a. Background research on organisationNothing can take the place of arming yourself adequately with information about a company where you are applying for a job. You might also want to visit the company’s website and social media pages to read about their operations, goalsand other crucial details. It’s also important to come up with questions based on your researchb. Matching your qualifications and skill-set tojob requirementsIt’s time to take another lookat the job description, your qualification and experience and match these with the requirements of the job.This would go a long way in helping you establish where exactly you might fit into the organisation.
c. Anticipate questions and prepare responsesNaturally, this would be a smart thing to do. There’s noway you can anticipate a prospective employer’s interview questions 100% except you have an insider who leaks it to you but you should do your research on how to respond to that popular question:How to answer the questionBelow are a few pointers on how you can answer this question when asked at a job interview:*.Keep your answers concise and not longer than two minutes.*.Highlight your achievements especiallythe ones you are proud of and deliver it in a cohesive statement.*.Reveal one or two thingsthat make you stand out from other applicants.*.Don’t answer this question using a monotone voice – Let your passion and experience be felt*.Let your interviewer understand how your experiences make you the best candidate for the job*.Write down your answer and practice it if you have to*.Learn to start with basic information like where you’re from and how your experiences have helped shape your career choices and decisions.*.Give an insight into your educational background;the course you studied in the higher institution and how this relates to your career goals.*.Let your interviewer in onthe point you took a decision on the career path you chose. Endeavor to create an interesting story about how you ended up with your current career.*.Shed light on things that interest you and things you are passionate about in life. Take a few seconds to explain why you think these interests give you an edge above other applicants and how they will be beneficial to your prospective employer.
How to prepare for interviews in Kenya
Personal connection is the key to a successful job search.
When it comes to finding jobs or internships, most applicants limit themselves to the positions only advertised online. Instead, it is more effective to build relationships and arranging conversations with others.Through these premier interactions, you gain advice about the application process, insider information about the culture of organizations and personal endorsements that enhance the status of your applications. AsUndercover Recruiterhighlighted, these referrals are the most effective strategy employers rely on to source talent. If nothing else, these discussions permit you to practice professional communication and interview skills.How to you land these valuable conversations? You simply ask.Begin by locating prominent professionals in the field, and remember that quality trumps quantity.If your connections are not meaningful,they will bear no benefits.Share the types of positions that appeal most to you with friends, family,faculty and your campus career center.During these conversations, inquire about individuals they know who have valuable information to offer. Focus onprofessionals who work in your chosenoccupation, industry or organizations. Speak with employers who recruit on your campus. Follow up with graduatesand friends who recently launched theircareer. Connect with local professionalassociations or join LinkedIn groups popular in your field. Browse the alumni listings on yourUniversity LinkedIn pageor use the advanced search functions of LinkedIn to locate leaders in the field.
Once you have located professionals,contact them to arrange a conversation. More than likely, they willaccept your invitation. People like helping others, especially because theyhave probably been the recipient of others’ goodwill and want to pay it forward.In your invitation,lead with a shared interest or connection. Mention the names of the people who encouraged you to contact them. Share a few details about your background and clearly identify the purpose of your conversation. Be personal, professional and concise, especially to aid recipients’ ability to read the message quickly. Remember to includeyour contact information and a link to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio.End the message by specifying the amount of time you need. Traditionally these conversations last 30 minutes.Take whatever time you can get.Even five or 10 minutes can transform your search.Emphasize that you are available at their convenience and can accommodate their schedule or preferred means of communication. If needed, follow up your invitation with a phone call a week later. Do not take delayed responses personally. Professionals are busy juggling many competing priorities.
