7 Lessons I’ve Learnt About The Kenyan Job Market

Next month marks a year after completing my university education. Currently, I am in my first paying job and I have to admit that I have learnt a lot. There is a big difference between being a college student and being a working class citizen.

Today I will share some of these differences with you in hopes that it will benefit your job search or work life.

Here are 7 things I have learnt about the Kenyan job market

1. The Job Market Is Competitive

You are not the only one looking for a job and most of the time you will be competing with more qualified candidates. Therefore it is up to you to find a way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack in order to better your chances of landing a job.

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2. There Is A Huge Contrast Between School Life And Work Life

While at school one is always free to do as they please, whether it is missing classes, staying home all day or just taking a random trip, at work things are very different, there are set rules and structures that you have to abide by.

This means that in order to succeed in the job market you need to be disciplined.

3. Jobs Aren’t Automatic

Most people graduate thinking that you will immediately get a job. This is a common misconception that we are generally fed by lectures and society at large.

No one tells you that even though you went to the best school and got the best grades, you will still have to look for a job like everyone else.

People talk about marketable courses and most of them assume that this means you will automatically land a job after school. This is not the case because even though there is a demand for IT specialists, one still has to put in the effort to get a job.

So when it comes to job search, one should not assume that it will be easy. Sometimes, it takes time and one needs to have patience in order to succeed.

READ ALSO >>> 4 Things That Will Ruin Your Chances Of Getting A Job

4. Masters And Other Post Graduate Degrees Are Not So Useful

This might come as a surprise to many but just because you went and got a masters degree it does not mean your chances of landing a job increase.

Most organisations nowadays are looking for experience as opposed to the papers you have. By this I mean as an entry level job seeker it is better to gain experience first before you go on to pursue advanced degrees.

Getting an advanced Degree immediately after graduating will only waste your time (time you could be spending gaining experience) and will end up making you ‘unhirable’.

So instead, take on internships and do some volunteer work. This will help boost your chances of getting a job.

5. Don’t Just Focus On Big Companies

Yes, everyone wants to work for a big organisation like Safaricom, Coca-Cola, Unilever and much more and there is nothing wrong with that.

However, you should not spend all your time applying for positions in these organisations and forget the little SMEs.

Most SMEs are more inclined to hire a recent graduate or someone with minimal experience so you have a better chance at getting a job with one of them.

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Not only that but some offer great career development depending on the company structure. All in all working at an SME will help you gain the experience required by big companies.

6. Mean People Are Everywhere

Remember how in school there were those people who would not help you out in any way. They could never lend you their book to copy notes; they would not even let you know of assignments given while you were absent.

Sadly, these kinds of people exist in the workplace too. They are the people with advanced knowledge and skill but will not help you out at all. Their reasons may vary to some not wanting you to outshine them and others just don’t like you.

The most important thing is to ensure that they do not get you down. Otherwise, you will always be miserable and you might end up quitting a perfectly good job just to avoid them. Understand that it is who they are and there is nothing you can do about it.

7. Not All Opportunities Are Missed Opportunities

Once, while I was still searching for a job, I came across an internship. After attending the interview I was shortlisted. Now in the advert, they had said it was a paid internship, when they gave me the contract, the internship only paid 5K.

This may seem a lot to some but in order to get to work every day, I would spend over 300 shillings a day. Meaning in a month I would spend around 7200 shillings. To me, this was not logical. I would end up spending more just to gain 3 months experience.

So, I quit and two weeks later I got a job. Do not see missed opportunities as a setback. Instead, view them as a learning opportunity.

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Therefore, it is important that you make calculated decisions that are good for you and your career otherwise you would not make any progress.

Do you have any experiences you would like to share with us? Leave a comment below

Michelle is a Digital Marketer at Career Point Kenya. Email: michelle@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke