Giant firms vie to recruit visually impaired Turkish woman

Beyazıt Şenbük - ISTANBUL

Microsoft and global consulting firm McKinsey are competing to recruit a young, visually impaired Turkish woman, Fulya Akkaya, who ranked first in the university entrance exam five years ago.

Akkaya, who came to the fore with her hard work even though she faced difficulties throughout her education life due to congenital vision loss, said, “As a result of my hard work, now three giant firms are offering me a job.”

The 24-year-old Akkaya started her internship at the Türkiye office of U.S. finance giant JP Morgan before she graduated from Boğaziçi University’s Economics Department this year.

“If I choose Microsoft, I will serve as a financial analyst, and if I choose McKinsey, I will be a financial adviser. There is also the possibility of continuing at JP Morgan,” she said, adding that her financial studies at university and learning English, French and Italian contributed to receiving these job offers.

Prioritizing staying in Türkiye while evaluating the offers she received, Akkaya said, “I can stay abroad for a few years to gain experience, but I don’t plan to move permanently.”

Born to his housewife mother and retired worker father, Akkaya took the university entrance exam again this year and became 763rd among 3 million candidates and was placed in the Faculty of Law at Istanbul University.

“It gives me a sense of wonder and excitement as it is a field that I am completely unfamiliar with,” she added.