Called in for the interview - now what?

Statistically, interview decisions are made within the first sixty seconds before the candidate has even opened their mouth! How you walk, how you say ‘hello’ and how you are dressed all go to form a positive or negative image. There are several things interviewers for any position will look out for:

* First impressions
* Relevant experience
* Necessary skills
* Reason for applying
* Preparation

Recognised qualifications may be required for many careers in industry, but for any post, the first impression must be a positive one. You have to bear in mind the number of applicants applying for most appointments these days, so you only have a few minutes to make your mark, to create a positive image. So what makes for a successful interview? The most important thing is preparation. For many jobs you must look right and have a smart business like appearance, but it all depends on the position you are seeking. If, for instance, you have a ring in your nose, providing you look business like and are smart it should not be an issue; on the other hand, it could awake in-built prejudices within the interviewer. So be aware and do your research beforehand!

A successful interview will flow, and you will achieve a good rapport with your interviewer. Eye contact is very important as we cannot tell what someone thinks or means unless we look into their eyes. They really are the window of the soul, so respond to the person who has asked the question; even if that person is busy writing notes, they are still listening. Listening skills are essential for you too; an interview can be thrown off course if you answer the question you thought you heard rather than the one that was asked. It sounds obvious, but it's surprising how many people (usually through nerves) rush into an answer. Listen not only to the question, but to the question behind the question.

Remember - the first process is rejection - the second is selection.
* Know what you are applying for.
* Don’t send any projects or proof of work unless requested to do so
* Fill in application form properly - don’t just say ‘refer to CV’
* Find out as much as possible about the organisation and what it does
* Talk to people who work in that industry to find out what the job entails
* Find out what makes a person successful in that job
* Use as many contacts as you can
* Be honest in your CV - don’t build up your experience as the interviewer will see through it. Make sure it is well presented
* Go online, read relevant magazines or talk to the HR department to find out more.
* If information isn’t forthcoming demonstrate that you have tried to find it
* Have an early night!

It's a gym thing

It’s February already and congratulations to all of those who are still working hard on their New Year resolutions which include working out. However to the newbie’s or those who may have forgotten the gym is public area and there may be one or two things to bear in mind i.e. what is the correct gym etiquette. Along with all the new faces at the gym, comes the inappropriate gym etiquette. Here are my recent observations:
I am certain I'm not the only one who has seen, shall we say, surprising wardrobe choices at the gym, from leather shoes to pyjamas to ‘barely present at all’ clothing. When coming to exercise at a gym, some sort of athletic garb is most appropriate; running shoes, shorts and a t-shirt is an ensemble that always works well, and doesn’t attract too much attention or make you uncomfortable. Keep your clothing modest and make sure your stuff is clean before you even set out for the gym. Re-wearing previously worn gym clothes is never a good idea. You’re going to sweat if you put in a good work out, that’s a given but there is a distinct difference between fresh sweat and not cleaned in two days sweat – it’s just not fair to others to have to trail in your funk. But DON’T overdo it and come reeking of cologne or perfume either; it’s a gym not a birthday bash.
There is nothing more gross and frustrating than getting to your exercise machine of choice to find it covered in someone else’s juicy efforts. Clean up after yourself: Wipe down your equipment each time you use it. No-one wants to sit in your sweat. Carry a towel with you wherever you go. Whether you are done with a cardio machine or any piece of equipment and you left behind a serious pool of sweat, please wipe it down with the towels and alcohol spray that is available at all gyms (I hope, at least).
I may not be competing for the Olympics but generally when I come to the gym it’s to work out in under an hour and get out to carry on with the rest of my life. This one gets my goat – the guy (or gal) working out on the treadmill while chatting into a cell phone. Unless it's an emergency, save your chit chat and business calls for after your workouts. Leave your mobiles and BlackBerry’s in the locker. I’ve never understood the people who come to socialize at the gym. I would think after shelling out anywhere between 6k and 10k a month in gym fees you would want to get the most out of your hard earned cash – and gossiping around the water fountain or laying on the mats to exchange the latest on the Ocampo 4 is probably not the best use of your training time methinks. Sure a few words to your fellow gm goers on how much weight they’ve lost is not misplaced but please don’t turn the gym into a kamkunji.
Ok let me fess up, I may be guilty of this one - grunting and yelling when lifting weights is completely unnecessary, and in fact can pose a safety hazard for those around you who may actually be lifting a relatively heavy load and are trying to concentrate. Note to self, keep it down. When the gym becomes very busy, as mine has been recently, it becomes difficult to get your routine completed given the traffic. If you are using a bench, and are combining with other exercises performed all over the gym or are taking long breaks between each set, share the equipment, allow others to work in on the equipment with you. These days most of my exercises are done “working in” on equipment someone is already using. If you're doing multiple sets on a machine, it's common courtesy to let others work in during your rest periods. This may not always be practical, but offer to share whenever you can. After you finish using a bar, unload your weight bar, leave it completely empty. And replace the weights on the rack instead of leaving them strewn all over the place like dirty clothes in your bedroom. Another notable faux pas and this may be personal but stop treating the changing room like your bathroom at home. And by this I mean the gym changing room may be the one place outside of the bedroom where we can flaunt what nature blessed us with (or not, which is why we’re working out in the first place) but please cover up with the towel every once in a while. It’s like watching a car crash you want to cover your eyes but you can’t help but look and then you instantly wish you hadn’t.

