Sunday evening

I do not know if this feeling is for everyone , but I guess a large percentage of people go through this. When you think of the week ahead. It usually starts around mid day Sunday. When it dawns on you that the weekend is slowly coming to an end. It is a funny depressing feeling when you think of work, the long week of waking up early in the morning. Maybe it is possible to sleep with a smile on your face on sunday night, thinking of the week ahead.
Wont it be nice if Monday also meant no work?I am sure if that was the case then the same feeling would come on monday evening.
Well happy Sundays and all the best in the week ahead!!!!!!!!!!


 

Is changing Employers the answer to job satisfaction?

An interesting question that is asked during interviews is ‘why would you want to work for our company?’ That’s a difficult question to answer at times, although we often forge an answer to convince the interviewer. Do we move around from one employer to the next in search of better benefits, higher pay, and more responsibilities?

Have we been caught up in the whirl wind of the employment world such that we lose focus of what we dream of doing? There are numerous people who study Accounting, Human Resources, Law just to mention a few and end up working in departments totally unrelated to what they studied. Is it something they love doing or are they caught up in the lie of “I will start with this, then move to another department once I am in “.

Does it mean we work because such an opportunity has presented itself or do we actually love what we are doing? Personal satisfaction should play a big part in motivating us to move to other jobs and not just better pay. The same work you do for one employer will be the same work you will do for another employer, maybe even more.

Imagine immersing yourself into what you enjoy doing and what gives you personal satisfaction. Waking up in the morning will seem less stressful, your hours during the day will pass faster, you will be excited to return to work the following day and you will appreciate yourself more.

So the next time you are tired of one employer, think critically on what it is that makes you want to leave and whether a new job will give you the satisfaction you are looking for.

Happy Job Hopping!

Communication Skills, the need to improve!

It’s sometimes awkward when you are talking to someone who has a wealth of knowledge and is very intelligent but is poor in communicating. A lot of um, you know, you see etc. It is not that these people do not know English at all; rather they do not have enough confidence to speak out and be understood. Those of us who have studied form one to form six and the medium of instruction was English, still fail to speak fluent English. Another 3 years in University pursuing our Undergraduate degrees also exposes us to the use of English, but then again, we shy away from it. How can a person study for 9 years in English but fail to express him/herself in the same language?

If you have excellent presentation skills and good expression of opinion, it will not be unusual to hear statements like “You are not Tanzanian, right?” or questions like “Did you study abroad?” I am sure a lot of people go through this.

People are stereotyped and branded due to the way they speak, or the lack of confidence and poor communication skills.  Who is to blame? Is it the individual or is it the mode of instruction in schools and Universities? Our fathers and professors, those who studied at University of Dar es Salaam back in the days have perfect Communication Skills, their English is wonderful. Somewhere in between is where it all got messed up.

Since it will take some time for any institutional changes to be effected, we should start with the individuals. It is never too late.

An effective way of improving one’s self confidence is by reading. Read everything you can get your hands on, biographies, fiction , self-help books etc. They really help in improving your communication skills, you learn new words, you learn about successful people and where they started from and where they are now. It is a boost to your morale and also an eye opener.

So why don’t you pick up a book next time instead of buying some sleazy tabloid, and actually spend some time “opening your mind”. You will see the fruits in no time!

Tips on How to face an interview

When job hunting, most of us get excited when we hear our phone ringing and after our “Hello”, we hear these words on the other side of the line “Is this Mr.  Samson Kilima?”

A thousand and one questions pop into our heads. It’s an interview, it’s an interview!  The feeling you get when you are called for an interview is a bitter-sweet feeling. A part of you will be excited at the prospect of getting a job, but another part of you will be anxious and agitated thinking about the upcoming interview process.


What is it that gets people uncomfortable at the thought of an interview? When the time comes for an interview, fresh graduates start reflecting on what was learnt in University. For accountants we would revisit our trial balances, balance sheets, pick up a book on IFRS, etc. A Human resources graduate would look for the ELRA (Employment and Labor Relations Act). Do what we studied in University and how much we remember of it really play a big role in sitting for that interview and snatching the job?


How about doing a background check on the company you are being interviewed for? If your interview is for a Security Company surely you need to find out the origin of the company, the values of the company, the size of the company etc. How many people actually do this?

In addition to preparing yourself with material about the company, your theoretical knowledge of the job role and also a revision of your formal knowledge, you will also require the following tips:

• Arrive about 10 minutes early for the interview
• Put your phone on Silence mode ( It is very irritating in the middle of an interview to hear a phone ring)
• Make sure you are wearing comfortable and presentable clothing
• Relax
• Speak in an audible voice ( do not murmur)
• Nod your head occasionally to show you understand the question at hand
• Listen carefully when the interviewer is talking
• When you are asked a question you have no clue about, say it! Do not be afraid of saying you do not know. Answering rubbish is a complete NO.
• Answer the questions with enthusiasm and highlight your capabilities with examples
• Ask more questions about the company

Once you are equipped with the above, you will no doubt walk away smiling from the interview, even if you were not successful for the position. Although these are just tips, they will get you through the whole interview process and help you face the next one with more confidence.


