When we launched our mentoring programme for black students aged 18-to-25 years old, we were very excited to get started helping nurture and foster future talent. At AudioMob we’re one of the just 1% of venture-funded companies with black founders, and as such we want to be part of the change that redresses that critical lack of diversity and representation.

Now we’re thrilled to have seen one of our first mentees succeed in securing an internship at Google. Adrian Lubanga earned that internship through his own hard work, of course, but we’re thrilled to have been part of his journey, and his story perfectly captures what we want to achieve through our mentoring program.

“I saw AudioMob’s founders Wilfrid and Christian putting out the word that they had this mentoring programme, and that as black people, they understood how hard it can be to get these opportunities,” offers Adrian. “As somebody who was interested in walking the path they have walked, I thought it was an opportunity to learn from them.”

Set your goals
Adrian was set on securing work at one of today’s tech giants, knowing that time with a company like Facebook or Google could bring a wealth of hands-on experience, better his understanding of the internal workings of such influential organisations, and present an opportunity to establish a meaningful network. Seeing how myself and Christian had used employment at those companies as part of our journey to founding AudioMob, Adrian’s ambition and hopes felt like a perfect match for our mentoring program.

“I found the mentoring process so helpful,” Adrian confirms. “Wilfrid and Christian would share resources and insight, and they were also always willing to introduce me to the people I wanted or needed to be introduced to. So when I wanted to learn about the recruitment process at Google, I spoke to Wilfrid and told him about what I wanted to do, and that I was uncertain about it. He looked across his network and introduced me to a few people at Google, and who had also had a similar path to me.”

Those contacts proved keen to share resources and insights, giving Adrian a bounty of guidance around getting the application process right, and how to approach the interview.

Courage and confidence
Another takeaway for Adrian was gaining a better understanding of his own capacity for courage, confidence, and daring to try. As the mentoring was underway in late 2020, Adrian was keen to apply for Google’s Top Black Talent programme. However, Adrian was based in Nairobi, Kenya, and Google’s programme was for those from the UK and Ireland.

“Wilfrid told me to identify what the worst that could happen would be, and reminded me to stop disqualifying myself. I identified that the worst that could happen would be my rejection, and even then that might leave me with a foot in the door,” Adrian remembers. “Thanks to Wilfrid’s advise, I applied, and I got into the programme, having been selected as part of the top 4% of applicants. One of the things I’ll take away from AudioMob’s mentoring programme is assessing risk and asking myself ‘what’s the worst that can happen’ when I’m trying to do something I’m afraid of.”

Fast forward to 2021, and Adrian is now poised to join Google’s internship on the Global Customer Solutions team over the summer; a remarkable achievement for any aspiring entrepreneur or technologist.

“With the knowledge and everything else I’ve learned from AudioMob, I had the courage to reach out to the recruiters after the first programme, and to make the application,” Adrian explains. “I had built the confidence not to disqualify myself. Just a few months earlier I would really question myself. I also learned to position myself and distinguish myself, which is very important.”

Here at AudioMob, we’re delighted to have supported Adrian’s journey, truly impressed by his talent and enthusiasm, and look forward to seeing where he takes what we’re sure will be a very impressive career.

And if you’d like to find out about our mentorship programme, or apply, head over to the devoted page. It worked for Adrian, and it could work for you!