Category: Candidate/recruiter

Minimum wages set by the country’s legislation is known under different names (SMIG, SMIC, SNMG) and is subject to a lot of debates among social partners from different countries. Depending on the country, we call them guaranteed minimum pay among professionals (SMIG), growth minimum pay among professionals (SMIC) and or minimum national guaranteed pay (SNMG). It actually refers to countries’ minimum wage set by legislation. We will be looking at finding the French speaking African countries that offer the highest paid salaries.

A comparative analysis of different minimum wages that African countries offer allows us to say without an ounce of a doubt that Morocco is at the top of that list. They set the bar high with their minimum wage of 137,095 FCFA which is the highest. So on a scale of 1 to 18 countries, Morocco is the number one African country in terms of minimum wage in African countries. In the country of sheikhs, the latest salary review was on July 1st 2014 and showed a rise of 10% making the minimum wage reaches 209 €. Other countries like Equatorial Guinea and Algeria also hold a good position in that ranking making those countries become the 3 countries with the highest minimum wage in French speaking Africa. From 90,000 FCFA in 2002 in Equatorial Guinea, the minimum wage is now at 128.000 FCFA (195 €) and in Algeria it went from 93, 258 FCFA to l112,000 FCFA (171 €).

Thanks to the last promises from presidential campaigns in French speaking West African countries, the minimum wages in those countries have raised a little. That is the case of Ivory Coast where the minimum wage has reached 60,000 FCFA (91€) since January 2014 so a 39% raise. In Benin, the Council of Ministers from April 16 and 17 of year 2014 has got the minimum wage up to 40,000 FCFA (61€). However, it is in that same area in the French speaking West Africa that we found the lowest minimum wage like in Mali (31,370 FCFA, 48€), Niger ( 30,047 FCFA 46€) and Mauritania (30.000 FCFA 46€).

Cameroun has the lowest minimum wage in Central Africa with 36, 270FCFA (55 €), despite being the driving force of that part of the continent. The Republic of Congo on the other side, can be proud of its pretty good minimum wage that reaches 90.000FCFA (137 €). It’s followed by Gabon with 80.000 FCFA (122€). The promise to raise the minimum wage in Gabon to 150,000 as said by the President Ali Bongo might allow for the minimum wage in the 18 French speaking countries to reach 62.358 FCFA (95€).
After an agreement between the Senegalese trade unions and the employees, the minimum wage in Senegal has increased by 44, 8 % going from 302,89 francs CFA (46 cents euros) per hour to 209,10 FCFA (32 cents euros) presently.

What ever the case, just because minimum wages are a reality in majority of African countries, it doesn’t take the fact that there is a lot of unregistered,undeclared employment where wages are paid under the minimum legal limit.

Each job posting corresponds with a certain profile, certain criterion that recruiters are looking for. Therefore, if you send your resume for an accountant’s job, know that it will be in your best interest to put the focus on the important assets that you possess. Remember that one day you might just have a key role to play in that company’s finances. As an accountant, you are responsible for the maintenance of  the accounts and that career calls for precision, a strong sense of expertise in terms of analysis and synthesis. In this article, we will bring the light on what recruiters will be looking for in an accountant’s resume.

A sense of synthesis, an essential quality for a good accountant to have…

As an accountant, you are usually known to have a good sense of synthesis. Your recruiter will expect to see that naturally appear in your resume. With this in mind, the layout and the length of your resume could be subject to several interpretations. That is at least according to

Sophie Durand, senior consultant for the specialised firm Fed Finance in Toulouse. “We still have too many resumes that fail to deliver a proper structure and that does not benefit the person applying for an accountant’s job”, also comments Bruno Fadda, associate director at Robert Half France. So, unless you are an accountant with a 10 years experience resume, the resume of an accountant must all fit in one page. Also, you must write your resume with clear parts, precise dates, a consistent font throughout the document and a good alignment of all the components. The person who will read it will be therefore tempted to let you manage the accounts of the company.

