By Elizabeth Benu

“My CV does not attract employers at all. So far no interviews or regrets from employers. Are there parts of my CV that I should highlight more than others?” asks Maureen Ringa in an email.

The process is the same: Sending the perfect CV and getting no feedback. If you want to break this cycle and land a job, Melody Mwendwa, a certified CV Writer at Corporate Staffing Services insists on giving your all when writing out the following sections:

Contact Details
This information should always be indicated so that an employer can contact you to schedule an interview or inquire further about your qualifications or interest in the job.

Be sure to include your names, email address and two phone numbers (most preferably the daytime number plus that of a close friend/relative).

For example:
Jane the Job seeker
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: 0744858585/ 0777636363

Failure to include this gives the impression that you are not keen or interested in the job.

Key Professional Skills and Competencies
This enables HR Manager to know what you will bring to their company. It boils down to selling yourself and demonstrating how competent and capable you are of handling the job.

Such skills can either be transferable (can easily be adapted to a different field), Job- related (relevant to a specific job) or adaptive skills (personality traits).

Examples of transferable and job related skills include: communication, team work, problem solving, flexibility and computer skills. Working well under pressure, integrity and ethical values are examples of adaptive skills.

Example of how to list your skills:

• Proficient in Ms-Word, Excel, Power point, Publisher, Outlook ,Access, Internet, basic installation &maintenance
• Detail oriented and flexible

Job Title and Company Name sell your CV to the HR

As Ms. Mwendwa reveals, many candidates do not include their job title or company name. This is very important for the Human Resource manager. How else will they know who you worked as or who you worked for? This makes you more credible as a candidate.

Include this information as follows: “Database Administrator, ABC Company, Jan 2011-Feb 2014.”

CV Writing Skills: How To Sell Your Application to HR

Duties and Responsibilities
In this section, pick out relevant and important duties and responsibilities as opposed to all the duties. It serves the purpose of showing how your current experience makes you the best candidate.

It should be listed in bullet form.

This CV section sells your CV because there is evidence that you have been working and that you can handle responsibilities.

For example:

• Processed premium debit/credit notes, member schedules and premium statements.
• Processed and ensured timely dispatch of membership cards to clients and intermediaries.

Education
Academics and training makes an impression on the candidate’s personality, determination and ability. It shows the HR that you have a desire to succeed and has what it takes to focus on one industry and develop within it as a professional. Your education also shows that you are a job candidate worth investing in.

It should be listed in chronological and clear order starting from the most recent. Ensure you include the years of study and grades obtained.

For example:

• Bachelor of Commerce (Business Administration and Microfinance), ongoing, University of ABC
• Diploma in Banking, XYZ College 2011
• Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, TTT High School, Grade B+

If you are looking for a job, sell yourself by editing your CV and investing more time in the above sections.

By Sera Kazungu

The current job market is a tough one. If you are not looking for a job, you are probably working hard to keep your job or perhaps earn a pay rise. All these things are considered very vital by everyone in the job market.

According to Muthoni Ndegwa, a pay cut is something that affects both the employer and the employee. It should be handled carefully as it could have major implications for the company.

“ It is something that takes employers some time to implement and it is usually because of the wage bill. They can either downsize, or reduce the salary of their employees.”she says.

Pay cuts are not an uncommon occurrence in the workplace. Although they are undesirable, they tend to happen every so often. How then do you deal with having your salary reduced?

Steps To Take After A Pay Cut

1. Do not take it personally

As is to being human, you may sometimes decide to react without thinking of the consequences. It is always wise to evaluate a situation before you know how to deal with it.

Avoid automatically assuming that the pay cut is a personal attack. In the case of underperformance, there should have been signs before hand. Whether it was a warning letter, email or a summoning.  Keep a cool head and make a list of the possible reasons.

2. Ask your employer the reason behind it

It is always important for you to get to the bottom of anything that happens. Do not just accept the pay cut and remain quiet. It will show that you are either a push over or that you were expecting it because you think you deserve it.

Have a conversation with your employer and ask for an explanation to your salary reduction. This will help you know how to approach and deal with the issue.

3. Negotiate

If the reasons for the pay cut are fixable, negotiate with your employer on getting your salary reinstated as a result of certain conditions. For example, if your salary reduction is due to underperformance, you can negotiate with your employer by giving him a timeline for reaching set targets.

