How I Moved from Admin/HR to Tendering & Bidding — My Breakthrough Story
I did not start as a tendering officer. I began in Administration and HR — and today I help win contracts, structure bids, and support business revenue growth. This is how it happened.
The question I often get
Someone once asked me: “Why tendering and bidding? Aren’t you afraid it’s difficult to win contracts — or that you might be sacked if results don’t come quickly? And isn’t it a male-dominated field?” That question deserves a real answer.
My beginning: Administration, not procurement
I joined the company as an Administrative/HR staff. The work was steady, but I’m not a routine person. I like problems that make me think, learn, and grow. Tendering was something I didn’t plan for — but it found me.
The turning point
In my company, we had a recurring problem: the person sent for tendering training returned unable to interpret ITT requirements. We were paying freelancers to prepare tenders, and it was costing us time and money.
My director looked at me and said: “Chinenye, you always break through hard tasks. I know you can do well in tendering.”
I had only been with the company a short while, but that vote of confidence sparked something. I decided to try.
The learning curve (and how I tackled it)
I started with the basics: reading Invitation to Tender (ITT) documents, learning the common structure of bids, practicing material take-offs, and attending formal and informal training. I asked questions, read samples, and worked late to understand how compliance, pricing, and technical responses fit together.
It wasn’t instant. But every ITT I analyzed, every RFP I practiced, and every feedback session I attended made me more confident and more accurate. Above all, I learned to document assumptions, call out ambiguities, and raise the right RFIs — which saved the company from costly mistakes.
The breakthrough
As my skills improved, so did outcomes. I stopped outsourcing tenders for routine jobs. I started submitting bids that were compliant, competitive, and clear. The recognition followed: internal accolades, growing responsibility, and a reputation for delivering under pressure.
What I learned — the lessons that mattered
- Curiosity beats comfort: You don’t need to start in a role to become great at it — you need curiosity and discipline.
- Training + practice = competence: Formal training helps, but real competence comes from doing the work repeatedly and learning from mistakes.
- Document assumptions: In tendering, clarity prevents disputes. When you note assumptions, you protect the company and yourself.
- Mindset matters: When you set your mind on something, breakthroughs become inevitable.
- Start by reading 3–5 ITTs from your industry. Highlight what the employer asks for on page one.
- Learn the structure: compliance response, technical response, commercial response, annexes.
- Build a checklist for compliance items — the simplest omissions get bids rejected.
- Practice a mock BOQ take-off and pricing exercise — quantity accuracy is a huge differentiator.
Why I stayed and why I love this work
Tendering is challenging, yes — but it’s also deeply rewarding. It’s a game of attention to detail, strategy, and clear communication. Most importantly, it allows me to help businesses win work and increase revenue. That purpose keeps me engaged.
Final thought
If you’re worried about stepping into a new field because it seems risky, start small. Learn the rules, practice deliberately, and ask for mentorship. Many successful careers are not linear — they’re built by people willing to try, fail, learn, and keep going.
Want practical resources? If you’d like, I can share a simple ITT checklist, a BOQ take-off template, and the short training path I used. Click below and I’ll send them to you.
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