Author: murika

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...

How many times do we fail to apply for jobs after looking at the experience section of the job advertisement? In many cases, the advertiser asks for 2 years and more work experience that the average graduate does not have. Even for those that have worked for a few years after college or university it is not always straightforward. Experience is an employer’s way of saying that they do not want to baby-sit a new hire. However, there are solutions to this problem. This is how you can get your years of experience without a formal job; Sharpen your Skills Entry level jobs usually major on qualifications and transferable skills. Skills required in entry level jobs are among other; Communication skills Customer service Writing (Business English) Microsoft office Sales Teamwork dynamics Telephone and email skills English (Written and Oral) Organizational skills The list above is not exhaustive. Sometimes different companies require a unique set of skills. Constantly work to improve these skills as...

Do you think your CV can stand out from a pile and catch the attention of a hiring manager? If the answer to that question is a no or a maybe there’s quite the work to be done. Your CV should represent you fully to a hiring manager and give you an opportunity to meet the interviewer. Here are 10 characteristics of a great CV you should check your CV against; It Grabs the Reader’s Attention This is the most important aspect in a CV. Your CV should stand out from pile and intrigue the reader enough to want to read it. On average, a recruiter or HR practitioner takes about 7 seconds to decide whether or not your CV is worth their time. A great CV captures the attention of it’s reader right away. It tells the Reader the Kind of Job You are Looking For Your CV should immediately state the job and industry you are interested in. This information can be entered in...

You go to work to earn a living. You have invested in your self academically and experience -wise to ensure you become a professional in your field. This should ideally reflect on the kind of compensation you get once employed. Great companies offer competitive packages for their employees. A salary that is equal to or higher than the industry standard is a vital determining factor when looking for your next employer. Job Security When looking for a job, how long you last in the company is important to you because it basically dictates the kind of life you live. Job security is crucial. You need  need to know your job’s security status because you have responsibilities, hence the higher the job security level, the better. Career Growth Opportunities You join a company with the hopes of growing and advancing your in your career. Growth is an important factor to consider when choosing an employer. During an interview, seek to find out the growth opportunities and...

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...

We’ve all been there. The meeting is about to end and that incessant need to say something — anything — just so people know that you’re present, grows stronger. You hit the “end call” button (or get up to leave the room) with a quick, “It was a great meeting everyone. Thank you.” You leave thinking: What value did I bring to that conversation? Imposter syndrome takes over and you start to spiral. Are you in the right role? Will you ever be able to make an impact? Here’s the thing: You don’t have to speak up in every single meeting to contribute to your team. Sometimes, active listening is necessary to give you the context you need to reflect and provide input in the future. Often, however, people equate value with “speaking up,” and if you struggle to do so, you may feel like you’re failing. Read More...

Why A Cover Letter Is Necessary A cover letter is like a sales pitch! This is what summarises all your skills, experience and capabilities for the job you are applying for. It gives you the opportunity to tell a story. It should be brief and straight to the point. Most candidates make the mistake of copy-pasting the same cover letter for all the jobs applied for. This is a huge error and it’s where most candidates go wrong. A cover letter adds focus to your resume. In most job adverts it is a requirement for one to send their CV and Cover Letter. Unfortunately, most candidates don’t know the purpose of this letter. They treat a cover letter as just any other document required in the application process. For those who know the reason of having one, they make mistakes when sending out the application and as a result, employers and recruiters end up not reading them. In this article, we’ll make a...

Salary negotiation can be scary because you do not want to undervalue yourself and get a raw deal or overvalue yourself and get disqualified. The most important thing is to know your worth and this can be simplified by following these guidelines. Your experience t goes without saying that the more experience you have, the more your skills you possess and the more value you bring on board. As such, you should consider your professional experience when quoting your expected salary. As a basic requirement, employers will usually specify the number of years of experience in the qualifications part of a job advertisement. As stated earlier, once a position is available, a budget is determined. The years of experience are part of the consideration when determining the budget to be set aside for a particular position. This then means that you should quantify this when determining your net worth. Your skills When applying for a job, carefully look at the skills required and how many you have...

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...