Make mention of your specialization on the header…

When a recruiter receives the resume of an accountant, he should always be happy to see on his header the type of specialization he has, like for example if he is : a general accountant, a payroll service provider, an accountant assistant, an account receivable specialist, …”that title can come with certain skills like software mastering, ability to speak another language or to know about other standards” says Bruno Fadda

Work experience : size up the different areas when you operated 

As an accountant, It is also important to put in your resume the size of the companies where you worked at and the areas that you managed. The same is true for workforce number, the revenue of the company, the number of branches where you were involved in…For a general accountant profile in charge of closing accounts, what has been your first action: an audit? inventory reports, tax reports? According to Bruno Fadda, “ in the work experience section of your resume, it would be important to size up the different areas of operation”. he also adds that” the candidate can also mention if he has been part of specific projects : a new software implementation, renewal of certain procedures.”

Qualification: A 2 year degree minimum in Accounting and Management

It is highly recommended to have in the qualification section, the latest degree you have earned related to accounting, then scroll down until the high school diploma. The recruiter expects a minimum of a 2 year degree in accounting and management or a level 3 French diploma “Diplôme de comptabilité et de gestion (DCG)”, equivalent to a bachelor degree in accounting.

What about the skills in using computer tools? 

A good accountant should not be able to live without computer tools. Those are important in that profession. That is the reason why it is highly recommended to make mention of each and every accounting related software that you master : SAP, Ciel, JD Edwards, Oracle…  Excel is also a must. If you are proficient in macros, Recherche v functions, pivot tables management, do not hesitate to write it down on your resume. It will set you apart from the competition

It is impossible for an employee who cares about having a successful yearly performance review and gain a variety of profits that come with it, to go through that assessment that is extremely important for one’s career path, with no prior preparation. It is, therefore, highly recommended to prepare as thoroughly as possible. For both parties, whether it is the employer or the employee, a yearly performance review is not to be taken lightly. You will find, in this article,  all the essentials you need to know to calmly deal with that assessment review that is generally something very stressful for a lot of workers. We will see how to be ready beforehand, for the yearly review itself. It is even more necessary knowing that it is unthinkable to go to it without preparing that assessment down to the smallest detail. There is a reason why normally, they inform you about your yearly performance review about 15 days before, actually.

 

A. Self-evaluation, an essential step before undergoing your yearly performance review

 

A yearly performance review is an assessment that asks for a maximum of objectivity because after all, it is a way of improving. This is the reason why, as an employee, you need to go through the process of a self-evaluation before the actual interview.

Usually, you must go through that process all year long but if that is not the case, take advantage of those 15 days that they normally give you to think about it and put in writing all the elements that would allow you to be as accurate as possible on the big day. A self-evaluation represents an essential step to successfully pass your yearly performance review. It is crucial to be objective if you want to earn some credibility from your employer. In brief, a self-evaluation for a yearly performance review must be done in 6 big steps.

 

B. The steps to a self-evaluation for a yearly performance review

 

1. Do a report of your year. It must have a direct link between your accomplishments and your goals.

2. Make a list of your main accomplishments and of the areas where you struggled throughout the year.

3. Complete an accurate self-evaluation. How well do you know or are you efficient in your way of handling this or that task?

4. Identify the areas where you might need some improvements. Keep in mind that being objective can only work on your favor and will show that you are clear headed and capable of questioning  yourself.

5. choose some potential training in areas where you are struggling with. Based on areas where you need improvement, you should be able to know if and where you need training.

6. Draft your short term and long term goals : how do you see yourself developing within the company, what next steps you plan on taking toward your career path? Have you decided to leave the company and when exactly are you planning on doing so?

 

C. Carefully fill out the evaluation table…

Your company could possibly hand you an evaluation table. If that is the case then make sure to fill it the right way. If you use that tool the way you should use it then it should allow you to identify your assets and you weaknesses in terms of improving. A well written evaluation table should contain  objective elements.

The goal of such a document is not to judge you as a person but to put you in a perspective of analysis of your performances and your behaviors so you can take the actions that are required. In other words, self-evaluation is a way that allows you to have a review of your assets and your weaknesses so you can find your own ways of improving them. Once you have done this assessment, you can peacefully go through the yearly performance review itself.

