Speaking at the official launch of the branch at Luangwa House Hotel, EIZ Southern Region Chairman Eng. Cyprian Chitundu told the engineers present the importance of getting involved in the Institution activities.

Eng Chitundu also emphasized the importance of engineers working together and come up with projects that would help them generate income thereby helping the development of the nation’s economy.

“Let’s work together as engineers for the development of this country. The development of the country is in our hands,” Eng. Chitundu said.

And speaking at the same function, Engineers Registration Board Deputy Registrar Benjamin Musonda, presented a discussion on the Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

Eng Musonda explained the importance of CPD and encouraged the engineers to adhere by them.

He told the engineers that if the Institution is to be respected, the engineers themselves must lead by example.

“You must lead by example by first registering with the Institution and then follow the code of conducts in your operations,” Said Eng. Musonda.

He said only then, will it be possible to get read of people purporting to be engineers.

He advised the engineers to ensure that all firms and individuals in the province practicing engineering related activities should be made to register with the Institution.

According to the ZRA website, operation Osafunsa has targeted the Kamwala trading centre in Lusaka where penalties were imposed on defaulting agents. This according to ZRA has resulted in improved revenues as well as agents now personally approaching ZRA to pay their dues.

Take a look at your image; I am not talking about buying expensive clothes. Whether you like it or not potential employers make decisions to invite for an interview based on limited information, this revolves around the first 90 seconds of contact with you. You only have the first 30 seconds of the contact me to make the right impression and just short of 60 seconds from the time you open your mouth to sound credible. I have met job seekers with excellent experience and qualifications but when they open their mouths to speak, I start to wonder whether the CV they have presented belongs to them, they fail to express themselves. You must understand that there is so much involved to trying to find a job, it takes me less than 10 minutes with a job seeker to know that they will either struggle to find a job or they will find it easily.

You need a great deal of information before you start sending out hundreds of application letters. What do you know about the companies you have applied to other than their names? Do you know how many people work there? do you know if they are hiring or retrenching?, have you ever made an effort to meet with the Managing Director or the Human Resource Manager? I can see you shaking you heads, jobs will not come while you are sitting at home or just sending out application letters. The concept is simple if you build bridges; you have to go where the rivers are. If you are looking for a job you must collect enough intelligence that will tell you where to look.

Start to think outside the box, stop worrying and feeling sorry for yourself or, remember that worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but does not get you anywhere, you need a strategy.

Do you know what threats are making job search difficult for you? which companies are closing down, which companies are opening? Are there a large number of people just as qualified as you? As a recruiting company our eyes and ears are always looking out for companies coming into the market, expanding or hiring so that we can assist them in the recruitment process, we need this information and therefore we go out and find it, it is the same when looking for the job. Instead of being negative that this does not work, take advantage of this free information because while you are complaining, someone is using it to their advantage, I am a recruiter, I know what I am talking about. I know the job trends in the market, I know where the jobs are, I know who is hiring and who is not, I know who is a potential employer of choice and who is not, I know what the market pays for various positions in terms of salary and perks, I do my homework and research. This information allows me to provide guidance to job seekers at no cost.

You must understand the recruitment process, this explanation will shed light into the reasons why job seekers make numerous applications and cannot understand why they never receive any response, even a letter of regret. When a company decides to recruit they develop two documents, one is a job description which details the key duties and responsibilities that the job holder will perform and the next a job specification which will detail the experience, qualifications and key competencies expected of the job holder. These details that are forwarded to a recruiting company or placed on an advert. Job seekers do not read the full advert and its requirements, what job seekers see is the title of the position for example ‘Accounts Assistant’ and they push in an application. They do not take note of the experience, qualifications required or key competencies required.

A recruitment company or organization cannot compromise on quality of the people they recommend for employment. It is for this reason that one job seeker may register their CV, wait two years and receive no interview invitation while another will drop their CV in the morning and by afternoon they have received an interview invitation. Many times clients request us to assist in the short listing process once they receive applications letter. My first step is to read the role profile to allow me to match the applications with the role profile. More often than not out of as many as 200 applications less than 10 will meet or come close to the client’s specifications.

One of my most recent experiences is an Accountant responding to an advert for a position requiring someone with Sales and Marketing background. The Accountant sent me an email demanding to know why they were not called for an interview, he clearly did not read the job advert. I understand that the job market is not as open as it should be but you will just frustrate yourself if you apply where you don’t qualify. I write these articles because it breaks my heart to see so many people unemployed, use this information and you will move closer to finding a job.

I offered to speak for Free to the first 20 people to send me an sms with their name on the subject of managing your image, I received over 725 sms. We had a fantastic time with the 20 participants. If you would like to receive Vacancies when we receive them from our clients or our weekly newsletter with information on human resource management, send me an email and I will I include you on my mailing list. Our Sales workshop facilitated by Richard Mulvey, Sales Guru based in South Africa is scheduled for 2 September 2009. Please contact our offices for bookings.

