Kenya Bitter Truth

The goal of every employee or job seeker is to not just land their dream job, but also their kind of salary. The dream of a recruiter, on the other hand, is to spend as little as possible on salaries, so unless you are aware of the secrets and complexities of remuneration, you may end up cheating yourself out on both salary and a job. We have put together a few tips we believe will help you in landing that dream salary/job. WAIT FOR AN OFFER Some people are usually too quick to name their expected pay during an interview. Don’t jump the gun, and mention your salary expectation. It throws the employer off and it shows you off as someone who is after the money and not for the love of the job. Always wait for when the recruiter makes you an offer. DON’T BE IN A HURRY TO NAME YOUR PRICE There’s an accepted salary structure for every employment position, depending on your qualifications. When your recruiter asks you to tell them ‘how much you’d like to b...

While a CV is a professional representation of yourself on paper, an interview is even beyond that. An interview goes beyond what’s written on that paper; it’s about how you conduct and present yourself. Unfortunately, not many know how to conduct and present themselves favourably for an interview. Many job seekers are often faced with making silly mistakes, and below are some of them: 1. A SHABBY APPEARANCE Whether you know this or not, a shabby appearance will make you lose the job, no matter how well-written your CV is. How you present yourself (i.e. your appearance) matters a lot. 2. BEING LATE One thing your interviewer expects from you is punctuality. If you can’t be punctual for an interview, what attitude will you show when given the job? 3. MOBILE PHONES People take their mobile phones in for an interview and forget to turn it off. Having your phone ring or meddling with it when with your interviewer is a big offence that shows nonchalance. You’d definitely lose the job when y...

The words on your CV could be the reason you just can’t get a job. In an article published by Daily Mail, experts revealed the words you should never use on your CV. 1. MULTI-TASKING According to experts, recruiters might misinterpret multi-tasking to mean that you are easily distracted or often have too many things to do at the same time. 2. PERFECTIONIST This is another word you should avoid using on your CV because this statement is an exaggeration of your abilities. 3. HARD-WORKING Instead of claiming to be a hardworker in your CV, you should instead give examples of times you worked hard and the results you achieved. 4. ENTHUSIASTIC AND PASSIONATE Experts suggest you should instead show the recruiter how passionate you are by listing any voluntary experience or causes you care about. 5. CREATIVE Experts suggest you avoid using this word and instead use ‘I see the world differently’.

Getting along with a co-worker can be quite difficult, but it isn’t impossible. In an office, there are different personality types, and this accounts for conflicts in almost every workplace there is. How do you avoid this? How do you get along with a co-worker and avoid all these unnecessary conflicts that would make you unproductive at work. 1. AVOID OFFICE GOSSIPS Many conflicts that happen in the workplace are usually as a result of office gossips and unnecessary chitchats. Staying away from office gossips would save you a lot of stress. 2. BE RESPECTFUL Be respectful to your superiors and subordinates. Treat everyone with respect, and you would win everyone’s respect — almost everyone at least. 3. GET TO KNOW YOUR CO-WORKERS Try to show interest in your co-workers and they would love you for this. Learn more about their interests and backgrounds, and you would understand them better. 4. NEVER TAKE SIDES As far as office conflicts situations are concerned, never take sides; try as ...

During an interview, the interviewer wants to see the real you, the genuine you and the authentic you; but what many people bring to the table is a fictional or pretentious version of themselves — and it’s so easy for the interviewer to notice this. An interviewer easily sees through you during an interview, and one major thing that interests almost every interviewer is authenticity — and these tips would show you how to sound authentic in an interview. 1. BE COMFORTABLE You can never sound authentic when you are uncomfortable, tension filled or jittery. Take it like an interview and not the end of the world; be relaxed, be comfortable and feel like you can handle the situation. When you are comfortable, this would set the path to being authentic. 2. PREPARE AND NOT MEMORISE This is another place where many job candidates get it wrong. Rather than being authentic in an interview, many job candidates give a memorised version of themselves. Be prepared, practice interview questions and b...

More often than not we have had to deal with job seekers complaining about their ordeal with recruiters. Some say they were conned into jobs that didn’t exist, others faced discrimination for being a certain type of way even when they were qualified for positions, and others cite recruiters as being rude in their phone calls and during the interviews, while others just sense a negative vibe. The truth in the hiring process is that recruiters can either become the barriers to a successful job search or can become the saviour every job seeker is looking for. It all depends on what kind of recruiters job seekers find themselves entangled with. Bad recruiters do exist and such recruiters usually end up with the wrong hire; a situation that costs the company losses and increases frustration among worthy job seekers. So, how can you tell a bad recruiter from a good one? Below are a few distinguishing factors to lookout for. Traits That Identify A Good Recruiter From A Mediocre one 1. Good re...

