We often come across students who insist on studying for a course where they clearly lack basic foundation in academic and attitude preparation. Indeed, there are cases where students have enrolled in certain programmes but later on discover they lack interest in the particular field. The challenges and career opportunities discussed in this Guide are not only confined within Kenya and the East African universities and tertiary institutions but are also global in nature.
This easy-to-read, do-it-yourself Career Information Guide
is intended to answer key questions in career planning and eventual choice. The
guide will, therefore, address such crucial questions as what is a career,
career types, factors that influence career choice and the various career
fields to choose from. It will also sensitize the students on the subject
requirements for specific career fields. From the enquiries we receive, it has
also emerged that over time, some misconceptions have come to surround certain
issues related to careers. It is, therefore, necessary to burst these myths and
give you the correct position.
I would like to thank the Ministry of Education and
Consultants who contributed immensely to make this career guide booklet a
reality.
In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to wish
the reader a most informed career choice and every success in all your
endeavors.
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What is a career?
A career is a job or profession that gives one an opportunity to progress in some ways that are important to a person.In summary a career:
• Is
very important to you.
• Constitutes
your purpose.
• Is
a process of your self-discovery, self-expression and
self-assertion.
• Defines
your lifestyle.
Your career should
answer the following questions about
yourself:
• Who
am I?
• What
am I capable of doing?
• What
do I want to become?
A career involves transforming your dreams and wishes into
achievements and believing in yourself and your unique talents and
characteristics. It also means turning your aspirations into achievements and
believing that you can become anything you aspire to be.
Why do you need a career?
You need a career to:
• Earn
a living
• Fulfill
a demand for skilled labour
• Enhance
your skills
• Propagate
your knowledge and skills
• Create
wealth
• Keep
fit and healthy
• Make
personal contribution to society
• Fulfill
your purpose in life
Focusing on Career Goals
The biggest challenge is to stay focused. It’s to have the
discipline when there are so many competing things. Alexa Hirschfield Unlike
the hyena, the lion is a super predator. It often selects its prey from a herd.
It does not necessarily choose the weakest animal. Once it has locked its
vision on one animal, it gives a chase to the very end. It does not change its
mind even if it by-passes a slower animal. This is how focused people chase
their dream careers by shutting out all distractions. So, how do you chase your
dream?
Have a specific goal
People who succeed know exactly what they want in life. They
do not entertain any distraction or confusion. A specific goal ensures that you
do not waste your time, effort, and resources.
Visualize your goals
Create a mental picture of what you want to be. That which
can be easily visualized, can be easily actualized. In your vision, address the
following questions:
- • Whom will I be 10 years from now?
- • Where will I be?
- • Who will be with me?
- • Where will I be living?
- • Where will I be going for holidays?
- • What type of a car will I be driving?
- • How much will I be earning?
When you talk about your goals, they begin to take a vivid
shape. Be cautious of pessimists who will always reduce the size of your goals
and show you problems in every situation. Seek guidance from your parents,
teachers, guardians mentors and professionals. There is no short cut to hard
work. It is not enough to dream and do nothing. You must wake up and work out
your dreams.
Be Determined
Determination is the source of momentum in your studies. You
can only overcome challenges and obstacles in your career path with
determination. Nobody ever became a champion
without obstacles. Some people give up easily when faced with obstacles.
Success is judged by how you finish and not how you start.
Value yourself
This is your sense of personal worth. Be convinced of your
ability to achieve your career goals. People with low self-esteem don’t set
high goals. Your self-esteem is the
source of motivation and confidence that are necessary for you to achieve your
career dreams. God created you for a purpose. Build certain values around
yourself such as diligence and hard work.
Have a good mentor
Mentors are people who have succeeded in the field you want
to pursue. If you admire good mentors, they will influence you positively
towards your goals. Mentors are a source of inspiration. By sharing with your
mentors, it becomes easy to know the challenges and opportunities in your
chosen career.
Think positively
If you think positively about your career path you will
attract positive results. Think big. Avoid prophets of doom who thrive on
discouraging others.
Career Types and Personalities
Face the facts squarely. Ask yourself definite questions and
demand direct replies.
Napoleon Hill You may have realized that certain people never
fit in certain jobs no matter how qualified or hard they work. For example,
some people find it difficult to sit down in offices the whole day. They are at
their best and happiest working out-doors with their hands. This is because we
all have different traits which determine whom we actually are. There are six
broad career types in which different people fit. These are the realistic,
investigative, artistic, social careers, enterprising and conventional careers.
1. Realistic careers
These are the skills and technicalorient-ed jobs. Work here
involves tangible and practical skills where people work with tools, machines,
plants and animals. The people in these jobs are highly practical and
physically strong. They often enjoy dealing with things rather than people. They
are good in technical subjects such as:
Agriculture, Metalwork, Woodwork, Homescience, Technical
Drawing, Drawing and Design among others.
