Graduation is the most thrilling moment for any graduate in Kenya, but after the achievement a job seeker can wait for up to 7 years to get a job. But the duration to securing employment depends on the course you pursue in college and how aggressive you are during your job search journey.
Based on current employment trends in Kenya, we provide the time it takes (in years) to secure a job based on your degree program
| DEGREE COURSE | JOB SEARCH DURATION (YEARS/MONTHS) |
| Medicine | Maximum 1 Month |
| Law | 6 Months |
| Statistics | 8 Months |
| Actuarial Science | 1 Year |
| Bachelor of Commerce | 2 Years |
| BSc Education | 3 Years |
| Civil Engineering | 1 Year |
| Electrical & Electronics Engineering | 2 Years |
| Sales & Marketing | 2 Months |
| Procurement and Purchasing | 2 Years |
| Nursing | 6 Months |
| Mechanical Engineering | 9 Months |
| Economics | 2 Years |
| Piloting | 2 Months |
| Human Resource Management | 2 Years |
| Agriculture | 4 Years |
| Real Estate Management | 2 Months |
| Sociology | 5 years |
| BSc Environment | 2 Years |
| Journalism & Mass Communication | 1 Year |
| Political Science | 4 Years |
| Anthropology | 3 Years |
| Oil & Gas Engineering | 18 Months |
| Criminology & Forensic Science | 1 Year |
| Quantity Surveying | 6 Months |
| Architecture | 3 Months |
From the analysis provided above, it takes a graduate at least 6 months to secure employment in Kenya. If a graduate is lucky, the least time he can wait is 1 month.
The most marketable courses, Medicine, real estate, statistics, law, piloting and civil engineering take job seekers shortest time to secure employment.
Teaching, one of the worst paying careers in the country, takes graduates at least 3 years to secure meaningful jobs, the same case applies to economics, one of the most flooded courses in the country.
The only secret to securing employment the soonest is to supplement your academic certificates with professional certificates. Certifications like ACCA,CFA,CPA,CIFA,CFE,CCP and other popular courses are important for graduates.
Another trick you will use is to camp in major towns, especially in January through to April. During this time, go from office to office dropping your CV..you might be lucky.The last and most obvious is to use your networks. The more influential people you know the higher your chances of getting a job in Kenya.
