Why Papers Alone Won’t Get You Far In The Kenyan Job Market

By Perminus Wainaina
Long gone are the days when a Diploma, Degree, or even Masters was a guarantee to a well-paying job.
The Kenyan Job Market is now heavily saturated with thousands of graduates in fields like Accounting, Procurement, Human Resource, Project Management, Sales and Marketing among others.
Having worked in the recruitment and HR field, I can assure you your papers don’t always impress employers.
Don’t misquote me, education is VERY important; it is imperative to have a comprehensive and critical understanding of your field.
Your certificates matter, because they prove you qualifications for the job.
But is that all?
Are you now assured that you will get a good job and impress an interview panel with your high GPA?
Certainly not!
In a country where there are over 70 accredited universities and courses, employers are looking for more than just your technical know-how.
In other words, employers want to know the following 4 things:
1. What else are you bringing to the table?
So you passed very well in high school and even campus.
You have advanced your studies or are pursuing that MBA because you want to improve your chances of attracting the right employer.
Quickly See This >>> Before pursuing that MBA, consider the following
But what good is an MBA or Masters or several Diplomas and Degrees when you have nothing else to show for it?
If you have an over –reliance to your papers, it is time for you to examine, what value addition will you bring to a company.
2. Do you have the required soft skills?
I will let you in on a secret; it is not your papers that get you the job. It NOT your papers that help you keep that job, BUT it is your SOFT SKILLS that will make you GET and LAST in a job.
So what are soft skills? They are also called, “PEOPLE SKILLS.”
They are skills that complement technical/hard skills that you learn in school and in the workplace.
Some examples of soft skills: Good communication skills, problem solving skills, time management skills, ability to work under pressure, results oriented, presentation skills, leadership skills etc.
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