Facebook Live with Edleen B. Elba: Steps to landing your dream job (June 30)
Year after year, companies, and recruiters change their job eligibility requirements, expecting job seekers to acquire some certain skills – first class degree or not. Whether you’re a fresh graduate trying to jumpstart your career, or an oldie in the job market looking for better opportunities, we have one question for you. Are you fully prepared for your next interaction with a recruiter? To help you get started, we’re bringing you this Facebook Live session with Human Resources expert Edleen B. Elba, on Friday, 30th June. She’ll be sharing some insights on job search and how young professionals can land their dream job. Edleen owns and manages JobSearch, a human resources management company based in Sierra Leone, which provides recruitment, skills development, and human resources advisory services to clients of all sizes and within all sectors. [bctt tweet=”Looking for a job? Learn the do’s and don’ts for job seekers from @JobSearchsl -(June 30)” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Register below to gain access to this opportunity. Some of the topics we’ll cover How and where to find a job What employers really look for in applicants Principles to remember: The do’s and don’ts for job seekers Top 7 career fields in demand Case study: Persistence and determination Facebook Live Details: Date: Friday, June 30th, 2017 Time: Freetown 2pm // Lagos 3pm // Joburg 4pm Place: facebook.com/sheleadsafrica/ Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/sheleadsafrica/videos/1904771329746178/ About Edleen Edleen B. Elba is the founder of JobSearch, and a Chartered Human Resources Analyst, with almost a decade of Senior management experience within the private and public sectors She started her career in 2003 with KPMG, working in the Advisory departments in Sierra Leone and Ghana. In 2005, she created the Human Resources & Risk Management departments at KPMG and managed both for 3 years. Over the years, she has acquired skills which include financial management, strategic human resource management, strategic risk management, presentation, software applications, team leadership, time management, effective communication, assertiveness, negotiation, and analytics. Edleen is also the Chairman of the MEPS Trust Well Woman Clinic fundraising committee and a member of Heaven Homes’ fundraising committee. She is passionate about skills development and women’s empowerment.
#YasminSays: Here’s why that interviewer never called you back
Over the last couple of months, I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to hire new talent for SLA. It’s been brutal. I often hear young people talking about how they can’t find jobs. They always blame the system. They don’t want to hire new people.” ”They didn’t like my face.” ”They don’t like people from different tribes.” After 3 months of looking at applications and interviewing a bunch of people, here’s a thought I’d like you all to consider…. Maybe you’re the problem. Maybe you went about getting a job the wrong way. Maybe you played yourself and set yourself up for failure. I know… I’m mean right? And I’m not meant to be mean because I founded SLA and we’re meant to be this cuddly organization that helps women. Hell – we probably spend our evenings braiding each other’s hair and giving group hugs as we sing kumbaya. WRONG. My job as a founder of SLA is to keep it all the way real with you and turn you into a corporate beast. Someone who’s going to go out and crush it all over Africa. So in the spirit of keeping it real with you, here’s a list of the dumbest things you can do if you’re applying for a job. Don’t ask basic questions A couple of weeks ago, I was searching for a new program manager. One of the prospective candidates sent me a question asking whether or not we charged people to be members of SLA. Needless to say, I didn’t even bother to look at her application. Why you ask? Because she asked a basic and frankly stupid question. All she needed to do to get that information was to go onto the SLA website and do her research. Yet, she decided not to and instead came off looking like the Founder, CEO and Chairman of SimpleHeauxs.com. When you choose not to take any initiative in learning about the company or gaining basic, publicly available information, you show that you actually aren’t that serious about the company and they shouldn’t take you seriously either. Don’t overhype yourself This one is so obvious that I’m actually sad that I have to write it down. One person who we interviewed called herself “an innovator from birth.” Is that so….? From birth huh? The only reaction someone will have when they see that is: The best thing you can do when applying for a job is to be honest and straightforward about your results and what you’ve actually been able to deliver. All the grammar in the world won’t help you if you can’t show that you know how to get things done. Don’t overhype your qualifications A couple of weeks back I was talking to a girl who said that she graduated from Harvard Business School. On further investigation, it comes out that she just did a course there for a couple of weeks. Her CV went straight into the dustbin because now I know she is a bona fide massage therapist – massaging the truth all day every day. If you didn’t have to take an entrance exam, then calling yourself a graduate is a stretch. Doing a summer course does not make you a graduate of that institution so chill your life. Not everyone in the world went to Harvard and THAT IS OKAY. No need to be so insecure. Don’t act entitled This one goes out to all you returnees out there. Especially the ones who went to fancy schools. Y’all think that because you went to fancy schools with big names like Stanford and Harvard that I should be falling over myself trying to hire you. False. Some of the most basic, offensive, simple-minded heauxs I know went to these Ivy League schools so relax yourself. No