You will be expected to guide the discussion. Honor the length you specified in your invitation. If you are meeting for coffee, etiquette requires you to pay for it because you asked for the meeting and serve as host. Typically office appointments are best because it permits you to preview and project yourself into the work environment.When the conversation occurs,ask meaningful questions. Don’t waste time soliciting information that is readily available online or ask for a job. The very fact that you are arranging theconversation implies that you are looking. Popular questions that bring depth to the discussion include the following:*.How did you first enter the field and secure your current position?*.What do you like most and least about this position or organization?*.What are the attributes of the people who succeed in this organization and of the individuals who struggle?*.What gaps exist in my background or experiences should I pursue to enhance my future applications?*.What common misconceptions do people have about this position?*.As I research the organization or occupation, one concern I had was _____. Is this valid?*.What current challenges is your organization or the industry facing today?*.If you were launching your career now, what would you do differently?*.What professional associations or groups should I connect with?*.What next steps should I take or people should I meet with?After the interview concludes, send a hand-written thank-you note andstay intouch. Do not contact them only when you need something. Remember, networking is more like gardening than hunting. Congratulate them when they achieve a professional milestone. Retweet an interesting post. Send theman update regarding your activities. Meeting one of their needs and showing interest in their work maintains your rapport.Genuineness demystifies networking. Even if your contacts cannot help you, they will refer you to someone who canso you can launch your career confidently.
Top 5 Successful Job HuntingTips that Work in Kenya
Unless you are one of the lucky few who works in a high-demand career, finding a new job can be a challenging and frustrating experience.
Finding a job today is more difficult than ever. In fact, it has become a job in itself.Job opportunities in Nigeriaare ever dwindling and only smart job hunters can succeed. Theproblem is compounded by the fact that many professionals are being released every day into the Nigerian job market making competition for the available opportunities even stiffer, hence making job search in Nigeria such a rigorous exercise.However, with the correct approach,it is possible to find a suitable job ofyour dream in a relatively short time and without much stress.
Whether you are entering the job market, looking for a career change or searching for greener pastures,You can make the job search a bit easier on yourself if you use proactive strategies for finding a new job –and the tips included in thispiece are applicable to all jobseekers,from those just starting out to experienced folks who need a quick refresher.LiveCareer has gathered a list of the 15 tips for finding a new job at any career level.
1.Start with self-assessment.Before starting your job-search, take time to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and the type of work you like accomplishing. The better you know yourself, the more likely you’ll find a new job that provides you with greater satisfaction.2.Conduct critical research.Information is the true secret of a successful job-search. Gathering information on types of jobs, job openings, and prospective employers (and those employer’s hiring managers) not only provides critical information for tracking down real job leads, but helps you in tailoring your resume and preparing for the job interview.3.Write, edit, and revise your resume – and not just one resume.Your resume is still the most critical tool of a job-search, one that can easily derail an otherwise smart job-search. Start with creating/revising a resume that focuses on your key accomplishments, skills, experience, and education/training. Once you have a top-notch resume, the key is tailoring it to each job, each employer – using keywords and phrases specific to the opportunity you seek.4.Create your online career brand.The job market is slowly evolving from a paradigm of jobseekers and employers usingjob boards to find each other to one in which employers find jobseekers online — whether through LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or the jobseeker’s personal Website. Building your brand simply means showcasing your expertise and passion online where employerssearching the Web could find it — and removing any unsavory — digital dirt — you can find.5.Get organized.Before you start applying for jobs, going to job fairs, or interviewing with employers, take a moment to develop a system that works for you in organizing your job-search. A simple spreadsheet works best for many — and some online sites can even help keep your job-search organized.6.Build, cultivate, and utilize your network of contacts.For the vast majority of jobseekers, a large and strong network of contacts — of people who know you and want to help you uncover job leads — results in more job opportunities. Networking – in person and online – is essential to your job-search success. Continually seek out new people to add to your network.7.Consider conducting informational interviews.A greattool for both researching and networking is the informational interview, which as its name implies, is an interview with someone in your career field who can offer you insights and advice. This tool is especially useful for new college grads andcareer-changers, but can work for any jobseeker who wants to learn more while expanding his/her network of contacts.8.Attempt to complete several job-related goals daily.It’s a bit of a cliche now, but in all cliches there is truth – and that truth is that it takes a great deal of time and effort to find a new job. In a long job-search, it’s easy to get discouraged and distracted, but by focusing on achieving daily goals you can motivate yourself while also building a foundation for success.9.Don’t do it alone.Job-hunting is also a lonely enterprise, and if you’re unemployed and living alone, the search can seem frustrating and endless. Instead, try to keep in touch with people in your circle who are also job-hunting — or consider joininga job club. Besides the camaraderie, sharing job-hunting ideas and strategies with others can help you focus and improve your job-hunting methods.10.Develop anecdotes and stories that showcase your skills.People remember stories over bullet points, so your goal should be developing a set of anecdotes you can use in networking and interviewing situations that clearly demonstrate your skills, accomplishments, and passionfor your work. Using stories may also help you feel more comfortable talking about yourself.
