Do you find yourself unable to stay in a job and are constantly changing jobs over short periods of time? If you do, then you are into job hopping. You move from one job to another either after a few months or few years.

While job hopping can impact positively on your career by getting you more contacts and experience handling different tasks, it could kill your career or become a nightmare in your next job.

The perception of job hopping has changed over the past few years and is now becoming common to many. However, people must know when job hopping is okay, according to Ryan Kahn, a career coach and contributor to Forbes.

4 Things You Must Consider Before Job Hoping

1. How secure is your job
Employers in Kenya are laying off employees from every corner and if you have a history of jumping from one job to another, then you risk making it among the people being let go from the company. The employer already expects you to leave the company at a certain time anyway, so why not do it now.

2. Can You Still Be Trusted To Make Decisions
Earning trust from your employer is a great value to have in your job and it is the reason your decisions matter. If you constantly hop from one job to another then you risk losing your employer’s trust and every idea or decision coming from you will be questioned, giving you a hard time in your job.

3. Can You Point Out Any Achievements
If you are in a job for only a short time, it is highly likely that you have nothing outstanding to show for. You cannot pick out a particular thing that you achieved in your previous position, to convince your next employee that you are the best for the job.

4. Do You want your employer to invest in your career
Some employers in Kenya invest in the careers of loyal employees, they offer financial help to employees who want to advance in their education and skills. If you are always hoping from one job to another, then the employer will be reluctant to invest in you.

Before job hopping, ensure you have done your research well and consult a career expert.

You probably learnt Body language as part of your Communication Skills class, but if you were a typical student then I believe attention escaped you once your lecturer started listing the Dos and Donts.

As a job seeker, you will have to revisit the Body Language issue.

Why Body Language Is Important During An Interview

According to Perminus Wainaina, a Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services, both your
words and your behaviour will affect whether you establish a connection with the interviewer.

“When you meet the potential employer or human resources officer, you will want to show that you
are confident, trusting, open, attentive, and eager, but restrained,” says Wainaina in his book, Smart
Jobseeker.

So, What Body Language Mistakes Must You Avoid In A Job Interview?

1. You must never fold your hands
This is to mean that your hands should be open at all times. While you meet the potential employer,
for example, have an open palm showing you are ready for a hand shake. This shows your openness
and readiness for a conversation.

2. You must avoid leaning back
While some people may think leaning all the way back on your chair is a good thing, it is not! You
never know what chair you will be sitting in during the interview.

Leaning all the way back in a slanty chair will give you a slouching posture, communicating to your
potential employer that you are bored or not interested in the interview. Instead, lean in to show
interest.

3. You must not let your eyes wonder
Most times when in an interview, you are bound to be anxious and nervous which may cause you to
look away from the interviewer. This will make you lose focus.

Eye contact is important, but then again do not look at your interviewer straight in the eyes for too
long, instead alternate by looking to his/her side, within face range.

4. Don’t Drop The smile
I’m not saying you keep grinning throughout your interview, that will confuse your interviewer, I’m
saying make an effort to smile. Some people try to look serious but instead make out a frown.

The interviewer may be distracted by the frown appearance trying to understand if your mad, sad or
just have a frown face. A smile goes a long way in communicating confidence.

By Sera Kazungu

Congratulations on getting the call after a long wait. It feels good,doesn’t it? Especially after the long gruesome process that got you there in the first place.

Don’t pop any champagne just yet, there are certain things that you need to weigh before accepting that Job offer.

Sheila Cheptoo, a Recruitment Officer  at Corporate Staffing Services stresses that taking a closer look at Job offers is crucial to anyone thinking about changing jobs to advance your career path.

Here is a list of four crucial things to consider before you hand in your resignation at your current job;

What To Consider Before Accepting A Job Offer

1. Job Security
Is your new job going to be as stable or more stable than your current job? Do not accept a job offer that does not offer you . For example, you should not leave a permanent job for a contract job. Be sure of the terms of employment

2. Growth opportunities
What are your chances of growth at a new company? Are you accepting a position that is higher or lower than the one you currently hold? Career growth is an important part of working and you should not settle for less than you are worth.
Render your resignation only when you are sure that the new opportunity offers you a promotion from what you currently do.

