Second class lower division is among the lowest grades to get in the university. Above this grade is Second Class Upper Division and First Class. Below the Second Class Lower is a Pass.
One of the jobs you won’t secure in Kenya is Graduate Trainee especially in big institutions. They usually require one to score Upper Second class or First Class. However, even if you scored lower division, you can still capture the attention of recruiters. You should pursue a professional course which is deemed tough by other graduates. For instance, if you score Second Lower in BCom, enroll for CFA or Actuarial Science professional courses.in case you pass those courses, the recruiter will doubt your grade in college and give you a chance. Passing CFA is not for average students, it’s a tough professional course. Even Actuarial professional courses are not easy.
There are other tough courses which even if you scored Second Class Lower, you will still secure employment. Your only target is to graduate. Even those students who scored A plain in KCSE find themselves failing those courses. Example of hardest courses include:
- Bachelor of Actuarial Science
- Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery
- Bachelor of Nursing
- Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering
- Bachelor of Statistics
- Bachelor of Electrical & Electronics Engineering
- Bachelor of Software Engineering
- Bachelor of IT
- Bachelor of Computer Science
- Bachelor of Pharmacy
- Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering
- Bachelor of Civil Engineering
- Bachelor of Mathematics
Even with a second class lower division, you will still secure employment. However, Actuarial Science,Statistic,Mathematics and Computer Science will require one to pursue professional courses for them to become competitive in the job market.
If you study for an easy course and unfortunately you score Second Class Lower, it won’t be easy for you to get a job in Kenya. Employers will see you as lazy. The best thing to do in this case is to look for internship. Do a great job during internship to empress your employer. They might consider you for employment.
If you don’t get a job within 2 years, enroll for a masters course in the relevant field. With a Masters and 2 years of experience, you can secure employment.
Going to school is not all about getting employed, it’s to get necessary skills to help you get a place in the society. You can graduate and start your own hustle. There are many things you can do online. Nowadays there are companies like Remotasks which give graduates remote jobs.You can become a YouTuber or blogger.
Getting a second class lower is not the end of life. You may think you’re a failure but not aware what the future holds for you.You may even get a job which is not relevant to your field.You may go abroad and get a decent job even without the papers.
What I have learnt over time is that sometimes success is through luck.You may score first class and fail in life,another one will score a pass and become successful.