However, if the cut is simply as a result of the company facing tough economic times, the idea of negotiating may not do much for you.

4. Forge a way forward

Work on eliminating all the possible reasons that may make you receive a salary deduction in the first place. Go above and beyond your set targets and make yourself invaluable.

This will help you in the future to ensure that the same does not occur. At the same time, work on planning your life around the new salary you are earning to avoid feeling strained.

As with everything in life, take everything in stride and with a dash of positivity. This is the only way to ensure that you  grow in your career.

Source: Interexchange.org

In the last several years, LinkedIn has become an increasingly popular way to network with people in your industry. More and more employers are using LinkedIn as a recruitment and hiring tool, and students and professionals are also using it in their job searches.

Take a look at our section-by-section LinkedIn guide for tips on getting the most out of LinkedIn while avoiding some common mistakes.

How To Use Linkedin In Job Searching

1. Your Profile
If you’re new to LinkedIn, the first thing you’ll need to do to begin successfully connecting with others is create an account and build your online profile.

The LinkedIn profile is essentially your online “resume” and how you present yourself to the rest of the users on the site.
Create a clear, accurate profile.
Make sure you fill out every section.

Upload a photo (Make sure it is professional and appropriate!)
Include your profile in your email signature. This way people you are in contact with can see your LinkedIn profile and add you as a connection as you communicate with them.

2. Create a professional headline
This is extremely important! This is how you will appear in searches and the title that defines you before another user chooses to look further. Make sure it is accurate and specific since this is how people see you all over the site.

Make your profile privacy settings public. This means:
You will appear in searches more frequently.
You need to keep your profile appropriate, accurate, and updated since the world of LinkedIn can see it.

Detail your education and professional experience completely but concisely.
Make sure to include details about the positions you held, such as responsibilities and accomplishments, not just your job titles.
LinkedIn is a way to keep in touch on a professional basis, whereas Facebook is considered more personal and casual.

3. Groups
Join groups that are of professional interest to you so you can begin to see and connect with others with similar career fields.
These can be university alumni groups, clubs or associations, industry-specific groups, etc. Most importantly, join groups that will allow you to connect with people working in your field or industry

4. Companies
Many companies will create a “company page” on LinkedIn to represent themselves and build their online presence
The company page is similar to the brand or fan page on Facebook, where a company generates activity and discussions and shares updates.
You should follow companies at which you are interested in working so you can see updates about them. If you get an interview with one of these companies, you will have less research to do later since you will have learned all of this information already.

5. Recommendations
This feature is relatively new and a great way for your references to let other LinkedIn users know about you
Ask for recommendations or endorsements from colleagues, former professors or supervisors.
Give recommendations to others—what goes around, comes around! It will also display your name on those users’ profiles, making you more visible to potential connections.

6. Research
Use LinkedIn to find out information about people before you meet them or have an interview with them
This is important! If you know ahead of time who you will be meeting at a company, it’s good to gather some background information about them before you meet. 7. Network
LinkedIn is a networking tool—so don’t be afraid to use it as such
You can connect with people you don’t know and build a relationship. Reach out to people who may be able to assist you in your job search.

8. News & Updates
Stay on top of the news in your industry!

Monitor companies you are interested in to see what’s new with them or if they have posted any new positions.
Check your feed regularly
This will show you who has been promoted, changed jobs, etc., which means they may now be working for a company or in a field that interests you.
Reach out to connections with relevant news
You can share an industry-related article that you find interesting to let your connection know you thought of them or you can congratulate them on a promotion.

9. Jobs
The “Jobs” section of the site may seem like the most obvious place to find a job using LinkedIn, but it’s just as important to maintain a solid group of connections, join groups and stay up-to-date with companies’ news.
In order to search for a job, go to the Jobs page and perform a standard search

DON’T…
Use incorrect grammar or have spelling mistakes or typos
We cannot emphasize this enough. Nothing looks worse than this to a potential employer.
Have an inappropriate picture
Your profile picture should have you in it, and only you, wearing something appropriate. You can smile, but don’t overdo any expressions or poses. It should be simple and professional.
Post unprofessional content
LinkedIn is NOT the place to post any controversial articles or personal writings, such as blogs or photo albums. This is also true for any comments you make in groups.

