With an immigration rate of over 1 million persons annually, nearly everyone believes that the US is a land of milk and honey. While this might hold true in some instances, it may not be the exact case, especially for unmotivated people.
New immigrants often face challenges adapting to their new environment in the United States. Dr. Cyd Nzyoka, a Kenyan immigrant residing in the US, identified this as a business opportunity.
This move came out of necessity after the Atlanta-based woman was laid off from her remote job. She is now the co-founder of Tipitoe Africa. Her business seeks to facilitate easy adaptation to life in the US for immigrants from Africa and Europe.
Having arrived in the US aged 25 years, in search of the proverbial milk and honey, Cyd Nzyoka recalls the difficulties she faced. She experienced the famed culture shock of relocating to a new environment miles away from home.
Getting people to understand her through language and word intonation was an uphill task in her early days.
“One time when I was new I went and ordered fries at McDonald’s. I said, ‘I want chips and a burger’…so they gave me crisps. And you’ve already paid,” she happily recalled.
Dr. Cyd Nzyoka boasts excellent academic credentials with a PhD in Organization Management from Capella University in Minnesota. She holds a Bachelor’s in English & Literature, with a Master’s in HR Management.
Despite being well-educated, she faced difficulty in landing a job in America. Eventually, she was hired as a remote employee for a pharmaceutical company. This allowed her to settle.
In June 2023, the company laid off about 3,000 staff, Dr Cyd included. It was a depressing and disorienting moment for her.
She signed in with an outplacement agency who were helping her look for another job. She was applying and getting “regrets after regrets”.
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“The company gave us a severance package, and I had my savings. I moved to a more affordable place and started a consultancy firm to help my fellow immigrants as job hunting was becoming tougher by the day,” she said.
She emphasized that in modern times, possessing relevant skill sets is more crucial than just holding academic certificates.
“Much as academics are important, the skillset & experience are more important. You can have a PhD, then you meet someone with a degree and they get a job more superior than yours. That is the reality on the ground.”
Her consultancy firm, run in collaboration with Wangari Kuria helps newcomers in the US navigate the complexities of a new life.
“I help people understand the rules and regulations, especially with some of these things Kenyans get in trouble with, such as bribery, drinking and driving, so they hit the ground running in the right way,” Dr Cyd Nzyoka asserted.
