It hurts to see able-bodied young graduates ready and willing to work even at less pay but still no job for them to engage themselves and start up a decent life.
It hurts to see Nigerian graduates sit idly at home after spending between 4 - 5 years in the higher institution, with an additional one year of compulsory service to the nation, and at the end of it all, there is no job for these youths to earn a living after spending so much on school fees, handouts, textbooks, extra moral classes, etc.
The dream of every youth is to secure a decent job after graduation, but this dream usually becomes a mirage after passing out of the NYSC program, as many graduates undergo a series of job tests and interviews to no avail, it hurts.
In the process, some give up their high dream of securing a job and venture into entrepreneurship with little or no adequate startup capital, which usually ends up in a bad way after a year or two.
I am not here to whine about the government's inability to provide an enabling environment that will drive in more foreign investors and encourage local firms, which will, in turn, create jobs for the youths, but I am here to give some solutions that will help any reader of this article secure a job faster.
Please do note that I am not a Human Resources expert, nor am I working with any company's HR department to avoid people sending me Private Messages for job assistance, I can only help inform you of the latest job opportunities based on information I get from my friends who are HR experts and professionals, plus the ones I got reliably online.
Haven made that clear, let's move on.
If you are a Nigerian graduate and you want to secure a job fast, try the tips below:
1. Start your job hunting early:
Don't wait to start sending out your CV and application (solicited and unsolicited) after you're passing out parade, start early; at least a month before you're passing out from NYSC.
2. Don't rely on one job advert website:
Do you know that no one website publishes all the job opportunities available in the country?
Administrators of these job advert websites are also humans, so don't rely on one website because they do always omit some jobs either because they were unaware or didn't get the information on time.
Again, some websites may be experts in publishing the latest jobs for engineering graduates, while others may be a specialist in hospitality jobs.
So to put yourself at a good chance, have at least 5 reliable job advert websites bookmarked on your phone and laptop browser which you must visit once a day.
It's not too much task to do because I am sure most job seekers in Nigeria today don't miss any Linda Ikeji blog post which hardly adds value to their life, but instead increases their anger and frustration with life as they read about different celebrities flexing life while they beg to get a 50k per month job to start life.
3. Follow job and career-related Twitter handles:
Don't just follow entertainment celebrities on Twitter, try and follow a career and Human Resources experts on Twitter, also follow official company Twitter handles.
I once got firsthand job vacancy info via a company Twitter handle last year, and one of my fans secured that job and wrote me to say thank you.
4. Make sure your CV speaks well:
Many recruitment experts have discussed this very topic, so I am not going to over flog issues, just try and give your CV to someone with recruitment experience to review for you.
5. Have a good Linkedin profile:
At least, one of my fans get a job with Jagal Group last year via LinkedIn.
6. Tell people about your employment status:
Fortunately or unfortunately, some youth graduates in their effort not to appear jobless and broke, do lie about their employment status.
Some go as far as bragging about having a very lucrative job whereas they are made less or underemployed.
Don't tell people you work with Chevron when you work with Ayodele Chicken Farms Otta, the implication is that they will assume you have a good job and won't inform you when there's a job opening that may suit your qualification.
Be honest in life, if you are unemployed, tell your friends and family members and always remind them that you're still job-hunting.
Being unemployed is not a crime, everyone in life must have been unemployed at some point.
Buhari once cried after loss losing the presidential election and probably thought he will never be the president again, but today he is the CinC.
7. Don't rely on anybody:
While you tell family and friends about your unemployment status, please don't put all your hope of securing a job on one uncle working with Shell, Mobil, NNPC, etc, believe in yourself that's why you are a graduate.
Do you know how many help-me-secure-a-job emails I receive on daily basis (please I am not mocking those people sending me such mails, God knows I do wish I could help them all)? It always weighs me down because I usually wish I could give all of them good jobs, but then I can't, and neither can Aliko Dangote nor President Buhari.
Why it is not advisable to rely on someone for a job is because that person may have more than 10 people relying on him for the job, so who will he give, who will he ignore?
Just pray to God to send your helpers, that's all you should do.
Always brush your brain up with GMAT, and other job aptitude test handbooks and online materials.
Don't stop reading, not until you have secured your dream job at least.
