Author: murika

Leadership is no Sunday stroll in the park. It's more like a hike up a steep, rocky mountain, often in unpredictable weather. You'll face challenges that'll test you and moments that'll have you questioning if you're cut out for it. Whenever I deliver keynotes on leadership topics, I touch on the most critical aspect leaders need to become exceptional: you have to value your people. If this has got you pondering whether your team feels genuinely appreciated and valued, there are some tried-and-true methods you can use to elevate your leadership game. Let me share a few practical tips to help you along the way. 1. Believe in your people's capabilities This is another way of saying, "Have faith in people," because true leadership lies in having faith in your team's abilities. Leaders must release control and believe their people are savvy and will do amazing things once given the tools to succeed. To believe in your team, you need to know their strengths. Take the time to understand what each team member excels at. This...

What to look for in a remuneration package A remuneration package is simply the whole package of salary, benefits, bonuses allowances and commissions that come with the job. It basically consists of more than just a salary and incorporates other benefits. Most recruiters ask what would be the ideal salary package during interviews. Conversely, most job seekers are usually concerned about gross pay figures that they forget to ask about other benefits that are attached to the position. While negotiating for a remuneration package, there are other benefits that you should consider besides the salary. Some companies may not offer a huge gross salary but they have other packages which make your life easier and may even help you grow in your career. A good remuneration package may actually be better than a high gross salary. There are many benefits that may actually make the position very attractive apart from more zeros on the gross pay. Before negotiating for a salary, it...

The first call that invited you to an interview had you so excited, nervous and thankful at the same time. You were glad that your job application stood out and you had a shot to impress the interview panel. You went to your first interview, ready and poised to take the day. And the day you sure did take. Because they called you for a second interview with your potential supervisor, Cate and another with Raymond from operations department, Cate’s boss. At this rate, you are pretty positive that you have this job. You even have a rapport with the secretary and you like Agnes, the lady who serves you coffee each time. So, one evening you are seated watching TV and you decide to have a quick glance at your email. And there it is. An email from your HR contact at the company you’re interviewing with. You hope it is an offer, but when you open the email, it is...

What to consider when making a career choice Making a career choice is one of the hardest things that we often have to do in our lives. You want to choose a career that not only pays the bills but one that is also satisfying and above all brings value both to yourself and those you interact with. On the other hand, a career is something that takes up a lot of your productive life until you retire and as such, choosing a career should be something that you take seriously because you do not want to be stuck with a career that you don’t like, for the rest of your life. You do not want to take on a career just so that you can pay the bills as this will strain you and can result in unnecessary pressure on yourself. While some people are lucky to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives, others are not...

With everything happening online, it is easy to get invited to a last-minute interview, with not more than just a couple of hours to prepare. Don’t freak out when this happens. Stay calm and focused, as you would for any other interview. Sometimes your interview will come at a time when you are only scrambling to stay still. Your response will determine the difference between a failed interview and a job offer. Here are some tips on how to land a job with a last-minute interview: 1. Read the company’s website Getting a last-minute interview does not exempt you from knowing what the company is about. If you are interested in working for them, you must show interest in joining the team. Find their website and do a deep industry search. Learn as much as you can about the company and the services they provide. How are your skills going to add value to the company? Do you understand why they need someone like...

You just completed another application for the umpteenth time. You are sure about this, you did all you could before submitting this application. Now you sit and wait for the call, or a regret email.   No response. Then wait some more. Until now – the feedback is not forthcoming – you are losing hope now. After a couple of weeks, you decide to move on. It is a sad reality that most companies do not give any feedback to candidates after job applications. Some applicants even wonder if the job sites even receive the applications. They get frustrated, and anxious. To get more clarity on this, here are a few pointers you should know; 1. You are not qualified for the role  The job advert read ”We are looking for a candidate with 4 years of experience for the role.” Your experience, on the other hand, is less than a year. What are the odds of you getting a call? The recruiter needs someone who is qualified for...

