Through campus, most students may wonder what methods are best to supplement their educational life. It is true that the main aim of attending university is attaining the best possible quality degree. But why  aim to achieve such a goal?  What happens when you want to fast track this process? What should you do in order to silently but surely build your CV to boost your career? That is what this article addresses.

First, it is important to note that while starting out this journey, one shouldn’t expect to start at prestigious positions in renowned organizations. The best mindset to keep is to value progress over perfection. Most students may have a set notion of their own skills in their head, but to others they are an unknown commodity and are aiming to prove their worth. Hence, if it needs stating, patience is required in order to progress up your career ladder.

Now that the prerequisites are out of the way, let’s dive deep into  the problem. Key steps to follow when building your career while still in campus:

1. Join Career Related Clubs – This will enable one to network with individuals who may become integral to opportunities that may open up in the future. This may be through partnerships made by this club with organizations external to the university
2. Attend Events – This applies to career-related events such as talks from invited speakers and seminars . This would be a wonderful form of exposure to help you realize the skills needed in order to succeed in your field of expertise.
3. Apply for Internships During Long Holidays- This is a key aspect needed to build your experience prior to actual job appointments. Most organizations especially esteemed ones would not be willing to employ graduates with no prior experience even in entry-level positions.
4. Studying of professional courses- It would be very valuable studying such courses in order enable you attain skills that may become vital in all future job-hunting endeavors. It would also help to give you the edge against fellow peers seeking to snatch up the same opportunities as you.
5. Join a Sport- Lately sports have become a major part of our lives. If one may think about the Olympics or the World cup and how they are very big industries employing millions of individuals then one would only be wise to join a sport and have experience in it.
6. This applies more to computer-related courses – There are plenty of websites set up to aid freelance developers hone their skills at the same time earn some cash. Projects built using this method could help future employer better understand your skillset and even assess your performance on a professional level.

With all those tidbits stated above, I wish you all the best in your future career-building endeavors.

A virtual interview is one that takes place via the use of video technology by use of the internet. The interviewer and interviewee are not in the same physical space.

Virtual interviews have become quite common due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Dean of Student’s and Career Office feel it is important for our students to have tips on how to succeed in this interviews

1. Appearance- One should assume that a virtual interview is the same as a face to face interview hence they should always wear the proper attire. Once you wear professional attire the interviewer treats you as a professional
2. Practice, Practice, Practice – Take  time to prepare for the interview, one might even have a mock interview with a family member. This ensures that you are ready and confident for the interview
3. Perform Pre-test on the technology you will use- Check that all the equipment you will use works efficiently. Check that your computer/phone’s microphone and camera are functioning.
4. Try and Establish a Rapport with the interviewer – Where possible create a personal connection with the interviewer, this will make it easier for you to communicate and also will set you apart from the other candidates
5. Be Genuine – Always be yourself in a interview , never try to be someone you are not as it may backfire and will lead you to loose a spot as a candidate
6. Be Polite –  Always use kind words ,only speak when spoken to and don’t interrupt the interviewer unnecessarily.
7. Try and reduce distractions around you – If possible go to a private room and ensure you notify your family members not to distract you.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a Latin word which means “course of life”. A CV is an outline of someone’s professional work which could be academia, publications and qualifications. Basically a CV is professional synopsis of your life’s work

Office of Career Services feels that one should have  proper knowledge on how to write a compelling CV and here are some tips on how to do it:

1. General Outlook – The Appearance of the cv matters a lot. Always ensure that your font is readable and that you use proper font size . Also ensure your work is neat and tidy and this can be achieved by proper spacing of your paragraphs and lines. Remember First Impressions Matter
2. Arrangement of the CV  – Always ensure that the most important information is placed in the first page of the cv as readers will tend to look and remember what is placed in the beginning of document.  Sequence Matters
3. Keep it precise- Keep your cv to a maximum of two pages and ensure you provide all essential information this two pages. Keep it Short And to the Point 
4. Language – Always use professional language to express your work and achievements. This gives an impression that you are professional and that you can work in a professional setting.  Be Professional
5. Keep it Relevant –  Always ensure that your CV is applicable/related to the job that you are applying for in order to qualify you as a candidate. It Should Meet the Purpose .
6. Provide your Contact information – It seems silly but always ensure you provide several contact references in order for the organization to reach out to you. Email and Phone Number 
7. Check over your work – Once you are done writing the CV make sure you spell check your work in order to remove spelling mistakes and other errors. Spell Check your work

Invest your time and effort  to make a captivating CV and always confirm that is up to date and most importantly truthful.

How to write an effective CV : https://profiles.uonbi.ac.ke/andakala/files/writing_a_effective_cv-albert_ndakala_2007.pdf

Welcome to Financial Literacy Revolution Webinar by CEO Equiti Capital – Brian Myers

Date:   Friday, 19 February 2021

Time:  3.00-5.00pm (EAT)

Venue: Virtual

To participate in the webinar, please register through any of the following channels below:

Facebook: https://bit.fxpesa.com/3b98kIl

Twitter: https://bit.fxpesa.com/3jSiQrr

Instagram: https://bit.fxpesa.com/3b9DlvQ

Telegram: https://bit.fxpesa.com/2NzNkCj

Whatsapp: https://bit.fxpesa.com/2Nt8Oko

Email: https://bit.fxpesa.com/3u1PpI4

Below is the program of the webinar on the day:

3.00pm:       Students join

                    Financial literacy revolution presentation (Presentation + poll)

• Brian Myers, CEO, Equiti Capital

3.50pm:      Brief on internship program (how this ties back to our CSR)

Training (workshops) and courses (online classes)

                   – Sam Kiraka, CEO, EGM Securities

4.00pm:      Q&A session (the students can type their questions during the presentation and will be tackled at this point)

                   – Brian Myers, CEO, Equiti Capital

4.30pm:      Announcement of giveaways

Vote of Thanks

ALL ARE WELCOME!!!!

