Should I Resign Today?

Should I Resign Today?

Should I quit my job” is a question many carry along with in their mind. Some even go for a year contemplating their next move. Quitting work is not easy; it takes courage especially when you aren’t even sure what you really want. Most of us have been there. The signs maybe pointing to you having to quit your job but you just aren’t sure.

Before you can even decide, an evaluation of your contribution against the following questions may help you make a wise and firm decision, one that you will not look back and regret.

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Advice For Job Seekers

Advice For Job Seekers

Hello my dear unemployed Friend,

I know how you are feeling. I am sure it is hard and disappointing to be in such a state of affairs and you look almost hopeless. But you have nothing to blame yourself on. I know you are smart, you are prepared, you are diligent, you are persistent, and you are ready to work hard for your self and your family.

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Do You Know That Hoping for Jobs Can Work Against You?

Do You Know That Hoping for Jobs Can Work Against You?

Kenyan employers generally like to see candidates who have a steady work history. That being said, nobody’s perfect and many people have had to leave a job early for one reason or another. This week’s job searching tip deals with methods you can use to get over an employer’s concern about leaving a job early.

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What Separates The Good From Great?

What Separates The Good From Great?

The 212° concept is one of the most powerful communication ideas that I have experienced in my 45 years as an entrepreneur.

If you’re not familiar, here’s the idea:

At 211 degrees…water is hot.

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Jobs Search Trick: Apply To Fewer Companies

Jobs Search Trick: Apply To Fewer Companies

The other day we were having lunch with a friend who studied Finance, graduated with honors, has all the necessary accounting packages, and in my opinion he’s quite capable. He can really maximize on his knowledge and skills given the opportunity .However, despite his talent, he still cannot find a job.

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Create A Great Impression In Your New Job

Create A Great Impression In Your New Job

Congratulations! You’ve just been appointed to your new job. Now the real work begins. It is important from the beginning to convince your new employers that, in selecting you, they have made the right choice.

The first week in a new job is likely to be demanding and exhausting.

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Using Salary As A Marketing Tool

Using Salary As A Marketing Tool

Many Kenyan job seekers ask us how to determine what salary to ask for in a new position. This is an important question for several reasons. First, because you want to be compensated as much as possible for your hard work. Second, your desired salary range is an aspect of the “marketing package” you’re using to sell yourself to prospective employers.

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Kenyan Men Scared of Women’s Success?

Kenyan Men Scared of Women’s Success?

Most successful career women who have attained a level of success are erroneously blaming the men in their lives with little or lower level of success for their failed relationships.

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Job Search Advice For The Frustrated Graduate.

 Job Search Advice For The Frustrated Graduate.

It’s now official; our graduates are starting their career journey more stressed that earlier anticipated. We have some going for as long as 10 years without a job, only a pile of certificates to show, and what’s even worse is that in the struggle to fight joblessness, many are ending up with countless diplomas and degrees that add nothing else but frustrations.

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Email Job Applications

Email Job Applications

A common complaint that I receive from job seekers is that they don’t get responses to their e-mail employment applications. There are two aspects to this concern:

* Not sure that the e-mail application was delivered
* Can’t understand why they didn’t get to the next step of the recruitment process

The first point is more of a logistics issue. I used to think that it was trivial for employers to have automatic responses to e-mail job applications acknowledging receipt. Now though, after getting this question so often from job seekers, I wish that all companies would implement some form of automatic receipt of the application, to give peace of mind to candidates (and those that work at Internet job sites).

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CV Writing. Creating A Job Winning Profile.

CV Writing. Creating A Job Winning Profile

A career profile is a section in the CV that represents those professional characteristics that set you apart from the rest of the competition. It is also the paragraph in which you summarize your past work experience and your professional skills and abilities while identifying your future career goals. Recruiting Managers recommend the inclusion of this section for its effectiveness in gaining you that all-important interview.A well -written one will encourage recruiting managers to keep reading to find out more of your professional details.

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How To Get A New Job In January. Myths Versus Reality.

How To Get A New Job In January. Myths Versus Reality.

Happy new year Kenyans and welcome to another brand new year and hopefully you will meet your career expectations in 2011. Here at Career Point we will continue to avail the latest jobs and in addition keep you notified on new career trends.

