IndexCharacteristics of a dead-end job. Poor salary/late pay No formal contract Indefinable scope of work Long and irregular working hours Harmful to your self-esteem When I graduated college, the excitement of itching towards my dream goals was palpable. All I had to do now was choose the right job. After several applications and a handful of interviews, I realized that choice might not be on the menu; perhaps grabbing would be more appropriate. In hindsight, I should have paid more attention to the advice that was, and still is, bandied about today… take whatever small job is available while you search for the perfect job. Eighty-year-olds decided to look smarter...munch on grasshoppers while waiting for the bull. The problem with munching on grasshoppers for too long is that you'll choke on the bull when it finally arrives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayNow let's look at the statistics. Findings from stati.com show that youth unemployment remained stubbornly at 26% from 2010 to the end of 2017. Earlier this year, our own Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) placed the figure at around 20% , while the The number of unemployed Kenyans seriously looking for work amounts to over 1.4 million and is increasing. Millions more (about six million) were left out because they gave up altogether. Overall, over 7 million Kenyans are unemployed. The writing is on the wall: there's no time to be picky, jobs are scarce, and you might want to grab whatever comes your way and hold onto it until something better emerges. Hypothetically, this sounds like a brilliant idea, but is it? As an example, I can authoritatively confirm that settling for any job is a terrible and misguided idea. Your first job plays a vital role in your career progression as it provides you with a platform to fill any gaps left by your theoretical studies. Which sometimes are many. As a new graduate, you also have the opportunity to network (very important), interact and learn from the best minds in your field. And even if the salary is just enough to keep you going, the fact that you're creating a footprint in the industry is a currency in itself. Eventually, you will reach the position you deserve or get a job elsewhere that recognizes your value. Now let's talk about this guy who wastes his time in a crappy dead-end job. When an opportunity finally presents itself, the candidate realizes that his know-how has faded over time. You can no longer write code, program a computer, you have no idea about the latest industry trends that have since been adopted. If the company sparks interest, they'll take you on as an intern because you technically have a mountain to climb. The result may be slightly different if you have been away for a considerable period of time. The gap must be explained somehow. Recruiters wouldn't be blamed if they think time has reduced your supposedly lethal bite to a toothless bite. Simply put, your abilities will be in doubt, and as a result, you will not be considered the first choice. The worst-case scenario means you'll say goodbye to your academic papers and chart an uncertain path into a new field. Sometimes it works, we have many people who can confirm this. It often turns you into a frustrated career misfit doing a job you probably hate, in a stressful work environment, facing an uncertain future. While we recognize that the turbulence in the labor market is undeniably disturbing, it is not