degree can overcome a stank, arrogant attitude and I’d rather take a chilled out, smart local grad over your annoying self any day. Chill with the fone If you spent one year in England and yet try to sound like Queen Elizabeth herself when I interview you, you will be rejected immediately. Why do we Africans feel the need to pretend to speak English with a foreign accent? It’s so weird and makes you seem really insecure. More generally, I’m not quite sure what the intended effect is. People know that you’re faking it and they’re probably judging you. In fact, sometimes the fone is be so strong that it’s actually hard to understand what you’re trying to say. I have a sort of English-American Nigerian twinged accent because I spent 14 years abroad. Does that make me better, more professional or smarter than someone with a Nigerian, Kenyan or Ghanaian accent? Absolutely not! An accent is an accent not a badge of intelligence so stop faking it. Speak as you speak and be confident with your bad self. So there it is. Five reasons why you may have gotten rejected from your last job interview. To those of you who’ve engaged in some of this behavior. Don’t worry. It is well. No one can fault you for not knowing but if you continue to make these mistakes moving forward… you have only yourself to blame. For those of you who are interested in learning more about how you can be well prepared to CRUSH the job market, check out a bunch of FREE resources we’ve created to make you the baddest B you can be. Till next time! Xoxo Yasbo
8 free business apps you should download right now
We’re not going to point any fingers but some of you are addicted to your phones. Not in a cutesy ‘I just like to capture moments type of way’, but in an ‘if I don’t find network right now I will slap someone’ kind of way. It’s not our place to judge but that type of addiction might demonstrate your priorities aren’t straight. If you’re spending more time on your phone chatting and double tapping instead of getting work done, you might soon run out of money to pay for that data bill. Don’t fret —after all that doom and gloom you know your home girls at SLA have come to hook you up. What if you didn’t have to choose between work and play on your phone. What if there were these magical tools that could help you track your sales while you take your selfies? That magical tool would obviously be two heads, and unfortunately for African parents across the world, we haven’t figured that one out yet. All we’ve done is find some cool mobile applications you can download right now to make it easier to get your work done while you’re on the go, looking for network signal. 1.Track My Life Ever wondered how much time you spend watching makeup tutorials on YouTube? Track My Life can help you figure out how you’re spending your time. However, it won’t be able to stop you from clicking the next video. This app can help you figure out which activities are taking up the majority of your time and if those aren’t high value tasks or helping you bring in more revenue, then they’ve got to go! 2. CamCard Did you lose the business card you got from potential bae while you were “networking”? With Camcard you can manage and exchange business cards right from your phone. Once you get a card, you scan details and they are stored directly in your phone. If you did mean to lose that card, what excuse are you going to use now? Your dog chewed it up? 3.Booksy Biz Picture this, your side hustle as a makeup artist is starting to pick up, you’re getting booked every other weekend and it’s getting harder to keep track of your new clients. This is not the time for you to forget about appointments and lose the goodwill you’ve built up. Booksy Bizz is a mobile appointment calendar and scheduling app that can help you manage staff, communicate with customers and manage appointments. This app will make it seem like you have a personal assistant working 24/7 when it’s actually just you in your pajamas, eating ice cream. 4.QuickBooks Online Keeping track of expenses is the worst!! Who even has time for receipts? says the person who doesn’t want their business running out of money. If you want to build a long term and financially sustainable business then you have to keep track of the numbers. QuickBooks let’s you invoice clients and manage your expenses. Now you’ll have no more excuses figuring out where your money went. 5.Perch Small Business Thanks to Perch Small Business you don’t need to reserve your Instagram stalking your friends and ex boyfriend’s new fiancée. You can now extend those skills to your competitors and their social media movements and know exactly what they’re up to. Use Perch to get a bird’s eye view of reviews, social posts and promotion for you and your competition all in one place. 6. Tiny Scanner Why is it that every single business transaction in Africa requires tons and tons of paperwork? I feel like the next time I go to KFC they’re going to ask for 2 passport pictures and a signed affidavit. If you’re in an industry that requires a lot of paperwork, then having access to your files in an organized manner is necessary. Tiny Scanner let’s you scan your documents and save them on your mobile device, iPad, or tablet anywhere you go. 7. HootSuite It’s great that Instagram allows to switch between multiple accounts, but what about the wahala in switching between multiple social media platforms and keeping track of them? Hootsuite allows you to manage multiple networks, schedule posts, and engage your audience all in one place. 8. Wunderlist Few things can compare to the relief you feel after checking off something on your to do list. This app will keep your business in sync whether you are managing multiple projects, delegating assignments to co workers or just making sure you actually eat during lunch time one day this week. Know any other cool apps that have helped you increase your productivity, keep your mind focused and helped your business grow? Share them with us.
