4 Strategies to Becoming Employable in Nigeria

If you have been unemployed in Nigeria for years now, or you are a recent graduate but haven’t found a job, or you are one of the 7 out of 10 Nigerian graduates that are unemployable, hopefully this article would provide you with successful tips to becoming an “employable person”.

Okay. The education system in Nigeria did not prepare you enough for the job market. Perhaps, you didn’t benefit from proper career counseling and guidance and you have made the wrong career choices. Or maybe you graduated from a not-to-hot school online and are struggling.

Below are four success strategies to help you become an employable person.

Re-fine

Could it be that your job search techniques need to be refined? Most jobseekers look for jobs in every place – banks, oil companies, etc without success. While this is not a bad strategy, it may make you lose your focus on the key job areas where you can readily find jobs. Or perhaps, you may be looking for jobs in an area that is highly competitive such as the banking industry in Nigeria.

So why not focus 80% of your job search efforts on areas where you are certain of getting a job given your skills, experience, etc Then, use the remaining 20% to look in areas where you are less likely to find a job, due to the high demand for jobs in that area.

Re-structure

If you have been using the same CV design, layout, etc since you started looking for a job, perhaps you need to re-structure your CV. How well you structure it to suit a particular industry or job would determine your success in getting an interview or a job offer. Understand that each job position you apply for is unique and each company or industry has its uniqueness.

You need to understand the job description of each position, the culture of each company and the nature of each job industry you are applying to. Make sure you use the relevant qualifications, skills, experiences, etc for the different job positions in the different companies and industries that you apply for.

Re-define

Perhaps you need to redefine yourself and your career purpose. If you are at a crossroad in your career, seek the help of a career expert. Your career purpose is the driving force of your career prospects. If you can clearly define your career purpose, you’ll be take control of your career life.

Re-brand

Your chances of getting a job in today’s highly competitive job environment depend on your ability to rebrand yourself. As fresh graduates out of school are the likely favoured job candidates, your goal should be to present yourself as a candidate who is “in touch” or “in tune” with the industry trends, company news and information, etc. So read company reports and other useful information that would give you an edge above other candidates at the job interviews.

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