Creation of networks is as important as making investments!

It may interest you to note that there are more job openings today than there were awhile ago. As a matter of fact, there are more job varieties than has ever been in the history of human evolution.

Quite interestingly, there are employers out there who are currently frustrated because they don’t seem to get the right candidates for the job openings in their organizations. This is contrary to a popular opinion that job seekers are frustrated because they cannot get suitable job placements. Nowadays many jobs are not advertised in the newspapers

What does this tell you? You may have to wait for too long if you hope to secure a job through the adverts in the mainstream print media. As a job-seeker you need to be a little aggressive in your search for your dream job. Make sure that every day, you are building on your network of professionals who are already in the field that you would like to explore. Volunteer your skills and expertise to assist them in their projects without even expecting any sort of reward. You will be surprised that they will be more than willing to introduce you to the people who have the power and authority to hire.

Your CV is therefore a very crucial document. It is like (and indeed) a sales brochure and should be a selling document, as opposed to a ‘telling document’. The work of a CV is not to get you a job; it is meant to get you an interview for you to sell yourself. It should not be a list of duties and responsibilities from your previous employment. It should capture the reader’s attention with the profile highlighting on your skills, experiences and relevant qualifications. An average recruitment manager spends only about 30 seconds glancing at a CV. This means that your profile should be loaded with powerful ammunition that will make the prospecting employer want to meet with you. I cannot exhaustively explain to you here how to create a winning CV, but I have to underscore the fact that you need to give it much of your attention. Each one of us must have a DREAM which is an acronym for:

D- Distinct: Differentiate yourself uniquely or else you will become extinct

R- Relevant: Make your skills and yourself relevant to the work environment

E- Esteem: Build a very healthy self-esteem. Your self-confidence speaks a lot about yourself. Self-confidence is the hinge upon which turns the door of individual achievements in your professional and personal life.

A – Awareness: Must be alert and totally in sync with what is happening in different sectors.

M- Mind’s eye: keep your mind’s eye to the right networks to know what is likely to happen even before it happens.

Article source: https://www.zakenya.com/Self-Improvement/151-HOW-TO-SET-YOURSELF-APART-IN-THE-JOB-MARKET.html

After such incidents as the Westgate Mall attack, after all the follow-up shocking revelations, after several statements from the government and other concerned bodies, honestly, no one ever cares or bothers to find out how the victims and survivors are doing or how they get to continue with their lives. Seeing all those videos and images from Westgate, I could only imagine how those who had been caught up in the siege felt, waiting for help that may never arrive, afraid that the attackers might find you at any minute and end your life, dealing with the fact that you will most probably not see tomorrow. Your whole life flashes before your eyes. The mistakes you made and won’t have time to correct, the wonderful things that have been happening to you recently that now you have to say goodbye to, and of course the fear of unknown that engulfs most of us whenever the idea of death comes to mind. Let’s not forget that there were young children also held up in the mayhem.

So how then, can a victim be able to find a way of leading a normal life as they did before the incident? Of course, things will never really go back to the way they were, but we can find a way of dealing with the pain.

Ø  Share experiences. Talking to people who have gone through a similar or worse incident can be very beneficiary to the healing process. You start to realize that having been caught up in the mayhem was just bad luck that could happen to anyone anywhere. That way you stop asking questions like “why me” or feeling that you are probably being punished for your past mistakes.

Ø  Seek counseling. Seeking a professional counselor’s help will help in releasing the anger, pain and confusion that you still hold inside. They help you to understand your emotions better and make it easier to deal with them.

Ø  Get out. Do not lock yourself up in the house, because most of the time your mind will keep going back to the incident. Go back to work, or school. Take up an exciting or involving activity such as swimming or sports. Go out with friends and have a good time. Walk around in town to familiarize yourself with the outside world once again.

Ø  Give yourself time to heal. Realize that getting back to your normal life isn’t going to happen overnight. As they say, time is the best healer. So as you embark on the road to recovery, be patient with yourself, and do not ignore your feelings. When you feel like crying, know that it is okay to do so. And surround yourself with people, whether family or friends, or a support group, as they will make your journey much easier.

Article source: https://www.zakenya.com/Self-Improvement/132-How-to-Cope-with-Trauma.html

The Kenya we live today is faced by many problems, among which insecurity ranks first. Disasters seem to strike from all corners of the nation. The big question the Kenyans mean while are faced with, how prepared is our country in case of disasters? Are there mitigation measures put in place to prevent or to minimise effect of a disaster? So, you may have watched a news item or listened to some Kenyan somewhere lamenting on how his house was burnt down with him barely managing to save anything. Or perhaps you’ve heard of stories of forced evacuations with houses being torn down without warning. Or maybe you may have come across stories on how some other Kenyans had to quickly run for their lives when they saw threatening gangs near their house. Or just maybe you saw how rain caused havoc on some shambas forcing the villagers to run for safety as their houses were swept away and you may thought, ‘Wa wa wa! Those poor Kenyans!?’ Are you seeing the pattern here? There are more likely disasters than ever. We need a strategy to contain this.

