Career Department
Mission:
To Organize Career Information And Make It Accessible And Useful To Students.
Motto:
Lighting Their Path.
The first assignment of career department is to orient form ones, an exercise aimed at introducing career department to the youngest members of Karima family. Departmental mission and motto are clearly spelt out during this momentous function. Further, all the departmental members and functions are enumerated to our tenderfoots. It is in this function where we list down career expectations to our novice. We don’t hesitate to make it clear that the expectations are attached to some irresistible guerdon such as academic trips to reputable universities and achievers evening posh nosh organized by examination department. Since career department is a subset of guidance and counselling department, we seize the opportunity to implore upon our youngsters to develop virtues of arduous appetite such as fortitude, courage, tolerance, humility and grit, as opposed to developing virtues of concupiscible appetite such as sleeping in class and craving for biscuits and cakes. Additionally, we beseech our form ones to refrain from engaging in acts that are repugnant to our laid down rules as this would attract chastisement, comeuppance or debarment in extreme cases.
Upon getting admitted to Karima girls, our debutantes are introduced to eleven (11) subjects (English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, three sciences, three humanities and two applied subjects), which they study faithfully for the next one year. By the end of the year, the tutees are expected to have identify their areas of strength, passion and possibly their career alignment. The next stage involves a collaborative exercise to guide the neophytes through the process dropping three subjects and concentrate on eight subjects for the remaining three years. The process is synergetic as it involves career department, students, parents, class teachers and the school administration. Cooperation of all these stakeholders is key to shaping the future of these vision 2030 professionals. Consequences of selecting and not selecting a particular subject are clearly spelt out in presence of the parents and class teachers in an effort to make all parties participate in career guidance process.
In term one of form four, career department registers all students for KCSE with Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). Student qualifying for KCSE registration with KNEC must have been in secondary school for at least three years, and must present a copy of KCPE and birth certificate to career department. In addition, they must take a passport size photo for identification. Although the government of Kenya pay KNEC examination fees for all candidates attempting the examination for the first time, those repeating are charged at least ksh. 5,900 (five thousand, nine hundred shillings only). This amount is higher for repeaters registering for subjects such as home science, computer studies and agriculture. Since KCSE registration must be error free, career department make every effort to ensure that all students and academic H.O.Ds participate in the verification process. This is followed by signing of subject and master nominal rolls as well as other accompanying documents by students, heads of departments and the school principal.
In an effort to achieve out departmental strategic intent, our mission, we organize annual career fair in term one of each year and a professional’s day in term two (with an exception of covid season). During our annual career fair, Universities (public and private), middle level colleges and students from various secondary schools (mostly form fours), are invited to our great institution. The fair is intended to achieve at least two objectives; that of disseminating the much-needed career information to students and helping universities/colleges to market their products and persuade potential clients to join their institutions. The platform also accords students (boys and girls) the rare opportunity to interact. This helps them to vent negative energies and secrete endorphins (happy hormones) which improves their general well-being.
During the professionals’ day in second term, individuals of great academic sagacity (mostly alumni and their friends) are invited in our school to offer pro bono services to their young sisters. Community service is a corporate responsibility and Karima girls is a large corporation. During post Matiang’i era, Kenya has once again witnessed dearth of academic morals. As such, students should be re-assured that working hard is the best way to prepare for KCSE. Led by our own Dentist, Dr. Eunice Kihara, the team share their high school, university and work place experiences with the budding professionals. Through the magnanimous acts of the professionals, our candidates are able to understand that their challenges in school are not unique. Further, they get the privilege of getting a glimpse of the future experiences in the university and at the work place.
The expectations of students and all stakeholders – parents, teachers, alumni, local community, sponsor, suppliers, friends etc is for candidates to transit to the next level of learning with minimal or no wastage after KCSE. With this in mind, career department being an agent of Kenya Universities and colleges Central Placement service (KUCCPS), facilitate application of degree/diploma courses for all the candidates in third term. Although craft and artisan courses are also open for application, Most of Karima girls’ students are expected to register stellar performance in KCSE to qualify for the coveted degree courses.
In the recent past, career department has witnessed a significant increase in the number of former students seeking to enroll for baccalaureates in international universities, mainly in the US, Europe and Australia. Recommendation letters are a mandatory requirement by these universities especially for students seeking scholarships. To facilitate seamless transition of our students to the universities of their choice, office of career master drafts recommendation letters, sometimes confidential letters, to the receiving universities. We therefore support our students while in school and after school and we are happy to do that.
May God bless all Career stakeholders, may he bless Karima girls.