They excel in:
- • All kinds of engineering such as electrical mechanical and Agricultural engineering
- • Wildlife management
- • Wood science and technology
- • Armed forces and related careers
2. Investigative careers
The professionals here are scientific and
laboratory-oriented. They have a high curiosity, intellectual input and
empirical approach to issues. Their work involves analyzing facts, solving
puzzles, dealing with charts, numbers, formulae, graphs and data processing.
These people enjoy observing, studying, analyzing, interpreting and solving
complex challenges. They do well in leadership positions, social gatherings and
activities.
They are good in:
- • Mathematics and the sciences
- • Business studies
They excel in:
- • Medicine
- • Architecture
- • Microbiology and related courses
- • Criminal investigations
- • Accounting, statisticaI analysis money, financial and related fields
- • Veterinary, zoology and related fields
- • Computer science and information communication technology
3. Artistic careers
Those who excel in these careers are arts-oriented,
creative, expressive and aesthetically conscious. Their jobs involve a lot of
imagination. Consequently, those who excel here are highly original, emotional,
non conforming, unconventional, independent, idealist and introspective. They
take risks and like producing distinct products.
They are good in:
- • Languages
- • Literature
- • Drawing and design
- • Music
They excel in:
- • Drama and theatre arts
- • Graphic designing
- • Literary studies
- • Writing, painting and poetry
- • Acting
- • Home decorating, fabric designing
- • Photography, singing, drawing cartoons
4. Social careers
These involve working with people. Those who excel here have
an inner urge for helping others. They like training, informing, enlightening, arbitrating and organizing
other people. They are sociable, friendly, understanding, empathetic, generous,
helpful, cooperative, responsible and
hard Working. Often, they are sober, welfare - minded and articulate.
They are good in:
- • Languages
- • Literature
- • Humanities
They can also be good in the sciences if they put more
interest and effort in them.
They excel in:
- • Administration
- • Education
- • Law
- • Theology
- • Journalism and mass communication
- • Human and public relations
- • Political science and related fields
- • Counseling
5. Enterprising careers
These careers involve influencing and persuading other people. There is a lot of goal and profit orientation in these jobs. Those who excel are enterprising, ambitious, talkative, argumentative and domineering people. They are also energetic, self-confident, optimistic, sociable, competitive, impulsive, and persuasive. They enjoy chairing meetings and committees. Often they run for elected offices, head important functions, and motivate others.
They are good in:
- • Mathematics
- • Business studies
- • Science
They excel in:
- • Business management
- • Sales and marketing
- • Hotel management
- • Politics
- • Industrial consultancy and related fields
6. Conventional careers
The careers here involve highly orderly, routine and
practical jobs. Often, there are some inflexible activities. Those who excel
have a common denominator of being obedient, practical, calm and orderly. They
are also efficient and conforming.
They are good in:
- • Business studies
- • Computer and office practice
- • Home science
- • Sciences
They excel in:
- • Accounting
- • Bookkeeping
- • Auditing
- • Statistics
- • Inventory control
- • Store keeping
- • Secretarial
- • Office management and
- • Computer operations
7. Adventuring
This involves being involved in situations and tasks that
require physical endurance, competing with others, and some degree of
risk-taking. People with this career interest enjoy involvement in athletics,
working in the military/ law enforcement professions and participating in risky
and adventurous events. They usually get satisfaction from competing with
others where they have opportunities to win and/or win by working with others
in a team. They often seek out excitement and are generally quite confident in
their physical abilities and skills.
Steps in Choosing a Career...
I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. Stephen
Covey----To make a good career choice, start with yourself. You need to
consider your interests, abilities, and preferences and then plan your career
choices accordingly.
There are five steps that you can follow:
Identify careers related to your interests, abilities, and preferences.
Planning your career depends on the quality of career information
available to you. As you begin to explore your career options, consider the
following resources and strategies:
- • Ask the librarian or the school career office about books and pamphlets on careers.
- • Join a club that undertakes activities in the line of what you want to be. For example, wildlife club can be a good entry into agricultural and environmental sciences.
- • Visit a place where people do the kind of work you are interested in.
- • Use the Internet to research for fields of your interest.
- • Try out a hobby or volunteer to work in areas related to the kind of careers you are interested in.
- • Contact professional groups such as the Law Society of Kenya, Association of Kenyan Insurers, Architectural
- • Association of Kenya etc for more career information.
Narrow down your choices to a few careers for further
exploration. As you narrow down your list of potential careers, think of the
following questions:
- • What careers are likely to provide me with short-term and long-term satisfaction?
- • Are there careers that seem to reflect my interests, abilities and preferences better than others?
- • What is the future of the careers that I am considering?
- • Am I willing to get the education background and training to get into the careers I am interested in?
- • What are the positive and negative factors associated with each career that I am considering?
