Imagine this, you are celebrating your 65th birthday, you had your dream job in Nigeria, and you now enjoy your retirement with no regrets. Imagine enjoying your days with your family and loved ones all because you found this post, “how to get your dream job in Nigeria” and took the necessary action.
In this article, we will not only teach how to get your dream job in Nigeria but how to thrive with it.
It is categorized into three segments:
- About how you can move a step up from where you are by changing your mindset and preparing yourself for the job.
- How you can prepare for the interview and impress and secure the position.
- About keeping your job and making yourself a superstar in your selected field.
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Table of Contents
WAKE UP
These are the things you should do to get yourself from 0 -100 in next to no time;
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Don’t accept unemployment
Get a job; you don’t want to have a period on your C.V. that you weren’t doing anything. Get a job even if the pay isn’t ideal. You can always learn something valuable from any job you have.
If you can’t find a job, take a course, learn a skill, or choose to be an intern. The experience is going to help you stand out.
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Be specific about the job you want
You shouldn’t just say you want to work with this company or any job in a department, let’s say marketing. You want to be specific about the job description so you can work towards it. The more specific your goal is, the more the possibility of achieving it.
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Do your research
Make a research about the job and add skills and find the necessary courses that will make you a perfect fit for the job. Try to prepare for all the challenges and problems that come with the job role.
Read also: Smart tips to choose a career in the tech industry
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Find a mentor
Another great tip is finding someone with your dream job in Nigeria and letting the person be your role model. If he has books he has written, read them; if he has interviews, he has had listened to the muse. Most industry leaders and experts in their fields have put out much content on the internet. Find them, consume them vigorously, and take relevant advice they provide. If possible, you can reach out and ask specific questions. Social media has made it easier for us to access these people take advantage of it remember people love helping people. Just D.M. them or send them an email.
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Start small in the field of your dream job
You don’t have to start at the top immediately. Even Usain Bolt, the fastest man on earth at some point in his life, couldn’t even walk, but he trained hard and smart and prepared himself for when the opportunity came; he was ready and took it. He said, “I trained for four years to perform for 10 seconds.”
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Change your mindset
Be positive. When you start doubting yourself, people around you will also doubt you. So even if you aren’t spiritual, believe in yourself and your abilities. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.
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Don’t depend on ‘connections”
As Nigerians, we all know that one uncle or family friend that says, “when you are done with school or your NYSC, bring your C.V. to me”, and most times they never deliver. They end up raising your hopes and leaving you deflated at the end. Instead, you should try and get a physical meeting with the people responsible for employing in your dream job’s company. Their information is on social media; follow them and reach out to them.
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EXCELLING AT THE INTERVIEW
Do your research about the company you want to work with. Know their strengths, weaknesses, problems and their opportunities to grow.
In the great Robert Greene’s book 48 laws of power, he says when “when asking for help appeal to people’s self-interest never to their mercy or gratitude.”
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Identify the company
Know what the company stands for, its goals, objectives, history, etc., the interviewers will be impressed, giving you an instant advantage.
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Sell yourself
Dress appropriately; don’t be overdressed or underdressed. It would be best to try not to dress ceremoniously; learn how to dress for a job interview.
Mention ways which you can bring in money to the company. This goes with appealing to peoples self-interest when asking for favours. Once you become part of the solution, they won’t let you go.
Don’t tell them what they can do for you; instead, tell them ways in which you can solve their problems or at least how you can generate revenue for them. You are not a liability; you should be able to bring 10x more returns than what they pay you.
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Don’t speak negatively about your past employers/workplaces
It will only signal your interviewers of how you are likely to speak of them when given a chance. For example, if they ask you what your worse job was, tell them you have never had one. Instead, tell them how every place you have worked taught you something valuable.
Leave the impression that they will be at a loss if you’re not on their team. Don’t be cocky, just smartly communicate your worth and how much value you can add to the company.
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Be confident and composed
It is easier said than done for some of us, but don’t let the intimidating look of your interviewers scare you. I’ll tell you a secret. They are also humans; they have fears and breathe the same oxygen like us.
Most interviewers try and test their prospective employees by appearing intimidating to see when they hire you. You have the chance to represent the company, whether you’ll cringe and be scared or you’ll be confident and as cool as a cucumber and deliver flawlessly.
Mention your accomplishments (it’s not bragging if it’s true) and how it gives you the opportunity and advantage to achieve the same and even more for the company and how you will help them attain their goals and objectives. Always remember to focus on them and give them the benefits of hiring you.
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KEEPING THE JOB
There is no point in knowing how to get your dream job if you don’t have the right attitude to keep the job.
Napoleon Hill said, “a man doing more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than what he is doing”
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Add value to the company
If you can add value to the company, chances that they will let you go are slim.
And the best way to add value is by doing this.
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Focus on your primary task
There is a law that says when you do something for 10,000 -20,000 hours; you will become a master at that task, remove distractions and meaningless activities and focus on the critical task. You become a master at your job and become one of the company best performers; if possible, hire a personal assistant out of your own money. That will take care of tasks that don’t require unique expertise and take most of your time like dry-cleaning, photocopying, and whatever you may deem unnecessary, in your own opinion.
Please don’t see it as a cost. Instead, see it as an investment that will pay its returns in due time. By doing this, you have eliminated unnecessary activities and removed the irrelevant tasks; you will have more time to focus on your primary job. Without the distraction and putting all your energy into it, you will work better than expected and perform better.
Have a good attitude toward everyone around you, from your employers to your colleagues to your subordinates. The more people like you, the more your chances of progressing in the workplace are improved.
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Outwork everyone
With a combination of uncompromising hard work and innovation, you should not allow anyone to outwork you. You should have an unreal amount of work ethic. That might seem intimidating to your colleagues and will undoubtedly impress your employers. But also try not to outshine your masters be a little bit Machiavellian (that’s a topic for another day).
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Invest in yourself
The best investment you can make is in yourself; invest in yourself by taking courses, seminars, workshops etc., to become better and more of an expert in your field “the more you learn, the more you earn “ learning never ends. So keep on striving to improve your knowledge. Strive for mastery.
Read also: How to invest in yourself as a Nigerian
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Be proactive
Although no one can predict the future, through expertise and experience, you get better at what you’re doing and tend to see problems before they arrive, and with this, you can put in means to stopping them.
Conclusion
These tips do not only teach how to get your dream job in Nigeria but how to live the life you have always fantasized.
Don’t just sit back with this knowledge; knowledge without action is only potential power. Take action and make yourself a force to be reckoned with.
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About Author
- Moses Ndahi is a content writer at insight.ng. He is a lover of sports and competition. He uses his unique outlook on life to give his well-thought opinions to solve problems.
