HCMA Magazine 2020

My mentor has a wide range of HR expertise and on every project, he puts me on, he gives me
the experience of doing it by myself whilst he guides me. There is no better way to have such a
learning experience. What excites me most is the fact that I have access to him even after the
program has ended.

There is a saying that “knowledge is most useful when liberated and shared”. I therefore look
forward to transferring the knowledge and skills I have acquired from the programme to other
young and upcoming HR professionals. Additionally, I intend to transform my world of work
with the knowledge gained and work toward achieving my career aspirations because I have
become well equipped with the professional resource to do so. The mentoring program is a
total transformation package that every young HR professional should desire to experience. I
am privileged to have been a part of it,

‘My name is ALEXANDER NDENDE and I am the

HR Administrator of PMD Viking, a drilling company that
works in the oil and gas industry. I have a first degree in
French and Linguistics and currently pursuing a second
degree in HR Management at the University of Cape
Coast.
The HR Mentoring programme has had a positive impact on my career. I have gained
valuable lessons in practical HR activities through interactions with my colleagues. We
engage in knowledge sharing by deliberating on problems or questions that anyone of
us may face in our line of work. The interactions with my mentor are also helping me
build my knowledge and capacity in the HR profession. Additionally, the monthly
tutoring sessions with top industry professionals has deepened my understanding of
pertinent HR issues”.

As the saying goes, “learning never stops”. I will continue to improve myself by
reading and researching more, acquire more guidance and apply the knowledge and
skills I have gained from the programme to my current and future positions.
Thankfully, the resource persons and mentors have given us the opportunity to reach
out to them should we require further support, and therefore I will exploit that
opportunity anytime I am faced with any challenge.

- Nana Adowa
HR Manager,

Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly.



Career Guidance Tips with the CarvinClay

Team. Our Top 6 Tips

SET GOALS We find that many people have an idea of what they want to achieve

in their careers but often don’t know what steps to take. This is where goal setting applies.

1 Setting goals for your career is important. It provides a framework for reaching key milestones.
The process offers a path for you to actually get things done. You cannot put the entire road map to
your career together in a day. However, identifying what you want to accomplish will give you an
insight into what can be done to get there. You can set both short and long-term goals! Dividing
goals, into short and long-term actions, helps recognise what needs to be done now, the effects of
which will be seen later.

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Short-term goals are more immediate objectives you want to achieve. These are actions
that can be achieved within a short timeframe such as; a week, month or a couple of years
depending on the actions. Long term goals on the other hand, are actions that you wish
to achieve over several years. These are much bigger achievements which involve utilising
many short-term actions to realise. We challenge you today to set some goals to help
advance your career. Put together some actions and timeframes that will address the gaps
in your skills, knowledge or experience and get one step closer to the career you
desire. Try putting these goals up on the wall or somewhere that you can see every
day. Research shows that being able to visualize your goals everyday boosts your
chances of actually fulfilling them. Give it a go!

GET A MENTOR For those who are unsure about their career

options or how to navigate through important career decisions, getting a

2 mentor can be an excellent way of addressing such challenges. A mentor is
someone who can guide you and give insight into things in a particular industry.

Sharing their personal struggles and experiences can help direct your professional path.
The important aspect of this is choosing the right kind of mentor. This will be specific
to what you are actually looking to gain out of the relationship.

A great mentor can be an experienced individual that you work with in your
organisation or someone you meet through networking or just someone you admire in
a professional capacity. It is essential to choose someone who has achieved something
you are pursuing; reached a position you aspire to or attained expertise in areas that
you wish to explore. The main idea is that your chosen mentor should be able to share
valuable knowledge that would essentially be difficult to gain. Having a great mentor
can help transform the state of your career while also renewing your mindset in
particular areas.

Remember when establishing a mentorship relationship, that the mentors are doing
this out of good-will. That said, be respectful of their time, express gratitude for what
you learn, remain humble and finally, be teachable. So, if you already have a career
mentor, call them now and arrange a catch up; if not and you are still looking for one,
search carefully. Such decisions can have vast implications for your career.

POLISH YOUR CV Making sure your CV is in the best shape is essential to career

3 development. Once you have set your goals and are on the right track to realizing them, your CV
becomes a major determinant of your next higher position. Don’t let a badly written CV stop you
from achieving your goals!

Be mindful that your CV is the first thing employers see and use to make a quick decision on your
progression to the next stage of the recruitment and selection process. It is important to remember
that employers go through several CVs at a time. This means, yours must make a good first
impression. Ensure that you have the relevant information on the specific job you apply for. Top
tip: look at the job description, the employer would have stated the exact type of employee they
want. It wouldn’t hurt to incorporate in your CV, some of the key words in the job description; but
use only what really applies to you.

Very important, formatting! Sounds simple and pretty straightforward right? You’ll be surprised
how many professionals are overlooked for job opportunities because of poor formatting of their
CVs. When your CV doesn’t look right, it gives the employer an idea of the type of professional you
are. A clean, concise, and easy to read CV tells the employer that you are organised, meticulous
and efficient. Make sure that the layout of your CV is consistent; all headings should be the same
size, font and positioning. Make sure bullet points are concise. No one likes to read an extra-long
CV. Lastly, check for spelling and grammar. No one wants to hire someone who is too lazy to check
for spelling and grammatical mistakes. It may be a good idea to get a friend or a colleague to proof-
read your CV before sending it off. You’ll be amazed to find out how many mistakes you missed
reading through your own work. There are many CV templates online to help polish your CV. Trust
us, these are small adjustments that will make all the difference in your career.

