Guaranteed success after KCSE

The Kenyan Certificate of Secondary School education results were just announced for the year 2016. The results were shocking in that out of the 577, 253 students that sat for the examination, only 15% passed with a grade of c+ and above. What does this mean for the class of 2016? The fact is, one group of students will go on to further studies in universities, colleges and vocational schools based on their grades or economic resources and one group of people will not continue on with formal education based on the the same issues.

Most people have the misconception that the only path to success in life is through a college/university degree, studies show than on average those with university education, over the course of their life earn more than those that do not attend college or university.

There path to success is accessible to all, with or without a degree. If you are Interested in achieving financial success in your life, you need to figure out where you fit in the world and how you can thrive. Below are are 10 tips that will enable you to build a financially successful life beyond KCSE.

1. Develop your basic life skills

There are basic skills that would be valuable to anyone looking to hire you. Most employers want to hire someone who will work hard, someone who is dependable, someone who is generally happy and have a positive mindset and can handle working under pressure. If you can develop these life skills than they will serve you well in any working environment you go to, whether working for an employer or working on your own business.

2. Develop communication skills

Communication is the method that human beings use to understand one another. It is imperative to develop great communication and people skills. These skills allow you to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. Learn how to tell a story about yourself, what you can do ,and what you have accomplished. Learn how to market and sell products and services, you can create a really successful career in sales.

3. Learn to come up with ideas and execution

Winners have systems losers have goals- Scott Adams. That is one of those quotes that is harsh but true. If you want to have a truly marketable skill, learn to develop ideas and develop ways to execute those ideas. Most entrepreneurs have this skill naturally, they are able to create products and services, create systems on how to market and sell those products, and inspire people to help them execute on the idea. You can develop this skill by having an open mindset, expose yourself to new ideas, read widely and think about problems around you and what you can do to solve them.

4. Make meaningful relationships

It well known that the people you surround yourself with can make or break you. The relationships you make need to add value to your life not take away. Get yourself successful mentors that you can talk to often and seek advice. If you want to be in business, build a friendship with a successful business person you can learn from. Surround yourself with ambitious, can do, positive people. Who you marry will tremendously affect your life so, make sure it is someone who can support your goals and also hold you accountable to your words and actions.

5. Value your time

We only have a limited time here on earth, and therefore a very small window to make an impact on our own lives, therefore spend most of your time adding value. By adding value mean creating things, solutions, improving your skills, learning. Try not to work for free and charge for your services unless 1.It’s for charity and you want to give to said charity or 2. It fits into an overall plan for example an Internship would be beneficial if you are trying to get experience working in a field that would be helpful on your resume.

6. Collaborate

You cannot achieve success on your own, seek out people with different skills and resources from you and work together. Companies like Microsoft through collaborations have created many millionaires who brought their skill sets and resources together to create the giant company. Learn to work with people for the greater mission. Concentrate on how you can contribute, work hard on that, and find like minded people and you will see positive results in your life.

Success is a lifelong habit, that is available to every single person on earth. It is not a simple exercise, but if you relentlessly pursue it, you can achieve what you are looking for. After receiving your KCSE results is an opportunity to create a plan and actively work on it to create the life you want.

#BerniceNjoroge