The Author is a consultant for Prosoft Human Resources Solutions. For any suggestions and comments please email miyandak@prosofthumanresource.com 0979472850 visit www.prosofthumanresource.com

Have you ever heard the saying ‘a picture says a thousand words’ I am sure you have. It simply translates that the way we present ourselves to the people around us tells a story which leaves a long lasting impression. A persons image is not only limited to the way they dress but covers a wide range of areas such as, communication, presentation, approachability, credibility, confidence, conduct, etiquette and grooming

One thing I love about my job and work is that it allows me to be the best I can be, to challenge myself, to push myself, to be creative, to be innovative, to create opportunities that others do not see, to put a smile on someone’s face when they finally find employment or when I work with them to transform their image especially when they realize that transforming and enhancing your image is a simple process. This week, the Image Consultant in me needs to speak on a subject that is very close to my heart because it allows me to transform a shy person to a confident one, a person whose image is in a mess into a sparkling image. It allows me an opportunity to transform the image of an organization where customers loose confidence in its service to gaining respect through a complete transformation. I work with both individuals and organizations that want to transform and celebrate their individuality. Over the past years I have realized that whilst I want work with people and help them grow and transform themselves, I needed to ensure that I had the right tools and knowledge to provide credibly information and advice. I decided to obtain Image Consulting certification and now we have a modern Image studio which empowers people from all walks of life with information on how to transform their images and build confidence in themselves.

I want you to ask yourself, does your image or that of your organization matter? Do you need to create a winning image? Do you need to drive the latest car, own the latest cell phone, and have Louis Vuitton handbags and Gucci shoes to have the right image? Do you have to be rich or poor? Do you have to be model thin? Does your company have to be International to have the right image?
My answer is NO, transforming your image for success is a simple process, style is never about having large amounts of money, it is about your ability to use whatever you have to create the right first impression. Image has an undeniable impact on your own and company’s success. I often ask people if they are a Sales person and more often than not they will say ‘No Miyanda I am the Managing Director or I am an Accountant or Sales Manager’. I beg to differ because whatever position you hold within your organization or whoever you are, you serve as ambassador or sales person for your business or yourself. Whether you are at home with your family, out enjoying drinks with friends, or at the office the appropriateness of your image is always questioned by people around you. You are selling yourself every single time you come into contact with someone, because as I mentioned in last week’s article, people making decisions based on very limited information. This simply means that the appropriateness of your image, conduct and appearance, even on casual days is crucial.

Always remember that if you are moving up the corporate ladder, making important contacts, representing your company, meeting business leaders or networking, you are selling yourself. You need to work towards transforming your image so that you send the right message, you may be trying to impress new clients or partners, you may be working towards getting a promotion and there needing to impress your superiors or you may simply want to impress members of the opposite sex, all this simply requires you to change and transform your image. Do not forget that a credible image is vital for your success, your credibility matters, and your image makes up a major part of your credibility. You must create an even balance between the way you look and the way you sound because if people are distracted by the way you look they will pay little attention to what you are saying.

Ask yourself how seriously you want people to take you, are you comfortable in your body whatever size or shape it is, are you happy with your clothes, hair and makeup, attitude and personality? Do you have a wardrobe full of clothes but every day you cannot find anything to wear? When you are invited to a function, do you find it easy to move into the crowd and start chatting with people of do you stand in the corner with your glass in hand admiring other confident networkers. Would you describe yourself as a likeable person? ask people around you, do you leave people in a better or worse situation than you found them? Do you have the charm and charisma that will move you a step further towards achieving your goals?

Learn to smile, believe me it will instantly change your face value, I don’t know anyone who does not warm up when people smile at them, practice, the more you do it the more comfortable you will become. Maintain easy and comfortable body language, every time you fold your hands, walk, lean on something, make facial expressions you are sending a message, watch your body language. Choose clothing and colors that balance your style, if you are worried about you weight and you want to look slimmer, then invest in a black outfit, black is not only make you look thinner, it is a sophisticated color and sends the message of authority and power. Choose colors that will brighten your eyes and make your skin look healthy and at the same time hide your imperfections. Always engage people with eye contact do not give anyone an opportunity to doubt your credibility, always start and end a conversation with grace, remember people’s names and always have a firm handshake. Use verbal power, learn to speak in such a strong manner that people listening to you hang on every word you say. Start today to transform your image.

If you are still looking for a job and want to know where you are going wrong and gain tips on how to attract potential employers, we are having a talk on the job search process on 29 August 2009, contact us for further information. Our Sales workshop facilitated by Richard Mulvey, Sales Guru based in South Africa is scheduled for 2 September 2009. Please contact our offices for bookings.
The Author is a consultant for Prosoft Human Resources Solutions. For any suggestions and comments please email miyandak@prosofthumanresource.com 0979472850 visit www.prosofthumanresource.com

‘We are delighted to see that the ACCA Qualification is maintaining steady growth, particularly in the current global economic environment and that it continues to be well received by employers, tuition providers and candidates,’ said ACCA executive director Clare Minchington on their website.

