What it takes to Succeed in a Career

What really makes one successful in any work environment, and why is it that other people progress their careers, while others falter or even change workplaces time after time? I have spent countless hours trying to observe my colleagues at work and also speaking to individuals that I know to have successfully build their careers from scratch. Following below, I share some of the traits I realize in them; Firstly, it is important to observe other successful people in your workplace and seek to emulate them, at least you will have a role model. By doing so, you will get to learn by observation and guidance from the said individuals. Try to acquire as much knowledge as you can about the industry you work in, if there are any certifications required to practice, make sure you are up to date and be prepared to be a continuous learner(flexibility to learn new material). Teamwork is an important aspect of any workplace and is a skill that you will realize is needed in almost any workplace. Build skills in excellent interpersonal communication skills and learn to relate with your fellow employees, and understand that just because someone is not your supervisor or manager does not mean he/she has no influence at your workplace. Be polite and friendly to the people you work with. Show the commitment and willingness to go the extra mile for your workmates and also to be successful in your assigned role. Lastly, treat every task at the workplace as a learning process. Observe with interest, and ask your colleagues about things you do not know or unable to do, because the experience gained will serve you well as you progress in your chosen career path.

Unique things I have learnt while in Canada

Canadians value diversity: Canada’s commitment to diversity is what really distinguishes it from the rest of the countries. In Canada, you will find people from all over the world. You will be allowed to express yourself and nobody will discriminate you on any grounds be it your race, religion, culture, language, and sexuality.This country welcomes approximately 250,000 immigrants(new people) each year, all excited with the prospect of a quality of life offered by a country that prides itself in diversity.Hence,you will always feel at home, because you will interact with lots of people from various backgrounds,cultures, and upbringing. Courtesy: Have you ever heard of the words, ‘Please” and “Thank You”,and Sorry. Find out what these words mean because you will need them in abundance here. Courtesy is paramount around here, there are no excuses for any sort of rudeness, and even then it doesn't get you anywhere, courtesy will. Time: When I was growing up in Kenya, I used to hear people say African time, Kenyan time etc. That does not work around here, if you have an appointment with anyone, be it a doctor, professor, employer etc, 10 am means exactly that. There is no room for excuses for showing up one hour late here, people value time, after all most people are paid per the hour, in some cases you get penalized for lateness. Appreciation and value of blue collar jobs: Am probably going to receive a lot of stick for saying this, but the truth is people here are proud of their jobs. Back in Kenya, you will hardly hear anyone proudly say, am a watchman or security personnel. All people want to be classified as working in is a white collar job; often you will hear people say they are lawyers, Doctor, Engineer Etc, even if they are not, because it’s cool. Unfortunately, in these parts of the world you will realize that a plumber probably makes more than a banker. People who work in trades, such as carpentry, barber,health care/social work make enough income to enjoy a quality life. It’s okay to work in these industries as long as most of your money is diligently invested. (Don’t get me wrong I am not justifying anything, I don’t work in any of the industries mentioned, BUT it’s the plain truth) The value of women and children; I remember while in primary school (elementary or secondary school, we used to get capital punishment for even a minor mistake. Students would receive a beating; parents would punish their kids mercilessly, etc. Sadly, that doesn't work here; there is no tolerance for such behavior at all. The same case applies for women. Canada is a world leader in the promotion and protection of women’s rights and gender equality. You have to respect and in times of disagreement share opinion with your wife or girlfriend through negotiation as equals. Hard work is rewarded: If you work hard, diligently and stay focused this country offers a fair chance to succeed. Forget about the American dream, Canada has its own dream, not as marketed as the American one, but equally realizable, and I would argue based on present economic conditions, better.You just have to network, be patient and make the most of your opportunities presented.