Back to business now, lets talk about January and this craze that we Kenyans have of finding a new job in January.

I love the beginning of a new year, it is a great chance to refocus and either re-evaluate goals you are working to or even set new ones. I don’t have any statistics to measure this but I am sure that one of the more popular new year’s resolutions in the general Kenyan workforce is to either get a new job or work to further develop one’s career. I think this is a good idea, in today’s competitive Kenyan corporate world people should have a plan of what they want to do, what role they are after and how to get there.

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Ladies, Can You Marry A Jobless Man?

Ladies, Can You Marry A Jobless Man?

Love they say is blind. But that no longer seems true today as our women and girls are becoming more exposed, on the issue of love and marriage. Getting married is one thing but marrying a man who can carry out his responsibilities as father and husband in the home is another.

This is why we have taken time to listen to the views of some of our youths on what they think about marrying a jobless man, and this is what they have to say. Enjoy it

A jobless man isn’t ripe for marriage — Ann, Banker.
I may be tempted to start by saying that it depends on the man involved, or if I’m in love with him, and so on. But the truth still remains that a jobless man shouldn’t be looking for a wife.

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New Year Resolutions Concerning Your Career in 2011

New Year Resolutions Concerning Your Career in 2011

This time of year, as we approach the New Year, most of us spend an inordinate amount of time reflecting on where we’ve been and where we’re going. It can be depressing for some people; especially those who feel like their goals are never getting any closer to reality.

I know because I used to be one of those people. Every December 31st, I’d look back on the year that was and think, “Next year, things will be different.” But, inevitably, January 1st would come and I’d still be me, I’d still be facing the same challenges at home and at work, and I’d still be clueless about how to overcome them.
It’s like the U2 song goes: Nothing changes on New Year’s Day….

Somewhere along the line, I got sick of that little routine. I made the decision to change what wasn’t working in my life and at the top of my list was my career. That was about 3 years ago now and I haven’t looked back for a second. Sure, it was a difficult process. It was scary and I made some mistakes along the way. But I learned a lot about myself and ultimately, I landed here. Today, I do what I love day in and day out. I’m still moving forward, still making adjustments and figuring out what really works for me, but I’m happy. This year, I’m not afraid of reflecting on the past or making goals for my future. I’m in the zone, you might say.
This post isn’t about making you jealous of my career. I simply want to point out that finding professional success and career fulfillment can be a long, arduous road to walk, especially if you’re doing it alone. But the journey is well worth it on the other side. Nothing has given me a greater sense of achievement. I have faith that, if that’s what you’re looking for in 2011, you are more than capable of reaching your goal.

So, if you’re approaching the New Year knowing that you want to change something in your career but you’re just not sure what that is or how to go about doing it, you’re not alone.

What’s your new years wish career wise?

 

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Too Many Diplomas And Degrees Hurting Your Job Search

Too Many Diplomas And Degrees Hurting Your Job Search

We Kenyans are overly fascinated with education. And by education, i mean having a string of diplomas and degree in this and that. And it is with a good reason. We have case studies of from rags to riches simply because someone got a degree here and a diploma there and look how far they have come.

Take a case of Mutula kilonzo, Alfred Mutua, Martha Karua, Wangari Mathai and the list goes on. Were not it for them getting a higher education i doubt they’d be where they are now.

That was then. The reality now is very very different. whereas in the eighties you could count the number of law graduates, Bcom and the likes the situation now borders on saturation. Almost all courses, save, for medicine can be said to be saturated. All of us want to ‘take’ the marketable courses paying little attention to talent or even interest and you wonder why the unemployment rate is so high in Kenya.

And here is the surprise for a Monday morning. Do you know that too much education, knowledge and experience in your CV could be the reason you cannot get a job?

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Career Advice. Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody

Career Advice. Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody

Someone forwarded me this and i thought it was good sharing. You might have read it elsewhere but there is a career/jobs angle to it.

Why the job was not done.
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. 

Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.

You’ve probably see this one before, but behind the play on words, there is some great career advice. This email reminded me once again of the importance of taking personal responsibility for your career success.

