From graduate to dream job: The power of Red & Yellow’s Employability network

My name is Vicky Sheelongo, and I studied the Advanced Diploma in Marketing & Advertising Communications at Red & Yellow. I'm originally from Namibia, and today I work as a Digital Content Manager at one of Namibia's leading advertising agencies.

Before Red & Yellow, I had been unemployed since 2019, getting by as a freelance filmmaker and artist. It was hard; I was a foreign national trying to support my family from a distance, and freelance work could only stretch so far. Along the way, I met people working in advertising, an industry I already knew a little about from working with agency clients. That curiosity, combined with meeting others who had studied at Red & Yellow and shared similar stories to mine, made me think: let me give this a try. 

I got into the ADMAC programme, and that's when everything shifted. My aspiration was, and still is, to build something of my own, growing my own creative ecosystem, slowly planting the seeds because good things take time. ADMAC felt like the first real, concrete step toward all of that. They tell you when you walk in the door that Red & Yellow changes lives; you assume it's just something proud alumni say. But it's true. Enrolling in ADMAC sealed together everything I'd gained as an artist and filmmaker, skill by skill, and gave it direction. 

That's also where I met Mohanoe (Mo) from the Employability Office, along with Di Charton. I first reached out to them not really knowing what to expect, but Mo held my hand from the moment I walked in, checking in on how I was doing academically, and later, on how my job search was going. Early on, I set up my R&Y Connect profile and had my CV reviewed, which gave me a much clearer sense of how to present myself and my work to potential employers. I honestly don't know where I'd be without that early support.  

After graduating, I flew back to Namibia but kept job hunting in South Africa. It was a tough stretch. After unsuccessful applications, I was close to losing hope entirely. But those experiences taught me something important: getting things right on paper isn't always enough, sometimes circumstances entirely outside your control get in the way, and you have to keep going anyway. 

A few days later, I visited the Red & Yellow campus, mostly to see Mo and talk through where I was at. He listened, and he told me it would pass, that the journey might not be easy at first, but I would find something eventually. That conversation stayed with me. 

What I didn't expect was what happened next. There was no advertised vacancy, no job posting I'd applied to. Mo simply reached out to his network on my behalf, thinking it would be ideal if I could find something back home in Namibia. He connected with TBWA and shared my CV, and within days, they called me with an offer. 

That call changed everything. A job I love, back home where I can see my family, close enough to actually take care of them and myself, beyond what I'd let myself imagine. It still doesn't quite feel real some days. 

Looking back, that support did more than help me find a job. It gave me confidence, not just in my ability to do the work, but in the idea that people were genuinely invested in seeing me succeed, even after I'd graduated and technically "moved on." That kind of backing changes how you carry yourself in a room, in an interview and in your career. 

To current Red & Yellow students, here's what I'd say: use the Employability team, and use them early. Set up your R&Y Connect profile properly. Get your CV reviewed, more than once, if you can. Build real relationships with people like Mo and your lectures plus your peers, because they will remember you and show up for you long after you've left campus. And don't wait until you're desperate to ask for help. Employability isn't a single event you complete before you get a job, it's an ongoing relationship, and the opportunities that change your life aren't always the ones that are advertised. Sometimes they only exist because someone made a connection on your behalf. Stay close to the people who are willing to do that for you. 

I'm deeply grateful, to Mo, to Di, to Red & Yellow, and to God, for a journey that opened a door I didn't even know was there. I am wishing everyone who is on the same path the very best, don't take any interaction for granted and always know it all works out in the end.