We, as Kenyans should make this personal. Yes, wherever you live in Kenya, the question you should ask is, ‘Are you disaster prepared??  Do you have an emergency kit ready for use at any given moment?’ Given the number Kenya is rated in the insecurity index, surely you may have thought about it. Or are you perhaps one of those people who heard the term Go-bag in the riveting crime drama that is Criminal Minds and thought Go-What? Go-Where? Go-When? It’s just as exactly as the famed profilers do it. A go-bag is meant to carry whatever you need for an on-the-moment notice. It means you pick it up and go. But this time unlike in Criminal Minds, you are picking up the Go-bag to quickly escape disaster, not to chase after sick criminals.

So what should you put in your Go-bag

Water, of course! Ensure your Go-bag has a minimum of 1.5Litres of water. This is the amount of water each of your family members should have in their G-bags. (Yes, each individual should have their own bags). Water purification tablets are also very important. You do not know where you’ll end up, and disease is not an option. Remember, however, that even bottled water has an expiry date. Therefore, you should have a system to replace the water in your Go-bag after some time has elapsed.

Food is an essential

Ration packs are a wonderful choice. Dry food that can easily fit in your bag is also recommended. Biscuits can sustain you during emergencies, and they pack easily. Snack bars are also beneficial in times of scarcity. These foods too have to be replaced from time to time to ensure they are safe for consumption if the time comes.

Disposable masks

Yes, I said masks. Air, as you well know, is paramount for survival. During emergencies dust has this habit of accumulating. Debris fly all over, and the air may be contaminated. Take a mask that is flat typed and place it in your emergency Go-bag. A respiratory problem is not an issue you need dealing with when hospitals are filled to capacity.

Source of light

Hey, who said the evacuation can only take place during the day time? Light is very important to have. An emergency torch will enable you to see where you are stepping and avoid obstacles. You should store extra batteries if you are using a torch that requires batteries. Lithium batteries tend to last for a long time. Invest in a head torch if you can. This will prove useful in case both your hands are occupied.

Carry your radio

You may have heard the joke that Luhyas love carrying their radios wherever they go. Well, during an emergency a portable AM/FM radio receiver comes in very handy. It is through the radio that you will be able to receive further instructions. And no, your phone may not work and the electricity may not be there, but your good old battery radio would still work as long as the receiver is functional.

Don’t forget your clothes

Clothes on your back will keep you warm during an evacuation. They should be light and compact to easily fit in the Go-bag. Instead of carrying one heavy cloth, put in layers of clothes and a foil blanket. A foil cloak and a survival sleeping bag may also be packed in case you need to sleep in an overnight shelter.

A first aid kit

Here, is where caution is required. You do not want to pack in medicine you have no idea of how it works or what doses to take. Put in wound cleansing and dressing supplies. Also, you can pack eye was and bandages. Prescription medication and painkillers should also be availed for your emergency first aid kit.

Your documents

If you have ever found yourself in a situation where you require documents, you know how important they are. Pack your ID copies and copies of other documents. Your keys, money, and contact information. Remember, you may have the contacts of many people in your phone, but if the phone is dead? It would be impossible to contact anyone. Use a small notebook to note down important contacts.

Your Go-bag

It should be a medium sized bag. Do not pack so much that you are overwhelmed. Again, the purpose of your Go-bag is to allow fast evacuation of important items. Your Go-bag may be waterproof, or you may choose to line it with a light-weight sack. You should ensure that your go-bag can be found in the dark. Do this by sticking glow in the dark stickers to it.

Tips to remember

Your items need to be put in waterproof pouches or paper. You should store them separately in these pouches and pack them starting with the heavy items first to maximize on space. Pack any other miscellaneous item that you may need depending on the emergency situations that are likely to occur in your area. It is also good to ensure all your family members know the importance of their Go-bags and that they can quickly evacuate in case of an emergency. You can have a drill to practice quick and safe evacuation to prepare you for any future evacuations.

It is also a good idea to discuss with your family a point of meeting in case you get separated. This way, if you are separated and there is no network, each family member can head to that place. Yes, disasters wreck havoc in lives, but you do not have to be totally overwhelmed by the situation. Become disaster prepared and pack your emergency evacuation Go-bag.

Article source: https://www.zakenya.com/Self-Improvement/124-Is-Kenya-disaster-prepared-Be-safe-Tips-on-how-to-Use-a-Go-bag.html

For you to achieve a lot and to have a direction in life, you need to set goals everyday. You must determine what you need to do in a day. its typical of kenyans to just go about life without first determining what to achieve at the end of it all. there are steps which one can follow to be be in a position to set goals

1. The first step obviously is that you must set some goals. If you don’t have any goals at all, then you have no goals to achieve. Here is the trick, when you set your goals don’t set for yourself some dwarf goals. Make sure that the goals that you set for yourself are big and audacious goals: something that will make you to really stretch.