1. Who do you expect will read your CV? Believe it or not, most job applications are not initially reviewed by a human being. Instead, an electronic system will scan your job application for keywords and skills. If you are fortunate enough to have an actual human read your CV, the design can either hurt or harm you, depending on its effectiveness and readability. Keep in mind that HR professionals may not be familiar with all industry or job-related acronyms, so use both the acronyms and the actual words. Managers will pay more attention to your specific accomplishments to try to determine if you would be an asset, so make sure these are prominently featured. 2. Which industry are you targeting? If you are open to a variety of industries, this point does not apply. But if you are seeking a position in the manufacturing industry, for example, industry keywords need to be included in your CV. This will increase your chances of your CV being picked from a pool of others, especially if the...

How can you keep a positive attitude at work when you have a boss that seems closely related to the Neanderthals, co-workers straight out of daytime TV, and a job so boring that if you have to go back one more day you might seriously decide to downsize and live in a yurt? It’s not easy. When you get home all you want to do is veg out, and even though it’s just not you to be negative, you find yourself kind of depressed and a little grouchy lately. You’re naturally a friendly people-person and have a good attitude, but if things have gotten bad at work, it can be really hard (even for you) to maintain your sunny disposition. So, how can you keep that good attitude, and why is it not only preferable, but critical?? Negative Emotions Effect Our Health Negative emotions not only feel bad emotionally, they also have a negative effect on your body. The mind-body connection is not some new age sort of “woo-woo” stuff you need to stretch your mind to believe in. In fact, there’s some hard scie...

Changing careers after building a brand in an industry can be a difficult task. Some of the reasons that have been identified to initiate this desire include: wrong career choice, conflicting personality, job burnout, changes in life, improbable job outlook and higher anticipated earnings in the new career. Whatever the reason you’re changing careers, it would be imperative to consider the key things that would ensure a successful transition; Life impact Change of career requires a shift in mindset to reflect the new demands on the new role. Without proper appreciation of the impact this transition will have on your living standards, economic outlook as well as networks, one is likely to fail. For instance in learning a new role, the evaluation of the new skills required and the investment in time to acquire the skills would take a huge chunk of your time. This may have an impact on how much attention you are able to give to your social circles and family responsibilities. Similarly, e...

Are you looking to top the list as the best candidate in the job market this year or the best employee of the year? If yes, then your personal brand needs an extreme makeover for you to succeed in your career. Here are effective and powerful Personal branding tips as laid down by experts: 1. Determine your unique value Laura Smith-Proulx, a Certified Career Management Coach cautions that you should examine your strengths carefully by asking yourself what type of work opportunity do you thrive on, what do you consistently deliver that others do not and what kind of tasks make your day fly by effortlessly. This specific type of information forms the core of a successful personal brand. 2. Gather Feedback From Others How others see you is a key component of your brand. Ms. Smith counsels that you list down the qualities your supervisors point out as assets and the regular response you receive from clients and colleagues about the quality of your work. This helps you get the idea of other ...

1. Stop providing useless information. Truth of the matter is don’t put irrelevant information on your CV unless they are relevant for the position you are applying for. 2. Correct your mistakes. Nobody will ever be impressed by a CV if it contains grammar and spelling errors. Use software such as Microsoft Word to write and make sure spell-check is activated. 3. Don’t lie. Even if you should tell the recruiter what he wants to hear, lying is not an option. While your CV is meant to bring out the best professional features that you have, adding some fairy dust to the point where you lie about your experience is utterly unnecessary. Not only are recruiters very intuitive about these things, they can also call your past employers for reference. If the information does not match the things you’ve added to your CV, it’s highly unlikely for that company to ever call you in for an interview. The more important the job opening is, the most likely that your background will be verified. 4. Don’...

The author of this interesting article quickly points out that you need to get your head out of the gutter. “No, I am not talking about sex here. I am referring to the magical connection that will make the interviewer like you quickly without him/her knowing what them.” Still clueless on what he is talking about? “You need to master this art well if you want to be highly successful at your interview session,” reads the article which adds that, “It is a well- known fact that when we communicate, our brain will pick up verbal language around 25% or less, while the nonverbal is in the range of 60 to 90%.” Have a look at these three tips that are extremely powerful to make the interviewer be mesmerized by you. Tip #1: The Handshake. This is the only time that you make body contact with the interviewer. Therefore, learn this well. When shaking hands, the most important point is that your hand and the interviewer’s hand must meet in a vertical manner. That means your palm is perpendicular to...

It can be easy to neglect risk planning when you first open your start-up. However, it is very important to attempt to assess the levels of risk involved in your business activities in order for you to try and come up with ways to reduce them. This article will mainly cover general risks involved with business, although your enterprise may have additional specialised risks related to the industry you are in. Risk management is a process of continuous analysis of your business practices and a lot of communication at all levels of your organisation. You also need to identify potential hazards and a ‘worst case scenario’, and then work on devising contingency plans in case they ever occur. If something goes wrong it can be very reassuring to have a plan to work from to restore the status quo. Business insurance is an integral part of risk management in order to make sure that you are compensated or protected if something goes wrong. You must first consider what needs to be insured (e.g. e...

