Career Tips:5 Sure Ways To Be Assertive In Jobs Or Work Place.

Career Tips:5 Sure Ways To Be Assertive In Jobs Or Work Place.
In today’s world, people have to work ten times harder than  everyone else to get what they want, when they want it and how they want it and therefore to meet a person who really doesn’t know all these things can be a little bit frustrating to say the least. Don’t get me wrong, a number of people are very assertive and aggressive in their job search and careers. My question is, in a traditionally ‘who knows who’ dominated world, how can we cut an edge and make a difference in our chosen. How can she learn to be as aggressive as her male counterpart?
We all know we can be a little bit of a nag when things are slow in coming but the Kenyan job market doesn’t need nagging, it needs subtle aggressiveness and assertive. Today’s topic is going to deal with how to be aggressive and assertive in your job search.

1. Be Confident
The way you walk into a room matters a lot and first impressions definitely count. Majority of the job seekers I have met exude confidence from their posture. The first walk into a room clearly gives the impression of either, ‘I know what I want’ or the impression of ‘I really don’t want to enter here but I have no option’. On the other hand I have had the chance of interacting with do not impress from the word go and the main reason is that they are not confident enough. When you walk into a room, remember that the person you are going to see is a human as you and therefore exude confidence but don’t be too over-confident.

2. Have Goals
Everyone has dreams of where they want to be in 5 years or ten years. My first interview question was not the proverbial ‘tell us more about your self’ but rather ‘where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ I clearly had that answer in mind; I want to be the head of Human Resources for a Multinational corporation. Did I get the job? Yes you guessed it right, I did. I asked the interviewer later on why I got the job, and he told me, I clearly knew where I was headed and was not afraid to spell it out. Don’t be unrealistic in your goals but rather be sure of exactly how long it will take you to achieve a certain goal and don’t be shy to say it.

3. Grow Your Network
Research shows that the more people you talk to the higher the chances of you finding t6hat dream job. Don’t just sit at home and expect success to come knocking at your door. Go out there and interact with people, make new friends in your area of specialization. In addition you can join a professional group or volunteer with an organization. The sole purpose being to get out there and to get known. I believe all the great women of the world such as Wangari Mathai, Gina Din Kariuki, Martha Karua, Orie Rogo Maanduli just to name but a few never sat at home and dreamed. They got out there and talked to everyone about their dreams and aspirations.

4. Career Choices and Requirements
A number of people I have met really don’t know much about their career choices and what they need to know in terms of requirements and opportunities available in their careers. Fine you chose a Bed and everyone said you can only be a teacher. I call that a big fat lie. You are not limited. Think outside the box. Your mind is your limiting factor. Search for various opportunities in your chosen degree. Don’t limit yourself to what you can do and where you can work. Not everyone can be employed and not everyone can start a business. Know where your strengths are and where you can be better placed. Conduct extensive research on career opportunities available in what you studied and you would be surprised a teacher can also be a marketer of educational materials or maybe even a writer.

5. Know your Worth
When meeting a job seeker for the first time, I always ask them how much they think they are worth. If I had a coin for every blank look I get after that question, I’d be Bill Gates. Knowing your worth basically means, what are your expectations in terms of the salary and what you can work for and what you can. Always go to an interview or agency with a clear account of what you should expect considering the worth of the company, the job and of course the job description.

I hope with the above 5 ways you will not only be on your way to success but also have a clear path in which you want to follow.