Anne, a logistics officer at WFP Somalia talks about her career growth.

How long have you been working with WFP Somalia?

WFP has become my second home and I am proud to be here! I joined the team in June 2009 and since then have been providing support in various supply chain functions such as commodity accounting, capacity building and downstream pipeline management – as well as coordinating the supply of food items in hard-to-reach areas through retailer-driven approaches.

In 2015, I had the opportunity to be deployed to the WFP operation in Sudan where I supported the rollout of our logistics execution support system.

What motivated you to apply for an international position?

In my journey with WFP, there were moments where I felt like I was stagnating in my career and with this came the desire to grow, do more, learn more and challenge myself. While I had gained a wealth of experience being in the organization and had been able to impart some of it to those I worked with, I felt the desire to explore more and try out the international experience.

As well as my work in Sudan, this desire later catapulted me into the fast-paced WFP emergency operation in Ukraine, which I found exhilarating! I was part of a larger supply chain team tasked to provide support for commodity accounting, procurement and transport of food from different European countries into Ukraine.

I later re-joined the Somalia operation, where I continue to support with supply chain functions.

What lessons have you learned transitioning from a national to an international staff?

Find a balance between work and family; one of the hardest thing is being away from them while striving for impactful career growth.

• Be ready to step up. Growth comes with more responsibilities and therefore a lot is demanded from you.
• Learn and explore widely to broaden your knowledge, even as you get exposed to newer environments and operations.
• Learnt to adapt and adjust quickly to new setups while on the move – you may need to quickly get used to different weather, attire or food.
• Be intentional with new interactions and strive to learn from them. A lot of knowledge and experience is contained within people. In my culture they say that if you don’t leave your home, you will always believe that it is only your mother that cooks best.
• Use currency convertor apps -don’t forget to calculate how far from bankruptcy you are while on foreign soil ??

What advise can you give to anyone looking for an international position with WFP Somalia?

The most important step is to keep applying for these jobs. Being unsuccessful shouldn’t deter one from trying again; rather, it should serve as an opportunity to learn in terms of what interviewers are looking for, making it smooth sailing for the next one.

It is also good to challenge oneself by applying for opportunities out of your comfort zone.

Maintain healthy working relationships with your colleagues and supervisors.?I have had very supportive supervisors. Over and above overseeing what I do, they have imparted knowledge and, most importantly, challenged me to be better and mentored me. They allowed me to showcase what I can do. Colleagues can also mentor each other.

Remember they say that your network is your net worth. Therefore, the other advice would be to own what you do and have fun doing it while maintaining professionalism – you never know who is watching!