The curse of the curse

I remember there was once a time when if I ever had the opportunity to visit another country, the first thing I would commit to memory was how to curse in that country’s language. As a kid there was nothing more shocking (or thrilling) than to hear your usually strait laced parents mouth a volleyful of curses when they discovered you had broken their favourite lampshade or record. Suddenly your vocabulary had grown exponentially when you were then able to repeat it in private with your friends in the school washroom.

Today swearing is as commonplace as using any old adjective in a sentence and everyone is doing it – kids, radio, movies, sports – it’s a veritable tsunami of F-bombs, shenzi’s and pumbavu’s. I could even swear (see what I mean) that I watched a cartoon the other day and the cuddly cartoon bear out of nowhere said b___t. Just watching a premier league football game and you don’t even have to lip read to literally hear what any footballer says when he misses that open goal. Our politicians, public officials (read councillors) even pastors are well known for hurling abuse and using profane language. In fact the curse of the curse has penetrated the corporate world at the highest level. To whit - Carol Bartz the former CEO of Yahoo on being fired a few months ago said in an interview afterwards ‘These people f___d me over.’ Ouch Ms Bartz. And don’t get me started on Facebook and Twitter where the lowest common denominator in terms of language is often on display.

I’ve read of something called ‘annoyance’ swearing where for example if at work you accidentally staple your finger to the paper and you mutter oaths under your breath. In fact scientists say this can be a healthy way for people to blow off steam. At one of my previous jobs had a way of not-not swearing by using substitutes. So if Jack gave an incredulous story about a clients behaviour we would say – ‘Shut the front door’ – get it?

When out in public we all need to be aware of whom we are around and what effect swearing will have on our personal brand. Just because it doesn’t offend your less than delicate sensibilities, does not mean everybody else feels the same way. Some might argue that conversing sans cursing takes away from their authenticity? Perhaps, but then it’s often a lazy way of speaking without having to think too hard of what to say. It’s difficult to imagine that anyone would be truly appalled about the use of foul language in any sphere in society. One can only imagine what is said behind closed doors in any high pressure setting be it a dressing room or a boardroom but why don’t we save those words for when we’re really ticked off or emotionally charged to give them more gravitas instead of the steady stream of foul language that litters every day sentences. And if you must, maybe even be a little more inventive. They say they don’t make them like they used too well they certainly don’t deliver an insult like Shakespeare (in Richard III) - 'Thou loathed issue of thy father's loins' _____ beat that!

