How To Get A Job In Nigeria

The market is crowded. Any day a Nigerian graduate fails to land a job, the chance reduces. Yes, with more people graduating and few companies creating opportunities, the market is saturated. In that sea, you need to find a voice – a separation from the multitude. My first colleague in our Nigerian business was discovered on Facebook when I was there. He posted 100% purely on electronics. I hired him; he is still with us. Our Engr demonstrated a clear separation on his feeds. He likes electronics and that was key to us.

Our best software developer was brought it after I saw a website he built. We acquired him and his small firm; shut down the site. When he joined, I did not even know if he finished university. We never advertise any job with any academic qualification [an irony for a guy with 7 degrees!]. To deal with the English issue, we hired an English graduate to police the grammar; the engineers are liberated.

The web is here for you to tell people what you know. Forget what Buhari and Goodluck are dealing with [you would have time to help government. Now, you just need a job].   Focus on the little you know. The employers will find you. We’re hiring guys from Ikeja Computer Village. None has even an OND but they can make electronics behave.

I had my own experience – in 2011, Harvard Business Review invited me to Cambridge. I wanted to know how they found me. They showed me a piece I wrote in my generic WordPress page which one HBS professor printed and commented, passing the info to the HBR team.

I cannot understand how you claim to be a brilliant Economics graduate and yet have zero articles online? I cannot even imagine how you expect a policy NGO to hire you? NGOs feed on reports. It is easier to onboard someone that has a history of generating contents.

You need a strategy to get a job. It goes beyond sending CVs. You need a separation from the multitude to show employers you are different. Go and summarize your final year project and post the summary online. Find companies that could benefit from your works. Share the link with them, not your CV [look for HR on LinkedIn]. If they read and link it, you could get an invitation. For technical guys, maintain a small online presence and document your solution journey.

The best innovation you need now is one to get a job before you can have the opportunity to innovate for any firm. I want you to find a way to create a space and build a small separation. I have a reseller hosting service which I pay yearly to give hosting support to people who need space to show their works online. If you need one, email [email protected] but you would have to pay for domain registration.

I wish you good luck.

Nd

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