In the past school terms this year, one of the key topics that have been in the parents’ and teachers’ circles has been on the current change in the education system in Kenya. Without having to bore people with more pros and cons on this, it got me thinking on our perception of the right kind of education. I mean there are so many ways in which we learn and sometimes what we need to teach ourselves is right in front of us. Education is key but we may not always learn in formal and structured systems. The system alone may not expose you to various opportunities in the future as would other things like grit, passion and determination.
The main purpose of education is to equip the learners with the skills they need to enter the job market and build successful careers. Again this would be subjective on what we term as “successful careers”. Unfortunately, it’s quite evident that education is currently not adequately preparing young people for the workforce leading to prevalent skills shortages alongside high levels of youth unemployment. This simply could be one fresh graduate called John who completes his undergrad in Sales and Marketing with all the relevant knowledge in that field but falls short of emotional and social quotient. Probably he struggles to get to work on time or general time management. He’s not able to coherently express himself verbally as a lot of his work was online and rarely had to speak in front of a crowd. With time he realizes this is not his passion but he still needs to make a living so he hangs in there. I wonder what impact John would make if he was in the right field? This skills mismatch is a real challenge as more people being in a job badly matched for their skill set has negative implications not only for the individuals but also the wider economy. At the same time, those with the right skills may miss out on the job based solely on academic performance.
Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.
Malcolm X
Masters in Tests and Assignment Science. Students are evaluated using these and we are all too familiar with the process. The student is asked to do some work; they turn it in, and get a grade. This is a routine that starts off from early ages all the way to tertiary level education. However, when you get your first job it works quite differently. You hand in your work and guess what? No grade. Not even a “Well Done” or the stickers with stars or smileys that would be pasted on your school diary as a kid. On the contrary, you may be given feedback and asked to repeat the work. This could even be several times. Aaah….What that does to an ego! Here you are thinking you’ve given it all and still nothing doing. Many freshly graduated students struggle enormously with this. I know this because I did as well. You’re not trained to do the same thing over and over until you get it right. You are trained to do better than average on your first try and to forget about what you did as soon as you turn in your paper 🙂
Though we must learn! There is no better way to know more about your future or dream career if not by immersing yourself in material that makes you a more knowledgeable job seeker when the time comes. In today’s age, not just the books but also related podcasts, blogs, YouTube content, and other online articles as well. With the advent of technology and a lot more access to the internet, there really is no excuse for not getting this right from the get go. Make it your goal to know what the hot topics and issues are in your industry. Who are the leaders and the movers and shakers? Follow them on social media and interact when appropriate – no don’t stalk or troll for the sake of it. This is learning from them beyond a class and formal setting but still picking up the bits and bytes online.
Network. After following those you look up to whether on social media or articles that they write, the next step is interaction. Networking with others can keep you in the loop when it comes to your passion And it doesn’t have to be done in the traditional networking meeting setting either. Today, this can happen both virtual and in-person. There are professional groups that involve a weekly or monthly meeting where there may be a speaker or group topic to discuss. This can open you up to meeting people in a new career area and forge new connections. You can also schedule informational interviews to chat with professionals in your area of interest. Ask how they got started in the field, what they’re working on, and what they like most and least about their job, and where they see growth opportunities.
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
Dr. Seuss
Volunteer, intern or part-time work are all part of launching off into your career. You may not finish school and jump right into the dream industry. First you may just have to get your hands dirty for small wages, if not free even. Getting that hands-on experience in your desired future career area can be a huge plus. This puts you out there and gets you job-relevant experience and helps you see if this is a career field you really want to be a part of. Again, an opportunity to create new relationships with people in the industry, potentially leading to job reference or recommendations, or even a job. Even if it’s not a full-time job, if you’re moving to a new career field, this experience can make a significant difference and position you for success. It is never for nothing.
These are not fully exhaustive points on the topic but based on the little experience I’ve had here and there. Point is when it comes to education, most of us have grown up in an educational system that grades us on our first try, which determines whether we pass or fail. However, life is not just about passing or failing. At times, what we need to do is push doing the same thing over and over again until we get it right. Is it possible to be better prepared for the school that is life? I believe so. We could try by shifting focus from tests to be graded to activities that are iterated through long periods of time until the goal is met. For the student, employed, self-employed or even seeking jobs- do not give up; keep on at it.
Great work is never finished, only improved gradually over time.
“Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.”
Oprah Winfrey
Tonerre's Word 