Professional bodies help grow careers, graduates advised

Graduates should pursue membership in professional institutes to grow their expertise, acquire specialised knowledge and attract employers’ attention, the chairman of the Institute of Certified Securities and Investment Analysts Lazarus Kimang’a has said.

Mr Kimang’a said failing to join a professional body is a setback in career progression. “This is an important stage which must be finalised. It is one of the weakest points which some successful candidates do not give due attention,” he said.

He added: “Employers are increasingly keen to give priority to members of professional institutes rather than just the completion of professional examinations.”

He was speaking at the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (Kasneb) award ceremony at the Sarova Panafric Hotel on Friday.

The ceremony honoured candidates ranked best among those who sat the November/December 2012 Kasneb examinations.

Mr Kimang’a said the graduates will play a key role in meeting East Africa’s employment needs.

“All the countries in the East African region are in dire need of highly qualified and competent professionals to propel their countries and the region to economic prosperity,” said Mr Kimanga who is East Africa Reinsurance Company’s General Manager.

Kasneb offers accountants, secretaries, securities and investment analysts, credit experts and information and communication technologists professional examinations.

Mr Kimang’a commended the body for its work, saying it continually assesses, reviews and improves its syllabuses and processes to ensure that the quality of the examinations meet customer requirements. He praised the prize winners for their efforts.

“You have persevered and overcome many obstacles and personal challenges to obtain the achievements we are celebrating today,” he said.