Dorc's Perspective*: *** Snippets of my life >>> after campus... (Part III)

Moving on to the next level..*

After the party…

The excitement fades and it’s time to witness all your campus dreams come to reality… Right..? And you probably thought; since you have successfully completed your four or two year-course and you have your certificates and transcripts to show for it… that job is definitely gonna be yours!

I must admit that after I had gotten over the fact that I had graduated, it didn’t bother me at first whether I was going to get a job immediately or not, I felt like I needed a much more deserved rest; after all I had been working even before I graduated! It’s just normal but not okay that most people my age would have reasoned that way, considering the fact that I had graduated at a much younger age.

So the first month goes by, then the second and now the third; I have almost used up a big share of my savings on fun and now the thought of where I’m gonna get more cash strikes me. At least when in school it’s a little bit easier for some; because all you have to do is just ask for it from your parents or guardians and you get it in an instant.

My parents (thanking God for them) are the kind of people who really found and still find it hard to say no when they really can provide to us something that’s within their means. So most of the times in campus I would have my way with the school trips and being dropped off every morning and picked-up after my evening classes. I mean, getting used to such stuff and now having to think of independence?! I must say it definitely wasn’t going to be an easy ride for me… and true to my word; it became a challenge and still is.

Where was I? Yes after the third month reality suddenly checks in; I needed not just a job but a serious one! After all, who would want to go through a hard-work experience for four years in university with the expectation of ending up with a low paying job? Don’t get me wrong, in this generation at least most of us if not all would have expected more, and this is the time that you hope that everything you ever wished for came on a silver platter.

Your C.V has been well organized; with your profile reflecting highly on your achievements and vision perhaps with the hope that somebody somewhere is going to be impressed and be a part of helping you realize your dreams. You later come to realize that it wasn’t going to be that easy after all.

Time goes by and you realize your social circle has been reduced to discussions on recent job openings and the next place you are gonna drop your CVs. I mean, applying for a job in Kenya has been considered work in itself only that it isn’t paying: the most annoying part of it is that at the end of the day you get no or minimal response.

On a lighter note; this is the time you keep your phone so close to you with the hope that any call you receive could be a miracle!

With all these frustrations, you get to realize how important networking is, when seeking to apply for the job of your dreams. How do you even survive in a country where almost each University produces approximately over 3000 graduates annually and almost concurrently? It therefore becomes a daunting task trying to prove oneself to employers in order to secure a well paying job.

Looking back, this period has been a learning experience for me and it still is even with my current job,,, a lot happened in between and that’s why I share my experience with the hope that somebody is gonna learn from it or laugh about it; after all it’s never that serious!

My Dad once told me that the reason why most people end up getting frustrated after campus is because: we live in a generation where being successful has been determined by whether you are employed or not. It is in this regard that we end up loosing ourselves, calling from one company to another, sending our C.Vs to almost all the companies that we know of and yet we forget our talents and other strengths. We can be successful in so many ways other than being employed; I can attest to this.