Understanding economic concepts to help make wise investment decisions

Most of us easily talk about stocks, real estate, savings and all those great terminologies that help grow our money, sadly not many of us take the time to understand the economy and how it affects our daily lives and its impact on our decision making when it comes to investing.When we choose to make an investment decision, we are basically looking to the future and our expectation is to gain. We believe the investment will go up in value and the seller probably believes it will go down. None of us can accurately predict what will happen, but I can assure you that the more informed/educated you are the more you are likely to predict correctly. When choosing to invest, it is important you understand that the global markets are constantly evolving, partly due to technology, competition and changing consumer demands, and this constant changes will mean that you have to continually keep up with the change, revise your investment strategies according to the prevailing market conditions. Hence, the importance of taking time to understand the basic concepts in economics. Once you understand the concepts of economics as an investor, you will be able to analyze economic growth, and areas/industries that have opportunities for growth. These will aid your decision making and investment choices. You will be able to improve and even change your strategies and more importantly understand when to buy and when to sell and at what percentages to hold of certain investments. If you are able to analyze correctly, then chances are your investment will gain higher returns than the average investor. Economics is about trying to understand the choices we make, and how the sum of those choices affects the market economy. There is an interaction between the choices we make and the economy as whole and the prices are determined by the supply and demand. When you choose to go out and buy a phone, laptop, or even groceries, you are faced with plenty of choices. Economics is all about trying to understand why we make those choices, for example, why would you choose an apple stock instead of a Microsoft stock? Below are three economic concepts you need to understand: Interest Rates: This is the rate we pay interest on funds that have been borrowed from a lender. This provides the linkup between the present and the future economic activity. For example, what do you stand to gain by not spending today, and saving the money? Would a higher interest rate on savings account entice you to save more? Would a lower borrowing rate tempt you to borrow more? What if the rates went up? Supply and Demand: How much quantities of a service/product will consumers desire, and how much of the same product and service can the market offer. The interaction between the two reflects the price consumers are willing to pay. The higher the price, the lower the quantity, and likewise the lower the price the more demand. Inflation; this is an important economic concept, because it shows the rate at which the real value of your investment is being eroded, it is about the growth of your money. This concept will allow you understand how inflation impacts your investments and the consequences of your investment decisions.

Investment Club; A beginner’s entry into Investing.

We have recently gone through different investment vehicles, on the assumption that capital is not an issue. In reality, not everyone can afford to raise their own capital to venture into investing, especially those that just finished university/college with little savings (financial base). You most probably will have to borrow funds to get yourself going, and in all honesty you will find it hard with little savings or a security to convince a bank to lend you any money to invest, or even start a venture. Once you walk into a bank, they will most likely be interested in your personal profile and employment background as a way of assessing your ability to pay the loan. Your options become limited, meaning you miss out on great opportunities to grow your money if you do not have savings to start you off, or a high paying job. Even if you manage to be among the lucky few, the banks will probably lend you at a rate higher than the average borrower. This is where; an investment club can bridge the gap for those that intend to get into investing, but do not yet have enough savings to get going. If you have ever bought any sort of investment/property/asset in the past, you will realize how difficult it is to raise the initial capital. If you have like minded relatives, friends, and even neighbors, it may be time for an investment club. An investment club will allow you to save the monthly/bi weekly contributions from which you can invest jointly. You could do investing in Stocks, Real Estate and even other opportunities. The investment could be done in your country of residency, or could also be done in emerging markets. Those people that join the club must have a shared objective, and the pooled resources should be invested in various projects with an aim of getting a profit, or better yield without having to borrow the capital, hence avoid the interest paid for taking a loan to invest. One of the advantages of the investment club would be to promote a regular habit and routine of contributing to savings and also a focus on long-term investing for the club. For those that are not investment savvy, it will allow them to learn from people who are able to do the research and also the exchange of ideas among the members. It will also allow you to reap from being able to buy larger investments that you could not do by yourself. An Investment club is a good way to allow friends, colleagues or professionals with diverse interests, experiences and ways of seeing things to do their investing as long as they share the same values, and are willing to take on responsibilities and ensuring rules are established from the go.

