How Jobseekers Can Increase their Chances of Getting Hired
In 2021, the talent competition heated up as recruiters scrambled to fill open roles created by digital transformation. It was a year in which hiring managers and professionals were left wondering about the future of employment.
Employment is key, not only to the job seeker but also to the economy. This is due to the fact that the labour industry largely contributes to the GDP of a country. A strong labour force equates to a strong economy. In Kenya, however, there is a great challenge of unemployment among the youth
About 40 percent of the youth remained unemployed in Kenya as of 2020. This presents a big challenge and the need to understand where the problem is stemming from. Is it a lack of a skilled workforce? Is it a lack of opportunities? Job mismatch? There are so many reasons behind the high rate of unemployment.
In this article we tackle how jobseekers can increase their chances of employment and double it up with the most popular jobs in the industry that jobseekers can tap into, should they have the necessary skills.
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While conducting research, I looked at the top ten most popular jobs with the most applications in 2021. In the research, there are in depth descriptions on the industries that are appealing to the job seeker that have the highest job openings throughout the period.
According to the BrighterMonday Jobs bulletin report, the most popular industry with a strong need for jobs in the first half of 2021 was IT & Telecoms. Furthermore, the NGO and government sectors created the most jobs throughout this period.
How can today’s job seekers make use of this information to improve their chances of finding a job?
1. Conduct research on the skills that today’s companies are searching for:
The world of work has evolved, and to attract an employer, a jobseeker must have the necessary skills and expertise to grant him employment. HR managers are interested in soft skills like communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Volunteer work, internships, involvement in Church events or religious organisations, or taking up activities in your space that include more than three people are all good ways to enhance soft skills. This helps in honing a candidate’s leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities.
2. Online courses and articles
A jobseeker needs to brush up on their technical skills in their chosen field in order to be more appealing to a hiring manager. Hiring managers will be interested in learning about your preparation for the contemporary workplace. Look into online classes to master new talents or improve your present knowledge.
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A job seeker that is interested in learning more about digital marketing, machine learning, and data analysis, for example, can check out Google for Skills Africa, Coursera and the likes. Additionally, it is important to make it a habit to read an article every day to keep up with what’s going on in the business world.
Further to this, mentors play a big role in giving advice on how to improve one’s personal and professional life . Mentors play this big role and steer job seekers towards success. As a job seeker in a particular field, it is important to note that having a mentor is among the ways that will steer you to success. They have more experience and know what to leverage on to push a job seeker to start on the right career path.
3. Keep up with the latest hiring trends
It’s essential to look at hiring patterns to see what industries are recruiting and when they’re hiring. Of course, some companies employ on a need-basis, so keep an eye out, but others may post opportunities at particular times of the year.
Furthermore, according to the bulletin’s findings, a candidate should look into the industries and occupations that are most commonly advertised and applied for to help them plan when and how to apply.
These are only a few phases in the job search process. As you apply for these jobs, It is important to note that The job market is an ecosystem where the best-fit talent who optimise their profiles are visible to employers, according to Bella Abok, the Head of CX at BrighterMonday.
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Finally, as a jobseeker it is important to keep your CV up to date with recent events, or seek professional assistance to create a fantastic CV.
Check out some of the most popular jobs in the industry to get more insights Here
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