is your Christian faith and your values. If others around you choose to misbehave, you must set the standard of high integrity. Let it never be said that you are the person who borrowed money and failed to repay it, or that you are the one who misbehaved at an event. We encouraged everyone to engage the corporate world boldly and be the light.
To the gentleman worried about weak contracts and a lack of formality, we encouraged him to reframe the situation and focus on the deeper lessons. Jobs, tasks, and projects that come through casual connections are still incredible opportunities to learn, improve your CV, and master new skills. Even if you occasionally end up not being paid what you expected, the practical experience, character growth, and professional connections you gain through that work are permanent assets that no one can ever take away from you.
Our Next Steps
In our concluding session, we shared the practical steps we are going to take to enable us to take our professional networking to the next level. A lot of great ideas were put forward, with people committing to attending more physical industry events and becoming far more active within their respective school alumni associations.
For my own part, I shared about the importance of being more active on LinkedIn. I had previously gone ahead and improved my profile by updating a few details here and there, but during this roundtable, I promised that I would take it a step further. I committed to publishing more articles and making regular posts such as this one. Overall, it was a truly eye-opening event on a life-changing topic, and we are excited to see the fruits of these connections.