3.Salary And other benefits
A salary is the main reason why you work. Are the benefits you are being offered worth leaving your current job for? Weigh the benefits that you are receiving against the ones that you are being offered. If the old outweigh the new, it is not worth the trouble

4. People
Did you know that the people around you are very important to your succeeding or failing at your job? How they relate to you matters a great deal. How were you treated when you went for the interview? That is the question you have to ask yourself when gauging the people at your new job.

Do not be in a hurry to resign and accept a new job without checking to see whether it is the right thing to do. Take your time and avoid regretting your choice.

Interview Tips

By Kennedy Omondi,

Have you ever wondered what to do next after an interview? In most cases we stay by our phones in anxiety. Here is what you should do if at all, you do not get any feedback to the position you were interviewed for.

What To Do If You Dont Hear Back After An Interview

1. Take the initiative.
When the timeline expires, wait a few days, then write an e-mail to your primary contact showing your continued interest. Your follow-up message should be tailored as a reply on the email conversation line in which your interview invite was made. If you wait too long it could show a perceived lack of interest.

2. Make a plan.
If you call and e-mail too much, you become both annoying and desperate; if you don’t follow up, you communicate disrespect and a lack of interest. It is important to be formulaic with your attempts to follow up. Only allow yourself two spaced follow up over the course of a limited time.

3. Be gracious.

Always be pleasant in your e-mail or phone correspondence however frustrated you might be. They might still be in the process of interviewing candidates and haven’t yet made a decision or perhaps they think you’d be a better fit for a different position within the organization, and plan to contact you when it becomes available.

4. Avoid Coersion.
Never bribe or coarse your way in as this will only come out as desperate. You should aim to secure a job out of merit and self-confidence.

5. Only use Official Communication Channel.
Never attempt to communicate with a hiring manager through their personal email, home address, cell phone or telephone.

Always strive to move on after an interview however much you think you might have performed well.

By Loreen Mwangi

When it comes to interviews, your image and presentation matters a lot. Most people don’t know this, but how you dress has an effect on your confidence.

How you dress creates an image of your personality. Therefore, you need to dress in a way that you present yourself as the best fit for the job.

Getting the right outfit can be frustrating, that’s why we are here to help you. Read the following 5 tips to help you get the right idea of how you should dress for your next interview

5 tips on how to dress for success

1. Your dressing depends on the industry
How you dress for an interview majorly depends on the kind of job you are applying for as well as their Corporate culture. A suit is not necessarily the best choice for any interview.

If you are applying for a job in financial services, then you’ll be required to be in a suit. On the other hand, if you applied for a mechanic position, dressing in a suit would be quite inappropriate.

The dressing code for an Insurance company would definitely be different from a Telecommunications company. Understand the culture of the company before you dress in a manner that would make you feel out of place and uncomfortable.

2. Dress in clothes that fit you well
Don’t be one of those candidates who attend interviews dressed in clothes that are either one size smaller or one size larger than them.

For ladies, don’t put on a tight skirt that makes it hard for you to move around, or a short skirt that you’ll have to keep pulling it down. For men, put on a suit that fits you well that you don’t have to keep adjusting your belt all the time.

3. Be Always Neat in a Job Interview

Don’t attend an interview with wrinkled clothes. Clean and press your clothes the day before the interview. Nothing turns off interviewers as an unkempt candidate. Hygiene and good grooming is essential. Avoid flashy jewelry.

4. Wear comfortable shoes
Interviews tend to take longer than intended. Put on shoes that can allow you to stand for long hours. It’s inappropriate to attend an interview with the shoes you would probably wear to a club.

A reasonably heeled shoe is flattering and helps you present a professional image. Again, if the company allows casual dressing, then you have more options than those in the corporate world.

5. Avoid strong Fragrances and perfumes
Some people are allergic to strong scents. So keep this in mind when dressing for an interview. Avoid the use of strong scents that can cause an allergic reaction and have the panel sneezing their guts out.

