{"id":4679,"date":"2017-09-28T16:30:44","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T13:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmkedev.wpengine.com\/?p=4679"},"modified":"2021-11-04T12:11:01","modified_gmt":"2021-11-04T10:11:01","slug":"post-graduation-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/post-graduation-plans","title":{"rendered":"What Next After University Graduation?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s finally that time of the year. You have successfully finished university and it\u2019s time for graduation\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and all the celebration that comes with it. So what\u2019s next for you? There are a number of opportunities to consider when you are done with college such as working abroad, <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/value-of-internship\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">interning<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a reputable organization or pursuing a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">graduate program<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, most of us feel like we are basically through with education and we can immediately dive into the world of work and we forget that university is actually a stepping stone to other achievements in life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a university graduate or young professional in Kenya, you might forget that the basics (having a\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">certificate) is not enough to actually get you a job. Ultimately, you are fresh out of college with zero experience and that puts you at a disadvantage in the competitive job market. But, that shouldn\u2019t make you worried. There are plenty of options available to graduates and young professionals in Kenya.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After completing university, most graduates go directly from school into job hunting in their chosen fields. However, most employers continue to protest that they cannot find skilled candidates to fill available positions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University completion is a big achievement. Congratulations on that! But we should always keep in mind that today\u2019s higher education institutions are not adequate to fill the \u2018skills gap\u201d that most employers complain about. It is, therefore, important for you to consider getting the practical skills that would complement your degree and kick-start your career.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0816cd3e796\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0816cd3e796\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/post-graduation-plans\/#Filling_the_Skills_Gap\" >Filling the Skills Gap<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/post-graduation-plans\/#Experience_vs_Education\" >Experience vs Education<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/post-graduation-plans\/#Complementing_your_College_Background\" >Complementing your College Background<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Filling_the_Skills_Gap\"><\/span><b>Filling the Skills Gap<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4685\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Filling-the-Skills-Gap.jpg\" alt=\"Skills gap\" width=\"848\" height=\"277\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technical training programs offer a pretty compelling career path as they allow learners to connect theory with practice. Additionally, they provide graduates with insights on the final professional direction they want to aim for. Such programs exist to teach skills related to a specific job.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technical training is a more streamlined approach to education with a core curriculum that\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">focuses on developing a particular skill set and knowledge base for a profession rather than\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">receiving the general education. As much as many colleges try to combine some hands-on training and classroom work, that may not be sufficient to make one a much more marketable candidate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several formal training programs offer hands-on training services because, in the real world, experience is preferable to academic qualifications.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Post university training is an excellent strategy that incorporates different elements of training and is\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">typically based on a hands-on approach to learning. Students can have a chance to be taught practical skills and knowledge that employers are looking for, right out of the gate.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Experience_vs_Education\"><\/span><b>Experience vs Education<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4686\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Experience-vs-Education.jpg\" alt=\"Work expereince\" width=\"848\" height=\"277\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your chosen career will dictate how education and experience stack up against each other.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an individual, you have your own ambitions, interests, and goals, and you are the one who\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">determines which approach to take after completing college. You are also responsible for\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">determining whether your career path commences through academia or through real-world\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, there are careers that give experiences an upper hand and undermine education. Take, for example, a culinary course. Experience will definitely trump that certificate. Construction trades like carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and medical courses have apprentice programs as a requirement before venturing into the business. When it comes to education versus experience, there is no ultimate winner. Both are important in their own ways but having the best of both worlds doesn\u2019t make one lesser of a person. In fact, it makes you more marketable in the competitive job market and also creates a good impression to your potential employer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In today\u2019s competitive world of work, employers are looking for candidates with a few years of work experience and most graduates don\u2019t have such experience which means that they are automatically ruled out in the job market. Therefore, when deciding on what to do after graduation, job hunting should be considered only if you have found ways to strengthen the \u2018skill gaps\u2019 you are missing. In this case, taking up technical training programs and post-college training.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Complementing_your_College_Background\"><\/span><b>Complementing your College Background<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4687\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Complementing-your-College-Background.jpg\" alt=\"Post-college learning\" width=\"848\" height=\"277\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certifications complement our degrees and it is, therefore, wise if you turn your diploma into a\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">degree and if you already have a degree, turn it into a postgraduate qualification. University might\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seem like the end to you, but it is never enough.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Completing university is one achievement and you have more available options to help you achieve a successful future. Venture into a training program, post-university or otherwise, that will teach you the necessary skills you need to step out into the real world and begin working as a professional in your field on day one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a graduate or young professional in Kenya, complement your university background by receiving the technical training you need to become a skilled employee in today\u2019s competitive workforce.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get started today! Take the first step in preparing for your bright future. Visit <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BrighterMonday Learning<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to find the training you need. You will also get a comprehensive understanding of your chosen field to help you make the transition from college to career.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s finally that time of the year. You have successfully finished university and it\u2019s time for graduation\u00a0and all the celebration that comes with it. So what\u2019s next for you? There are a number of opportunities to consider when you are done with college such as working abroad, interning for a reputable organization or pursuing a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":4684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[],"content_author":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4679","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-job-search-advice"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4679"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4679\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4679"},{"taxonomy":"content_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_author?post=4679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}