This last few years, we have been told over and over that that Africa is a land of opportunities and that actually happens to be true. The future of Africa is shaping up and leading us to believe that wonderful surprises are to come. The fact that Nigeria has joined the G20 is a proof of that and soon more African countries will do the same, with no shadow of a doubt. However, even though it is true that Africa has true potentials, as an investor, one should know how to go about it in order to make it. Therefore, even though a lot of businessmen have chosen to go to Africa this last few years, as we are noticing foreign companies sprouting all over the African continent, nonetheless plenty of them have yet to entirely benefit from what African has to offer. Why? A lack of knowledge of certain tips and certain cultural codes that are specific to each of the many countries that make the African market.

A good knowledge of the cultural codes

The first thing that an investor should do, if he seeks to have a successful business, is to realise how necessary it is to adapt culturally, to be well prepared and to know how to approach the African market. This is even more true considering the fact that Africa is large and home to many ethnicities different from one another. They have a different kind of living, a different way of thinking, a different way of eating compared to the country next door. “Slides are not enough, you need to know how to send a message. You must be capable of winning the trust of the person you will speak to. The only way of doing that would be to know the cultural codes”, suggested the counselor Fouad Benathmane, Export Area manager for the pharmaceutical lab company Bottu. Nadia Mensah-Acogny, Co-Founder & COO of the firm Acosphere seems to agree with that because she thinks that it is necessary for people who want to come in a sub-saharan country to get information about the culture, about how to approach the people from that country, about how to speak, how to gain trust.

Learn to know Africa !

It is always important for a foreign investor to know Africa. In order to do that, many are those that take some days off and go to a hotel. Even though it is an interesting initiative, it is not however good enough to claim to know the country where you are coming to. Also, Africa as told on the internet, in books, or by friends is never the same as when you experience it for yourself. When you decide to launch a business in Africa, you must conduct a proper assessment of the African market. You need a total immersion for at least 2 or 3 months. Even if you are from Africa and need to settle your business in a country different from the one you were born in, that immersion is necessary to you too, even if it is somewhere you are familiar with. It will help you try on differents countries, whether in West Africa, in Central or even North Africa.

Take the time to do an assessment of the African market, its potentials and its needs.

An investment requires a market assessment no matter where you want to do it. In order to have reliable elements about the African market, giving some money that will allow you to have access to some elements from inquiry results from Marketting firms, is not a waste of your money. This is a valuable tip to take seriously into consideration. 
especially if you are an investor who cares about making it in the African market. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the few things you know about Africa via the internet will allow you to have a complete idea of the real challenges of the market. Only specialists will be able to give you a straight and honest answer because after all investing somewhere is not something to be taken lightly.

In a world where the digitization of the economy is moving at the speed of light, the ICT sector is one of the most dynamic ones all over the world. That dynamic conqueror of digital economy does not spare the black continent. The ICT sector is one of the most popular industry in that part of the world. ICT and tech startups industry have widely spread all over Africa, co-working spaces and incubators have been sprouting up. From Mauritius Island to Kenya, going through Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, it appears as Africa is about to boost its growth thanks to ICTs. This new trend contributes to the creation of new jobs that require ICT skills, something that people specialized in that area are very happy about. In this article, we will zoom in 3 promising career path to pursue in Africa.

Community & Digital manager

The Community and Digital Manager is multi-skilled person whose job is to manage and moderate communities. He must have an expert knowledge of social media like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, YouTube, Snap. He must be able to manage one or many communities that are in those networks. He possesses multiple skills especially in the digital sector. The Community and Digital manager put it upon himself to meet with communities of developers, business owners and ICT decision makers, set up targeted flash meetings. The qualities of a good community manager consist of, among other things, being an expert in his line of business within his community, having a good knowledge of the web culture and being able to elaborate communication strategies on social media.

Business Developer

This active participant of the digital profession who has now become crucial, is in charge of finding new markets for companies that work with incubators. The Business developer attend meetings between companies and potential investors in order to help them negotiate contracts. The main role of the Business Developer is to overcome the issue of lack of funding of the company. For that reason, he has a key role in the growth of the company. The Business Developer job like many other jobs in the digital industry, is not really known in Africa. Nonetheless, in view of the recent shift of trends and because it is so important, everything leads to believe that this job is going to evolve.

