u/Just_a_soft_girlie

I was headed to town leo, so I took a mat. Ilikuwa imejaa so tukasimama, na nilikuwa nimesimama huko nyuma. Some guy had to alight, na alikuwa amekaa hapo nyuma, so I immediately thought 'nice, nimepata space'. He looked very rugged by the way, and sisi wenye tulikuwa kwa aisle we had to squeeze a bit to let him through.

Tell me why he passes by me, anapita nyuma yangu so you get the image, and he rubs his hand across my butt and murmurs 'sasa' behind me. I turn around and he winks as he hops out, argh. Aki I sat down so quick, and I felt so embarrassed and I really hoped no one had seen it. And I was so angry, and I can still feel his rough hand there hadi sahii😭

That was so uncalled for, I really wanted to alight and go back home, but I was headed to drop some documents for a job application and I just had to go along with it.

Argh, I felt so frustrated. Nimeresolve kufunga sweater on my waist any time kwa mat henceforth 😖

Mbona ufanyie hivo mtu na hata hakupei signs at all surely 😭

That was so rough of him 😖

And before you start saying it's coz of how he looked that I feel so repulsed, I disagree. There is something called consent, regardless of who you are!

Hello.

I finished my undergraduate civil & structural engineering studies last year. It's been so hard trying to get into an internship despite applying everywhere I come across; talk of reaching out to people directly even on DM and LinkedIN, cold emailing, physical applications, yk the drill. Been fruitless so far, it's been 5 months of sending applications, despairing, and trying my best to still keep my hopes up. It appears you have to know people on a more personal level. Lol.

I got into digital marketing to keep myself from despairing, which is also a bit slow coz it's just starting, but at least it gives me a bit of purpose.

Also tried to apply to jobs outside my career that I come across, but for most of the ones I've landed so far, the pay is too little to even sustain myself, leave alone cater for monthly expenses. I was willing to trade low pay for growth in my career as an entry level graduate, but when I'm not getting any, it just feels hopeless for me.

Anyway, I'm posting this here with hopes it leads somewhere, either advice, or a mentor, or an opportunity, or even to grow my network.

I'm willing to grow and learn in the field, despite not having adequate field experience, and I'm good in software (AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Civil 3D, Revit) and design.

Open to all fields of civil and structural engineering: either roads, structural, water, or geotechnical (which my coursework covered),and flexible to explore all of them before I decide on the trajectory of my career.

Aside from the civil & structural field, I am also good with graphics design, video marketing, MS office suite, Research and technical writing, AI application.

I am flexible with remote work, or physical work (and ok with relocation too, because I understand my location might pose some hindrance in that aspect, from Kenya btw).

Also, if you have any advice you can give a young female in the field, or leads, or opportunities, I'd be super grateful.

Apologies for the extra long post :)

This is super embarrassing 😭😂

Some time last year I came to my sister's to stay for a few weeks before school reopened. Now, I had been there before, and she had told me it was still the same place, so I was pretty confident I remembered everything including the house number. During my previous stay there, I had obtained a copy of the gate key for myself for whenever I had to leave the house, and I still had this copy with me.

Now, I was supposed to keep my siz updated of my progress with the travel so that when I was close, she'd pick me from the stage coz she thought I did not remember the apartment. However, after a bit of silly and witty thinking on my part, I decided sikutaka ajue place nimefika so I could just surprise her, ndio afungue mlango anipate hapo, and she'd be surprised and we'd laugh about it for a few hours.

So, whenever my siz called to ask place nimefika, I'd lie I was still in town nikingoja mat when in reality I was just alighting at the stage in the area she stayed.

Nilifika kwa gate, unlocked it, nikafunga, nikapanda stairs headed towards the house iko hapo kwa corner on the first floor. All this time, I'm silently thanking God for the safe travels, and cheesing stupidly just imagining the surprise on my sister's face akiniona coz she thinks sijatoka town. I was basically skipping along the flight of stairs, aki I was so elated, and I was so proud of myself for being such a witty character.

So I got to the door, then I started knocking. My knocks were getting louder and more persistent, and I was shouting 'open the door!' nikitumia sauti ya ile meme fulani. Then I realized the light was switched off in the living room, so nikaanza kusema na ile sauti ya Andrew Kibe, 'nani huyo anezima stima!' all the while I'm laughing so hard, and calling my sister's name saying 'We (name) wacha jokes, najua unaniskia, ebu fungua' and I'm knocking in drumming intervals. The lights were switched on again, then nikaingiza mkono kwa hiyo shimo, trying to open the latch, and then trying to push the door curtain aside so I could see why my siz was taking so long.

Then I saw a shadow coming towards the door and I hear the latch opening. Now, I started removing my shoes, and I said, 'Ai, kwani nini imekutake this long' while laughing. Remember, this is around 10 pm ish.

Hata sikumaliza my statement. The door opens, and a man stands there, and I am so confused, and he is very confused and surprised as well. He genuinely looks stricken. Then he says, "unatafuta nani?". And I realize what is happening, and I bring my hands to my mouth, and I realize I messed up, and I've been banging and knocking at the wrong door. I desperately try to apologize, and I'm trying to explain to him that I really thought my siz lived there, and I am realizing he actually thought it was a thief coz it's someone unlocking his door latch at 10 pm!

And I'm so embarrassed and I'm so so sorry, and I grab my shoes, and my bag and I run around to the side of the stairs.

I call my siz, I'm trying to explain, and she tells me she moved houses and is now on the second floor, and she comes out and I see her at the top of the next flight of stairs and I hurry there with my bag and shoes in hand. And I give her the whole story, and she laughs and is seated on the floor, and I'm super embarrassed, and she pees on herself laughing, and she explains that she was insisting nim-update place nimefika, na she wanted to pick me, coz she had swaped houses and she was not sure I remembered the place well.

Anyway, I learnt to know my boundaries when it comes to being cheeky and being serious, and I still meet the guy from the first floor house from time to time and I avoid eye contact with him until this day, a year later, and I still get that flush of embarrassment. 😭

And we still laugh about that night until this day, and it has been retold to everyone else in my family and some get second hand embarrassment on my behalf 😭