The new constitution, Article 1: Thou shalt keep time

1. Being on time is late – being early is on time.
2. Despite your title you are not that important – respect other people's time we all have the same amount of time whether you are bottom of the food chain or a billionaire (reference President Paul Kagame)
3. Traffic is NO excuse to be late. Do what you have to do - get up 2 hours early, spend the night in town, move house, I ask you if you had to pick up a payment of Ksh 1 million would you let traffic hold you up?
4. Honour people by starting meetings on time.
5. If you walk in late to a meeting just say “Hello, keep going, I'll catch up.” You are the one who's late; don't inconvenience others to have to listen to you being given a recap of what has been covered so far.
6. If you don't have time to do something just say ‘no’ – no-one will think any worse of you.
7. Don’t just pop in to the event and say hi and duck out – create time to stay and network.
8. The time keeper at the wedding gets an F. Time management at weddings has GOT to change.
9. No matter how well you know your friends don’t take them for granted if you’ve set a time for the movie/dinner/lunch-date/cocktail/drink/tee-time/kick-off/out of town trip/ride to town – please respect them but no need to show up an hour early for that bash neither.
10. If you run a business and you say your opening hours are 10.00am – 5.00pm please scrupulously respect that and remember customers have a choice.
11. If you are putting an event or conference together don’t indicate a starting time of an hour early to give an allowance of 1 hour for late comers. Stick to your guns even if the room is empty (again reference Paul Kagame)
12. Myth buster – there is no such thing as African or Kenyan timing there is only poor manners.

Surviving the airport with your best foot forward

Ok so this is not JKIA


I’ve been travelling quite a bit lately for work and I’d like to share with you some travel tips if flying from JKIA to make your next business trip (or pleasure) less stressful and more enjoyable not only for you but for your fellow passengers. For the security check leave your coins in the car, put your keys in the your hand luggage, wear shoes that are easy to take off and put on, take your belt off and put it in your carry-on luggage before you get to the airport, limit the amount of jewellery you wear, and guys please make sure your socks have no holes really! Retrieve your items from the scanner and move to the side to replace your shoes, belt etc and allow others to do the same otherwise that area becomes like a cattle herding pen. To avoid ruining the back of your shoes did you know you can use your belt as a shoe horn? Don’t forget to print out and carry your ticket info to give to the security guy before you check in and please, please carry your own pen for filling out those immigration forms instead of begging from other passengers who are busy trying to figure what to write down what date their passport expires ( I never remember mine).

When dressing for flying you want to strike a delicate balance between comfort (especially if it’s a long-haul flight) and maintaining a good image. Pyjamas, track suits, flip flops, six inch heels, even shorts are a no-no in my book. Perception does matter and dressing slightly better usually makes for quicker and better service all round. You don’t have to dress like you’re going to a board meeting or a night out on the town but don’t rock up looking like you’ve just jumped out of bed and ran down to the kiosk to get some milk. If I’m travelling for business especially I find wearing one of my jackets has two positives it saves it getting creased in my luggage and ups my authority and influence. Also if my luggage goes walk-about I am wearing clothes that I can still wear to my meeting. If it’s a short business trip for women then you probably have to dress ready to go to your meeting when you land otherwise a good pair of pants or jeans with a top and a sweater for when it gets chilly on the plane usually works in fact think about layering. I love this quote from David Sedaris “Comfort has its place, but it seems rude to visit another country dressed as if you've come to mow its lawns.” Finally try not to bathe in perfume or cologne before a flight – you’ll be in close proximity with other people for a sustained period of time and it could irritate others but by the same token please do try to be the freshest you can be for the same reasons – enough said!

Flying is not only stressful for travellers but for airport and airline staff as well so don’t be rude or aggressive. A smile and a kind word, a genuine thank you, use of names works wonders, believe me – and don’t even think about slipping someone a 1000 shilling note for expedited service, airline upgrade, extra baggage allowance etc...not in this day and age. I always carry a book or magazine or two because certain local airlines (no names mentioned) are notorious for delays and you can only people watch up to a certain point. Also grab a bite to eat before you get to JKIA if you know you might spend some time waiting for your flight – I think the food is way overpriced at the places there.

