Although the unemployment rate in Kenya is still high, workers in certain
jobs are still struggling more than others- and will continue to suffer for the
remainder of the decade and beyond. Here you'll find five job fields that are
projected to lose large numbers of positions at rapid rates in coming years.
The pay for these professions is also below average. To lend a hand to workers
in these fields, we've also identified viable career alternatives.
Some of the jobs on our worst list might come as a surprise. Others reflect recognizable trends including advances in automated technologies, and shifts to online services. Take a look.
1. Call Receptionist
Typical education: college certificate or equivalent
Automated answering services are rapidly replacing their human predecessors as call receptionists, and the
Alternate career: As a customer-service representative, you can still assist people over the phone, and you'll likely get paid a little better. As a customer service rep, you could also double up as an admin assistant for the company.
2. Post Office Clerk
Typical education: college certificate or equivalent
Post office clerks have among the worst job prospects in Kenya. The Kenyan Postal Service has been losing business steadily to other delivery options, including private delivery courier companies like G4S and the Internet, through emails and other electronic forms of communication. With the usage of mobile money, services like money order and postal order have suddenly become irrelevant. With such technological changes, employment in the postal industry is expected to head only one way- down.
Typical education: college certificate or equivalent
Post office clerks have among the worst job prospects in Kenya. The Kenyan Postal Service has been losing business steadily to other delivery options, including private delivery courier companies like G4S and the Internet, through emails and other electronic forms of communication. With the usage of mobile money, services like money order and postal order have suddenly become irrelevant. With such technological changes, employment in the postal industry is expected to head only one way- down.
Alternate career: Demand for mail clerks is growing outside the postal service, but those jobs pay less than what the post office does. A better bet is to become a clerk within the courier companies like G4S, which are expanding and taking business away from Kenya Posta. Equally, jobs in clearing and forwarding at airports and ports, and in shipping companies at Mombasa ports, can become a lucrative offer.
3. Printing Press Technician
Typical education: college certificate.
As more readers reach for digital versions of books, newspapers, and magazines, workers at various rungs of the printing process are facing a drop in demand. Prepress technicians, who prepare publications for the printing press, are particularly vulnerable as their functions are becoming more automated or being picked up by office employees.
Alternate career: Switch from paper to plastic…or metal. Workers who operate machines that cut, shape and form metal and plastic materials are looking toward a more prosperous future with demand for their roles expected to grow significantly. Computer-controlled print machine operators should see the biggest jump in employment numbers, but the work environment may be louder and more dangerous.
4. Desktop Publisher
Typical education: college diploma.
Another casualty of the print industry's struggles, desktop publishers are quickly losing their seats. Improved publishing software is making it easier and more affordable for other individuals to perform the functions of a desktop publisher, including laying out the design for printed materials such as brochures and mailers. Companies may also increasingly outsource these tasks in an effort to cut costs.
Alternate careers: You can make use of your desktop skills by working with engineers and architects as a draftsman. As a drafter, you'd create technical drawings and plans based on their designs.
If you'd rather stay in publishing, graphic designers are more sought after and the pay is more rewarding. But to be a highly sought after graphic designer, you typically need a bachelor's degree in Computer Science/IT to get started in this field.
5. Journalism Reporter
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
The ongoing shift toward the digital consumption of news continues to pressure newspaper and magazine publishers, as well as television and radio broadcasters. While it's true that more money is being earned online as a result, it's not enough to offset the revenue lost to circulation and viewership declines. Adding to reporters' woes, the rise of large media companies has made news anchors and arm-chair analysts to be more effective than on the ground reporters. Additionally, in Kenya at least, media companies are trying to make news anchors to also be reporters, in the process cutting down on the number of staff.
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
The ongoing shift toward the digital consumption of news continues to pressure newspaper and magazine publishers, as well as television and radio broadcasters. While it's true that more money is being earned online as a result, it's not enough to offset the revenue lost to circulation and viewership declines. Adding to reporters' woes, the rise of large media companies has made news anchors and arm-chair analysts to be more effective than on the ground reporters. Additionally, in Kenya at least, media companies are trying to make news anchors to also be reporters, in the process cutting down on the number of staff.
Alternate careers: Try jumping on the other end of the press release, and pick up a gig in public relations. As a PR specialist, you'd still be in media and communications, but you'd be in much higher demand and earn more than your journalistic counterparts.
If you're set on staying in journalism, consider a switch to broadcast news analyst. You can work on-air as a newscaster or behind the scenes as a news director. Broadcast news analysts are paid better than reporters and correspondents.
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