Rethinking about career and job market

In Kenya, we have a considerable number of graduates; however, there is an absence of effective mechanisms for managing careers post graduation. We prefer job hunting over creating opportunities that align with the knowledge and skills we acquired in school.  

Many graduates actively seek employment in an oversaturated job market. Although our nation is home to bright minds, there is an overdependence on an inflexible system. Kenyan universities release approximately 50,000 graduates into the job market each year. The question is: Is the government itself capable of providing jobs for all of them? Worse still, governments are not even obligated to offer anyone a job!  

Many graduates frequently miss the opportunity to acquire essential personal skills such as debate, public speaking, writing, and marketing skills that are crucial for launching entrepreneurial ventures. Marketing, for instance, plays a critical role in business development and the sale of various products and services. Surprisingly, many individuals excelling in these fields are not even business students; they simply learned these soft skills online!  

An individual with a degree in Agriculture should not find themselves confined to cities like Nairobi or Nakuru, desperately searching for employment. The harsh reality is that, in the process, they may become vulnerable to drug addiction or related challenges because of the disappointments and social pressures. But what if they returned to their village and applied their expertise in farming? Land for agriculture in Nairobi is limited and it is expensive compared to remote areas like my village in Kabuchai, where ample farmland is available.  

The formal education we receive is commendable, but it fails to instill self-education, individual initiative, and the ability to execute independently. Our current educational framework particularly the outgoing 8-4-4 system does not encourage the exploration of opportunities, personal capabilities, or the exercise of freedom. For crying out loud, look at what China is doing compared to us! This system appears to me, inherently designed to serve capitalist interests. For instance, we work tirelessly to secure a place at a university, only to earn an average of $1,979 per year in Kenya until retirement at 60! And then, after all those years, we think we are free when in reality, we could have been free all along!  

Personally, throughout my journey from high school to college, I committed myself to self education and self-awareness. I have no regrets about investing in debates, books, and intellectual forums. I remain confident that mastery of oratory skills and continuous reading will propel me forward. I envision a future in which I will assume a leadership role, combining both academic excellence and personal development.  

A final challenge: For example, a very limited number of university graduates read self development books. The majority are conditioned to consume only the prescribed curriculum, their ruling faculties restricted by a rigid education system. Therefore, the issue is not education itself, it is the individuals who choose their own path. Many graduates opt for job hunting as their only route, when in reality, they could utilize their talents and skills whether employed or not to transform their lives for the better.  

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