Jobs in Nigeria: 7 Little Changes That’ll Make a Big Difference with Your Job Search.
Have you been looking for jobs in Nigeria? Are you finding it a bit difficult finding a job in Nigeria and starting to feel dismayed? There are little changes you can implement today that’ll make a big difference with your job search process. These tasks can be done relatively quickly and it will help speed up the hiring process.
Here are 7 little things you can do that will make a significant impact in your job search.
Working Your Way Through the Latest Job Vacancies in Nigeria Today: 7 Quick Tips That Will Help You Get Hired Fast
Be Selective with Your Applications:
It has never been a good idea to apply for just about any job you see listed on job boards. That is not an efficient way to search. What that will do for you is to send countless rejection emails to your inbox. This will add to your anxiety and frustration. Instead, when you look through the list of latest jobs in Nigeria, look only for jobs that match your qualifications. This will highly improve your chances of getting selected for an interview. Think about it like a sniper, rather than the recruit who shoots aimlessly in fear. Shooting your resumes and cover letter in just about any place often amount to a waste of time. Before you begin your job search, take a moment to decide what types of jobs you will be looking for.
Even so, one of the most likely consequences is a few rejections before you land that dream job. Don’t be discouraged, learn from your mistakes and continue to apply to those specific types of jobs. While waiting to hear about the outcome of your previous applications don’t stop applying for a new set of jobs.
You can have a target list of industries you would like to work for. Then do your best to get noticed.
The next set of ideas are tips that will get you noticed for some of the best jobs in Nigeria.
Tailor Your Resume to The Job Listings!
How do you get noticed? You can get a couple of tips from our article How to Make Your CV Standout. You only have a moment to impress human resource specialists or the hiring managers before they can shortlist your resume. These decision-makers often have loads of applications to go through. And they want to see something that stands out especially what benefits hiring you will bring to the company- in the first two paragraphs.
Many people have only one resume they use for all applications! Wrong! That approach is like wearing the same kind of cloth to different types of parties! Job vacancies in Nigeria are rather highly competitive. Your approach should be to tweak your resume to closely match the job description and your qualifications. Otherwise, the resume gets passed over by the applicant tracking systems or by the reviewers.
Learn to declutter your resume! All your life experience is not needed for every job type. All those experiences may be too much of an experience for most job openings. Leave only the most important information on that resume!
Networking Is Not Out of Fashion:
Often, there are insider jobs near you that go unadvertised; and there are also a few establishments that only advertise an opening as a matter of policy but are open to filling up those advertised roles through unconventional targeted hiring means or personal recommendations.
Jobs in Nigeria: 7 Little Changes That’ll Make a Big Difference With Your Job Search
Networking
One of the proven ways to find the best kind of job opportunities in Nigeria today is to build a strong network of relationships. This is an essential component of a successful job search in Nigeria today.
This networking can be online, think LinkedIn or some specialty professional networking groups and forums. However, the potential for networking in person are quite much and possesses more impact. Here are some potential opportunity spots: job fairs, the professionals you meet during your certification classes, and while job shadowing, your course matesÂ’ WhatsApp group, the circle of your former colleagues, think about people in your religious circle or neighborhood, etcetera.
Another avenue that is most often passed off is your membership to those professional certification bodies. I know it can sometimes be difficult to continue to pay for membership after you have been awarded some professional certificates, many of which you are still required to do re-certifications anyway; but, in certain instances, the benefits of paying for membership far outweigh the cost.
Networking is an Invaluable Assets
“Networking is a buzzword and sometimes has a bad connotation, but what it really means is investing in building new relationships. Throughout my career changes, I prioritized meeting new people in my target industry/company to build new relationships. I went to every networking event I was invited to. I also proactively searched for events like happy hours, meetups, industry talks/seminars to attend, both to increase my knowledge about the new industry and to meet new people”
He concluded by saying, “If you invest the time and are genuine about it, networking in this way will yield the largest positive results for you when you are looking to make a career change.”
Also, try to avoid that trap where you only network when you need something. Focus on investing in relationship building, providing constant feedback asking for advice, and providing one when needed. This way, you won’t be considered as someone who only shows up on the radar whenever you need help. Everyone is looking for a productive and meaningful relationship.
Dress to Suit Your Profession During the Interview and Be Your True Self by Telling Your Own Story:
You think appearances donÂ’t matter too much, they do! Just like your resumes got only the first few moments to impress the reviewers, you also have only the first few moments to make that critical first impression.
The other way to get yourself noticed during the interview is to dress appropriately for your face-to-face interview. Be sure you have dressed accordingly to the kind of job or company you are applying for. The first few minutes of an interview are when you get to make that critical first impression.