10 East African songs that will get you hyped for your next big interview
No matter how many times you practice your introduction or write down the skills you’ll bring to the position, interviews can be the most stressful part of getting a new job. We all know the stakes are high for an interview – you can go from the bottom of the pile to the #1 candidate by presenting yourself well and telling a compelling a story. With so much riding on your success, you can’t go into the interview room full of jitters and unsure of yourself. The best way to make yourself stand out is to be confident and calm. Not sure how to do that? We’ve pulled together a list of 10 East African songs to help center yourself and find some inner peace before the big moment. 1. Habida – Superwoman As the title suggests, this song will get you into a ‘conquer the world’ mood. With its catchy beat and uplifting lyrics, it is just the kind of song you need to conquer an interview. 2. Octopizzo – Black star Straight from the chorus, it is clear that the song is telling the listener to believe in themselves. “Forever you will be, a shining star… You will always be, a black star…” Go forth black star and rock that interview. 3. Khaligraph Jones – Yego This song is about Julius Yego, the Kenyan javelin thrower who broke the African record twice and Kenya’s national record four times. Seeing as the song is based on a champion, it shouldn’t be hard to get into a winning spirit when listening to this song. 4. Juliani – Exponential potential The title says it all and so does the video. The video is set within the confines of a boardroom which seems appropriate given the lyrics of the song. This is just the song you need to get the energy to unleash your full potential. 5. STL – Dreamer Stella Mwangi (STL) uses this song to encourage all the dreamers to go out into the world and follow their dreams while recounting her own story. It will definitely get you in the mood to conquer your fears and ace the interview. 6. Wangechi feat Karun – Analogue dreamer Although on the surface, the song seems to be talking about following your dreams, the more profound message is about being courageous enough to be different and to be you in a world clogged with similarity. Just the dose of courage anyone needs before an interview. 7. Muthoni the Drummer Queen (MDQ) – Nai ni ya who? This song was written for the city of Nairobi and what it takes to make it. But the song’s universal message also applies to any other city in the world. At its core, the song emphasizes the importance of getting up and doing something to change your life. The track’s awesome beat will get you hyped in seconds. 8. Avril feat Rabbit King Kaka – Ninaweza ‘Ninaweza’ means ‘I can’ in English. The song stays away from metaphorical analogies and remains as simple as its title suggests. It is the only motivation you need to get hyped for your interview. The message is clear, ‘You can.’ 9. Vanessa Mdee – Hawajui With a colourful video, Mdee encourages her listeners to overcome any obstacles that come their way, including unfair judgement from people who have no idea who you are. 10. Jua Kali – Baba Yao The song begins with these words, “Hauezi niekea chini, me ni baba yao” “You can’t put me down, I am a champion” (English Translation). Side Note: The Direct translation of the phrase, ‘me ni baba yao’ is ‘I am their father’ which is a sheng colloquialism used to refer to oneself as the best or a champion among colleagues. Which of these are your favorites? Any ones we missed? What is your all time favorite song for getting pumped your big interviews?