Do not let the several years of experience required by employers in Nigeria to scare you in your quest to get job in Nigeria. The reality is that new graduates will find it very hard to secure jobs if it is to be followed.
As a job seeker, where five years of experience is required, if you know you are competent but have only three years of experience, still apply for the vacancy.
There are couple of other hindrances to your job search but notwithstanding, if you are intentional and luck, you will not only land a good job, but also your dream job.
If you are wondering how do I get a job in Nigeria, this article will discuss common obstacles faced by job applicants and fastest way to overcome them.
No Connections and Experience
The fact remains that most fresh graduates in Nigeria are clueless on the next step to take and have not figured out the proper job search steps to take. However, if there is a Will, there is a Way. It will only take those of them that have a Will to find a Way. In a country where there are not enough jobs, it therefore means that your game plan has to be tight in order to be among the few who lands a job.
Below are intentional steps you can take to get a job in Nigeria.
1. Start Hunting for Jobs Early
They say the earlier the better which is very true. To increase your success chances of getting a job in Nigeria, you need to start applying early enough. As a final year student, you should stay proactive by having a list of companies you would like to work. Study their culture, learn their core values and find out their requirements for entry level applications. Most of these companies have a career page on their website with an email and phone numbers for contact.
2. Experience Building Opportunities
As we already know, the demand for several years of experience by employers is a huge setback. But the good news is that there is a way to tackle this issue.
Your Industrial Training (IT) is an opportunity to build years of experience. And often times, students who performed exceptionally are given the opportunity to come back to the organization to work after graduation.
National Youth Service Corpse (NYSC) is another opportunity to build experience. It’s a whole year program and it affords you the opportunity to be paid by the government while serving. Use it to acquire all necessary skills needed to scale up your career.
Avail yourself for internship and volunteer roles after graduation. Do not ever stay idle while looking for job. Keep honing your skills and building capacity while job hunting. And the best way to do this is by taking up internship roles and volunteering. At the end of some volunteer or internship, you are awarded certificate which boosts your CV and makes you have an edge in the job searching world. You need to ensure that your targeted internship or volunteering aligns with the type of job you would like to do in the future.
Another way to gain an edge in the job searching process to easily get a job in Nigeria is by way of acquiring professional certificates to boost your value. There are various professional courses you can take online such as Udemy. For instance: a marketing graduate with a professional certificate in marketing and another one in customer care would be perceived more valuable than the graduate with only a university degree.
3. Have an Outstanding CV
Your Curriculum Vitae also known as CV plays a very important role in your journey to securing a job. I would say it is like your Visa. Your Cv represent and speak for you in your absence. You must ensure it is outstanding to give you an edge. The role of your CV is to prove that you are suitable for the job you have applied for so the recruiter or employer can shortlist you for interviewing. The role of interview is to further ascertain what your CV says about you.
Properties of a good CV are:
- Professional title
- Personal profile
- Professional skills
- Work experience
- Educational background
- Certifications
You can sign up for the Lagos Jobs Plus and have your CV reviewed and upgraded.
4. Search for Jobs Smartly
A lot has changed over the years in the way applicants search for jobs. There was a time applicants had to move from one company to another with their hard copy physical CV to enquire if there is a vacancy. And companies on the other advertises vacancies only I the national dailies of then.
But now, there are online job portals where companies advertise their vacancies. Use platforms like Lagos Jobs, Indeed, Jobberman, Jobzilla to search for available jobs daily.
Networking is essential when job hunting. Let everyone that cares to know, know that you are in the labour market and available to work. Be intentional about seeking relationship with people in the same career as you both online and physical. Join online networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter. Also join physical networks such as being a church worker, etc.
On the online job portal, you can set customized job alerts which can be sent to your email address directly for you to apply seamlessly. For instance, if you want digital marketing jobs, alerts for digital marketing jobs will start sending only those digital marketing vacancies to your email box for you to apply. You can leverage on this method to apply for as many jobs as possible daily in order to fast track your chances of getting a job in Nigeria.
Summary
The rate of unemployment in Nigeria is ever increasing without signs of improvement. Your best chance as a graduate or job seeker is to apply the above recommended guidelines in order to have an edge.
Should you need help in crafting a professional CV to stand you out from the crowd or a career coaching on how to have a clear career path, interview preparation, sign up for the Lagos Jobs Plus program.
Also read more about how to get job in Nigeria at reventify.com