University of Nairobi, Huawei ICT Academy is offering the following Huawei training:

1.Huawei Certified ICT Associate (HCIA) in Routing & Switching.

2. Huawei Certified ICT Associate (HCIA) in Cloud Computing.

Gain knowledge and skills required for basic configuration and maintenance of small to medium-sized networks and the knowledge of virtualization in computing, networking, and storage.

Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGGlkPwOt1BbG3o7N_JEWtq2RuyF8SfNvSmxYUAcQ2-gkO9w/viewform?usp=pp_url OR send email to: icttraining@uonbi.ac.ke

Internship opportunities for top 3 students at Huawei Kenya and Partner organizations

For more information, Huawei_Flyer_2021

JASIRI Talent Investor is a fully funded 1-year program that will guide program participants from idea generation, validation, prototyping, market entry to venture creation.

JASIRI Talent Investor program will introduce aspiring entrepreneurs to equally ambitious co-founders and will support them on individual, team, and business levels.

JASIRI Talent Investor Program is aligned with Kenya’s Vision 2030 focused on job creation; our contribution to growing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the continent; with emphasis on market-creating innovations.

Application for the JASIRI Talent Investor closes this Friday 19^th February 2021.  So far we have received a good number of applications. Nonetheless, we will highly appreciate your assistance in encouraging more female candidates to apply; candidates in the diaspora i.e. Kenyan and Rwandans living abroad; and candidates with exceptional skills.

Revised Selection Processes & Timelines:

Revised Closing Date: 19 February
Talent Investor Explorer: 21 February
Interviews: 26 Feb to 8 March
Psychometrics: 22-25 March
Selection Conference: 26-28 March

Please also visit, follow, and share our pages:

• Website: https://www.jasiri.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jasiri4Africa
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jasiri4Africa
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jasiri
• Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/jasiri4africa/

Please do not hesitate to contact us at enquiries@jasiri.org if you have any queries related to this matter.

The University shall hold our 10th Open day on 18th -19th February 2021. The Open day provides us with the opportunity to showcase   and market  our programs.

The theme for this year’s Open Day is SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES FOR THE EMERGING TRENDS. 

The University has created  an interactive mini-website  https://openday.uonbi.ac.ke    to enable us  to interact with our prospective students and stakeholders.  Each College  shall be allocated  sufficient virtual booths for exhibiting their programs. The virtual booths have provisions for meetings and chatting with external stakeholders.

A meeting shall be convened  next week to sensitize users( colleges/programs) on how to use the website.

The organizing team shall also schedule  at least  four Webinars on career talks and Mentorship –  At least two  webinars on 18th and  another two on 19th February 2020.

The  virtual opening ceremony will take place on 18th February 2021 at 8.30 am. Please register here to attend and also extend the invitation to your partners, schools, relatives and friends.

Despite having been indefinitely closed down by the Government, Learning Institutions have been witnessed to be on the receiving end as far as dealing with the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic is concerned. Both the Administration, Teaching and Non-Teaching personnel were in one way or another caught off-guard as they struggled to put measures in place to adjust to the new norm. It is therefore evident that there has been great need to develop and implement various strategies to help the University fit in the new existing normal of Covid-19.

It is due to this that the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences (CAVS) effectively stepped up by providing appropriate initiatives and responses which have seen promotion of measures needed to curb the spread of Covid-19 Pandemic. Sensitization, Online Counseling, Partnership, creation of a hotline, utilization of digital platforms, mapping and identification of the students were just but among the initiatives that the College Management came up with to promote this.

As a way of sensitizing the masses, the College has used respective Class Representatives to reach out to support groups such as Student County Representatives, “Nyumba Kumi” students’ initiative and UoN Student Welfare groups such as ‘Comrades Arena’ from Kisumu. This has been effective as the Support Groups have indeed continued to spread the word to the masses. The idea has also worked well with Online Counselling since the Student Counsellor and support groups like the Peer Counsellors have managed to reach out to a number of students and addressed the social challenges they are faced with during this pandemic period. Most of the counselling sessions have been on one-on-one basis while others through groups.

Additionally, creation of partnerships with stakeholders such as the Kenya Red Cross Society and other Individuals have also been effective to the course. This has facilitated mobilization of resources by providing necessities such as minimum monetary donations and foodstuffs to the affected students. A Hotline has also been established to enhance communication and enable efficient interactions between the three channels of communication, that is; The Student Counselor with Class Representatives, the Principal and Dean’s direct reach to Students and the Student Representatives with the students.

The College has also made good use of the available Communication Platforms to effectively enhance Student-Staff interactions within and outside the College. Google meet, Zoom, WhatsApp groups, emails, text messages are just but among the few platforms that have necessitated virtual communication among the two units. The platforms have also been used to assist in identifying eligible needy students and also providing counselling services to the existing ones.