Category: Candidate/recruiter

Life at a workplace is not always easy because it is naturally a complicated place where we work with people who are not always easy to deal with. Between a clash of ideas on one side and a clash of personalities on the other side, it is impossible for coworkers to not have a hard time working with each other. So in order to be successful in the world of work and have a chance of developing, there are certain attitudes that need to be adopted.

    1. A good sense of problem solving 

As a worker, it is crucial to have a good sense of problem solving. That refers to possessing the skill of dealing with unpleasant situations that could possibly happen at the workplace, with the good attitude. It is a precious quality to have not only at work but also in your personal life. Workers who have it have a higher chance of climbing to the top and having strategic positions.

2. Creativity and initiative 

An employer will always appreciate having a worker who knows how to take initiatives and have a sense of creativity. As a matter of fact, plenty of companies find this attitude valuable. So as an employee you must not be afraid to voice the ideas that come to your mind. However, try your best to be relevant so seduce your manager who will see you as an efficient coworker and not just someone who acts like a robot.

3. Being a good team player…

There is no company nor business where teamwork is not wanted. It is probably one of most valuable characteristics in the work world, whatever the company is. It’s actually something that employers usually check for during the process of a job interview, to see if potential candidates possess it. Being able to work with other people and build a team for a professional project to go well is a good asset for any business to have.

4. Be opened to criticism

Majority of the time, it is very difficult to be open to criticism, we usually don’t like it. A lot of people feel impacted in their proud when people question their work. However, if the criticisms are constructive criticism then we can take advantage of it.

5. Flexibility or adaptability

When you are a worker, you shouldn’t expect your company to adapt to you. We actually should be the one to adapt to them. We will not always be in the position to ask for changes in working hours, office, basically working conditions. We should adapt to the company’s way of operating. This is a quality that you must definitely have if you want to develop in a company.

6. Ability to plan

Finally, the last quality that we recommend you have, as a worker is the ability to organize or to plan. This last quality is among the ones that can help you reduce the everyday stress. Setting up your goals, filling in your calendar and sticking to the program, will all help you tremendously to be more productive. It might not be much of a complete list but those attitudes that we just told you about can certainly help you be successful and develop in a company.

If you don’t believe in yourself, it will be difficult to convince others to believe in you.

During a job interview, the first thing that the recruiter will notice about the candidate is his lack of confidence. So, in order for you to not miss out on that opportunity of getting the job of your dreams, our specialists have made a list of some tips to help you boost your confidence during an interview.

1- Breath

Taking a deep breath is an excellent way of dealing with stress. So before you start the interview it is recommended to calmly take 6 breaths. “ it is not just a psychological thing, breathing also has a real impact on your nervous system » explain specialist Josiane de Saint Paul.

2-  Tell yourself that the job is for you

One way for you to work on your confidence before the in interview is to be 100% sure that this job is for you. «  before you even start preparing for that interview, it is crucial to believe that we were made for that job », reminds Josiane de Saint Paul, therapist, co-founder and former director of French Institute Neuro-Linguistic Programming (FINLP). Without that belief, the person you will be speaking to will feel a lack of motivation. He will conclude that your lack of confidence is proof of how unfit you are for the position you are applying for. We suggest that you know exactly what you expect from the interview before you go on and take it.

3-Take it easy

Making the situation bigger than it really is will not bring you anything. Remind yourself that this is not the end of the world and it is just an interview. Even if it is true that when you want a job you will do anything to get it, keep in mind that it is not a matter of life and death. During an interview, it is important to not put too much pressure upon yourself. “There might be something better around the corner for that person”, says Josiane de Saint Paul, before adding that : « Eric Berne, the father of Transactional analysis said that ‘a winner doesn’t talk about what he’ll do if he wins but knows what he’ll do if he loses.”

4- Don’t see the person you will have in front of you as the enemy

The person seating in front of you is not an enemy sent out there to get you. Just think of him as someone who is just trying to  get the best out of you. To help you relax, do not see the person you are talking to as someone who is looking for conflicts but rather focus on seeing him on his “good” side“, recommends Josiane de Saint Paul.

5-  Take some time to process

if you did not get the job you wanted, it is crucial to take some time to process. First, look back on what you did, but don’t be too harsh on yourself by saying things like “ I did this, I did that“ but also put yourself in the shoes of the other party. “Just like any other relationship, there are two sides to the same story”, added Saint Paul. What we consider as a failure should be actually seen as a feedback from life. ‘ What did I learn and what should I do differently next time?’. That should be the question to ask yourself.”

For a long time, the issue of stress at the workplace has been considered as something that only Western countries were affected by. Yet, no matter where you are, no employee is spared by that issue which diminishes the company’s productivity as well as the motivation of workers. So basically, stress as work is also present in emerging countries.

If, in the past a lot of the Southern countries did not take this issue seriously it is not the case anymore. As of now, many of those countries officially take the issue seriously. Developing countries do not ignore that issue of stress at work anymore, like psychosocial problems and their impact on the economy. Thus, even though there are no official statistics, the issue is nonetheless real in Africa. Therefore, African countries are starting now to be concerned by it despite the fact that we can’t really measure it. It is even more true knowing that official numbers only exist for rich countries.

In Europe around 30% of workers admit being confronted with stress. That is at least what the 2009 Eurostat Union statistic study report revealed. In the US, the cost of stress at work (absences, less productivity, sick days etc) was estimated at 300 billions dollars in 2010 (202 billions euros). With no existing data on the issue, in emerging and developing countries, the International Labor Organization (ILO) decided to focus on the problem. This Organization that mainly focus on work related issues has decided to organize the World day of Safety and health at work. The ILO launched a whole study about that topic. The results of that study should allow to have a clear understanding of the situation related to stress at work. With the same goal. In mind, China turned to the ILO to establish psychosocial risk management tools.

Also, a network has been created in South America with countries like Colombia, Mexico, Argentina around the issues of mental harassment. According to Valentina Forastieri, coordinator of the ILO health at work unit “the reorganization that happened because of the crisis have led to job loss, she said. But for those who have kept their jobs, the stress has gotten higher because of the increase in working hours and the multitasking skills that we expect from them.” In her 2010 report on “emerging risks”, the ILO has already pointed out the risks caused by the new working conditions, mentioning also the situation of migrant workers and undeclared economy. It is a good thing that Southern countries have finally started to be aware of the gravity of that phenomenon because workers well-being is crucial. Many African countries have come to realize that profits are directly linked to workers well-being.

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.