As the country’s capital city and East Africa’s economic hub, Nairobi hosts Kenya’s most diverse job market. Many large multinationals have established their main offices in the city, and work opportunities are available in both small and large businesses.
How To Get a Job in Nairobi Kenya
These are simple tips that ensure you get a job in Kenya:
Discover Yourself
The first step to getting a job in Kenya is discovering yourself. Before you start sending out those applications, take time to think and discover who you are. Take a moment to understand your strength and weaknesses.
If you look at online job boards, for example, you would notice that there are loads of job vacancies advertised. You can’t apply for all the positions advertised because you obviously cannot perform all the tasks.
Discovering your interest helps you discover the career path that works for you and will help you know the kind of jobs that you should be applying for. So if you are just leaving school and have yet to find out what you are good at, you can start by finding out your interest and matching it with the job that best fits you.
Discovering yourself may not be easy, but you have all the tools and assessment you need to discover yourself in this book: 72 hours to the job you love.
Discovering yourself will help you have a more tailored job search. Do you know that Introverts are more likely to perform better in roles that require skills like; attention to detail, critical thinking, creativity etc. better than extroverts do? The truth about job-search is that the better you know yourself, the better chance you stand of getting a job with higher satisfaction.
Create a Perfect CV
Since you now know the kind of job that you are looking for, then it is time for you to create a perfect CV. A CV is not just a document you send out to companies when you are looking for a job. A CV is simply a branding tool that sells you to a prospective employer.
Imagine you want to sell a product to a client, won’t you make sure the item is in good shape so that the prospective buyer can find it attractive?
Yes, you would, the same thing applies to your CV and your prospective employers. So creating a perfect CV is what will attract you (your skills, abilities, and interest) to a prospective employer.
The big question here is; how do you create a perfect CV?
To write the perfect CV that will attract job interview invites, you need to understand what employers want to see on a CV. You don’t have to worry if you have not written a CV before, all you need to do is to follow the guideline and tips for creating a winning CV. If you find it challenging to read a guide to creating a perfect CV for the first time, then you can use this CV template (you can tweak the information in the template to suit you).
Write an Attention-Getting Cover Letter
Many job seekers don’t take cover letter writing seriously. The truth is that writing a cover letter is still very important especially if you want to land a job soon in Kenya’s competitive job market.
Writing a good cover letter for the position that you are interested in sure takes you a step forward to landing a job that you would be proud of.
While a CV includes detailed information about your educational background and work experience, a cover letter is a more concise document that allows you to express your interest in the job that you are trying to get. Writing a cover letter allows you to prove that you are the best fit for the job.
Employers often look forward to hiring candidates that are passionate about their jobs, and candidates that love what they do. Writing a cover letter when applying for a job helps you express this to your prospective employer.
Writing an attention-getting cover letter may not be easy, especially when you have not written a cover letter before. You don’t need to be scared, with a cover letter guide, you can write a cover letter that will attract the right employer.
Search and Apply for Jobs
Having the perfect CV and cover letter is great, but it is another thing to know how to search for jobs in the right places and how to effectively apply to these jobs. Sending out your applications involves more than clicking the apply button.
To make your job search more effective in Kenya, you must learn how to search and apply for jobs effectively. The way you search for jobs and the platform that you use to search for these jobs will determine how soon you will find a job.
Access the Hidden Job Market
According to research, 61% of jobs are not advertised. Many jobs in Kenya are not advertised as you need to have a connection with someone that can recommend you for a vacant position. Looking at the situation in the country, relying solely on advertised jobs will be a wrong job search move for you to make.
You may be wondering why there are hidden jobs in Kenya.
The truth is that not all companies love to advertise their open positions openly and go through the stress of shortlisting and recruiting job candidates. These kinds of companies rely on recommendations, and endorsement from top people in their network or industry to fill their vacant positions.
NETWORKING.
If you want to access the hidden job market, then you need to start networking both online and offline. Sign-up on LinkedIn and start networking with professionals in your field/field of interest, and attend career fairs, Meet-Ups, and seminars. Networking with professionals allows you to be aware of vacant positions that are not advertised.
The advantage of accessing jobs in the hidden job market is that it allows you to apply for jobs that have not been advertised before. The level of competition in the hidden job market is relatively low which makes it easier for you to get a job in Kenya.