NETWORK, NETWORK AND NETWORK!

4 Making sure that you have a strong network of people for support and advice is essential for your
career. It is good to have professionals, whether in the same profession or a different field, to
connect and learn from. Your network becomes beneficial when looking for the next job
opportunity. Professionals often underestimate the value of having a network and the importance
of building relationships with people. You should focus on the depth rather than just the breath of
your networking.

This is not to say that you do not connect with many people at a time. However, be mindful to
engage with some intensely and discern the right relationships that will benefit you. Note that
these relationships take time to develop, don’t rush the process. You will see that over time,
relationships will deepen through shared experiences, trust and respect. What we have found is
that it’s not only about the relationship but also about building a reputation.

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This speaks volumes and attracts people to connect with you. Be confident and genuine,
focus on making lasting connections and not just advancing your personal agenda. This
will make a huge difference in the relationships you build.
However, the real question on the lips of everyone is, how do you network? For many
people, the thought of going out and meeting new people is an absolute nightmare. For
many of us on the team, this was the case. However, we learnt that you can never escape
it in your career. The quicker you get used to networking, the better for you and your
career. You know here in Africa; it matters who you know. How will you know anyone
without networking?

Many organisations put together various events that specifically facilitate networking. We
encourage you to attend some of these events and get over your fear. The more of these
networking events you attend the better you’ll become at it. Nonetheless, we are aware
of the current challenges that may prohibit in-person gathering - the COVID-19 pandemic!
But this shouldn’t stop you, networking is not just a face-to-face activity. Take advantage
of digital platforms to connect with others. Online networking can include utilising social
media handles such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or joining online communities of
professional interest and visiting professional networking sites.

NEVER STOP LEARNING It is very common for people to

toss the books to the side once they are done with university or a course. Most of

5 us are guilty of this at some point in our careers. However, we have realised that
you can never place a cap on the knowledge you attain

Many professionals think they are done with learning especially when they get that job or
achieve a particular goal. It is important to always sharpen your knowledge and stimulate
your brain through learning. In today’s ever-changing environment, things and processes
keep changing rapidly. You learn something today, by tomorrow, there’s a new and more
advanced version out already. This tells us there is a reason to keep learning and exploring
new trends in our profession. It is important to ensure that your skills don’t become
obsolete. If you’re looking for that next job, upgrading yourself will let your potential
employer know that you are proactive, ambitious and capable, thus making you a more
attractive employee. Also, for those who want to start something on their own, continuous
learning will make you feel more confident and better prepared for the challenges that come
with entrepreneurship.

The good thing is that learning is easy because materials abound. Whatever you want to
learn, we’ll bet there’s an app for it!

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6 PRACTICE SELLING YOURSELF No matter what you do, you

cannot escape this aspect of your career. Whether you are looking for a new job or starting your
own business, your ability to present and sell yourself well is essential. This comes down to your
ability to speak and present well to others. Your capacity to showcase your skills, abilities and
contributions to others and communicate them effectively might just be the opening to your next
job opportunity. Regardless of whether you’re selling yourself in a formal or casual setting, you
want to be as best as you can at this skill.

Take some time to develop this skill by rehearsing your personal pitch for that interview or
presentation. We have found that, listening to your favourite public speaker or someone you
believe to be an effective communicator, really helps. Take some tips from them on how they speak;
incorporate some of the things you pick up into your pitch. The more you practice this skill, the
better you’ll become at it. The time you devote to this will pay off in terms of your confidence level
and credibility. Go on try it!

“Moulding and shaping businesses and
professionals to reach their full potential…”



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dvice from other colleagues with HR enable them to have an intellectual point of view

xperiences from different industries. and the ability to make decisions that create a big

We are dedicated to simplifying the human impact. Such programs include but are not limited
esource issues and challenges that come with to:

unning businesses. We help the entire ▪ Annual HR Conferences – HR Connect Conference

rganization thus, everyone from the business ▪ University outreach care- Campus connect
wner, to the HR manager, to individual ▪ Peer counselling program
mployees by providing guidance in practice. ▪ Partnerships with member consultants in providing
services to members in the network
We work to get you on track with all aspects of ▪ Weekly Webinars or virtual events
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management, liability management, financial of individual members and learn from their
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nd aid to both members and associates of the We hold firmly to the opinion that only when

ETWORK. We strive to have a team of thoughts and conversations translate into actions

rofessionals located in every industry to that impacts are delivered and the real difference

fluence the culture of every organization. is made. This is what propels us to equip our

our bid to fulfil our vision and mission, we members with insights and knowledge that fuels
eep our HR community abreast with new ideas, them to not only develop better viewpoints but
ends, technological innovations, expert also, execute better. This is the motivation that
ewpoints and new pathways that raise its pushes us to be the best HR hub that can boast of
ollective consciousness and help in finding all the best brains in HR globally. I believe solely that
he answers pertinent to people and work. We by touching one life (HR) at a time we will touch a
elieve, that when HR practitioners are whole organisation and industry in the long run.

quipped with all the answers, they themselves To be a member of this fast growing hub of HR

ecome the answer to the questions and influencers send a WhatsApp message to

hallenges the world of talent faces from time to +233266879046 or email us

me. We channel our efforts into organizing at [email protected]. You can also visit

rograms and engage top notch experts to share us on www.hrnetworkafrica.com

nowledge via HR conversations and also inform

members of opportunities that are relevant, CYNTHIA MAWULAWOE KODOWU

spiring them into positive action. FOUNDER- HR NETWORK AFRICA
HR DIRECTOR- CASA TRASACCO LIMITED