• Daystar University
• 10 Nov, 2023

By Dr. Dinah Keino, Acting Director, Director of Research and Graduate Studies

To the graduating class of 2023, the world is looking at the current youth with the hope that they will rise to take up leadership positions across the world as they are more pragmatic and open to new ideas. Although there has been criticism that the current generation of youth are incompetent, as a Human Resource professional, I strongly believe that is not the case. The youths are focused and adept at handling various tasks assigned to them albeit using a different mode of execution. This calls for organizations to harness their strengths through mentoring and coaching in a bid to bring them up to the expectations of the workplace. In addition, performance should also be based on output and not just the hours spent in the office. On their part, the youth should change the tide of negative perception by conducting themselves with integrity and being in the fore front in determining their future.

As a youth, are you interested in being employed or being an entrepreneur?

Here are some four-piece tips on job search to get it right.

i. Know your goals, motives and aspirations – The law of attraction works for job search as well. If you are clear on what you are looking for, that is just what you will attract. It is therefore very important to clearly de- fine what you really want.

ii. The available opportunities

– Explore the opportunities available so that you make the most optimal move. The question should be; does working for the same industry or company present growth opportunities for you or you are better off switching to another? How does the emerging future look like and what new opportunities does it present? This analysis will then be an input in your goal setting phase.

iii. Your worth and competencies or capabilities – It is good to know your worth by extracting your present competencies, capabilities, and your unique promise of value to prospective employers (career transition).

iv. Your non-negotiable personal values - This is about your beliefs which you are unlikely to compromise. For some, it could be religious beliefs, environment, marriage, job security, work life balance, jobs that involve travelling etc.

Having understood the above four pieces, prepare your resume and endorsement portfolio, you can use the job search avenues like networking, executive selection/recruiters, LinkedIn profiles, job search websites, local and international dailies, professional bodies and journals and social media sites among others to execute your job search process.

As future leaders, endeavor to carry out your duties efficiently, observe the rule of law, uphold integrity, be patriotic to the ideals of the nation, be innovative and creative, adapt to changes and inspire direction to the community, act as role models, respect your seniors, take positive criticism and be change agents towards good governance. This will put you in a privileged position globally.