Name: Winfred Nyakio
Pronouns: She/Her
Current Job: Customer Success & Operations Engineer
Current Location: Nairobi
Winfred is the first Kenyan hire from TestGorilla! Read her remote journey below…
What role do you play in your team and what does your remote company do?
I work as the Customer Success and Operations Engineer and my key role is to sort customer technical issues. The remote company, Testgorilla, is a software company that offers pre-employment screening tests and assessments for recruiters and HR managers.
What is your remote work journey and how did you land your current role?
I learned about remote working through a friend who introduced me to the weworkremotely.com website. Interestingly, after browsing through the site, I found a role that fits my qualifications in a company called TestGorilla. The company required me to complete an assessment that 85mins long then I submitted it. After submitting the assessment, I waited for like two weeks, then I got an email from the HR coordinator saying they wanted to interview me for the role I had applied for.
After a couple of interviews and another test, HR told me that there are only two of us remaining to secure that role and after we meet the company’s founder for another interview, but the other candidate got the job. TestGorilla asked me if they could keep my CV just in case another role opens up and I said yes. It was heartbreaking, but I gathered myself and found an on-site job here in Nairobi and continued working there for two months before the team at TestGorilla reached out with an offer.
I didn’t need to go through the assessments and the interviews again. I only met the founder, and they gave me an offer.
What do you like most about working remotely?
I love the quiet atmosphere of working remotely without the constant distractions of an office. I manage to stay focused on my work and complete tasks quickly and effectively.
What’s the best way to find a remote job?
The best way to find remote jobs is by checking sites that publish remote job offers like ToffeeTribe, WeworkRemotely, Remotive, and many others. LinkedIn also offers an excellent platform to obtain remote jobs since it suggests positions that fit one’s qualifications. Additionally, one can attend remote workers’ virtual and physical meet-ups like Toffee4Breakfast which brings together remote workers and remote work job seekers based in Nairobi to network and connect. Networking is important because some remote companies hire through referrals.
 What apps or websites can’t you work remotely without?
The websites or apps I can’t work remotely without are Google calendar, Slack, and Jira. Slack enables me to keep up with what is happening in the company and talk to my colleagues about work or just catching up. On the other hand, Google calendar enables me to schedule my meetings and events and get reminders about upcoming activities. Lastly, Jira enables me to keep up with the issues assigned to me.

, Remote Work Cafe – With Winfred Nyakio

How do you personally manage work-life balance? (We feel it should be a life-work balance and not the other way round😏)
For the most part, I work from 8 am to 5 pm EAT with short breaks in between. This said, I obviously do some work outside those hours when required two since systems don’t only fail during working hours. I do different fun activities, such as hiking during the weekends and traveling a bit. I am also planning to start working at a co-work space for at least 2 days a week to enable me to interact with other IT experts in my community and become a more productive person.
What are the biggest benefits of working remotely?
Working remotely allows for a better work-life balance. Particularly, it eliminates lengthy commutes, enabling employees to save on money and time. Additionally, working remotely means workers get to work from anywhere; hence, they can travel around without having to take leaves and remain highly productive.
What advice would you give to remote work job seekers?
Research top remote companies, and follow and interact with them on social media to stay current with what they are doing and on new job offers. Keep applying for these jobs and seek advice from other successful applicants if need be. Additionally, after sending a job application, do not adopt a send-it-and forget-it approach. While it is true, that applicants may not receive feedback from all companies, they send their resumes to always send follow-ups and see what the company says when things go silent on their end.
TestGorilla is actively hiring. Check out open positions here: https://www.testgorilla.com/careers/#jobs

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