Curriculum Vitae of Festus K Mbuimwe
PERSONAL DETAILS
Cell number: +254 736 773 726
Email address:
Date of Birth: 14/1/74
EDUCATION
June 7 2011: Passed the Google Advertising Fundamentals exam.
February 2008 to December 2010: BA, communications management, (copywriting specialisation) at the Vega School of Brand Innovation, Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa.
Jan 2005-March 2005: The Write Co, South Africa. Took a sub editing correspondence course titled: Light In The Jungle, A Guide To Confident Editing For Print.
1997-1998: People’s Friendship University, Russia. Certificate in basic Russian.
1995-1996: Dynamic Institute of Management & Accountancy, Nairobi, Kenya. Diploma in freight forwarding and shipping management.
1993: “O” Level Certificate, Nairobi School, Kenya.
1988: KCPE Certificate, Parklands Primary School, Nairobi, Kenya.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
August 1 2011 to January 27 2012:
Position: Copywriter/SEO writer
Company: Pamoja Media (
Duties & Responsibilities: Updating the Pamoja Media blog ( daily (Mon-Fri), keyword research, copywriting, suggesting and posting content on clients’ Facebook & Twitter accounts, moderating comments from fans, monitoring online sentiment, tracking clicks, impressions and conversions, suggesting better ways of engaging clients’ online communities.
Achievements: Between the first Pamoja Media SEO-driven blog post on 19/9/11 and 31/12/
11, the blog page attracted 287 unique page views. Readers spent an average of 4.36 minutes on the page.
A Facebook ad campaign I conceptualised to persuade Kenyan women between 18-40 years of age to sign up to a survey site achieved over 35,000 clicks between November and December 2011.

February 2012:

Position: Consultant Copy Editor
Publication: Management magazine, Nairobi, Kenya
Duties:Subbing copy, writing stories, blurbs, headlines, captions and research.

July 7, 2011 to July 30, 2011:
Position: Consultant Copy Editor
Publication: Management magazine, Nairobi, Kenya
Duties:Subbing copy, writing stories, blurbs, headlines, captions and research.
May 19, 2011 to May 27, 2011:
Position: Consultant Copy Editor
Publication: Management magazine, Nairobi, Kenya
Duties:Subbing copy, writing stories, blurbs, headlines, captions and research.
February 17, 2011 to March 1, 2011:
Position: Part-time librarian
Company: Vega School of Brand Innovation, Green Point, Cape Town
Duties: Issuing books and DVDs to both lecturers and students, assisting them locate books, DVDs and magazines, recommending alternative titles if the desired one/s is/are unavailable, receiving borrowed books and DVDs, answering queries.
November 2010 to Jan 31, 2011:
Position: Online copywriting intern
Company: Sumango
Location: Loop Street, Cape Town CBD
Duties: Writing online commercial content for UK-based brands Thomas Cook/Essential Travel. The products include airport hotels and parking; and non-commercial content such as skiing destinations and FAQs.
Writing SEO copy for page titles and metatexts.
Uploading content on the company's content management system using HTML.
Researching keywords on Google adwords.
June – July 2010:
Employer: FIFA
Site: Stadium Media Centre/Media Tribune, Cape Town Stadium
Position: Media Operations Volunteer
Duties and responsibilities: Ensuring international journalists’ workstations (both at the Stadium Media Centre and the Media Tribune inside the Cape Town Stadium) were clean and tidy; serving journalists with food and beverages from the media centre's canteen; ensuring internet and telephone connections were working; distributing information such as team line-ups, scores (half time and full time) and FIFA press releases; answering queries on issues such as when stadium media tickets would be distributed and other tasks assigned to me by FIFA media officers/Cape Town Stadium venue media officers.
April - December 2008:
Publisher: Independent Newspapers, Cape Town
Publication: Sunday Argus
Position: Part-time sub editor (Saturdays, 10am-6pm)
Duties and responsibilities: Subbing copy, writing stories, blurbs, headlines, captions and research.
October - December 2007:
Publisher: Bauhaus Ltd
Publication: BusinessWoman magazine.
Position: Freelance sub editor/writer
Duties and responsibilities: Subbing copy, writing stories, blurbs, headlines, captions and research.
September 2007:
Publisher: Nation Media Group
Position: Sub editor (Daily Metro newspaper).
Duties and responsibilities: Subbing copy, writing stories, blurbs, headlines, captions and research.
May 2005-August 2007:
Publisher: Oakland Media Services Ltd.
Position: Sub editor/proofreader/copywriter/translator (Eng-Swa-Swa-Eng)
Duties and Responsibilities: Subbing copy, writing stories, blurbs, headlines, captions, research and copywriting. Publications tackled included: eve, The Lawyer and Sokoni.
COPYWRITING EXPERIENCE
September 2004-May 2005:
Agency: M&M Communications, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Position: Copywriter
Duties: Conceptualised ideas for brands such as Tanga Cement, Twiga Bancorp, Woolworths and others.
May - August 2004:
Agency: Access Leo Burnett, Nairobi.
Position: Copywriter
Duties: Conceptualised ideas for brands such as Telkom Kenya, Brookside, Alliance Hotels and others. Wrote radio ads for National Bank of Kenya and Diamond Trust Bank, (account pitches).
June 2003-April 2004:
Agency: Express Advertising Centre, Nairobi.
Position: Copywriter
Duties: Conceptualised ideas for brands such as Permanet, Furniture Palace, Kenol Kobil and others. Wrote AA Kenya’s tagline (Adding value to motoring).
March - May 2003:
Agency: TBWA \ CREATIVE, Nairobi.
Position: Copywriting intern.
June - September 2002:
Agency: Ayton, Young & Rubicam, Nairobi.
Position: Copywriting intern.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Pamoja Media October 2011 employee of the month
Runner-up in caption writing contests organised by Nairobi-based Autonews magazine, (contest numbers: 10, 16, 18, 20, 21 and 22).
TRAINING
I am currently studying online at the Google adwords online learning centre to become a Google adwords certified professional.
I attended a professional editing skills seminar at Gracia Gardens, Nairobi, on June 7, 2007. Tutor was Isobel Stevenson from Canada.

INTERESTS AND HOBBIES
Playing football and basketball.
Reading fiction and non-fiction publications.
Writing satire, poetry, and song lyrics
Participating in OpenIdeo challenges ( So far, I have earned 162 points since my debut in October 2011.

On May 4, 2012, I founded and opened a Facebook page for Chimba eyedee. It’s a community initiative to encourage Kenyans to photo and upload lost ID cards should they come across them so that we can assist Kenyans find their lost Ids faster.

REFERENCES

Twamona Hilukiluah

Graphic Designer

Creative Juice

Cell: +264 81 232 4735/444 3434

Email:

Agrippa Haindongo

Manager

Xantium Trading Ltd

Cell: +264 811 285 303

Email:

Caroline Kimutai
Editor
Management Magazine
Cell: + 254 722 560 241
Email:

Joshua Wanyama
CEO, Pamoja Media
Cell: +254 751 504477
Email: