The society continuously feeds us with the misconception that we will immediately get a job once we are through with college or the university. We are raised to believe that if we work hard, join the best schools and get the best grades then we will automatically land a job after school. This is far from the truth, Kenya’s’ job market is very competitive. Once you are through with school you will discover that you are not the only one looking for a job and most of the time you will find yourself competing with more qualified and experienced candidates. Approximately 800,000 young Kenyans join the job market every year and youth unemployment is estimated to be as high as 40 percent. 80 percent of unemployed Kenyans are below 35 years. You will constantly find yourself in the push to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack, constantly struggling to better your chances of securing a job.
How can you ease up the struggle of getting a job, fresh from school?
90% of all unemployed youth lack vocational skills. The web is full of job vacancies in different fields, but one requirement that comes with these vacancies is the demand for at least three to five years’ work experience. For someone fresh from college, this requirement automatically disqualifies them from securing most stable jobs. Work experience is key in securing any job and most employers would rather employ an experienced employee that an inexperienced one who will require some time and resource investment in training. The secret lies in gaining as much work experience as early possible.
I started out as an unpaid volunteer straight out of high school. My tasks entailed running office errands, updating office logs and simply supporting the full-time staff complete their assignments, all for no monetary pay but exposure to the job market. I soon afterwards relocated to Nairobi, from Mombasa, joined the university and quickly embarked on the search for more work experience. Through my network of friends, I was able to secure another “job” as a desktop researcher for an online blog. At end of every yearly quarter, my boss paid me from his wallet (that’s how small my stipend was, I have no regrets though, the experience was worthwhile). I took up any volunteer opportunities and constantly updated my CV on the same. This exposed me to different career opportunities and based on this, I was able to identify a career path. Based on the work experience I gained all through campus, I was able to secure my current job, a job that propelled me to the middle income earner status way before I graduated from the university in the year 2013.
The society isn’t entirely sold on the idea that the youth, especially those still in college, should work part-time while going to school. They worry that the impact of jobs on schoolwork and extracurricular activities would have a negative effect on the grades of the students. From my experience, and that of my friends that took a similar path, working part-time during school scientifically boosts one’s ability to plug into the job market. Exposure to the job market while still in school enhances one’s networking skills and ability to match one to an employer that suits them.
At the end of the day, peers with no work experience compared to those who gained some work experience early have more impressive CV’s, better references and a deeper knowledge of the job market they are interested in. All this might lead to securing higher income jobs. The benefits of early work experience extend far into adulthood, start volunteering today, it might be your quick gateway into the job market.