Hub Manager and project manager of a coworking space or an incubator

His mission is to manage the team of the company and its development. He is also in charge of seeking funding and finances. The Hub Manager and project manager of a coworking space is in charge of the local and international visibility of the organization. This executive must possess the ability to develop relationships with other companies, networks, universities, investors, multinationals, in many countries. There is nothing wrong with the incubator trying to do some Business Development for companies and bring them counseling on their business model, their fundraisings or call for tenders. He supervises the creation of new coaching and events programs. People who are interested in a promising career in Africa can indeed opt for that position which is becoming more and more popular in the African continent.

Almost all HR specialists agree on the fact that a well written cover letter makes a big difference in the eyes of the recruiters even though the point of having one is questionable. This is the reason why some mistakes are not to be made in the process of writing it. Find out about those mistakes in the following.

1. A neat layout

There is a lot of cover letters that fail to convince recruiters because of a bad choice of characters, a bad size of police, but also a layout that is not accessable. A good number of candidates have a tendency of neglecting those aspects because they don’t know that the layout of a cover letter is the first thing that reflects the personality of a candidate for a job. Actually with all the dozens or hundreres of cover letters they will have to read, they will obviously be more interested in the ones that are neat and easier to read. «Form rather than substance » as we say. It is better to opt for one with the same simple police size and character like Times new roman, calibri or cambria.

2. Bad editorial quality

It is necessary for a cover letter to be simple and clear. For that reason, you must use a comprehensible vocabulary to make yourself understandable by the recruiters. You must also avoid spelling mistakes and poorly worded sentences. Those mistakes are just as bad as syntax errors which are quite frequent in cover letters unfortunately. Based on recruiters experience, there are plenty of candidates who write their cover letters in the rush and don’t take the time to read it a few times. Also, lots of recruiters have some issues with “a texting generation” that have yet to find an everyday editorial habit that doesn’t contribute in making recruiters take them seriously. Thus, we would recommend you to have other people with more sense read it for you before you submit your application.

3. Do not force a connection between the future of a company and your own.

Let us remind you that a cover letter must have three parts: the candidate must show that he knows the company and is informed of the challenges that come with the job. He must show that he has the skills the company is looking for and must insist on the fact that he represents the perfect match between his professional skills and the vacancy. Finally, he must show that his personal ambition correspond with the interest of the company and explain how, give proof that hiring you would benefit the company. This is even more true knowing that the recruiter needs to be persuaded that the candidate will be present in the future he has planned with the company. In brief any candidate who wants to submit a good cover letter must follow three steps. Be well informed about the company, show how your skills match with the job vacancy, make a connection between your professional career and that of the company.

4. Not knowing how to present your arguments

The first goal of a cover letter is to answer one question: why do you want this job? At the end, the answer to that question must allow you to convince the recruiter with actual facts. However, it is sad to notice that lots of candidates find it difficult to present arguments and be convincing. But it is essential to show that we are better or at least more suitable than others by showing out in the letter, one’s performance from previous recorded experiences and how it matches with the job vacancy.

5. A lack of quick summary

You probably don’t know it but, a long cover letter does not work in your favor because it shows out how you are not capable of going straight to the point. Unfortunately some candidates believe that if they don’t write couple of pages, they won’t put all the chances on their sizes. Quite to the contrary, majority of recruiters select the profiles of people who knew how to be brief and specific. Basically, a one page cover letter is perfect. Two pages max. Cover letters are where concision and precision are essential.

Cover letters are subjects to numerous criticisms despite the fact that they usually come with the CV and are something that recruiters ask for. In a time where the HR profession is under serious changes, some don’t see them as being outdated but others find them redundant with no real value. However can we go without them if we want to get a job? It is not easy to find an answer considering the fact that recruiters have different opinions about them.