All the best in your next interview.

The Importance of a CV in today's world

                                                                                                                                      

Curriculum Vitae (CV) and how it helps you in today’s world

Are you unemployed?                                                                  

Have you had a hard time getting called for interviews?

Do you have work experience but find it hard getting a job?

Do you believe you can turn your luck around?

Please register yourself for a workshop on 5th November 2011.

Topics to be discussed include:

• Importance of a CV in today’s world
• What employers look for in a CV
• “Advertise” yourself through your CV
• Using  Technology and Social Networks to get employment

Mode of the Workshop

• Interactive discussions
• Presentations
• Group Work
• One on one Q&A with the facilitators

Why you should attend:
1. It is a chance for you to interact with people in similar situations
2. You will get a chance to update your CV
3. Direct tips from Recruitment Managers

Cost of the workshop is TZS 20,000/= per person.

Venue: Elite Career Choices Offices Kinondoni Hananasif, behind TX market just before Catholic Church

The workshop will start from 9am and will end with lunch for everyone.

Who should attend

Fresh graduates
Unemployed graduates
Final year students

For registration and more information please email training@elitecareers.co.tz or call +255 715 77 11 77

http://www.elitecareers.co.tz

Wedding Contributions, will we ever escape??

It has now become a culture in Tanzania, whenever we hear someone is getting married, it is followed by an invitation to attend "the first kikao". That is where either the groom, bride or the families ensure all the attendees are well fed and drink enough beverages before asking for "pledges". Everyone is now expected to "pledge" how much they will contribute to the wedding.

This culture has really taken over such that you will find yourself contributing more than 1 Million shillings per month just to weddings and send offs. Is it really a must to contribute? What happens if you do not? Well it is actually like buying yourself a ticket to the wedding! There's even a minimum amount to contribute, short of which you will not get an invitation. Imagine you are sometimes even required to contribute to your neighbor's relatives kitchen party, sendoff, wedding . This is someone you have not even met and never heard about. This always amazes me.

But another fact is that a wedding of huge proportions that everyone dreams of having costs no less than  15 Million Tanzanian Shillings. If the groom is to cough up all that money, in this economy, he would have to wait for years to be able to save. Worse yet some grooms even take up loans just to cover the wedding and have enough left over for the first few months of married life.Is it really necessary to have more than 500 people at your wedding , 50% of whom you do not know? Can we ever go back to weddings being taken care of by the families and having only close relatives, done in the backyards of spacious houses with women cooking and men slaughtering cows? I would love to see that!

Teen Training by Elite Career Choices

Elite Career Choices organized a training programme for Teenagers on Confidence and Effective Listening on Saturday 22nd October 2011. The training took place at Elite Career Choices Offices in Kinondoni Hananasif. The training's mission was to ensure teenagers understand what confidence means and why they need to be confident to succeed in this world. This is the first of a series of Trainings for Teenagers that will be organized monthly, on various Life Topics which are not taught in schools.
Please visit http://elitecareers.co.tz

Lake Manyara National Park

This was a stream at Lake Manyara National Park......i just love to see water flowing.

Scenery and its effect

This is one of the most beautiful images ever. I took this picture myself when I was in Zanzibar at a particular hotel. To me this image is a reflection of serenity, peace and tranquility. When I feel stressed and depressed, an image like this changes my mood instantly.

Self Motivation

Everyone needs some sort of motivation to try something new or to make very difficult decisions. Some look up to their siblings, friends, family idols, to provide them with the motivation they need. Ask yourself, what if you motivate yourself. Self motivation. In a world where you are all alone , who would you look up to for motivation? Yourself! Does that thought excite you or does it scare you? We should be able to push ourselves to do the most difficult of tasks. So what really motivates you? Do you feel like you can go out there and grab the opportunities awaiting you? Or you would rather remain where you are and just "go with the flow"? Most of the successful people in this world have become who they are by believing in themselves and by moving forward resiliently.
Don't you want to be one of them?The answer lies deep within you. You can do it, just have self motivation and move ahead. The sky is the limit.

What do you want to be?

Most of us grow up full of dreams on who we are going to be in future. In most cases it depends on the people surrounding us. If my mum is a nurse, I would automatically think I want to be a nurse when I grow up. Mum would have painted a rosy picture of what the world of nursing is all about. Helping sick people get better.!!!Never did we think about how nursing is about not having a fear of seeing people hurt, having the strength and courage to watch a person die in our arms, and still walk away and come to work the next day. Do the kids of today understand what is expected of them when they grow up? Or do they watch video games and think they will be super heroes? Some of them say they want to be musicians, do we nurture their dreams? Do we pave the way for them to be who they want to be? Or are we still stuck in the past where after school one has to get a decent job as a Lawyer, Acoountant, Banker, Doctor to mention a few?
Ask a few 10 year old kids today, what do you want to be? And be amazed at the answers you get.