You have read all the job hunting tips you could find on the internet. You are running out of new ideas that you can use to land your next job, especially after countless applications to numerous job sites. With the increase of job boards, jobseekers have multiple avenues where they can apply for jobs daily. Gone are the days when we could wait for a whole week to come around the weekly newspaper, with the Job Vacancy section. Let’s demystify the different fictions that have outlived their usefulness in the current job market – and identify the right job hunting tips. Fiction: Job hunting is a full-time job itself. Fact: Strategise. Focus on quality, not quantity. A job seeker will often hear experts say that looking for a job is a job-hunting strategy itself. While this may be true – of many other things in life – a strategic job hunter is better placed to land a new job faster. Looking for a job needs a plan....

What employers want to know about you You walk into an interview room and find 3 people waiting for you. For a moment, you are tensed. You do not know what to expect. Once you settle down and the real interview begins, questions start coming from all sides and for a moment, you are not sure of what exactly the recruiters want to hear. Currently, all those common interview questions and answers you had rehearsed have evaporated from your head due to the confusion. Well, panicking is a very valid response in such a situation but, you can manage to keep calm and ace the interview. Recruiters often have a few things they want to hear from a candidate and they are always keen to filter what they consider valuable to them from the candidate’s responses. It has nothing to do with rehearsed responses or a very deep research about the company, even though covering these two areas does set you apart from the crowd. In...

Considering Your Personal Brand in The Workplace You might think that creating a personal brand is unnecessary and your work should speak for itself, but in our times, your branding could be the difference between getting noticed or not. You may desire consideration for a promotion to supervisor or another role. Or, you may want to get noticed for hard work and dedication to the job. You can have difficulty setting yourself apart from the crowd, especially if nearly everyone has the same general ambitions — even in small to medium-sized businesses. Standing out often involves not simply blending in and conforming to the workplace itself. The pointers below will help you stand out and get recognition 1. Be Loyal Businesses commonly have limited staff members, and every employee is important. Therefore, managers expect loyalty from workers, especially in small operations because so much is riding on individuals’ commitment and dedication to keeping up productivity levels. Chronic lateness or poor attendance can severely impact...

Finding Job Adverts Finding job adverts can be a challenge in itself. If you’re not sure where to look, start with job portals such as BrighterMonday, but don’t forget to also check out company websites. Once you’ve found a few good sources of job adverts, set up alerts so that you’re notified as soon as new positions are posted. This will save you time and help ensure that you don’t miss any opportunities. It’s also worth networking with people in your industry – they may be able to put you in touch with potential employers or let you know about job openings that haven’t been advertised publicly. Writing a Good CV/Cover Letter Your CV and cover letter are your first opportunity to make a good impression on potential employers. Make sure that you take the time to write clear, concise and error-free documents. If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of resources available online to help you get started. For example, our...

When it comes to finding a job, many people are turning to their networks and referrals. A recent poll showed that the majority of people got their current job through a referral or direct connection. This trend indicates that networking is more important than ever when job hunting. In this blog post, we will discuss the power of referrals and networking in your search for employment. The power of referrals in job hunting When it comes to finding a job, referrals are one of the most powerful tools you can use. A referral is when someone in your network recommends you for a position at their company or another company they are familiar with. Referrals can come from friends, family members, acquaintances, or even professional contacts. The reason referrals are so powerful is that they provide a way for employers to learn about potential candidates without having to go through traditional channels, such as job postings and resumes. In addition, referrals tend to come with...

A vast majority of people who want to be in employment long for the day they will land their ideal jobs. An even bigger percentage of people long for the day they will land their first jobs. Statistics show that about 50,000 Kenyans graduate from tertiary institutions every year but one in every five Kenyans aged between 15 and 34 is unemployed. On the other end, the Kenyan job market is now experiencing what is known as under-employment in which people hold jobs that do not match their skills. Professional recruiting firms are increasingly seeing more and more people applying for jobs, with BrighterMonday receiving a job application every 17 seconds. A look at these statistics indicates that the job market in Kenya is highly competitive and you need to do your best to get ahead. It has become a common occurrence for job seekers to make numerous applications with no call for interviews or to attend numerous interviews without clinching...