Navigating the Nigerian Job Market: Tips for Job Seekers

The Nigerian job market is competitive, and that’s a solid reason for your job search to be done with an aim. For job seekers who are fresh graduates, this is most likely new to them. Landing your dream job in the Nigerian job market might be a bit challenging, coupled with the increasing number of unemployed Nigerian graduates.

Job hunting in Nigeria has appeared to be a nightmare some graduates wish they could never experience.  Analyzing the employment situation and job market in Nigeria, it seems as though it’s getting worse, with fresh graduates leaving the universities every year. How bad could this get?

Notwithstanding the current Nigerian job market situation, it is still possible to land your dream job without stress. Always remember that the experience of others mustn’t necessarily be yours. You need to put in the work to get a different result. Whether as a fresh graduate or not, the tips below for job seekers will help you land your dream job with ease.

Navigating the Nigerian Job Market

The tips below will guide you through navigating the job market as a job seeker without difficulty. Let’s get it started.

1. Prepare in Advance

As a job seeker anticipating employment, preparation in advance is highly recommended. Most jobs won’t come to you so easily; you need to search for the job and put in the work. Preparing In advance entails:

• Discovering your passion: As a job seeker, it is essential to discover yourself before commencing your job search. Take time to discover what you love to do as a person, and you can do that by spending more time doing your hobbies and things you don’t need any training to practice.

• Learn and develop needed skills: In today’s corporate world, the relevance of skills can not be overemphasized. Developing skills is key to navigating the Nigerian job market. Recent trends in job vacancies have shown that most jobs are based on the job seeker’s skills. Employers mostly choose individuals with skills that can add value to their company. As a fresh graduate, acquiring the skills needed for your career of choice will always be an added advantage.

• Be set to start your career path: Choosing your career path is one of the numerous ways to navigate the Nigerian job market. It’s one thing to be a fresh graduate, yet it is entirely another to know which career path to choose and focus on. Having a clear understanding of your career path will make your job search precise and easier.

2. Begin Your Job Search

After the due preparation comes the job search. Job search in the Nigerian job market will require you to make important decisions. Maybe you’ve been doing it the wrong way all along, but a job search does not entail applying for any job position that pops up on the internet.

As a job seeker who was once a student, your job search should not ideally start when you become unemployed or desperately in need of a job. But probably when you are rounding up your National Youth Service or maybe when you were learning a skill to keep yourself busy. That way, you’ll be more relaxed while searching.

While on the job search in the Nigerian job market, don’t be like some job-seekers who have no idea how to search for job openings. The guide below provides ways for job seekers to search for job openings in Nigeria.

• Network the right way: The power of good networking is the fuel that propels an authentic job search. Networking also makes it easy to meet the right set of people who will be of help to you while on this journey. Your network should always evolve. Because even landing that dream job, you might never know when you’ll need the help of your networking contacts. Networking will always make it possible for you to break into that hidden job market that no one knows about. A good percentage of good-paying jobs in Nigeria are not usually advertised. That’s why, as a good job seeker, you must sell yourself to good networks, register with top recruitment agencies, and use your social media platforms effectively. Networking should be your priority.

• Visit Nigerian online Job boards: Have you ever heard of online job boards? As a job seeker in Nigeria, be open to learning, unlearning, and relearning. One way to find the most recent job openings is to search online for vacancies. Some online job portals post daily job vacancies, which has made job searching much easier for job seekers in Nigeria. An example of this site is Myjobmag.com.

• Decide on the Job you want: Before searching for a job, it is ideal to know the kind of job you want before you can successfully navigate the Nigerian job market. If, for instance, you have a degree in economics, then you would love to apply for jobs related to that field. As a newbie, it is also advisable to search for internship opportunities.

• Have a good Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Cover Letter: What is a premium job search without a good curriculum Vitae and cover letter? Such a job search is almost of no relevance. Your CV and cover letter are your most important branding and marketing tools as a job seeker. A good and professional cover letter and CV can catapult your chances of getting that dream job in Nigeria. As a job seeker in Nigeria, I recommend that you make sure your CV and cover letter are presentable before starting the job search journey. YouTube might be of great help to you in this regard.

3. Secure Your Dream Job

To secure the job of your dreams, you will have to act fast and smart. After carefully following the steps above and being scheduled for an interview, you will need to adequately prepare and get the job. See the interview as an open cheque to sell yourself to your future employer and convince them that you are the best fit for the job.

Endeavor to prepare well for the interview and be ready to deliver at any time. Look forward to what you can give rather than get from the company. Take good advantage of the job and intentionally gather all the experiences you can get.

The Bottom Line

Navigating the Nigerian job market as a job seeker is not a walk in the park. But with the tips in this blog post, you should have some light on the way to go to secure that dream job. You won’t have to wait for eons. You might face disappointments here and there, try not to give in to the disappointments but overcome them.

Don’t forget that the right time to get started is NOW, not even tomorrow. I wish you luck as you commence your job search.