Use this 5 tips to ace your next interview.

By Loreen Mwangi

One job opening receives numerous job applications. Therefore being called for an interview is exhilarating and most people tend to oversell themselves. This comes off as being desperate and may not work well with Hiring managers. There is a thin line between selling yourself and over selling yourself.

How not to “oversell” yourself

It is important to take a balanced approach when you market your skills, so that you create a confident and composed attitude. Hide your desperateness and present your skills in a professional way.

It is reasonable to show that you are optimistic for the future and highlighting why you find that position fitting for your career progression.
However, avoid using terms that describe your previous duties as unbalanced or unrealistic. Find a way of describing your experience without giving exaggerated points that may make the interviewer doubt you.

Keep your points short and precise. Don’t make up stories to prove how competent you are. Your skills and experience is enough to market yourself, don’t go overboard with false stories.

It is understandable that the fear of failing in an interview can make someone terrified. Instead of keeping your mind focused on losing the job to another candidate, focus on being exceptional, make the most of your skills.

Composure goes a long way in keeping your confidence during the interview. Being confident in an interview helps you maintain a balance when answering the questions.

You will be able to respond well without coming off as needy. Another way hiring managers can detect a desperate candidate is if you agree with everything they say. Impressing the panel is always the intention of every candidate.

But, being agreeable even when you have a second opinion is not a good sign. Employers need people who are critical thinkers, not just doers.

Voice your opinion if you disagree with something, as long as you do it in the right manner. Don’t be harsh, inconsiderate or rude.

Lastly, don’t be quick to make decisions. If starting the job in one week does not work with you, then make a point of telling them.

Don’t commit knowing you will not be available by the time they need you to report to work. Again, be reasonable, don’t tell them you’ll be available after 2 months, when you know they seek to hire immediately or after 2 weeks.

Interview Tips

At one point in an interview, the interviewer may ask you about a perceived situation within the organization and how you would go about it.

This question always tends to throw candidates off track as they neither expect it, nor did they prepare for it. The main reason for a situational question in an interview is to shift precedence from a candidates’ past performance as highlighted in the CV to his/ her future performance

These are some of the top thematic areas in situational questions.

Situational Interview Questions & Answers

1. Leadership.

The employer will always want to know how one can handle being in control. This is common in interview for middle or top level positions, but occasionally pops up in junior positions too.

For example: What would you do if fellow colleagues are embroiled in conflict and it affects the productivity of the firm? The ideal answer should portray the essence of leadership ability.

For instance; “I would engage the two to find the source of the conflict so as to resolve it, but if it fails I would involve the immediate senior employee.”

2. Privacy.

Questions based on privacy are always associated with the company and its secrets. Every company would like to have sensitive information kept confidential.

For example: A rival company offers to pay you more if you leak their some documents to them. How do you handle this?

The best answer would be: “I would uphold the company’s secrets and decline the offer before letting my supervisor know.”

3. Time Management.

The interviewer may ask you a set of questions in this line just to gauge your resource management skills, time being one of them.

An example of a question crafted in this manner could be: “Your supervisor gives you a report to compile in two hours and later you realize it is not possible in the given time limit.

What do you do? This would ideally be answered as follows: “I would approach him/ her and raise the concern with him in trying to find an alternative solution.”

4. Sample Interview Questions on Team Work.

Every employer expects coordination among his/ her employees as this is vital in the firm’s productivity. Always expect to find such questions in interviews. This question basically serves to test the candidates’ ability to work in a team.

For instance, “How would you motivate members of your department?” Here, an ideal response would be: “ I would freely engage with them to create a friendly working environment.”

5. Morality.

Questions based on morality are most common in NGO job interviews. This majorly purpose to gauge your moral standards.

For example: “What would you do if your boss threatens to fire you if you decline his/ her sexual advances?”

An ideal response would be: “I would decline the offer and raise the issue with the Human resource office.”

This questions always serve in gauging ones ability that are not highlighted in his/ her CV.