Successfully invest in Kenya’s Stock Market

As I was talking to one of my colleagues recently about investing, we ended up debating on which stock investment strategy, (investing in developed economy like Canada or investing in an emerging and growing market like Africa) will give you the better returns. In the end I realized that a lot of us have perceived Africa to be too risky, than the actual risk that exists. Having successfully invested on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) market, I have decided to offer my insight on some of the things that one can do to be successful investing in the market. I have a strong interest and affinity in Kenya’s stock market and believe that the following opinions will stimulate your thought process and bring awareness to you as a reader, thus allowing you to go out there and do more research and learn other people’s opinions too. Investing in stocks entails a high degree of risk and there is no guarantee of a positive return whether you are investing in Canada or elsewhere, the reason why you need to asses yourself and how much risk you can take while investing in any market. Kenya is an attractive market for those that want to gain an exposure to the growth that’s taking place in Africa. The African GDP is projected to grow to around, $2.6 trillion in 2020 according to some economists, and Kenya finds itself in a strong position to take advantage of that growth. As the global markets struggle with their economics futures, e.g. Europe, USA, the continent has been growing at an exponential growth rate of 6.6%, while the rest have stalled. Kenya represents a free market economy, where the prices of the goods and services are determined by the market forces. It is one of the most politically stable countries in African with a significant advanced economy, hence why a lot of multinational companies have chosen to set shop in Nairobi. The Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) has over forty seven companies listed. The market is small (fourth largest in Africa), but also very speculative, hence there is a minimum amount of shares that you can buy at most of the brokers, set at 100 shares. The first thing you need to do to be successful is to identify the stockbroker that you want to work with. There are quite a number of investment brokers, some of the well known include Dyer & Blair Investment Bank Ltd, Suntra Investment Bank Ltd, and Canadian owned Kestrel Capital (EA) Limited, which charge a broke fee ranging from 2.1%-2.6%. Once you visit a broker, they will help you open an account with the Central Depository Settlement Corporation (CDSC), which is where all shares are held electronically. The Kenyan stock market is highly speculative and for someone that is investing in small scale or is just starting out, it can be very intimidating. I highly recommend that you ensure the following: I have learnt that you have to be constantly in touch with your stock broker, while keeping yourself up to date with the trends emerging in the market. Do not buy a company stock that you do not understand what the company does (what service/product they offer), because you may never understand which companies are undervalued, or even have a potential for growth. Make sure that you have a plan on the length of time you want to invest in the market. You can choose to be a speculative investor, short term, medium term or even long term. Stay in touch with your broker, and make sure they advise you as soon as your stock has either been sold or bought, either through email/phone call or any automated system. You need to have a good working relationship with your broker to succeed in investing in the NSE market. If you are a speculative investor, (sell your stock as soon as a wave of uncertainty hits the market) like most small scale investors on the NSE, then I would suggest buying shares that trade in large volumes. If you look at the trading for the past years, you will realize that prices constantly change for shares that are traded a lot, thus will give you a chance to make a profit when the price shifts and you sell them back.Try and buy low value stocks which also offer dividends. Make sure that when you receive the dividends, you reinvest those to help grow your portfolio. That way, you can hold onto the shares, while getting dividends and once your net worth or portfolio has grown you can then offload those shares at a profit and invest in other stocks. There is no given science to being successful in any stock market, Kenya being no different. It’s a risky affair and you must be willing to adjust accordingly. There are a lot of factors in play; it’s a matter of staying true to your plan knowing that the end result is to create wealth and ensure that your money grows to shield you from inflation and provide you a secure future.

A Case for Studying In Canada:

In business, we say the world has become a global village, and with the continued growth in globalization, there has been an increased number of destinations to undertake your college or university studies. From time to time I receive a couple of requests for information on studying/living in Canada from people I know and friends. Having lived here, some tend to assume that my experiences will be of help them make a decision on where they should head for further studies. Instead of responding to each individual request, I have realized that this platform could be a place to lay out some of that information. Many people are increasingly finding it difficult to make the right choices, and for those already here, I would presume at some stage you have faced similar questions, and forwarding the link to your friends may help them too. Without a doubt, your ability to finance your education is a key factor to consider when you decide to go to college/university, be it in your country or in a foreign country, and I feel the top reason to choose Canada as your destination to study is the low cost associated with the tuition and fees. Canadian Universities and colleges offer high quality education that’s world recognized at a fraction of what it would cost you if you were to go to other countries such as UK and the USA. The living costs are cheaper too. Remember there is employment opportunities while in school. You can apply for a work permit and work while a student and after you complete your studies you can get a post graduate work permit, which will give you up to three years to gain Canadian work experience. If you choose to stay in Canada permanently, there are avenues to apply for that as well, unlikely in most other destinations As a foreign student in Canada, you get free medical (Provincial Health) Coverage from the province that you live in as long as you are a student in a post-secondary education institution. If you ask many other students in the USA/UK, they will tell you that it costs a lot of money to pay for their insurance. If you are a married, your family members (spouse and dependent children) accompanying you while you are on a study permit will be eligible for the health coverage as well. Your spouse also qualifies to get an open work permit while you are a full time student, which helps in terms of getting some income to cover some of your expenses. Another thing to like about Canada is the diversity of the people. There is a lot of people from different countries and hence the opportunity to immense yourself in different cultures, increasing the opportunity to internationalize your potential, especially in a growing and competitive global market. Canada is growing as a destination for international students, and will soon surpass most others as a destination of choice. I would say before you make the decision to apply or travel here, do a lot of research on the school and city you intend to live in because in the end it will affect the quality of your experience in Canada.

