Certification vs. Experience: What Matters Most for Promotion?

October 7, 2025 •

Posted 3 months ago

Job Description

You’ve been showing up early. Staying late. Helping new hires and fixing messes no one else wanted to deal with. Then, one day someone else gets promoted.

Feels unfair, right? Makes you stop and think, what really counts more? All these years of experience? Or that one piece of paper?

Here’s the truth most people won’t say both matter. Just not always the same way and not always at the same time.

In Kenya right now, the job market is shifting. It’s not just about “how long you’ve been here” anymore. It’s about what you can do and what you can prove.

That’s where many professionals are stuck. Because while experience teaches you the job, it doesn’t always show up when it counts.

 In crises you solved behind the scenes. You know your value but the people deciding on promotions? They often need more than stories. That’s where certificates start to matter.

In many Kenyan companies, formal qualifications are still key. In fact, a recent report by the Federation of Kenya Employers showed that nearly 44% of employers prefer candidates with university degrees. Another 35% value TVET qualifications. That’s more than three quarters of employers who look at papers first.

And in the public sector? It’s even stricter. Many promotions are tied to policies certain grades require certain certificates. No exceptions. You could have ten years in the role, but without that document? You’re not moving.

But that doesn’t mean experience is useless. In fact, more than 70% of Kenyan employers say they’re investing in extra training because many employees have certificates but still can’t perform the job well enough. That tells you something.

Experience shows you can deliver. It proves you’ve handled pressure, solved problems, led teams, and met deadlines. You’ve done the work.

But still.  Sometimes, even that isn’t enough. So what really works? Think of it like this. Experience is the engine. Certification is the fuel. You need both to move forward.

If you’ve been working for years but haven’t added a new skill or taken a course lately, you risk falling behind. It’s not because you’re not capable. It’s because others are making it visible that they’re growing.

That visibility? That’s what a short course can give you. Something practical that says, “I’m preparing for what’s next.”

Here’s the best part you don’t need to drop everything or go back to school. You can take a short course while you work. Learn something useful. Apply it immediately. Show your team you’re not just stuck in the old way of doing things.

In industries like project management, logistics, and finance this is non-negotiable. Things change fast. What worked five years ago? It might not cut it anymore

If two people are up for the same promotion? The one who’s proven and prepared usually wins..

We offer short, focused courses built exactly for people like you professionals with real experience who just need that extra edge. Courses you can finish in weeks, not years. With lessons you can use the very next day at work.

Because the truth is, promotions don’t just happen because you waited long enough. So if you’ve been overlooked before, if you’ve been stuck in the same spot for too long, or if you’re just ready for more maybe it’s time to make a small move that changes the big picture.

Explore our short courses and add power to your experience.

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