How to be successful and make it in life. Source: Elcrema

Becoming successful is everyone’s primary objective in life. The moment you come of age, your focus becomes getting to the peak of whatever you find yourself doing—be it in academics, business, or career; it’s a natural instinct in man. No one wants to be a failure, but not everyone can say they have been successful (enough) in their endeavours either.

Does this mean that success is reserved for a special few or that it’s difficult to achieve? Well, the answer is ‘no’. Success can be achieved by just anyone, depending on their ability to go at it the right way…using the right tools. In going about anything, there are rules/principles that must be followed in order to realize it—the same is applicable to success; unless you go about it the right way, do the right thing(s), you may continually end up in disappointment.

The great men/women we have around us today didn’t just become successful doing things the conventional way, of course, not, they had to go out of their ways and do the needful, make sacrifices, and follow a certain trend. So what are these things/values one must imbibe to record success in his/her endeavours? For the purpose of this study, I have put together 7 of those values for you to digest. Let’s check them all out…

1. READ TO LEARN
There’s a whole lot you can learn from reading. Reading unlocks information to you that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to…it keeps your mind renewed and fresh. A lot of people think that reading ends the day you exit the 4 walls of a university equipped with your first degree, but this is very untrue. Learning never ends, it is an endless process as long as you imbibe the habit. No matter who you are, what you do, you can improve on your knowledge and gain more knowledge by reading up on all relevant material. I know people who have conceived great business ideas just from reading books and materials. How do you think the Bill Gates and Dangotes of this world keep their businesses going? They read, and read to learn and learn more.

2. LOVE WHAT YOU DO
Whether it’s a paid job, career or business, unless you love it, there’s no way you’ll do it passionately, and what you don’t do passionately is almost guaranteed to be a big flop. When you love something, you do it happily, and that’s good because it means you do it well. So ensure you really love whatever you find yourself doing as it’s one of the prerequisites for recording success.

3. BE HARDWORKING
Remember the saying that, ‘hardwork always pays off’?—it is very true. Hardworking people always tend to put in a bit extra in all they do because they know it’s the only way they’ll get what they want. Take a 100m race for example; everyone runs the race because they want to win, but not everyone can come first…only the person who puts in the most energy and work rate in the race emerges the winner. Also, take a look at the Army or typical business organizations; promotion is based on the amount of hardwork and effort you put into your job.

4. BE LOYAL AND HUMBLE
Even the bible says ‘pride cometh before a fall’; its an ordained principle. The moment you let your expertise, knowledge, wealth or office position get into your head, there’s no way you’ll be able to maximize your full potentials because you’ll feel you already know it all, and you’re better than everybody. You’ll burn bridges, lose friends, and people who may be of vital help to you in the future. No one man is an island, you need people to keep you on track, and help you navigate through situations. There’s no way you can do it all alone, so be as far away from pride as possible. Imbibe humility, and that way you get to learn from people. Humility is a priceless virtue.

5. BE DISCIPLINED/PRINCIPLED
If you want to be successful, you must learn to mean what you say, do what you mean, and be a person of integrity. You must create for yourself certain rules that you must live by—it is one of the hallmarks of successful people. Never compromise your values for anything, stick to them no matter what/where you find yourself. Know how much you make, and never spend above your earnings. As a business person, you must learn to treat your business as a different entity from yourself—let all monies meant for it be for it, never remove a dime from it for yourself…that’s how you grow a business. Business and sentiments are enemies, always treat it that way.

6. BE OPEN-MINDED
You must be willing to take in every idea/contribution/criticism from people around you if you want to succeed. You take them all in, sieve away the ones you feel are wrong, and accept the right ones. Accept constructive criticism, they’ll help you improve on yourself, business or career. I’ve never heard of a successful person who didn’t/doesn’t accept criticism, they’ll come, just handle them well. Keep an open mind, you’ll surely succeed.

7. BE PATIENT
No one starts a business or a job today, and becomes a millionaire immediately, it always takes a while. A lot has to be in place before financial success comes—all you need to do is keep doing what you do with as much enthusiasm as is required. All the great men of today didn’t become great overnight, they had to pass through a process…which eventually led to success. Patience is a very rare virtue to find in people, but the few who have it while doing the right thing always reap the rewards it brings.

Do not forget that success isn’t a destination per se, rather it is a reward that’s meant to spur you on, and keep you going in your life’s endeavours. The journey to success can be likened to that unto perfection…it never ends. There are always newer heights to be attained.