5 things every student should do

Life at college is one one of the most beautiful but crucial phases of life, from minimal parental restrictions,assured pocket money,party life and to many books come last.Still this is the a stage that you can shape your dreams and aspirations.Unfortunately the rate of unemployment is soaring up and jobs are becoming scarce day.Sadly this is a situation that is here to stay,universities and colleges are blossoming at such a high rate and the few jobs available cannot cater for the number of graduates being shunned out every year.This is a practicable scenario of Darwin theory "struggle for the fittest" that those who get the few available jobs are the finest
So as a student
How can you fine-tune yourself to be the fittest?

How can you have that competitive advantage over the rest? 

How can you stand out?

Below are some of the ways of which I have personally tried most of them,and trust me they work

1.Establish your presence in the internet

 A blog can be a very nice ay to market yourself to potential employeers,it helps you to showcase your passion and potential. You can also contribute to other blogs especially if you have a tight timetable.Your social media accounts especially linked in should be 100% complete.Start a group/page about something that you love. Follow companies that you are intrested to work for and people that you share same traits with. A blog is free to start,it wont cost a penny only your time

2.Create connections

Participate in seminars and conferences,this a nice oportunity to interact with potential employeers.Srike conversations with c.e.o,managers and employees and during conversations inquire what it entails for one to work in those organizations.This will help you have an idea of how the corporate world works. Again use social media to your advantage by participating in online discussion.

3.Start your own company

 It should not be about 'I cant wait to complete my studies and get a job" rather it should be"I cant wait to start my own company". The beauty of starting your own company as a student you have a room to fail and so many people are willing to help you if you truly believe in your ideas. I am a glad I am part of social edge africa a Social edge Africa which is behind the establishment of SocialPROclubs

4.Voluntary

When you volunter to do something it doesn't only show that you are committed and passionate about something but that you also care about others.It helps you bring out your personality and character.  However the secret about voluntary is that you should volunteer to an activity that is in line with your career because will improve your knowledge about your career field.

5.Brand yourself

 Why does muiltinationals like coca-cola maintain their market share?? above all things they have a strong brand where they spend million of shillings to maitain it.Likewise ensure that you have a strong personal brand,know whoyou are,what you want to achieve in life and how to achieve it.Basically develop your  personal brand and let people know about it.This will enable potential employers understand you,your strengths and weakness easily.My next article will be about Personal branding.

 Lets keep the conversation @nairobiguruh

The #SocialKenyans

The #SocialKenyans; a Documentary on Social Media by @SocialAfrika

Social networking has become integral to the lives of many (research shows it’s harder to resist than sex), to zoom in on Kenya; users of social media represent the most influential and economically able section of the population. This number continues to grow especially as access to the Internet’s tool of choice, the mobile phone, makes astronomical inroads even in areas considered remote. 

This tremendous growth of social media in business and communication has necessitated us to conceptualize a TV documentary on this industry dubbed “The Social Kenyans”. This documentary shall feature outstanding social media enthusiasts & influencers, developers, artistes, bloggers, industry analysts, key people and organizations as well as memorable events that have made significant contributions and at the same time appreciate and acknowledge those who have immensely contributed to the growth of social media in Kenya. 

This is an initiative of SocialPRO clubs under Social Edge Africa whose core objective is to teach, educate, create awareness and impart knowledge & skills of various disciplines of social media and platforms to the public. This documentary is in line with the mission of the clubs whose mandate is to develop a talent pool with solid understanding of new media to bridge the knowledge gap and demand there is today for people with skills and expertise in various disciplines of social media especially. 

This documentary will mainly have five parts as demonstrated below.

Part one; The past, history and growth (Key events, growth in stats, people, factors & major players that have contributed to this astronomical growth)

Part two; The current- Adoption in Business & Communication (Who is/has done what & where on social media in the recent past, the campaigns and other notable efforts on social media) Plus the integration of social media into business operations and departments across various industries & sectors and NGO’s in the economy. 

Part three; The people & Entities (influential social media enthusiasts, developers, bloggers, social media managers, artistes, creatives and designers who have been behind some of the greatest concepts, campaigns, initiatives and trending topics to share their stories. This is meant to get the public to learn how they do it, to inspire and expose others to the opportunities, possibilities as well as explain the skills needed, education and what one requires for certain careers in new media.) & organizations (digital, mobile and other agencies) that are major players in this space.

Part four: The threats, challenges and best practices. Here we get expert opinions on ethics, etiquette and best practices approach as well as look at the threats & actions or behaviour that may lead to legal actions. We shall also highlight on the systems, policies and guidelines in place in various institutions (Government, private sector and not for private organizations). We’ll also feature common challenges brands face and get expert opinions. This part seeks to promote responsible ways of engaging on social media as well as educate Kenyans on social media etiquette and ethical ways of communicating online for societal good.

Part five: The future finally we’ll look at the future of social media in Kenya and in Africa generally. Here we shall get opinions from the public, industry analysts, government institutions, and major player’s e.g. mobile service providers, universities on probability of offering courses or majors in new/social/mobile media and basically major players in the growth of this industry. We shall also focus on how to overcome the threats & challenges as highlighted in part four.

While face-to-face and traditional media is just as important as it ever was, now we've got new tools and platforms that let us tighten bonds with our key publics. Thus I think it’s safe to say that brands & individuals investing in better having direct contact with their publics that were previously unreachable now will most definitely have an advantage over those that wait and see what happens to this ‘social media’

Based on the above you can be part of this project in the following ways

    1.    Suggest or recommend names of individuals, events, past trending topics or organizations that you would want featured on the documentary.

    2.    If you’d like your company, employer or you to be on the documentary to share your lessons, opinion or insights do let us know.

    3.    You can support this non-profit initiative financially as a brand or individual and we shall feature you & recognize your special contribution on the documentary.

    4.    You can support this shoot by offering technical support by providing data & research, time or your ideas.

    5.    You could also send us a partnership request so we work on this jointly (We have a special package for our partners and corporate sponsors).

    6.   Finally you can share this post on social media and let your friends know that it’s coming soon on a local TV station using #SocialKenyans. 

Muthuri Kinyamu works at Social Edge Africa the firm behind @SocialPROclubs and you can follow him on Twitter @KenyanMarketer 
 

For more information, inquiries or contributions kindly send an email to Muthurikinyamu@gmail.com