2. Then you must believe that it is possible to achieve whatever it is that you want. The reality is that there are thousands of testimonials of people all around the world who have achieved the same or similar goals.

3. Next, you have got to surround yourself with people who already have what you want. When you do so, you nourish your belief that what you want is realistically possible. For example, if your goal was to become a millionaire, look for millionaires. Take them out for lunch or dinner and find out from them how they made their first million, the system they used, how long it took and so forth.

4. Make a habit of reviewing those goals every day. I would recommend twice a day. In the morning when you wake up and in the evening before you go to sleep. Take it a notch higher, try to re-write those goals in present tense, as if you have already achieved them and visualize yourself already having accomplished what you want. For instance, if your goal was to earn five hundred thousand Kenya shillings a month, re-write that goal as follows: I am comfortably earning five hundred thousand Kenya shillings every month. I call it, ‘speaking into be things that are not’ If you can and you should, write the top priority goals on a card that you can carry with you everywhere you go.

5. Use something that Jack Canfield calls the rule of five: Attempt to do at least five things every day that draws you closer to your goals. Increase the number of things that you can do because the more things you attempt to do in pursuit of your goals the higher the chances that some of them will actually work.

6. Become vulnerable to your impulses or if you like intuition. Sometime thoughts will be implanted in your mind that may look a little weird but if you act on them, you will either get closer to your goals or achieve those goals. I have been to places and sometimes while am walking along the street some thought just lands on my mind that prompts me to change the direction and as soon as I did that, I met with people that I didn’t even expect who introduced me to somebody who helped achieve what I wanted.

Article source: https://www.zakenya.com/Self-Improvement/127-Steps-on-how-to-set-your-goals-Advice-to-fellow-Kenyans.html

“Failing to understand or understanding to fail “, get it right today.

Many Kenyans fail to be successful just because they failed to “understand “from the word go. Understanding is the most critical and most fundamental of components which allows for any changes in your life. Without understanding, there is nothing and no means to change your situationin Kenya. All means of achieving highly in Kenyan context rest within the mind and understanding is the foundation of all this. The Biblical Solomon did not pray or ask for wisdom as many think. But rather he asked for understanding. Because of understanding he became the wisest man that ever lived and also the richest man that ever lived. Most religious Kenyans believe in this biblical point of understanding. Below are some basic understandings to help Kenyans youths:

1. Understanding is fine

That is, when you truly understand something completely, it becomes almost as if it becomes a tangible and physical thing. This happens because your understanding has allowed you to change the way that you look at the world, and incorporate that understanding within that view. understanding all about your environment in Kenya is crucial.

2. Understanding is the way to achieve anything

If there is something which you can’t seem to do, it’s because your understanding isn’t there. If somebody can do something, you can also do the same and this is 100% guaranteed. All the Kenyans should so is to get to the same level of understanding as those who have achieved in Kenya do.

3. Understanding is a gradual process

You won’t understand everything straight away. In fact, you’re likely to not genuinely understand anything which someone tells you, even if you think you understand it. As you begin to apply the route to your goal, your understanding will begin to increase, and you will notice many things which you hadn’t even realized.

4. Understanding requires action

It doesn’t matter how much somebody says something to you, or how much you think you understand the topic. The only way to understand something truly is through action, because then you can at first hand, experience the true intricacy which make up the understanding of something. So whatever you think you understand is completely minor, in comparison to when you put your understanding into action.

What to Expect/Conclusion

It doesn’t matter how big a goal is, or how intricate and one-off it may seem. The key to all success and manifestation lies quite simply in understanding. So long as you have the understanding and apply it, you can get anything you want. Youths in Kenya should therefore seek understanding of things to gain more success in the future.

Other related links:

https://www.zakenya.com/Jobs/176-How-and-Where-to-Obtain-a-Certificate-of-Good-Conduct-in-Kenya.html

https://www.zakenya.com/Careers/159-How-to-Choose-the-Right-Career-in-Kenya.html

https://www.zakenya.com/Business/160-How-to-use-OLX-in-Kenya.html

https://www.zakenya.com/Jobs/152-Tips-on-How-to-Get-Best-Paying-Jobs-in-Kenya.html

https://www.zakenya.com/Self-Improvement/151-HOW-TO-SET-YOURSELF-APART-IN-THE-JOB-MARKET.html

https://www.zakenya.com/Business/115-Why-Kenyan-youths-should-get-involved-in-Agribusiness-best-deal-from-AMIRAN-Kenya-ltd.html

https://www.zakenya.com/Education/138-Additional-Skills-Courses-That-Boost-Your-Job-Search-in-Kenya.html

https://www.zakenya.com/Business/175-How-to-make-money-online-in-Kenya.html

https://www.zakenya.com/Careers/168-How-to-uplift-Your-Leadership-Confidence-in-Kenya.html

Article source: https://www.zakenya.com/Self-Improvement/179-How-understanding-leads-to-achievement-of-success-Advice-to-Kenyans.html