You have your Urban Planning degree in hand, now what? There’s definitely no shortage of stories about unsuccessful job applications and there’s a lurking fear that you will never get a job.
Don’t worry, we got you!
Quick note if you are a reader still in University….Bravo for getting ahead of the game by stepping into the Café Construct world. It goes a long, long way to understand the job market before you are thrust in it. One tip for you would be to take advantage of your professors and their networks. Many a time, your tutors are the employers in the Urban Planning firms out here. For more tips for you as a student, check out Café Construct’s podcast Season 01, Episode 14- Networking Manenoz, to know which other networks you should leverage and how.
Without getting too side-tracked, let’s get back to life Post-graduation...
How do you get in?
Send out applications and keep sending until you get the job. However, be smart about it. It’s both a numbers game and a strategy approach.
As we have highlighted in the “Things you should know as a graduate quantity surveyor” blog and in Season 01 Episode 18- Getting Our First Jobs, the usual online applications you send often do not reach the targeted party. Supplement these digital applications with the good-old physical delivery - popularly known as “tarmacking”.
The concept of tarmacking has, over the years, got a bad rap but its value should not be under-estimated. You are not above it. None of us are! Set yourself apart from the crowd because these unique moves bump you up the list.
Do your due diligence by talking to the insiders; if you are lucky, some of them will be your former classmates or those who graduated earlier. They can tell you what processes you should follow to have a better chance of success in your application, review and eventual interview.
Remember when I said, talk to your professors..do that. Some of your professors own Urban Planning Firms or have peers who do. They can hire you post-graduation or at the very least write glowing recommendations for you. Hence why it's important for those still in school to start wooing them and building that connection early on.
Get involved in some of their projects; Communicate your interests during class projects or even intern/train with them to learn. Internships are a great jump-off point from school into the office. It is not uncommon to be on-boarded on contract by the Firm you interned at, so choose your internships wisely.
Who can hire you?
Think not only of your professors (as aforementioned) but also private companies - local and international- run by earlier generations of graduates who are well advanced in their careers.
The public sector is also ripe for your taking. Think national government and county government. The government hires once in a while so be on the lookout for open positions. They are usually advertised in the Kenya Gazette.
Add to that, international organizations like the United Nations and its associated organisations, The World Bank, and Non Governmental Organizations are also potential employers.
In general, remember to always let your networks know that you are looking for a job so that they can have you in mind when they come across open positions that might be of relevance to you.
Are you going to be rich?
I don’t know, are you saving and investing wisely?
Honestly though, you might be saving for a few years before you can own that first car. Urban planning is more of a calling than it is about the money. We do it for the people, otherwise why are you in this profession? Just kidding, the reasons are plenty!
As an intern, you will probably not get paid if you are working for a local private firm. However, you can and should negotiate a stipend with your employer. The government on the other hand pays about KES 15,000 per month for an internship. Use this information to negotiate with that local private firm.
Entry level urban planning jobs in the government start at KES 45,000 per month while local private firms pay start at KES 30,000 (though in rare cases I have heard of lower salaries). As you may be aware, urban planning firms are project based, and so most firm owners are not as generous as they could be because they are not sure when they will have the next successful bid.
Say you are looking for a mid level job, expect KES 50,000 and above (plus benefits) from our local private firms. You can expect more from their international counterparts, that is, KES 150,000 and above.
If you are a seasoned planner working for an international firm, you are in the big bucks-category , say KES 200,000 and above. In a local private firm, as a senior planner, you can count on KES 70,000 and above.
Most firms offer other benefits in addition to the salary and these vary from company to company and between private and public firms. For example, most people choose the government because their job security and pension is assured. Also, interestingly, they pay better than some private firms. On the other hand, private firms sometimes offer better healthcare benefits and of course if it is an international firm, then pay better as well.
Okay, You have been practicing for some time, now what?
First of all, if you haven’t yet, register as a corporate member of an approved professional institution. After which it is entirely up to you when you should get registered.
Of course you still have to wait out the mandatory two years post qualification practical experience in physical planning. And meet the other requirements as stipulated on the Physical Planners Registration Board website. But essentially, go at your own pace to gather the relevant experience which will be considered when you apply for registration. This includes your experience in and understanding of:
Plans: National spatial plans, intercounty plans, county plans, local physical development plans, special areas development plans, and sectoral plans
Constitution and legal stipulations
Development Control: Implementation, application and enforcement
Project planning and management
Planning practice and administration
Research and Academics
ICT in planning
Evaluate yourself against these measures at the end of two years to see whether you are ready for the examinations.
If you take it and fail the first time, don’t give up. Regroup, re-strategize and repeat. And keep repeating until you pass. You should manage your expectations of what’s to come once you are registered. Ideally, you should get a salary bump and get more independence in projects but sometimes, rewards are delayed. That salary increase might come a few months later or your project independence might be delayed. Albeit slow, you will reap the benefits of registration.
Good luck figuring out your journey; Café Construct wishes you well in your path to success and look forward to walking this journey with you.
Special shoutout to Sammy Mburu of Kreis Spatial Planning & Consulting Associates, and one of our Season 02 podcast guests, for his input into this article. We appreciate you, Planner.
Episodes Referenced:
Photo source: Maingi Kabera