Julius Kalibbala

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

I started to work when l was young, my Uncle worked in town, so during my high school holidays, he took me to his side business, which l managed well, got interested in sales and marketing. The reason l loved interacting with customers, one on one so to make them valuable, not to make them think l need money.

Did anyone ever oppose your career plans when you were young or push you in a direction you did not want to go?

To be sincere, l didn't habe career plans when l was young. My parents didn't know such things and when l think of the time wasted, this drives me to need to help the young generation to discover and have plans so they help others to.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

I was in high school, and l remember a teacher telling us, " If you don't change with change, change will change you" Am very keen when it comes to making decisions, l look quickly to ten years from now, and do the decision.

How did you start building your network?

When l finished my counseling course, l discovered l need networks to reach the people l want, but didn't have mentors, or clue. But my church, through small groups which meet on weekly basis have helped me build my network, using social media have also helped build networks. The beauty with sales and marketing, if your view is to get money go, you have failed but if your view is to build meaningful relationship, then you got it right.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

After the breakup with my girlfriend, l decided to do counseling so l help people with relationship issues but l discovered counseling is wide, l zeroed to HIV/AIDS counseling, has have seen most of my family members, friends dying of this disease, and most of these people are victims because of the wrong choices made selfishly. I made up mind after looking for jobs in counseling to no avail to start my own organization. Which is targeting to help youth and young adult.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

Am a counselor, a career analyst, a mentor, a sales and marketing person.

What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?

My biggest challenge was, I grow up in poverty stricken family, with my mother, her only child. Loneliness, low self esteem, were part of me. But when my mum died, l had nowhere to run, l ran to church, they told me "You can be anything you want to be, think of it, believe in it, look to God as your father" When l added to that of my teacher, "Change with change..." I knew it's time to change my perspective and set goals of becoming a leader.

What is it like when your job gets tough?

It's not easy to handle all these responsibilities, it's really tough to the extent that you can fail to sleep, have to meet deadline , have lients to counsel, meet with your mentees. But it all comes down to how you plan your daily, weekly and monthly activities. Have done that, if you come with a plan in the middle of the week, l check my schedule, if it's not agent.

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

My big break come 4years ago, when l participated in a workshop for "health and hygiene" I was supposed to go to schools of my choice, do a health care hygiene workshop, take pictures and send them to this organizers. After it, l was , " l can do this in linw with my career of counseling, mentorship and career guidance knowledge!" I worked on the paper work,..UpTo now haven't looked back. With sales and marketing, am always called to help empower other sales and marketing people in a company, but this Akatale on cloud, is of a good friend and l head the department

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

"If you don't change with change , change will change you" My teacher