If you want to create the life and career success you want, don’t be like Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. Be true to yourself. Take responsibility for your life and career success. Don’t let Everybody, Somebody, Anybody or Nobody stop you from doing what you need to do to create the life and career success you want and deserve.

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Find Purpose In Life And Your Job Or Career

Find Purpose In Life And Your Job Or Career

Ever spend much time thinking about that? What’s your purpose?
What does that have to do with your job search or career? Everything!
Do you find your purpose in your job, or in something outside of your career?

What animates you from day-to-day?
- Advancement in your career?
- More money?
- Ability to have more toys, nicer houses, cars, jewelry, or ‘stuff’?
- Provide better for your family?
- Provide value or serve your customers?
- Be a better spouse, parent, child, friend, or neighbor?
- Have more fun?

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The Joy And Pain Of Working For A Family Owned Business

The Joy And Pain Of Working For A Family Owned Business

We all know about the Kirima family. Though the saga has cooled off it was not a good sight all. But that is family for you. Unlike friends, you can only work with what ‘God’ has given you.

On another note, have you ever wondered how it is to work in a family run business like the one for Kirima?

To be caught in the cross fire when things are not working? Many of us start our careers in small or medium sized firms mostly owned and run by the family.

I went out and interviewed a good friend who has worked in such a situation and this was his candid response.

My life working for the family.

I worked for a small family business for about six years. It had many ups and downs, especially when I was trying to compete for gratitude, amongst all of the family favoritism!

It was a Father-Daughter-Son operation, with about ten additional employees. The Son’s name sat proudly over the entrance to the business, but he was NOT a part of it! This left the Father and the Daughter, fighting in the wings, over the direction and the future of their concern.

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9 Reasons Bad Employees Are Never Fired

9 Reasons Bad Employees Are Never Fired

Have you ever received poor service from someone you expected should be helping you as part of his or her job? The answer is almost certainly “yes.”

And, if you’re like most people, you have probably also experienced the frustration of working with someone who made your own job more difficult.

In both cases you may have wondered, “Why don’t they just fire this person?”
Firing someone may seem easy in theory, but it is often a last resort for an employer. A bad employee’s supervisor may know that the employee isn’t performing up to snuff, but that supervisor — or the company — may have what they consider to be a good reason for not firing the employee.

Whenever you encounter someone who you think deserves to be fired — either in your own workplace or elsewhere — consider if any of the following might be the reason the bad employee is still on the job:

1. The employee has a relationship with someone higher up.
This is Kenya hence this reason coming tops. A relationship doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic or family, although either is a possibility. In many cases, the relationship that keeps someone from getting fired is friendship. The bad employee may not perform well on the job, but may be a drinking buddy for your boss, or may simply be someone that senior management enjoys having around the office.

2. The boss relies on the employee.
when a supervisor depends on an employee, the supervisor is less likely to attribute poor performance to the employee’s ability or attitude, and more likely to attribute the poor performance to forces beyond the employee’s control.

3. The employee brings more value to the company than he or she costs.
Maybe the employee who jokes around and wastes other employees’ time at meetings is also a brilliant worker whose productivity has resulted in significant revenue for the company.

4. The boss thinks it could be worse.
Even if everyone knows the employee is not pulling his or her weight, management may fear that a replacement could do an even worse job. This fear is compounded if the company has previously had other people perform more poorly in the position.

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Dealing With Boredom At Work

Dealing With Boredom At Work

I’m at a point (again) where I find myself brooding about career options. You see I’m two months shy of celebrating my third year with my current employer. Although, I’m not 100% certain if I should celebrate or not.

Work-wise, everything seems to be stable. But the stability bores me sometimes. I try to find ways to create more excitement so that my days at work wouldn’t be all ho-hum and dreary. Of late, I do more ancillary projects for the boss so that I’ll be more productive.

What do I do when faced with bouts of boredom at work?

1. I re-visit my CV and update it.

2. Touch base with former colleagues and other professionals in social networking sites. I am a fan of twitter

3. Check out internet job sites to see if there are opportunities better than what my current employer offers.

4. Catch up on industry-related trends. In short, I should read up more about Human Resource

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