Make yourself the right person for the job

By Robert Zavuga

JOBS today are not that boring thing you do from 8:00am to 5:00pm. These days, jobs are exciting. Many organisations are even considering hobbies like public speaking, writing and sports as added advantages.

Alex Kibikyo, a manager with Everest Consultancy, a human resource firm in Kampala says: “We are also interested in the extra-curricular activities like games, dance and drama an individual may have participated in.”

He says these activities make a perfect prediction of the candidate’s interpersonal skills which are a necessity in the job market. Good academic records are as important as extra-curricular activities.

Aspire for more than a JOB (Just Over Broke). Aspire for a position that will exploit your full potential for the benefit of the organisation and your career growth. Opt for a challenging opportunity that will develop you into an innovative individual.

Kibikyo advises that it is important for an individual to first examine his strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats before looking for a job. This helps an individual clench a position that best suits him.

The next question is what sort of company you want to work for. You have a choice between a business leader and an emerging business leader. Fred Bateganya, a lecturer at Makerere University, advises that fresh graduates target ‘big’ organisations since they provide many opportunities for career growth.

Another factor to consider is the work environment. A good work environment motivates and improves performance.
“My work is enjoyable, I like the company of my workmates,” says Stella, a customer care assistant with Zain Uganda.

You also have to make a choice between an exciting and a stimulating work environment. An exciting work environment brings joy and rarely creates stress. A stimulating environment is one that challenges you and makes you uncover the innovative skills you possess.

In his book, The Millionaires’ Mind, Dr. Thomas Stanely emphasizes the value of choosing work that is both enjoyable and challenging if one is to achieve sustainable growth.

Before you hunt for a job, examine your character. An advisement may say the company is moving aggressively to conquer the local and global market. A calm personality clearly cannot cope in an agressive environment.

Dennis, a sales executive at Standard Chartered Bank, says his aggressive nature has won him many successes.
“As a sales executive you need to have an aggressive spirit, strong lobbying and negotiation skills in order to attain a sizeable volume of sales,” he says.

Another important factor as you look for work is money. It goes without saying that if you have a job, you will get paid. My supervisor at my first job always reminded me about the dangers of money. “Robert, money should not be an issue. If you do your work faithfully and diligently, the money will follow your foot prints.”

The old days when you got a small wad of cash in a little brown envelope are long gone. Now payment comes in the form of company cars, free airtime and private health insurance. Usually none of this is spelt out in the job advert. It is packaged simply as an ‘attractive remuneration package’. As you apply for a job, take into consideration your CV. If you submit your CV but do not get the job because some candidates are better qualified than you are, do not despair.

Fagil Mandy, an education consultant says: “A CV is just a summary of your achievements, not a pass key to a job. If an employer gets interested in you, you will be shortlisted for an interview.”
Mandy adds that many job seekers lack the expertise to make this document yet a CV should be used as a tool to market you.

Exciting jobs are few and far between and the individuals who can fill these positions are equally rare. Advice from the experts is that you develop yourself into a good quality job seeker.

Attain the recommended academic achievements with the extra curricular skills and you may be the rare individual employers are always scouting for.
Otherwise, all the best as you hunt for that exciting and motivating job.