It’s yet another Easter Holiday that we have missed the usual festivities, courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic. Let us therefore continue sanitizing our minds, irrespective of the situation. As such, our last discussions revolved around the teaching profession.Over the years, I have met numerous teachers, who love teaching, yet they landed into the profession by chance. What could have been their fate had they ventured elsewhere? On the same token, have you ever met someone whose talents were identified, aligned and therefore rescued by an interview pannel?

Not long ago, we bumped into each other with Eddy, one of the followers of this Career Dynamics Forum, somewhere in our members’ only club, after our keep fit routines. Apparently, Eddy is not a teacher at all, but qualified to join the forum as a stakeholder in the education system.

Can you recall the Wings to Fly program that takes care of the education interests of the best students from every Sub-county in the country? Do you also recall that those who excel in the requisite studies acquire vacational jobs as they wait to join top league universities? Further, do you recall that each of their empowerment step is under full sponsorship? Eddy, as an organizational communications officer, is involved in the publicity of the said project, thus continually putting it in the public domain.

Having known that the sponsored students encounter the same challenges, as all others in local schools, it became necessary to expose Eddy to discussions in this forum, as well. During the recent meeting, we elaborately discussed matters involving the forum. Alongside, Eddy wondered how I missed becoming a journalist, yet I am such a prolific writer, despite never having attended a journalism school.

Quickly, I revealed to him that had I acquired proper guidance from my teachers or the school system, I could have studied Literature, especially considering that I was always one of the best English students in my class. Instead, I pursued Agriculture in a science school, of those days. Seemingly, nobody knew that Agriculture was a science subject anyway.

So, the impact of the various optional choices made, did not matter, as such. That naturally led to initially losing my (now clear) humanities oriented empowerment pathway and therefore overall strategic direction. Luckily, the latter was eventually regained upon acquiring the befitting Education in a locally based American University. Here, one is exposed to broad based knowledge before eventual specialization.

That is what led to the good news of understanding the disempowerment experiences, which affect a huge majority of Kenyans. The same is critically analysed in the chapter titled “Influences of the education system,” in the KICD approved concept titled, “Career Dynamics in the 21st Century.” Now, have you realized how I discovered my lost track and embraced the right pathway, even if belatedly, haven’t you? What about Eddy; How did he find his way, which is today seemingly well aligned?

Eddy is in his mid-fifties and has been a journalist all throughout his working life. While growing up, his father was a relatively senior civil servant, who ensured that his children attended the right schools for the sake of their future.

As a good student, Eddy found his way into a National school, based on performance of his performance. Strikingly, he loved Literature in both O and A levels, in the renowned National School. Excellence in the same led to his eventual admission for Studies in Literature, Economics and Political Science, in one of the leading Universities. But, during the 2nd Year, Eddy dropped Literature completely, yet it had been his best subject all through. By the 3rd Year, he was leaving university imagining that he was to become a successful Economist.

Somehow, Eddy was invited to attend a management trainee interview through the Public Service Commission – PSC, after which he would have been posted to one of the government bodies. Unexpectedly though, the interview pannel wondered why Eddy had abandoned Literature, during his 2nd year in University, yet that was his best area of performance, right from high school.

Quite unusually, Eddy was offered an opportunity of becoming a trainee journalist in the then leading Radio and TV Station, which was publicly owned.
Seemingly, the assessment of the interview pannel, somehow aligned Eddy to his key area of strength. In return, Eddy never looked back and has been a journalist all through. Today, he specializes in the area of communication. Why share this information?

One of the influences is; how many Kenyans have found their careers aligned or re-aligned by interview pannels? Further, how many Kenyans actually understand their line of best fit? The truth is that majority of Kenyans have over the years landed into various careers/occupations guided by extrinsic influences, in total disregard of their natural orientations.

Inevitably, the highly dynamic and competitive 21st Century, demands that at the earliest possible, we should each determine our natural orientations, thus venture into the right empowerment pathways. This will lead towards eventually acquiring the competitive advantages that are absolutely inevitable in today’s world.
Are the future leaders in your hands able to strategically face the world ahead? If not, remember that based on philosophy, we are each (me and you included) supposed to be constantly contributing to the improvement of the welfare of humanity, isn’t it?

Rgds

Mwangi Wanjumbi (MKIM)
Personal Empowerment Coach
Consultant/Seasoned Speaker/Trainer on Strategy, Performance, Change Management and Leadership.
Officially UNSUNG Architect of Competency Based Curriculum-CBC
Author of

1. KICD approved Career Dynamics in the 21st Century,

2. Living Beyond Survival:No More Tiptoeing in Life

3. The 21st Century Student:Are You Creating The Future Today? Also, Retired 5 Year Monthly Strategy Columnist (2013 – 2018)  for The SME Today Magazine Phone 254772516210