While you tell family and friends about your unemployment status, please don't put all your hope of securing a job on one uncle working with Shell, Mobil, NNPC, etc, believe in yourself that's why you are a graduate.
Do you know how many help-me-secure-a-job emails I receive on daily basis (please I am not mocking those people sending me such mails, God knows I do wish I could help them all)? It always weighs me down because I usually wish I could give all of them good jobs, but then I can't, and neither can Aliko Dangote nor President Buhari.
Why it is not advisable to rely on someone for a job is because that person may have more than 10 people relying on him for the job, so who will he give, who will he ignore?
Just pray to God to send your helpers, that's all you should do.
Always brush your brain up with GMAT, and other job aptitude test handbooks and online materials.
Don't stop reading, not until you have secured your dream job at least.
8. Make friends of like-minds:
If you want to succeed in life, chose the right friends because friends shape our future more than siblings.
If your goal is to secure a job, stop mingling with motor park boys or students.
Instead, make friends with working-class people and fellow unemployed graduates for job opportunity tip-off.
9. Your looks matters:
If you are a very pretty lady searching for a job, please you must be careful with how you dress to avoid distracting the HR personnel's attention, which may hurt your chances of securing the job.
Don't dress in a way the HR personnel will form a misconceived belief that all you can offer is your physical beauty.
If you are very tall as a lady going for an interview, don't wear high heel shoes, find moderate heels.
Don't fake your accent during the interview, don't use all those eyelashes and heavy makeup.
Dress moderate.
If you want to succeed in life, chose the right friends because friends shape our future more than siblings.
If your goal is to secure a job, stop mingling with motor park boys or students.
Instead, make friends with working-class people and fellow unemployed graduates for job opportunity tip-off.
9. Your looks matters:
If you are a very pretty lady searching for a job, please you must be careful with how you dress to avoid distracting the HR personnel's attention, which may hurt your chances of securing the job.
Don't dress in a way the HR personnel will form a misconceived belief that all you can offer is your physical beauty.
If you are very tall as a lady going for an interview, don't wear high heel shoes, find moderate heels.
Don't fake your accent during the interview, don't use all those eyelashes and heavy makeup.
Dress moderate.
10. Send unsolicited applications:
Don't only wait for companies to advertise, always research companies in your field of study and send a well-constructed unsolicited application with your well-edited CV attached to it.
I have gotten 3 job offers in the past through unsolicited applications, so you too can try it.
11. Don't wait for big pay jobs only:
Many young graduates out of their greed have turned down jobs of small pay while waiting and praying for big pay jobs in big corporations while their mates are taking up smaller pay jobs to secure work experience and move up faster than they ever thought.
In case you don't know, not many companies nowadays want to hire young graduates without relevant work experience because all organizations are looking for ways to cut costs and maximize profit, and training and re-training young graduates to fit into the job role isn't always an easy or cost-effective venture for companies.
Don't only wait for companies to advertise, always research companies in your field of study and send a well-constructed unsolicited application with your well-edited CV attached to it.
I have gotten 3 job offers in the past through unsolicited applications, so you too can try it.
11. Don't wait for big pay jobs only:
Many young graduates out of their greed have turned down jobs of small pay while waiting and praying for big pay jobs in big corporations while their mates are taking up smaller pay jobs to secure work experience and move up faster than they ever thought.
In case you don't know, not many companies nowadays want to hire young graduates without relevant work experience because all organizations are looking for ways to cut costs and maximize profit, and training and re-training young graduates to fit into the job role isn't always an easy or cost-effective venture for companies.
So when next you get a job offer of 40k per month, don't reject it if it will allow you to get experience in your field....believe me, from that job, you will get a bigger offer with time.
I have many friends, relatives, and fans who have moved up from their 30k per month jobs to 100k, 150k, 200k, 300k, 500k, etc jobs in less than 4 years.
I have many friends, relatives, and fans who have moved up from their 30k per month jobs to 100k, 150k, 200k, 300k, 500k, etc jobs in less than 4 years.
I will drop you guys here for today, see you again some other time.
I wish you all God's divine favor in your search for a job and better life.
I wish you all God's divine favor in your search for a job and better life.
SOURCES: Nairaland
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