On the plane I’ve seen this umpteen times where there is a problem with someone’s seat number and they refuse to budge or end up in an arguing match with the flight attendant. We’re human, mistakes happen, step aside where you’re not in the way and calmly wait for them to sort you out. Unless you’re on some Most Wanted list it usually will, but you don’t need to go ballistic. Last minute mobile calls are okay in the plane but do turn your phone off when requested to and good airplane etiquette dictates that you should at least wait for the plane to stop taxiing on the runway before you turn it back on just to tell the person who has come to pick you up that you have arrived.

Exiting the plane should be done in an orderly fashion row by row; there is no prize for the first person to exit the plane. You’ll only end up waiting for your luggage on the baggage carousel or standing in line in customs just like the rest of us you shoved aside or if back in Kenya sitting in traffic I promise!

Watch it!

While it was once considered a necessity, the role of the watch has been taken over by cell phones, smart devices, the clock in your car; you name it, anything but the watch. Watches should be thought of, certainly for men, as appropriate or an acceptable form of jewellery. Furthermore it tells people you have arrived (at a certain point in life) and that you’ve also acquired a...ahem certain taste. A watch not only completes your look but it can also be aspirational. A good looking or interesting timepiece can be the focal point in your dress and the accessory that can polish up your look. In business especially if I glance at a bare wrist, I think it sends subtle signals that one may not be as time conscious as one might expect. I still hold that it is rather unsophisticated for a man (or woman) to dig in to their jacket or handbag to pull out their mobile to tell the time.

And so speaking to the fellas, according to Mens Health Magazine - men used to wear pocket watches, round clunky things they stuck in their pockets and attached to their waistbands. A pocket watch was great for a guy, except when he was trying to discreetly measure the time between two job interviews or the time he had to finish up with madam X and move on to see mistress Y. Then came the invention of the wrist-watch, and now a man could juggle employers and women with just a casual flip of the wrist, instead of having to yank a big clunky device out of his pocket. Sadly, this ingenious tactic is under siege: These days, many of us tell time not by wristwatch but by our cell phones. Great devices, unless you're, well, trying to be discreet while digging one out of your pants. So we're back to square one. Be a man. Wear a watch

To smooch or not to smooch

At a restaurant the other day I observed this ritual of a large group of diners meeting at the nearby table going through the fascinating rite of greeting each other by exchanging kisses. Believe me it was quite a show as pecks and hugs were exchanged noisily and enthusiastically which led me to muse when did Kenya (or is it just in urban areas) turn into a nation of kissers? And what is the protocol when it comes to the social kiss? For some of us out there (yours truly included) it can be a potential minefield – is it appropriate in a professional setting, how many kisses, what about someone much older or younger, what about your boss? I mean if you think about it a simple peck is fraught with questions.

And where did this influx of close facial proximity come from because supposedly kissing is not a universal human activity. Hard to believe but apparently there are quite a few cultures around the world that do not indulge in it at all. As a gentleman is your instinct to go for the firm handshake even when greeting a woman but you’re either grabbed and pulled in close for the kiss or there is that awkward moment when you’re not sure which way to go. If you do decide to brush cheeks the most common technique I’ve observed is the three kisses - left, right then left again. I once did two and left the other person ‘hanging’ and she stood there frozen in mid air with puckered lips waiting to complete the ceremony. A colleague of mine does one kiss and a hug on the same side again usually confusing the heck out of the other person. Older men in this part of the world of a certain social class will also do the three cheek-to-cheeks.

I’ve also observed with some amusement the loud ‘muaahh’ accompanying the peck also known as air kissing. Then there are those who will firmly plant their lips in the other cheek leaving traces of lipstick or moisture. When it comes to the social kiss, the way to go should be the briefest of skin contact and no sound effects or any saliva traces left. Also don't linger too long, take advantage of being close to someone by taking liberties with your hands and in most cases don’t kiss on the lips. But maybe you shouldn’t over analyse things and let instinct be your guide or apply the old adage of when in doubt leave it out. What do you think?