We have been told over and over that cover letters are now useless and outdated. Sounds like this statement is true because we have noticed a more rapid recruiting process with keywords that help spot the candidates and put the applications in different categories. This new reality makes it difficult to read documents that we find too long. One can to a lesser extend admit that the glorious days of cover letters are long gone now and with time they will disappear for good. This is basically what we grabbed from the recruiting specialist Dominique Perez « CV guide ,from the cover letter to the job interview ».

However, let’s not hurry to come to the conclusion that cover letters are about to die for good because we are far from having people stop using them. Thus, even though they are becoming shorter than what they used to be before or are now included in the email body, cover letters are still trendy. Even better, lots of recruiters, even those who don’t read CVs, all agree on the fact that not seeing cover letters is a bad thing for candidates. Therefore, it is preferable to express your motivation on you web CV if you answer the question « open to opportunities », even with few sentences on your page… or on top of your CV.

What do we do then, when we respond to a job anoucement that only ask for a CV( send your CV and expectations to…)? Again according to recruiting specialist Dominique Perez, if you are able to find the company that posted the job, you could still send them your CV with a couple of sentences that explain why you are applying for that specific position. Furthermore she added to not however say too much because after all it is your education and your experience that got them interested in you in the first place and not your plans. The recruiter probably wants to choose you for your skills first before knowing about your motivations.

Also, some candidates deliberately choose to only send their CV without a cover letter. There is two sides to that approach because it will be appreciated differently depending on the recruiters. It can be seen indeed on one side as a desire to be able to fulfil a career plan or a vocation to a certain extend. On the opposite side, it could also be seen as vanity, over self confidence or even close-mindedness. It is up to you to send your CV without a cover letter because it could be either negative or positive.

A CV without a cover letter can however be useful in recruiting forums, job fairs or in cases where you have a special recommandation. Either way, if you choose to do it, take it upon yourself to point out the the position you are applying for and give some indications on your career plan.

As a worker, it is difficult to admit a 100% that you have never experienced a slump at your workplace.
It is actually rather common to be drowsy and on your way of falling down from your chair despite all the efforts you have been making to try to stay focus at work. This state of sleepiness is nothing out of the ordinary. If you happen to experience that, there are some tips that keep you from having an afternoon slump, keep you awake and focus at the office. Find 7 tips under to help you fix your problem.

1. Make sure to have a good night sleep

One of the first things to do in order to keep you from having a slump at work is to make sure you have a good night sleep. Having a sufficient amount of sleep is crucial. For that reason, you need to make sure you go to sleep early so you can have a refreshing sleep. Make sure you sleep at least 6 hours a night with no help from the screen to make you sleep.

2. Have a hearty and balanced breakfast

A healthy and balanced breakfast is essential to keep you from having an afternoon slump. When you have been starving since early in the morning, you will use more energy. Help yourself with bread, fresh fruits, cereals, yogurt… you will feel better in the afternoon.

3. Eat a fruit or some dark chocolate

No need to be a specialist to know that sugar boost your brain and improve your theobromine, a substance that is also present in guarana. That is the reason why sugar is really a booster for our body. So in order to deal with the regular drowsiness, we can eat a fruit or some dark chocolate. Do not hesitate to take a coffee break to recharge your battery.

4. Avoiding drinking some alcohol on lunch break

Avoid drinking alcohol around noon even though you might feel tempted to have some, because it actually is depressing and could make you sleep. However you can eat fish. It is a good thing because fish is full with vitamines and minerals. It will help you fight against fatigue. You can also eat some chickpeas and lentils on lunchtime so you don’t sleep in the afternoon.

5. Move around

After some hours in the office, it is quite normal to have a slump. If you don’t want it to take over, take a 15 minutes break to go breathe some fresh air and walk around a little bit. Doing a set of workout could do you some good.

6. Take a nap

If everything that you have been doing don’t seem to work and you can’t stand on a chair then, stop everything and take a 20 minutes break at least. Don’t oversleep because if you do, you will feel worse after it. If you are working from home, lay down comfortably in your couch. If that is not the case then go to the nap room of your place of work.

7. What about some peppermint?

Peppermint is known for being good at stimulating the organism and providing the brain with oxygen that fight against consistant fatigue. When you are having a slump put few drops on your handle and on your temples and breath.