Get the right preparation for your career
Consider now how to get the right preparation to your dream
career.
Preparation includes
choosing the right subjects at form three that institutions of higher education
require to train you in a particular career. Some jobs require apprenticeship,
vocational technical training, two-year college training, or four years at
university. These are in addition to the KCSE level of education.
Increasing demand for specialization
It is important to realize that some jobs are on the decline
as you make your career choices. For example, clerical and other secretarial
jobs are fading away fast as a result of computerization. From the traditional
‘’specialized professions ” like doctors, and accountants, information
technology and engineering, business management and consultancy are the
professions in demand now.
Universal skills
Irrespective of the career you choose, there are universal
skills and qualities that you need. And the earlier you develop them the
better. These are:
- • Computer literacy
- • Presentation skills (written & oral)
- • English language skills
- • Basic mathematics and numeracy skills • Intelligence
- • Self confidence
- • Willingness to accept responsibility
- • Innovation- can you bring new ideas and suggestions?
- • Inter-personal skills can you get along with other people?
- • Ability to handle conflict.
- • Honesty
- • Organisation
- • Career ambition
- • Persuasiveness
From the foregoing, your career choice is a process, not an
event. It takes time and many amendments and reconsideration.
Your Career choice is an Individual choice
It is you alone who will live with your desired career and
not other people.
But other people can be of great help to you.
They include:
- • Your teachers who can guide you and give you information.
- • Your parents who can help you make up your mind & introduce you to career.
- • People in the fields you desire to join.
- • At times you can be wrong and your teachers and parents right.
Frequently Asked Questions about Careers in Kenya
Question: What is the cutoff point for admission to university?
The cut-off point refers to the
least points required for one to be admitted to public universities under
government scholarships. The points are fixed by the public universities’ Joint
Admissions Board. In the last two years, the cutoff points have been 67
for boys and 65 for girls. The points, however, vary depending on the
government-sponsored slots available in the specific year and the performance in
the KCSE examination for the year.
Question: Can I get a University education if I don’t meet the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service cutoff points?
Anybody who scores grade C Plus and above qualifies to join
either private or public universities under the self-sponsored programme.
Question: What is bridging?
A bridging course is a short pre-university programme in
which students uplift their cluster subjects that they did not do well in KCSE
prior to joining the self-sponsored degree course. For example, the four cluster
subjects for enrolling in any degree course. The minimum score in each of these
four cluster subjects is C Plus. Bridging will be recommended in a subject
where the score is less than C Plus.
Question: Can I ever get into university if I score less than C Plus in KCSE?
Yes, you can but you will follow a different route from
those who score the minimum university entry grade. Some professionals with the
highest level of university education today started with certificate courses.
They then upgraded their skills by going through diploma and degree courses. If
you may have to follow this route, the only limitation in getting into a
university is you.
Question: I want to be a doctor. I am good in science subjects but very poor in mathematics. Can I qualify?
You have a big task ahead of you. The cluster subjects for
doing medicine are Maths / Physics, Biology and Chemistry. Other subjects are
English or Kiswahili or any other that you will have performed well, but to get
admitted to university in the first place you need some minimum aggregate points
from the seven subjects that will be counted in your KCSE. And the counting
takes into consideration the following seven subjects:
- • Mathematics
- • English
- • Kiswahili
- • Two science subjects
- • One humanity subject
- • Any other subject you have done well (a second humanity or a third science or business studies or a technical subject or a foreign language).
Note that the score in Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, two
science subjects and at least one humanity subject must be counted even if you
score a grade E in them. These are the core subjects. This is how a low score in
Mathematics can harm you and deny you the raw cluster points for pursuing
Medicine. Dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to Mathematics and score at least a
C Plus grade in it and in the other three subjects of the cluster.
Question: Which subjects are known as boosters?
These are the non-core subjects in your KCSE grading.
Actually, a booster is the seventh subject that is counted while the Kenya
National Examinations Council is computing your mean grade. So, work hard in
that booster subject for it to improve your overall mean grade.
Question: When choosing a career, am I supposed to base it on my Interests or on the subjects that I do well?
You need to consider both your interests and the subjects
that you do well in your career decision. But at times your interests may be at
variance with the subjects required to pursue certain courses. In such cases,
you have to change your mind and go where your academic abilities lead you.
Question: I am fairly good in all subjects but the problem is that I have never been able to pinpoint what I can do. What career should I follow?
At this level of secondary school, you can think of a few
careers. Make an honest soul search and write down at least four careers you
think you can do. Examine each in turn by speaking with people in it, visiting
the actual workplace and reading all information about the job. This way, you
can narrow down your choices to one or two.
Question; Can I study Medicine with Physics and Chemistry only without Biology?
No! All careers dealing with living things, such as Medicine, forestry and fisheries require one to have studied Biology at the secondary school level. In the same way, all kinds of engineering require Physics.