FEARING THE POWER OF YOUR ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT

 It is the joy of every student to graduate from university. I have seen some graduates who expressed their joy by holding parties ( which is a good thing because it is not a mean achievement). However after the graduation what next. There are some lucky graduates who go ahead and acquire jobs but it is not a very big number. For the rest they face life as it comes. Uganda has over 30 universities and they all graduate students in the same market place. The job economy produces about 70,000 formal jobs per year amidst over 300,000 graduates.

In his informative book After University What Next, Ambrose Mukiibi challenges Uganda's graduates to dig deep into the nature of their degrees. The graduates have placed a lot of faith in the academic transcript as a measure of their potential and success. But it seems the real world judges our success differently. Any student will not be asked the marks that he scored in the interview room but rather they will be asked how they used the knowledge that they acquired to solve the challenges of society. Almost all graduates will first place their energies on looking for jobs in the formal sector which are almost non existent. Some of these graduates will point out that they lack capital to start a business yet when they are invited for capacity building workshops they do not turn up,

The rate at which knowledge is changing and scary because the degree becomes obsolete in a very short time. The government has also realized that some thing is wrong with the education system and has reverted to a competency based education model. This will go a long way in enabling students to nurture their gifts and talents such as singing and football instead of relying on passing of university exams. It should be noted that some of the leading entrepreneurs in Kampala never reached university but are employing many graduates

Therefore though the academic transcript is important in measuring the potential of a student it is not very conclusive in enabling them to create jobs amidst scarcity.

HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT

1.Have a clear vision for your life

2.Read and pass

3.Career planning 

4,Voulnteer in the community

5.Focus on solving social problems

6.Embrace personal growth

7.Embrace mentorship

8. Have a positive attitude

9. Time management

10.Associate with successful people


An academic transcript is vital in the journey of a university student. But does it translate into job creation? The points above give some clues.


Phillip Kiryowa

Finance and Leadership Coach

256752615916

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THRIVING AMIDST UNEMPLOYMENT

 Ask any graduate what their worst night mare is and they will inform you that lack of access to a dignified employment opportunity is a big hurdle. Over 70% of Ugandans are below the age of 30 years of age. There are very many reasons why the unemployment rate needs to be addressed. Uganda has over 30 universities and all universities graduate over 300,000 graduates per year yet the formal sector produces on average 70,000 jobs. This mismatch is an indicator of the frustrations that the young people face. It was on media last year when I saw a group of able bodied youths who wanted to beat up staff of a sports betting company for failing to pay for their "Return on Investment" in Bugiri District. Iam not saying that all youths are involved in crime .What am trying to point out is that the probability of a youth without a job being involved in crime is high( after all there is a saying that an idle mind is a devil's workshop). Just this year there was youth who was killed
Read more

A SAVINGS PLAN CAN AID IN FINANCIAL ADVANCEMENT

 I remember during the Trainer of Trainers training conducted by Bank of Uganda we were encouraged to develop a savings plan. This was a key development because without a plan we may live in financial darkness. In my years of providing financial literacy across the country especially youths I have observed that the intangible practices that may be undermined play a big role in the big picture. I have been asked a question, "how can one save yet their needs exceed their income?. It is a tough question but the best practice remains that even in the hardest of circumstances we should prioritize saving .This is because we do not know what the future holds. As humans we forget so fast. Who remembers during the lock down of Covid-19 when people were not working. Life was extremely tough. It was an opportunity to reflect about the importance of savings during good times. A savings plan enables a person to determine why they are saving. It could be for school fees, buying a plot, a car an
Read more

WE CELEBRATE GRADUATION BUT AFTER THAT WHAT NEXT ?

 Uganda is officially dominated by young people. Over 50 %of the population are youths. With a high population the job market also shrinks yet people need to survive. It is the means of survival that create social pressure. The unemployment dilemma in the country can be dissected from different angles and each person or all stakeholders have a critical role to play.  Universities and other institutions of higher learning produce over 300,000 graduates per year. The job creation rate is about 70,000 jobs per year. This means that the job market is narrow. It is a common sight to see over 100 applicants for one job. This is a signal that something drastic must be done to change this trajectory. Development partners such as government, private sectors and donors such as Master Card Foundation are playing a critical role in addressing youth unemployment. In fact this suggests that fight against youth unemployment must be multifaceted.  During graduation season it is justifiable for any stu
Read more