Have you ever taken a moment to think that HR and Hiring Managers have listened to countless interviews and can often smell rehearsed generic answers miles away? This also applies to plastic smiles and regurgitating what you think the hiring manager wants to hear instead of what you should be saying.
Be True To Yourself.
Think of it this way: the hiring managers have seen a lot of plastic smiles; they have listened to candidatesÂ’ repetitions of answers they gleaned off the internet, usually from the same or similar sources; what do you think will make them look up from the white sheets of candidate review papers piled up on their tables? Yeah, you got it! When a candidate does things distinctively differently. The truth is employers want to know who they are hiring, and for you to get those hot Nigerian jobs you should allow your best personality to show in your interview conversations.
One way to show the interviewer who you are is to tell the story of your experience and skills. Who else can tell this story better than you! Relay the interview questions to certain skills and experience you possess. The more tangible information relevant to the job role that you provide, the better your chances of being moved to the next stage of the interview.
Temping, Internships & Shadowing: Three Talisman That Often Delivers Result.
If you have the time at your disposal you can explore giving part of your time to temporary employment, an internship, or a job shadowing. All three are slightly different but often have two common goals: to gain valuable industry experience, and pursue the possibility of a more permanent role. Very often, these three can get you in the door, and they can easily morph into permanent job functions especially if you have been able to decisively prove how important and valuable you are to the team.
At the very least, these options offer you the opportunity to expand your network circle; and, which is one important factor as you consider getting a job in Nigeria, provide you with useful work contacts you can leverage on in the future.
If you’re just starting out and you can afford the time, doing volunteer is another great way to gain valuable industry contacts and relevant experience.
Position Yourself for the Future of Your Industry
. Every business owner wants a competitive advantage of some sort, either in the quality of product offering, in its scale of operations, its network of distributors, or in just about anything that gives her an edge of superiority over her competitors. This also includes having the best hands rightly positioned in such a way as to continually put her business entity in a favorable position.
You can be a part of the changes in your industry or you can ignore these changes and let the world slip by. If want to go with the flow you should take charge of the situation, and gain the requisite skills and experience that show that you are a trendsetter in your industry.
Long before your interviews ask for advice from fellow professionals, colleagues, mentors, and professionals for their opinions on the future of your industry. You will be able to glean valuable insights from them. This will help you figure out the actual skills and knowledge you need to follow those trends.
You can also take advantage of various trend reports and research documents in your industry. Besides, almost every industry has influencers, no matter how small or narrow the niche is. You should also follow most reports of the industry leaders in your space.
Smart people find ways to stay ahead of the curve, as a job seeker you need to be abreast of industry trends to take advantage of new opportunities. You need to form important activities into your weekly routines to help you stay relevant.
Once you know the future of your industry, youÂ’ll be better at predicting future trends, which is an appealing quality to employers.
Is it Acceptable to Apply for Same Jobs in Nigeria More Than Once? Guy! DonÂ’t Delay!
OK, you once tried getting that dream job and the organization didn’t get back to you! Even after the supposedly last stage of the interview, no feedback still! All of a sudden you saw the job posted again several weeks or a few months down the line! And you kept wondering if it is acceptable for you to apply for that same job again.
If your circumstances have not changed significantly from the last time you applied for that role, you can still apply again.
This time around, just make sure to take a couple more additional steps:
Carefully matched your qualifications in your resume and cover letter to the requirements of the job.
Check out professional social circles like LinkedIn or your sphere of influence if you can find a referral for the job.
Check your previous applications if you still have access to them to be sure there are no mistakes; or if you need to include additional information to some sections of your new application. Include additional certification and experience you may have gotten in that time interval.
Getting a dream job in Nigeria is a competitive endeavor that requires ingenuity, perseverance, and tenacity. One must be willing to continue to do positive but difficult things others are not willing to do and make oneself stand out by proving oneÂ’s value. If you can show how valuable you are to prospective employers your application will stand out among the others and you most likely will get that offer you have been hoping for.
Summary: Jobs in Nigeria: 7 Little Changes That’ll Make a Big Difference with Your Job Search
Doing the following can help speed up your search for jobs in Nigeria:
- Apply only for jobs you are qualified for;
- Let your resume/CV match the job description;
- Take time to network;
- Dress appropriately and be yourself during the interview;
- Invest time in job shadowing, Internships or temporary and volunteer jobs;
- Position yourself for the future of your industry;
- Yes, you can apply still apply for that opening again if you failed to get it the first time.
All the best!
