Lilian Masere - poa! Internet as a Quality Analyst

Lilian Masere, who goes by her surname Masere, is a Quality Analyst at poa! Internet, where she has worked in various roles for the last nine and a half years.

Fresh out of high school, Masere had no set path but a fierce drive for self-sustainability. Her immediate goal was complex. She needed to enter the job market to earn a living, support her sister with expenses, and fund her future education, all at the same time. For all these pieces to fit, she needed a job.

To prepare, Masere enrolled in an intensive, free course covering computer programming, web design, photography, and entrepreneurship skills. The competition was high, requiring two interviews for approval. Her daily challenge was taxing: difficult commutes combined with rigorous weekly exams that demanded excellence. She would finish class at 6 PM, commute to her poetry practice from 7 PM to 9 PM, and then head home to prepare for the next day. Poetry became her spiritual anchor during this period. The pieces she wrote kept her focused and spoke the necessary strength into her soul.

The hope of being better equipped for the job market was her primary fuel. She received a weekly stipend of nearly USD $4 which, while a gift, barely covered her transport. The belief that this training was a gateway to a better life, allowing her to become financially secure, kept her going, one challenging day at a time.

The change was gradual but profound. The moment Masere was offered employment at poa!, she took over her own financial responsibilities, immediately relieving her sister of her financial obligations toward her. Financially, this was huge. She could finally afford necessities, including better transportation, which had been a significant point of strain. It was the moment she could finally say, “I got this.” That sense of immediate self-sufficiency was the most impactful change she could have asked for.

Her tenure, particularly her current role as a Quality Analyst, has reinforced the belief that success shines brightest in a team effort. The biggest lesson she has learned is the necessity of taking care of the internal customer agents, because their success is what ultimately takes care of the external poa! customers.

Masere spent five years in her previous role at poa!, and she looks back with a grateful heart, knowing that experience built her into the capable person she is today. poa!’s commitment to equity, where gender has never been a barrier to the career path as long as candidates are qualified, contributed immensely to her growth and confidence.

The direct support and positive working conditions she receives are remarkable. Her role has created a powerful sense of purpose. She received support to get where she is, and now she is in a position where she gets to do the same for over 80 people. She finds immense fulfillment in ensuring poa! users have an unmatched experience, and in guiding her team to do the same.

Through the company’s learning support program, Masere recently realized her long-held goal of going back to school, with the company fully supporting the first and second phases of her education. The current course is directly aligned with her career path. After nearly ten years, she can confidently say poa! is the best place to be.