Top 7 Marketable Degrees in Kenya

We profile top marketable degrees in Kenya.

By Jane Okoth,

As the country’s unemployment rate among the educated youth continues to rise, questions have been raised about the relevance of courses pursued in their institutions of higher learning.

Every year, a big number of graduates from universities and technical institutions leave school with the hope of securing well paying careers only to be disappointed later on.

Career point recently posted an article on degrees that are perceived not to be marketable to potential employers.

Due to the overwhelming feedback we got from our audience, we sought to seek clarification from education professionals.

University Lecturer On Top Marketable Degrees In Kenya. 

I spoke to Dr XN Iraki a Lecturer at the University of Nairobi who states that the best degrees are the ones which the market needs and before pursuing a course, there is dire need to conduct some research.

“To be more specific, the best degrees are rare. Check graduation lists every year and if lots of people are graduating with a certain degree, please run away from it,” he says.

Mr Iraki also opines that good degrees are hard to achieve, take longer and demand more than chalk and talk.

“Engineering courses take more years than Sociology and not everyone goes for it so there will always be shortage. A good degree will lead you to a profession where licensing is required,” he suggests.

“For example medical doctors must be registered and licensed as opposed to historians,” he explains.

When it comes to depending on passion to choose your career, Dr Iraki says that a good degree nourishes your pockets and not your emotions.

“Some of the popular courses really work your emotions and leave your pockets empty,” he affirms.

“Think, why do Asians pursue sciences and technology based courses? Have you ever met an Asian historian or political scientist?” he poses.

Turning to Robert Wamai, a Trainer at Sales Consulting who gives consultations on Human Resource, he shares his sentiments

Technical Courses Among Top Marketable Degrees In Kenya

“For example Engineering, Medicine, Education, CFI are marketable as opposed to BA, BCOMM,” he says.

He further adds that professional qualifications such as CPA’s and Computer even if they are not degrees, they are still marketable.

“In fact a combination of both is a win win situation,” he opines.

Dr Iraki strongly advises that the type of degree you choose to pursue matters as it will make marketing yourself easier.

“If you pursue a good degree, you don’t need to market yourself,” he says.

“However, a bad degree will take you nowhere no matter how much you market yourself , remember your market skills are what counts and not yourself,” he warns.

Mr Wamai on the other hand is of the opinion that it is not so much about the degree but how one sells themselves.

So does possessing a degree automatically guarantees you to get a job regardless of the course? I pose.

Dr Iraki disagrees with this perception and argues that one must consults the market first.

In his own words, he says that “The reality graduates are facing is that they become choosy and feel a sense of entitlement which at times makes them worse off with a degree.”

He further elaborates that “they think that what separates them from a job is a degree and yet it should be the skills.”

“I am unable to get an electrician but ask a KCSE graduate to pursue a diploma in electrical and he would rather go for a degree in “Mickey Mouse” courses (no need to name them)” he says.

Mr Wamai agrees that possessing a degree is no guarantee that you will secure a job as it is a no brainier.

Finally, Dr Iraki advises that when pursuing a degree, one should be guided by the reality of the job market.

“What is the economy looking for, your passion and career must be in tandem with that, your abilities and your career dreams based on reality not heard mentality,” he concludes.

How is your degree choice affecting your career? Are you pursuing a marketable degree?