Securing Your Financial Wellbeing; Paying Off Consumer Debt

Knowing your financial well being is an important aspect of our daily lives. It does not take a genius to be successful in managing our finances. All it takes is a well laid plan and taking the time to educate ourselves on how to invest and save. If you get the facts about saving and investing and follow through with an intelligent plan, you should be able to gain financial security for years to come, and more importantly secure a great retirement, or even better retire early and starting enjoying the benefits of managing your finances. If you plan on saving and investing your money, you are likely never going to get any returns anywhere near the 19.5% -30% that credit cards charge. Assuming you put your money in an investment account, you are most likely going to get a 2% return at very highest. What the banks do, is they borrow your money, deposited in a savings account, and then in turn lend it to you through either a credit card, line of credit etc at a higher interest. It’s the difference in the margins that creates profits for the banks, and that’s why I emphasize, unless you are investing in an appreciating project/investing and the rate of return is higher than you are paying on the loan, paying off consumer debt has to be one of your top priorities when you start off with savings and investing. If you don’t, then that balance will quickly add up, as we learned about compounding interest. Many people carry credit cards; some of them even maxed out (reached credit limit). It’s funny how credit cards make it easy to buy expensive stuff when you don’t have the cash for the same items. Unfortunately, credit cards are not free money. The truth is that any item purchased on a credit card, and not paid in full will always end up costing you more than original price of purchase, sometimes into double figures depending on how long it takes you to pay the balance, and assuming you never make any other purchase. People seem to buy consumer products now, at the expense of the ability to buy in the future. Why not wait and save the cash before buying? We live in a pressure filled society, where we all want to be like our friends/neighbor/relative. But should the purchases come at your expenses of a decent life when your income earning potential declines in the future? Money is a non renewable resource, you can earn more, but once you spend it, it’s gone. My Advice if you want to get ahead with your finances, any consumer debt such as credit cards should be paid in full. If you can’t pay them in full, then stack those cards away. Don’t use a credit card, unless you have the funds to pay it in full. For once try walking around with cash, and you will realize the feeling is not the same when you make any purchases. Some credit cards have some great benefits, but they are of no use if you are going to pay an interest of 19.99%. Let me show you how you can benefit from a credit card, for example I have two credit cards, for different reasons/benefits, I have the cash back card which I get cash back from most of my purchases, and I also have a platinum card which gives me travel insurance/rental car insurance on the card. When I need to travel or rent a car, I use my Platinum Card, when I do everyday purchases like groceries I use my cash back card. No matter how much of a purchase I make, I don’t think my cash back/insurance would be enough to justify the interest rate on the credit cards, but because I pay the cards in full whenever I use them, I get free cash back and free insurance. Track your financial position every other time. Know where you are and where you intend to go. Pay the credit cards/consumer debt with the highest interest rates first. Pay the most that you can afford each month to those cards, while paying the minimum on the other cards, once the balance is at zero, then focus on the next highest interest debt, follow this routine until you have completely no debt. Once you do that, channel those funds that you were paying towards credit cards, and put them in savings and investments. You will soon realize that you are working the magic towards securing your financial future, without being a genius, but following one of the basics of managing your finances