The only thing worse than the loneliness of being in a foreign country is running out of money. In October 2019, I had exhausted everything I came with to London. Me and my friend, Surya were yet to get jobs and we were becoming desperate.
See, back in our countries we were both doctors, doing well. But we have taken this leap of faith, came to London to pursue a Masters in Public Health. The plan was to take our PLAB exams, get licensed and practice as doctors in the UK while doing the Masters. However, we were not there yet. I had booked for my exams, paid for rent and was tired.
Surya and I devised a plan. One Saturday, we went to a long business street in East Ham and went shop by shop, asking for employment. Shop by shop. And we got rejections upon rejections. We continued. We will enter, ask for the manager, explain that we were Masters students looking for a part-time job, get the sympathetic look and the "Sorry, we are not employing at this time" and leave. We kept going from shop to shop with enthusiasm.
As the street was nearing its end, our enthusiasm began to turn to despair. There were just two shops left. One was a Grill Restaurant. We walked in. They asked us to get seated and wait for the manager who was in a meeting. When he came out, he called us to a table and began to ask us about our backgrounds. He was surprised to learn we were doctors and doing Masters. He asked us what we can do. I told him that I know how to make customers happy. Take orders. Be pleasant. Surya could cook.
He hired us on the spot for another branch of their restaurant close to Stratford. I would work as a bartender while Surya would work as a chef. We began work the next day. Shadowing, they called it. I learnt fast. My shifts were in the evenings 6pm to midnight. One of the perks was that as employees, we can make any order to take home as dinner after work. Also, we shared tips gathered during the day.
I learnt a lot from that work. How to be patient. How to serve people. How to go from table to table sustaining your enthusiasm. How to remember orders. How to make the sexiest Pina Colada and Mojitos. It fascinated me then how people could spend more than £100 on a meal. 😂 At close of work, we will clean the restaurant, including the rest room, set the table for the next day. One of the things I learnt from that job that has stayed with me was tipping generously.
I did the job for one month and moved on to working at Samson PLAB academy to prepare doctors for the UK medical licensing exams. I also did a lot of tutoring jobs all around London, teaching medical and nursing students. Yesterday, I spoke to Surya on the phone and we reminisced over the past. We have come a long way.
Why am I sharing this? Growing up, I had a poster in my bedroom. It was a newspaper full page ad for Heineken. It said "Where you've been is not half as important as where you are going." Those words made a deep, deep impression on me.
If you are not yet living your dream, see whatever job you are doing now - as menial as it looks - as a means to an end. Do it with all your might. Learn and grow from it. But don't forget your big picture. Don't forget your destination. Skill up. Leverage on that skill for more success. Keep pushing till you breakthrough that zone that is your destiny.
We are all rooting for you. 🙏❤️
