What are the chances of getting a job in Kenya with a diploma certificate? This is the question most diploma students ask. While it’s obvious degree holders have advantage over diploma graduates, there are diploma courses which can guarantee you a job months to graduation.
Before we proceed, I would like to reveal parameters to use to determine whether your diploma course is good or bad. These are the main parameters:
- Number of available job opportunities
- Whether the course is easy or not
- Available professional certifications
- Number of jobless graduates
- Future of the course
When you tick one by one and finally confirm that your course is marketable, then you can be assured the chances of getting a job are high.
As you wonder and feel intimidated about your diploma certificate, I would like to give you some hope. A diploma course is not inferior to a degree certificate, the only difference is that a degree looks superior only on paper but the real determinant is how you will deliver at your work place. Further on this, you have noticed that diploma holders in Electrical Engineering from Technical University of Kenya are more respected than degree holders from Mount Kenya University. If the two graduates happen to enter interview room, one from TUK will floor the MKU graduate, simply because of competency and skills.
Following the job market dynamics, these are the diploma courses with high chances of employment.
- Diploma in piloting/aviation
- Diploma in Nursing
- Diploma in Quantity Surveying
- Diploma in Monitoring & Evaluation
- Diploma in Software Engineering & Networking
- Diploma in Accounting +CPA
- Diploma in Insurance + IIC/CII
- Diploma in Purchasing % Supplies + CPP
- Diploma in GIS and Remote Sensing
- Diploma in Criminology +CFE
- Electrical & Electronics Engineering
- Diploma in Graphic Design
If you pursue the courses as indicated above, chances of getting a job in Kenya will be almost 100 %.
As you prepare to join college, you should also be aware of this: the kind of college you attend will greatly influence your chances of securing employment, so it’s advisable to select the best college. Some of the best colleges/universities in Kenya include, KIM, Strathmore, UoN, Kabarak and JKUAT.
After graduation, this is the dilemma most graduates find themselves in.Normally, after graduation, you don’t know where to start ,and as usual you rush to Nairobi because it’s the only town with thousands of opportunities. But you should be warned in advance that to getting a job in Nairobi is not easy.
The advice I normally give diploma students is to ensure that their CVs are written by professionals. (sometimes when you go through a CV of a graduate, you wonder whether this person went to school or the school went to him).Then plan on how to tarmack.Since I know what tarmacking entails, I would like reveal this to you: never rely on opportunities advertised on newspapers, chances of getting a job through print media are almost zero. What you should do is to write down names of companies you believe can employ you. After doing so, write job application letters and drop the letters at the companies’ headquarters…you can drop hard copies and send online applications, but most employers in Kenya trust hard copies more than soft copies. Drop as many hard copies as possible, I would suggest 200 applications.
After you have done so, take another step. Peruse through relevant jobs advertised on print media and blogs. Take the email addresses and use them to apply for temporary employment in the advertising companies. I am sure some of the companies will call you for interviews.
Finally, remember there are millions of jobless graduates in Kenya. For you to stand out, you must pursue professional certifications and tools relevant to your profession. This is the only way you can improve your chances of securing employment.
