IS AN ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT ENOUGH TO WIN A GRADUATE A JOB?

 I met a certain youth who "cursed" why he went to university. He noted that he spent a lot of money and sleepless nights reading but has not yet met his ideal job. Is he alone in this state of affairs? I highly doubt. In a nation where universities churn out over 400,000 graduates per year it is the norm to find frustrated graduates on the street. This is not to say that our universities are not doing a great job. Universities have undergone a lot of transformation in their teaching methods. Many have introduced internship placements for students so that they acquire work related skills while still at university. 

The essence of this article is to scrutinize whether an academic transcript is an automatic gate pass to a job for a graduate. Today we  have so many graduates with good degrees but without decent work. Could the problem be attributed to the quality of education or other factors that are beyond the academic institutions. In his book After University What Next, Ambrose Kibuuka notes that university lecturers act like pump attendants who pour a lot of information without caring about where the graduates will end. In addition the structural nature of our education system is wired to produce job seekers rather than job creators. I have found university students who fear to make research because it is taxing. But in reality education is supposed to create critical thinkers who solve society's problems.

We need to note that the rate at which the world is changing is at a terrific speed and education becomes obsolete at a fast pace. Today a Ugandan graduate must not be comfortable. This is because he or she is competing with a global world. I have found university students who are only comfortable with reading their notes and not making any research related to their course. This limits their world view yet we live in a competitive and sophiscated world. There are university students who only study to pass their exams with a thinking that the employer will only look at their academic transcript as a measure of their potential. We need to know that the marks given can not truly measure the true ability and potential of an individual. It is said that most of the successful business people in Kikuubo ( which is Kampala's Central Business District are not graduates but they drive the economy. In fact many of them employ the graduates. This further validates the fact that an academic transcript is not a true measure of someone's potential. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University to start his own company and today he is a world reknown entrepreneur. This validates that an academic transcript is not the only gate pass to the employment world.

In his book After university What Next, Ambrose Kibuuka points out that many  graduates do not investigate the course units that they study. In the end they curse their degrees yet each course unit that is undertaken is a potential job. For example we have very many students who have studied Business Administration and have passed with flying colors but fear to start their own businesses such as setting up a retail shop. They are waiting for formal jobs which are very few. The other issue is that some students undermine some university courses. Ambrose Kibuuka in his book After University What Next noted that Music Dance and Drama was an undermined course at university yet in United States of America the Holy Wood stars are some of the most highly paid individuals. So I believe it is a matter of perspective.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.

1.Have a clear purpose for your life

2.Read personal development books

3.Investigate lessons learnt

4.Form Master Minds

5.Use your skills to serve humanity

6.Do not enroll for a course because of money.

7. Attend financial literacy trainings 

8.Seek for mentorship or coaching.

The education system is a gateway to socioeconomic transformation. Many graduates have transcripts but fail to get jobs due to a number of factors as discussed above.


Phillip Kiryowa

Finance and Leadership Coach(PCC)

+256752615916

For Financial Freedom and Sustainable Businesses

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