Its been close to three months since I penned anything on this blog. Am back now, driven by an urge to talk about something that is good about the wedding industry in Nairobi. Since there is alot of television shows and magazines locally that offer advice to brides and would-be brides, it has in a large way made weddings managable to many not only being armed by what to do but what to look out for the pitfalls to planning a wedding and how to ensure success of an event.
I have been working for myself for the past five years that I have almost forgotten what job application is all about. One thing I remember though is below the curriculum vitae (read resume if you prefer), is the need to mention referrences. Most organisations in Nairobi ask for two or three individuals who can refer you being not related to you directly.
When I finished college, many were stranded being its their first job application, so they would settle for a high school teacher, college lecturer and a third if asked-whoever fits the bill even though sometimes this havent seen them work, and their suitability to the applied position. A newspaper article I read a while back mentioned the need to let your would be referral know you will be using them- which is a polite way of doing so incase they decline to oblige and let them know what job you are applying to.
Back to the wedding industry, more brides are asking for referrals, which is a good thing. What amazed me is a bride who asked me for referrals as her first question. She hadn't seen my work nor spdiscussed anything with me, she got my contact form someone and her first question was: I hear you work in the wedding industry, do you have referrals?
Even by then I had no clue her wedding date or what she wanted from me and whether we could work along.
In job referrals, the article I read mentioned that many in Nairobi lied about their referrals and since most companies don't take time to call them up, they get a job they are not qualified and when a mess, theft or some other damage occurs that involves them, well even calling up the referrals might prove a shocker for what one would find out.
Its a good thing having wedding referrals but just a list of names, what assures you its not the wedding the vendor was a guest to, partof the planning committee or a family member or friend. The verdict: Do your homework well incase you have to work with referrals.
Then again, many wedding vendors have sites that not only include wedding shots of events that they have done but names of the individuals they have worked with. In this case, calling the referral helps you to put a face to the person and ask the relevant questions. What do you think?
