The Cranfield Journey: Part 4 – Schooling and Working

Have you read Part 3 – Academics and Flexing?

My academic work continued in January and February 2017. After the penultimate module, the coursework portion of the MSc programme came to an end with a final module, Management for Technology. This module was arguably my best and most enjoyed not necessarily because of the highly relevant content, but because the lecturer, Stephen Carver, was more like a comedian with excellent technical knowledge. Each class was a hit back-to-back, with enough laughter to go around. Who said lecturers had to be boring? I would go on to adapt Stephen’s style a year later when I handled project management training classes for a firm in Nigeria.

This module was memorable for a number of other reasons. Firstly, whereas I had diligently been either the first to arrive, or arrived early in all my classes since October, I finally got recognised for been early and got a box of chocolates from Stephen. Secondly, we were split into groups to run a business simulation, and later carry out a group project. My group, comprising of persons from four nationalities and three MSc programmes would later turn out as one of the best groups. Finally, having seen my results so far, one of my close friends demanded that I score 100% in the module’s exam. I thought it was unrealistic (“aspire to acquire”) motivational bollocks, but I tried something near my best and managed to score 100%. That close friend is now my wife.

With my future financial state threatened by my definitely-not-flamboyant cash burn rate, I decided to get a part time job. I first got onboarded as a Cranfield Student Ambassador responsible for making phone calls to prospective international students to guide them through the process and offer support for challenges they might be facing. The problem was that this role inefficiently used the 20-hour per week worktime allowed on my student visa. We did not even use 20 hours in an entire month! I looked for other opportunities and landed a role with Bunnings UK, a large DIY chain from Australia that had recently moved into the UK market.

The seven months I spent at Bunnings began with a very awkward phone call I received while at the Cranfield campus library. The caller asked what I knew about the company. She was asking the wrong person because I had applied for many part time roles (separate from my search for full-time post-graduation roles) and could not remember the companies to which I had applied. When I confirmed the company name from her, I quickly searched for it on Google, then realised I could not bluff my way through the phone interview. I sincerely apologised for knowing nothing about the company, told her that I could quickly google about them and pretend to know, but I could assure her that if invited for another interview onsite, I would come prepared.

When I received an invitation to come to Milton Keynes for a face-to-face interview, I effectively downloaded all relevant information on the Bunnings website and whatever else I could find online about Bunnings. All this information was safely placed in a storage location above my neck. I stepped into the interview room, and it suddenly became apparent that I knew more about Bunnings’ global and UK operations and growth plans than the interviewers and the other interviewees. The awe was so much that when I resumed as a Sales Assistant at their biggest store in the UK, “Bunning Warehouse Milton Keynes”, I had supervisors from other sections see me and once they heard my name, would say, “Oh! You are the Jonah. I heard about your interview.”

Bunnings taught me that I really enjoyed talking with people contrary to my past as a social recluse. After attending trainings delivered by representatives from tool manufacturers, and learning from other nearby Bunnings stores that opened before the Milton Keynes flagship store, my job as a “DIY Tools Expert” allowed me to interact with customers, understand their needs for specific home improvement projects, recommend the right equipment and accessories for the job, and finally process their transaction at the till (register or cashpoint). The Bunnings philosophy of delivering “best service” to customers instilled in me the need to treat customers right, which contrasted with my Nigerian experience of treating customers like their patronage is inconsequential. My 16-hours-per-week contract allowed me to earn around £540 a month without any negative impact on my academics. I began working in April while carrying out the group project phase of my Cranfield programme, so this allowed me flexibility to work three days a week, then return home to wear my student hat.

As my shifts usually began at 7am, I would wake around 4am, leave our apartment at Kempston around 4:50am, and briskly walk to Bedford, arriving around 5:30am, in time to catch the Stagecoach X5 bus that left Bedford at 5:50am and arrived Milton Keynes Central Station in about an hour’s time. I would use the bus ride to read my Bible, then sleep for the rest of journey. My NUS Extra card delivered tremendous value for money as I got a discount on each Stagecoach ride. I reckon the £12 I paid to get the card was repaid within my first week of work. After work, I would take the Uno C1 or C10 bus from Milton Keynes and drop a block from my apartment in Kempston.

Continue reading: Part 5 – Seeing the Light Outside