Internships & first jobs · 2 min read
Graduate business development jobs in Uganda: how to practise a first sales conversation
Build a short research note, an opening email and a follow-up plan without pretending you have experience you do not have.
A graduate business development position can involve research and customer follow-up as well as selling. When we checked the Research and Education Network for Uganda careers portal, its graduate trainee description included researching prospective members, following up leads and supporting proposals. Check the portal for current roles and the deadline in your local time; this example will eventually close. The exercises below are made by Work.co.ug. They are not RENU's test, a promise of an interview or a substitute for its actual requirements.
Exercise 1: research a possible customer
Pick a university, training centre or other organisation with a public website. In five lines, write what it does, who it serves and one question you would ask before proposing a service. For instance: “How do your staff and students currently access online learning?”
Keep facts separate from guesses. If you cannot confirm an organisation's number of staff, do not invent it. Link to the page where you found each factual detail.
Exercise 2: write a useful first message
Try a short email that introduces you, names a relevant service in plain language and asks for a suitable time to discuss the recipient's needs. Avoid claiming that a customer needs a product before learning about their situation. In an assessment, label your message as a practice example.
Exercise 3: plan the follow-up
Make a small tracker with organisation, contact method, date, next action and result. Use fictional names when practising. After a real conversation, record only what your employer authorises and do not share a customer's personal information in a public portfolio.
Prepare evidence from study or volunteering
You can use a student-club event, a group project or a family business as an example if you explain your actual contribution. A credible answer might say you contacted five potential speakers and followed up with two; it should not claim revenue you did not earn.
When comparing roles, check the location, training arrangements, fixed pay, commissions and travel expectations. A trainee job title does not by itself establish the qualification requirements. Apply through the employer's own page, and never pay to obtain an interview.