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How to survive in competitive jobs market

Friday, February 7th, 2020 18:17 | By
New skills in job market.

 By Samson Osero

During the colonial period, access to education at all levels was so limited that the few who made it became heroes in their villages and beyond. The missionaries introduced education to enable learners to read the Bible, write letters and do basic arithmetic for business transactions.  The purpose of going to schools was to the acquire 3Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic. 

Whoever that passed the 3Rs was considered literate and ready for the then discriminative labour market.

 The perception of literacy has changed to include other aspects without which you may not thrive in the job market. The education system has been reformed time and again with the latest being the advent of the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC). 

Employers are regularly shifting goal posts requiring potential employees to possess a long list of literacies. Here are some of the literacies and how to acquire them for survival in the ever changing labour market. 

Academic accolades

In the early days, certification at the end of primary schooling was enough. The qualification was a passport for that enabled one to select a suitable job out of many.  

Towards the end of the 20th Century, the job market was flooded with diplomas and first degrees which literally became a confirmation of academic literacy. Academic papers now have expiry dates and owners must always acquire the next best certification.

Where do you fit in literacy ladder? What plans should you implement to ensure that the employment market does not catch you unawares with expired certificates? 

Proffessional qualifications 

First degrees are no longer enough to secure a job. The mantra on most applications has become; bachelor’s degree plus professional certification in areas such as accountancy, human resources, procurement, marketing, among others.

Beyond papers there you need to be a member of a professional body in your area of expertise. Professional bodies have mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) programmes for members. Credit points attained in the programmes become a requirement for renewal of annual practicing certificates. Members are encouraged to complement CPD programmes with self-development courses aimed at improving their work-related soft skills.

Work experience 

People who negate the importance of work experience have described it as “one year’s experience repeated over and over again in the number of working years”. This misleading perception has discouraged employees from getting hands-on experience in other business functions of the employing organisation. To solidify one’s competencies at work, there is need to search for and utilize working opportunities in other departments.

ICT 

ICT has pervaded every aspect of life to the extent that without it most things stand still. The pump attendant at a local petrol station must be computer literate to fuel vehicles from the automated pump. Open-air second hand clothes vendors make and receive payments using phones. 

Employees utilize media platforms to connect with business associates. Employers have gone an extra mile to use social media information to make employment decisions such as selection of job candidates.

Networking

Networking is the human and technical capacity to connect with people in order to achieve one’s business and personal goals. For business goals to be attained, you need to partner with someone within and without your organisation. It is important, therefore, to cultivate good working relationships with such people using genuine interpersonal communication skills. 

Networks are handy when searching for employment opportunities because word of mouth travels faster than other forms of communication. Join groups that share your professional interests. Contribute to open discussions while learning from other members. 

Personal branding 

To stand out from the rest you must create a positive reputation at work. This will make indispensable both in appearance and reality. For example, a person’s name would pops up in most people’s minds when a specific unique task is to be performed. The association of the person with the task becomes an enviable recognition at work.

To develop your personal brand, begin with understanding the key attributes you possess that contribute to excellent performance. What is your current brand? Draw up a personal branding plan that specifies things that you should begin doing or stop doing to improve the brand. Monitor and evaluate your process towards realisation of your desired personal brand and make any required adjustments. 

The writer is a human resource development consultant and Author of Transition into Retirement.

Email: [email protected]        

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