As we all know, getting a job in Kenya- and elsewhere in the world-
is about who you know, than what you know. It is all about ‘kujuana’. That is
not exactly a bad thing, as you might think. Come to think of it, with
thousands of job seekers out there, it’s hard to separate the wheat from the
chuff. Even when a recruiter has screened out applicant’s CVs letter by letter,
and has carried out the stringiest interview criteria, there is absolutely no
way to guarantee that the candidate that will be hired will be the best fit for
the job. This is why many companies would gladly prefer if someone was
recommended for a job, than if they have to search the candidate in the open
field. To increase your network, and make it valuable to your job search,
here’s how you can go about it.
1. Make it easy for
someone to recommend you.
This means that your work should stand out. Remember that
your recommender is taking a huge risk by recommending you. If you turn out to
be someone who is mediocre and unreliable, her reputation will suffer, and she
will never be relied upon to recommend another person to the company. Much
more, the recruiters might even question her competence and character if you
turn out to be sub-par for the job.
2. Make the
relationship two Way.
The best friendships are two way. It’s about give and take.
If someone does you a favor, they don’t necessarily expect that you will return
the favor, but for the relationship to be sustainable, you have to reciprocate
in other ways too. If you are a good website programmer or social media
analyst, then help your