ACCA also published the pass rates for the June 2009. You can view the results by clicking here

Founded in 2005 by current Herman Kunda, Brick World Zambia became a reality in 2007 following investment support from Africa Technology Development Forum Entrepreneurship Limited, the brick manufacturing company is currently producing an average of 2000 clay bricks per month, using manual methods. The immediate aim is to increase brick production to at least 37,500 per month, 125,000 per month within 6 years and 250,000 per month within the next 10 years, this to be achieved through investment in plant, equipment and personnel.

In order to achieve this capacity, Brick World Zambia is looking at a capital injectin of up to K375 million (US$75,000) over a period of one year, with the capital investment covering brick making, block making and technical support. In the long term Brick-World Zambia aims to become the best African clay brick-making company with an out put of 3million bricks per year and annual revenues earnings topping 7.5 billion Zambia kwacha per year.

Brick-World products include Concrete blocks, Concrete and clay bricks, Clay Roof Tiles, Pre-cast Concrete accessories; kerbs and air vents,Crushed stones, Building contracting, Property development. The company also offers Construction Consultancy

Click here for the Brick World Zambia Website

My mother taught us from an early age that failure should never be an option in life, I have not only kept those words by I live them every single day of my life, people who know me will bear witness to this principle. I am now a mother of two lovely daughters and I am passing on that legacy and those wise words to my children. I became an adult when I was still a child, my mother had six children, not one or three but six of us, she was a civil servant and worked as a Stenographer all her life. My early childhood days including working in people homes, cleaning and washing clothes so I could earn money to supplement the little my mother was earning. I remember many times when it was Christmas and I would wish it could be postponed or canceled because we knew there would be no new clothes, no decorations, no fancy food, and no celebrations.  My mother taught me to use my hands, to knit, sew and plait people’s hair so as to earn the much needed income for the family. It was tough but worth the experience, today I know that tough times do not last, but tough people do.

I know many people are facing challenges today be it trying to find employment, starting or managing a business, raising children. Whatever you are trying to achieve in your life, remember these wise words, failure is not and should never be an option you choose. Every day I wake to the sound of my daughters getting ready for school, that sound is reminder of my obligation as a parent to educate, feed, clothe and nurture them, to give them the best life I can give them. We need to change our mindset as a nation, to focus on the huge opportunities that this country has to offer, believe me, there are plenty, you just need to know how to look , where to look and when to look.

I had an interesting chat with a job seeker recently, he called me after reading the article I wrote about ‘finding a job in 90 days’, he was upset with me and told me I had no idea what I was talking about, that I did not know what job seekers were going through and that finding a job was tough unless you are privileged to know the right people in society. I gave him time to vent his anger and then invited him to come and have a chat; I also told him that it would take me less than 10 minutes to tell him where he was going wrong.  I told him that rather than accepting failure as an option, he should have just called me, asked to see me and seek clarification, guidance and help on how he would make a complete turnaround of his life. We had a fantastic chat and he walked out of our premises feeling lighter, not only because of our chat but we had a job vacancy on our database that was just right for him, he has since attended interviews and we wait to hear the results.

I was very happy to have received the call and it inspired me to invite 20 people to our premises for a free two hour talk that would give information on the job search process. I know that by the time the participants left they started to look at the process differently. I have come to accept setbacks or challenges as an opportunity to get up just one more time and move forward.  I have been at my lowest point in life, so low that I never thought I would get out of it. My focus remained on the goals I had set myself to achieve and my two little girls that need to be fed. Success is always calculated as 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, your success and all the good things that come your way and a result of the amount of effort you put into it and how much you want it. Never blame situations or circumstances but choose to do something positive about where you find yourself. I often advise people that if you can’t find employment then create employment; again I am reminded of how much I don’t know about the realities on the ground. All my articles are based on real life experiences, I have been there and I have done it, from being an employee, out of humble beginnings I have created employment for people in Zambia and Zimbabwe. My team and I have created an environment in which we are able to bring the job seeker and employer together at no cost to the job seeker. We have created an environment against all odds to provide human resource solutions to the business community; we work under the guidance of my mother’s wise words that failure is not an option. I became a Consultant at the age of 31, many doors were closed in front of me because I was ‘too young’ to know anything about being a consultancy. It has be five years now and I still tell myself everyday that failure is not an option. Three years ago I found myself face to face with Chibamba Kanyama; I wanted to tap into his wealth of wisdom. I asked him whether venturing into Human Resource Consultancy was viable in Zambia, he said to me ‘Miyanda, you can do anything you want as long as you set your mind to it and remain focused’, I walked out of his office energized and determined to make him proud.
When in doubt speak to someone who can assist you start your journey to excellence. If you want to be a Pastor, a Managing Director, a Doctor, a Business Mogul, start talking to people who are already at the level, you have no idea the wealth of information you will receive. I know that people are shaking their heads and saying where I find these M.D’s who will speak to me, they normally have many secretaries and it is tough to finally speak to one. All I can say to you is ‘Failure is not an OPTION’
The Author is a consultant for Prosoft Human Resources Solutions. For any suggestions and comments please email miyandak@prosofthumanresource.com 0979472850 visit www.prosofthumanresource.com