Why your Course Doesn’t Matter.

Monday, August 20 2012.
By now, almost all the 2011 KCSE candidates at least know to which course and university they were admitted to. Many of course have a bone of contention to pick with the Joint Admissions Board (JAB), or any private University that didn’t grant them their wish. But such resentment towards Jab and the individual Private universities is misplaced. The truth is that you shouldn’t worry that much about which course you were selected for. I know that sounds like a cliché but it really is true. So long as you have been admitted for a course in any of Kenya’s universities, then, you are
safe.

Even for those that were very sure, and happy to have gotten their dream course, they might discover midway through their course that the course isn’t that suited for them. It’s probably the reason why so many graduates end up taking jobs in totally different and unrelated fields to what they had studied in campus. There are those that selected courses due to parental pressure, or simply because the society deems some courses to be the ultimate show of intelligence. The question on most people is how can an A student do an Arts course, would that be a waste of his brains? Actually, the question should be turned upside down, “Why would an A student not select an Arts course?”, if in deed their talents are say in History or Fine Arts?

Are you really sure that your undergraduate degree prepares you for a job? Even though you might answer yes, the answer is a definite No. Any employer would value experience any day over a fresh graduate. Why is it so? The degree doesn’t tell them that you’ll perform the job well. All it tells them is that you are possibly smart, hardworking and ready to follow instructions. It does not in anyway ay indicate that you will perform the job.

So, in essence, when an employer specifies that she wants a candidate with at least a bachelors degree (These days I see it’s more Second Upper cut off Point really), they aren’t looking at your degree specialization per se. They are looking to unearth such skills as analytical abilities, problem solving, creativity and logical reasoning. The truth is that these skills can be learnt from a variety of disciplines, in fact, all undergraduate degrees somehow confer one with these skills. Let’s say if you got an A in calculus, or Statistics or Communication skills, it could indicate that you are either smart, or you are hardworking and sat down to read the notes from the lecturer plus additional books, or you are simply good in following instructions. For an employer, this means that they can easily train you, and in no time you will be ready to perform. The open secret is that all employers these days want someone that can hit the ground running immediately, what’s the use of training someone when you very well know that they will leave you for the competition?

Some companies have realized that the specialization does not really matter; the ‘era of the management trainee’ is now here. It has started with major Kenyan companies, and it’s catching up quickly. EABL, Kenya Airways, Nation Media Group, Radio Africa, Mumias amongst many blue chip companies are taking the heed. So, if you weren’t selected for your dream course, or you have a degree and want to apply for a job in a different field, don’t hesitate, by all means apply for the job, you never know where it might lead you. So, for those that weren’t lucky enough to get their dream course, the grades in the individual degree are much more important than the course specialty itself.