You did everything right. You squirreled away money until you had a dependable emergency fund. You even had a little extra wiggle in your walk knowing a safety net was there. Then, BOOM. Your heater clunks out. An elderly family member falls ill. Or a long-term health issue requires care outside of your insurance coverage. Whatever it is, it takes a big chunk out of your savings — and your sense of security. And now you’re wondering how you’ll rebuild your fund and be prepared for “next time.” When life’s surprises impact your finances, it can feel like you’re off course and can’t catch up. It’s like you ran most of the race and now you’re back at the starting line. And yes, rebuilding your savings does take some time. But there are steps to help you get back on track quickly. Replace Guilt With Gratitude It’s not uncommon to feel deflated — maybe even guilty — when your savings take a hit. If you find yourself slipping into negativity, wondering, “Why me?” or imagining how things coul...

Going to school and getting your papers is not what career success is all about. These academic skills need to be coupled to soft skills. These are the skills that help you to positively interact with others and get your career to prosper in your career. Here are 7 essential skills that you need for career success. 1. Emotional Intelligence You might be the best in the world at what you do, but if you alienate coworkers and rub your managers the wrong way, no one is going to want to work with you. That’s where your emotional intelligence quotient, or EQ, comes in. Understanding your colleagues and connecting emotionally with them will pay off enormously at work. You’ll easily get along with people at all levels of your organization and be prepared to finesse sticky situations. No matter how senior or junior you are, EQ can help you spot the right way to raise difficult issues, approach a prickly colleague and manage tough clients. 2. Ownership You might not be the CEO of the company,...

Becoming a leader takes most people several years to achieve. However, it is still possible to shorten the time frame between your period of entry as a novice into an organization and the time when you eventually climb into a leadership position. It is the dream of many to become leaders. Everyone basically wants to be in a leadership position. For the greenhorn, newbie, beginner and rookie employee in a corporate environment with no clue on how things are done in business settings, becoming a leader looks like an arduous task. Indeed it is every bit as daunting. Becoming a leader takes most people several years to achieve. However, it is still possible to shorten the time frame between your period of entry as a novice into an organization and the time when you eventually climb into a leadership position. Here are some of the ways to get it done. The Basics 1. Be passionate about your job: For leaders and aspiring leaders alike, passion is the first among all qualities. You cannot poss...

Have you seen a job posting that declared, along with a need to have a degree and experience doing x, y, and z, that candidates must be employed? Why would companies do that? Here are some of the reasons companies prefer the already employed over the unemployed. 1. The preference for hiring the already employed has gone on for years and years. The difference was, it used to be that very few people were unemployed. Because unemployment was low, there was more of a possibility that if you were unemployed, you were at fault. It’s always been easier to find a job when you have a job. This is why I advise people to stick it out at a job until they have a new one, unless the current job is so awful that staying there is a danger to health (mental or physical) or safety. 2. Hiring is really difficult so companies use “alternatives” to help them. College or graduate degrees are really nothing more than proxies for knowledge, perseverance, and enough social skills to not get kicked out. Employe...

“Raise your hand if you have a side hustle which you want to make some ‘serious’ money out of…..”that was a question recently posed to a room full of Kenyans thirsty for knowledge on how they can turn their side hustles into money making machines. And the response to this question you ask? All hands went up. And who better to give that kind of advice than Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja, Farzana Khubchandani, Head of Marketing for Google Kenya and Patricia Mbatia, CEO of Game Changer a Marketing and Events Company. Back to you, do you have a side hustle? Here are all the tips you need to make that venture worth your while. 1.Go for what excites you I am sure you’ve heard of this little but quite powerful piece of advice before. “You need to venture into something that you would do with your eyes closed,” advices Patricia Mbatia the CEO for Game Changer who once worked as the PR and Corporate Communications Manager for Multichoice/ DSTV. She adds that “You should be so passionate about your...

We’ve all heard of the Lewinsky-Clinton office romance saga and how it all went down. You may probably be eyeing that workmate opposite you. But would you consider having an office romance with him/her considering the baggage that comes with such a move? Considering the amount of time people spend at work it is little wonder if passion and excitement is found in the office. But such liaisons can be blissful or just a disaster waiting to happen. Let’s have a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of such camaraderie The good Maggie Nkatha says she would encourage such a relationship. “My marriage came from an office romance. This kind of romance is motivating in the workplace and also creates drive to work harder and better. The two of you spend more time after work and can deliberate on work issues and find solutions long after office hours,” she says. “If you can manage, go on. It’s a relationship like any other. Most importantly is to find a balance between work and romance. The bad...

It was one of those topics that young Kenyans looking for employment felt the need to speak out about. ‘Half Baked Graduates’ was the debate last Monday and after receiving a lot of comments on the issue, one Grace Kibe brought out an issue which she thinks is what stands between her and getting her first job after campus. She wrote that,“I am a recent graduate and though I have not yet found a job I believe I will get one because God lives. My take on the issue (half baked graduates) is that employers first need not to employ people through `kujuana`. Networking is good but still they need to have healthy networks where you do can a bit of the background of the graduates which you can check through many ways. She went on to agree that,“Some of the graduates yes are half baked with reasons that we have some students who are lazy to attend classes while in campus.They will wait to copy paste their assignment from their fellow college mates, who will buy their projects and such. She adde...