Success story for pupils who failed to get dream schools

I recently read a fascinating story about Jack Ma, the richest man in China and founder of Alibaba. He attempted to get a job and failed 30 times.

His academic life was also littered with failure but resilience to wake up and struggle for better was how it was defined. He would have given up but today he has confounded friend and foe.

This should demonstrate something to students in schools, those who have graduated at various levels and looking for jobs.

There are sectors that are said to be lucrative, but are chaotic and messy. People keep losing them, but some end up making it. A good example is the matatu industry in Kenya.

One man in the insurance sector joined the matatu industry after the introduction of the Michuki Rules that sought to clean the sector. He faced difficulties but after several attempts he finally hit it big.

Today, he runs a successful logistics company covering more than 10 countries, a successful insurance brokerage, stock broking and he is a successful real estate developer just to name a few.

He is quite successful and he likes keeping a low profile to concentrate on his empire.

I have also seen some people who apparently were not successful here but who have excelled in foreign countries like in USA and UK.

I know quite a number. I have also met people who were not doing so well in school but have very successful careers as entrepreneurs.
Among them are successful insurance and car sales people.

Life is full of endless possibilities. Failure today does not mean failure tomorrow or forever.

It is just a temporary stop-gap. I have read biographies of people like that of former UK premier John Major, US president Barack Obama, entrepreneur Richard Branson and even dag deeper about retired President Moi. It’s amazing.

Standard Eight candidates who missed their choice of schools or who simply did not get a place, all is not lost.

To the 2014 Form Four graduates who will receive results soon, life is a mystique. They need not worry but instead should strive for better or if they have to get a good chance and gain from many opportunities in the future.

National exams and the results eventually are just the beginning.

To the many graduates holding not just one degree but many others, the world is so expanse, you don’t have to give up.

Many others are struggling with careers or have lost a job. That is not the end; keep working and bide your time.

The world has many fortunes, but they come wrapped in hindrances and missteps, including a lot of negative energy in the air, negative socialisation, illicit systems— name it. But all this can be overcome. Always believe in yourself that you can make it.

The writer is a researcher and a consultant.