Benter Opande is the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA). She delves into the crucial topic of the importance of career choice and guidance thereto:
“The task of choosing a career is a very vital and challenging moment. Every parent or guardian, when his or her child transits at the secondary school level of education, begins to worry about the career that the child is going to follow. Now that the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Exam Results are out, the question that many candidates are asking themselves is, what next? The work that was done by The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) in collaboration with The Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST) and The Teachers Service Commission (TSC), towards the preparation of 2024 candidates and the processing of all exams is indeed a milestone that is worth appreciating. If a candidate still doesn’t have any idea what she or he wants to do, the task of choosing a career may seem insurmountable. Fortunately, it is not if enough thought is put into it, an undecided candidate will increase his or her chances of making a good career decision. It’s challenging to tell what a child will become while they are still in school. There are those children who are exceptionally gifted and if presented with the right environment, parents don’t have to worry much since they will finally carve their own niche – in life. For the so-called ordinary children, they have two main career pathways; the secure path such as salaried occupation and the insecure pathway such as self-employment which has high risks. For children with adventurous impulses, these depend on the individual’s efforts so as to achieve their full potential. However, for those who want to go into independent professions, they must prepare to remain in them to the end. How do you determine career goals and career planning? The career choice that you make has a large influence in your life, so doing a self-assessment about yourself is very necessary. You need to have correct answers to some important questions such as what do you want? What are you good at? What is a career choice? What are your personality (character) and values (principals)? and what skills and abilities (competencies) do you possess? Career choice is the process of choosing a career path which can involve choices regarding education and training for a given career. There are a number of ways to define a career and the term is used in a variety of ways. A career is a job or profession that gives one an opportunity to progress in some ways that are important to a person. A career is very important to you; constitutes your purpose in life; is a process of personal discovery, self-expression and self-assertion and defines your lifestyle. A career involves transforming your dreams and wishes into achievements, believing in yourself, your unique talents and characteristics, turning your aspirations into achievements and believing that you can become anything that you aspire to be. The days when careers were solely determined by parents, by birth, caste or hereditary have long gone. A career helps you to earn a living, fulfil a demand for skilled labor, enhance your skills, propagate your knowledge and skills, create wealth, keep fit and healthy, make a personal contribution to the society and to fulfill your purpose – self-actualization in life. In the world allover, there are six broad categories of careers in which different people fit in.
The six broad categories of careers in which different people fit in are, realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional careers.
Realistic careers
Realistic careers are skills and technical oriented. They involve tangible; authentic or mechanical abilities; practical skills; working with tools, machines, plants and animals. They attract people who are highly practical and physically strong, who enjoy dealing with things rather than people. They enjoy working outdoors. Such individuals are good in technical subjects like agriculture, metalwork, woodwork, home science, technical drawing, drawing, and design. They excel in careers such as engineering, wildlife management, wood science and technology, military and technician.
Investigative Careers
Investigative careers are scientific and laboratory-oriented. They involve high curiosity, intellectual input and empirical approach to issues. Involves high value on observation; studying; learning; analyzing facts; solving puzzles; dealing with charts, numbers, formulae, graphs, data processing, evaluating, interpreting and solving complex problems through scientific thinking. Such individuals do so well in leadership positions, social gatherings and activities, are good in mathematics, sciences and business studies. They excel in careers such as medicine, architecture, microbiology, criminal investigations, accounting, statistical analysis, money, financial, veterinary, zoology, computer science, ICT, design engineer, social scientist, research, laboratory work, physicist, technical writer and meteorologist.
Artistic Careers
Artistic careers are arts oriented, creative, expressive skills and aesthetically conscious. They value working free of rules and regulations, like use of their free imaginations, are highly original, emotional, non-conforming, unconventional, independent, idealist and introspective, like taking risks, like producing distinct products. Such individuals are good in languages, literature, drawing and designs, music and acting. They excel as artists, authors, cartoonists, composers, singers, drama and theatre actors, home decorating, fabric designing and photography.
Social Careers
Social careerists value working with people; have an inner urge for helping others; like informing, helping, training, enlightening, arbitrating, developing or caring for people, organizing other people, skilled at talking with the people that they serve, are sociable, friendly, understanding, empathetic, generous, helpful, cooperative, responsible, hardworking, often sober, welfare – minded and articulate. Such individuals are good in languages, literature, humanities, can be good in sciences if they put more interest and effort in them. They excel in careers such as administration, education, law, theology, journalism, mass – communication, human and public relations, political science and related fields, guidance and counselling, and psychologists.
Enterprising Careers
Enterprising careers involve influencing and persuading or performing for others, goal and profit orientation. They are enterprising, ambitious, talkative, argumentative, domineering, energetic, self-confident, optimistic, sociable, competitive, impulsive, persuasive, enjoy chatting debates, groups meetings and committees, often run for elected offices, head important functions and motivate others. Such individuals are good in mathematics, business studies, science and they excel in careers like business management, sales and marketing, hotel management, poli tics, industrial consultancy and related fields.
Conventional Careers
Conventional careers involve highly orderly, routine and practical jobs, often there are some inflexible activities. Excellent individuals have a ‘common denominator ‘: obedient, practical, calm, orderly, carry out instructions, and work with final details. Such individuals are good in business studies, computer, office practice, home science and sciences. They excel in the business world such as bankers, bookkeepers, accountants, financial analysts, computer operators, statisticians, auditing, inventory controls, store keeping, secretarial, and office management. The right preparation for a career should start right in secondary school. A candidate should choose the right subjects required for higher education training in a particular career much earlier before they get to their final year. In addition to KCSE, a candidate should know the jobs on the decline such as clerical, secretarial are fading away due to computerization. There are ‘specialized professions’ like doctors, accountants, ICT and engineering while there are those professions ‘in demand’ like business management and consultancy. There are many young people who do not have opportunities for development of their talents and gifts; and fail to receive proper education and never get a chance to show their true worth – unfortunately never reach self-actualization. In conclusion, to make a good career choice starts a personal assessment of yourself, your personal values, interests, abilities and preferences, ‘ample time should be taken to do so’. For some people, ‘taking a career or aptitude test’ assists in identifying the right career. Sometimes, highly talented or gifted young people have been dragged by necessity and circumstances into careers which they never liked or expected to do. Such should only happen in backward societies.
Career choice is an individual choice. It is him or her alone who will live with the desired career and not another person, but others can be of help to the learner when need arises. Some of the people who can be of help to a candidate include parents – who help a learner make up their mind or introduce her or him to a career, teachers (loco parentis) – who guide and give learners information and people in the field you desire to join. Preferably, it is very important for a candidate to be equipped with universal skills and qualities. These are like computer literacy, interpersonal skills, foreign language and driving skills among others. A career is an individual’s metaphorical “journey” through learning, work and other aspects of life. “Those persons who do not think in advance of their future and do not plan their course of action, are liable to fail in life. In the modern age, all men and women are free to choose any career according to their taste, liking and aptitude and should decide as early as possible. A candidate must be careful and prepared about sticking to the career that he or she has chosen for herself/ himself because “a rolling stone gathers no moss’.