Job hunting is also a lonely enterprise, andif you’re unemployed and living alone, the search can seem frustrating and endless. Instead, try to keep in touch with people in your circle who are also job hunting.11.Prepare for all job interviews.Before you get called for your first interview, develop responses for common interview questions, and then practice them — ideally using the mock-interviewing technique with a friend, network contact, or career counselor. The more prepared you are for the interview, the more comfortable you’ll be – and the more likely you’ll succeed.12.Excel in the job interview.Research the employer and interviewers, know your route for getting to the interview, dress appropriately, arrive about 10 minutes early (to compose yourself, observe your settings, complete any paperwork), greet everyone warmly (from receptionist to hiring manager), use positive body language (firm handshake, strong eye contact,attentive posture, and friendly smile), confidently respond to interview questions, show enthusiasm, ask questions of the interviewer(s), and close the interview with appreciation and a request for information about next steps in the process.13.Write thank-you notes after interviews to all interviewers.Aquick note (by email and/or postal mail) of thanks that emphasizes your interest and fit with the job and employer will not get you the job offer, but it will help make you stand out from the majority of jobseekers who do not bother with this simple act of courtesy.14.Continue following up with hiring managers.Your work is not done once the interview is complete or the thank-you notesent. Following up with the hiring manager regularly shows your interest and enthusiasm for the job. The keyis doing so in a way that is professional while not making you sound pesky or needy.15.Expect the job-search to take much longer than you can imagine.You can hope to have a new job within a short period,but the likely reality is that it will take months to find the right opportunity and get offered the position. You should mentally prepare yourself for a long battle — andthen you can be happily surprised if you are one of the lucky few whose job search is short.Final Thoughts on Job Search SuccessHere a few other points to ponder if your job-search situation does not fit the typical model – if conditions are such that finding employment will be unusually hard.First, having both a positive attitude and outlook are extremely important.Employers can sense desperation and despair; organizations want to hire positive and competent people. If you’ve been unemployed for a long period and depressed or recently downsized and angry, find a way to shrug it off when job hunting or you will only be hurting yourself.Second, if you’re an older worker trying to find a job, you may face age discrimination. Among the ways to proactively counter any issues about your age are to limit the number of years of experience you list on your resume (by keeping to the last 10-15 years), eliminate dates in education section of your resume, and focus onadaptability and flexibility in the interview.Third, remember that you may need additional training or experience, especially if you are entering a new career field.Fourth, you may need to consider temping or volunteering for a short period to gain experience and build network contacts that can lead to a full-time position.Fifth, in the most extreme cases, you may need to consider relocation to a place that has a higher concentrationof jobs in your field.Finally, please note that you’ll find nomention of posting your resume or responding to excessive numbers of job listings on job boards among the 15 tips for finding a new job. While you should include targeted job boards and job search-engines as a small part of your job-hunting strategy, many misguided jobseekerswaste much too much valuable time that could be spent on more useful elements of job hunting – searching for jobs online, responding to job “openings” that have already been filled or that never were openings. Job boards and job search-engines are good tools for conducting research for keywords and employers, but rarely for finding a new job.