I am Khamis Rashid Mtara, hailing from Tanzania, and hold a Bsc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Dares Salaam in 2001. I am a certified Consulting Engineer and senior Civil Engineer working for the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training in Zanzibar, with over two decades' experience in construction projects. My hobbies involve doing mild physical workouts for relaxation and staying current on national and international politics through social media. 

In choosing UniAthena, I was drawn to the knowledge offered by the programme. The desire to make this career move is fueled by the fact that countries in our region are forming a union of the East Africa Community, which would result in more opportunities. Additionally, I was attracted by the short timeframe to complete the programme online from my home country. This allows me to maintain my career while completing the course, which saves both time and money. I am looking forward to the programme helping me realise my career goals.

Upon successful completion of the programme, I intend to pursue further study within the areas covered by this program. I strive to pursue a doctoral degree and some professional short courses.

 The next career step is to advance into the role of head of department to lead the division of construction and real estate, a role requiring engineering, procurement and contract management expertise. My formal education followed a direct path: eight years of primary education from 1982 to 1989, followed by secondary education spanning from 1990 to 1993, and then two years of advanced secondary education from 1994 to 1996."

My life was a bit different at university, where I was admitted to a civil engineering course, which exposed us for the first time to technical terminology and some difficult courses for those of us from non-technical schools. This equipped me with exceptional critical-thinking skills and confidence to conquer professional challenges. Furthermore, I have taken seven professional short courses and different professional seminars to enhance my performance and capabilities.

The time when I planned and accomplished a challenging goal was during the COVID-19 outbreak. During that time, the government received the IMF relief fund for social welfare. A substantial amount of funds was allocated for the expansion of classrooms and sanitary facilities, including the construction of 1131 classrooms and 1693 restrooms. Yet, the time for implementation was limited to 8 months for design, procurement, processing, and construction. The activities were subjected to limited time constraints and challenging working conditions to abide by preventive precautions to combat COVID-19. We endured such difficult situations at the office and at home for the entire week. Finally, we managed to deliver the facilities within the stipulated time frame and accomplish the goal as planned.

The diverse personal attributes I believe are essential for success are dedication, passion, patience, willingness to learn from others, effective communication and collective participation with colleagues, discipline, work ethic, critical thinking, confidence in decision-making, readiness to adapt to new situations, proper planning, and timeliness.

The time I stepped outside my comfort zone and demonstrated leadership skills was in 2020, when I was moved from my working station in Pemba to a new position in Unguja for six months. I was assigned to lead the taskforce of five key team members who were appointed to manage the fast-track implementation of the construction completion of Kibuteni High School infrastructure facilities in Unguja. As of that time, the first contractor was already terminated, and a new contractor was onboarded to complete the project within the given timeframe. I was leading the team and responsible for creating crash programmes, including work plans, material procurement schedules, and cash flow forecasts, and implementing them to meet the deadline. The tasks were too demanding and tedious, but finally we managed to deliver on time.

I believe the must-read book for everyone is "The Guinness Book of World Records." The book encompasses broad records; it stands as a documentation of noteworthy human feats and achievements. It offers insights into the wonders of the world, fostering knowledge and inspiring individuals' to realize their potential.

My dream job is to work as a Procurement specialist. My exposure to this scenario will allow me to gain a better understanding of the business perspective towards establishing my own reliable business.

Professionals just starting out in their careers should work in compliance with professional ethics, cooperate with colleagues, and learn from senior employees.