BrighterMonday launches career advice portal

To keep up with the growing number of jobseekers, BrighterMonday, a jobs website, has introduced a Career Centre that will offer advice and tips from human resource experts .

The service is expected to boost jobseekers’ preparedness for interviews and the job market.

BrighterMonday said the move has been informed by the growing demand for work opportunities, which sees more than 30,000 Kenyans log into the portal.

This number is expected to continue growing, especially as larger university intakes lead to more than 500,000 graduates entering the job market every year.

Speaking while unveiling the portal, BrighterMonday CEO Eva Slootweg said the centre would offer training, mentorship and planning.

Additionally, employers will share insights on what they expect from jobseekers by addressing common challenges in the workplace.

“Employers in different sectors are invited to be part of this large community. The engagement is an extension of BrighterMonday’s social media community, which is the largest job seeking community in East Africa with over 400,000 followers,” she said.

BrighterMonday will also highlight internships to help its clients gain work experience, while at the same time improve their awareness of the areas they need to work on.

The Kenya Economic Report 2014 shows Kenya is characterised by high rates of unemployment among the youth at 70 per cent, coupled with similarly high rates of underemployment and informal employment in the same demographic.

The employment rate among those aged 15 to 24 stood at only 48.6 per cent, but rose to 62.7 per cent for those aged 15 to 35.

“We are very keen on battling youth unemployment. We are inviting all volunteer organisations and companies offering internship opportunities to post these positions on our website for free,” said Ms Slootweg.