The Ultimate Guide To Landing Your Dream Job

Surprised? 

Well, I originally made this for BellaNaija last year. Then I didn't get any feedback for a couple of days after sending it to them, so I contacted YNaija and they were interested in having it and wanted to include it in the YNaija magazine. I ended up sending it to YNaija, and then informed BellaNaija that I have sent it to someone else. I got a mail instantly -- "Why?"

It was a case of miscommunication based on no communication.

But it didn't end there. YNaija reviewed the piece and confirmed that they were happy with it and will publish it. And then the same thing happened again -- no more replies to my follow-up mails. And now I'm finally putting it up on my blog. It is better to have not written a piece at all than to be not sure that it was published somewhere or anywhere.

So here's today's special post -- The ultimate guide to landing your dream job. (Update: Google is now giving $75 coupon when you sign up for google ads. You'll see the need before you read to the end).

image: www.ready4work.my

Getting any job in Nigeria is not an easy task, let alone a dream job.

In this post, I am going to show you how to get not just a job but your dream job. A job that matches both your qualifications and your interest.

STEP 1: Be Ready!

Remember I consider a dream job as one that matches your interest and qualifications. So it's obvious that one of the first steps you need to take is to make sure your CV and your person reflects your qualifications.

Get your CV done professionally.

Dress for the job you want and not the one you have.

And if you need do get some certifications to prove your worth, get them.

STEP 2: Be a Bug!

Oftentimes, I hear someone complain that a close family friend hasn't been helpful in securing him an interview in the multi-national company the family friend works, and that he's no longer going to ask for assistance from relatives and family friends again. I shake my head in dismay. This fellow is out of touch with reality.

In the corporate world, you don't count your losses. You don't stop because one or two people disappointed you. You don't focus your efforts on a few people or opportunities.

To succeed in the corporate world, you have to be a bug. You have to put yourself forward, bug every family friend and relative who can help. Don't keep count of disappointments. Move yourself forward, grab every inch.

But be focused. Only bother family and friends that can help. Don't go looking for consolation, people who will make you feel better about being jobless or under-employed.

STEP 3: Be Informed!

Go online and get registered to receive job alerts from all job sites in Nigeria. JobberMan.com, Naijahotjobs.com, Justjobsng.com, NgCareers.com, JoblistNigeria.com, JobFinder.ng and others.

Get on LinkedIn.com and create a professionally done profile, an expanded version of your CV. Join relevant groups especially Lagos Business Club and follow the companies you'll like to work for.

Join professional communities online, like InterNations.org and you'll greatly increase your chances of being informed about hidden jobs, ones you won't see in Newspapers or job sites. The best part is most new foreign companies in Nigeria source for candidates in this closed group communities. I once got a job via one.

STEP 4: Be Creative!

There are millions of Nigerians like you, looking for a job. You've got to be creative to stand out.

How can you be creative?

Creativity has no bounds. Just be professional about it. I will give you some tips I have used and some I know people have used successfully.

Make an online resume/CV you can share with people. You can make one via http://snappages.com/resume

It's time to put your Facebook account to rewarding use.

Register for Facebook Ads, you'll likely get a $50 coupon as a new user. Create a compelling Hire Me advert, link it to your online Resume Page. And instruct Facebook to show the ads to only people working in the companies you like. I have done this before.

Also go on LinkedIn, register for LinkedIn ads. Don't create any ad yet, wait for a couple of days. LinkedIn will notice that you have not used the account and will send you a $50 coupon. Create another Hire Me advert, target senior managers of the companies you like. I have also done this before and got some interesting results.

If you have a particular HR manager or C-level exec you're pitching, then here is the ultimate way to get him to pay you extra attention. Google his full name, if there is no celebrity sharing that name and dominating the search results, then proceed. Login to Google Adwords, create a compelling ad, like - Dear Aliko Dangote, I have a business proposal you'll be interested in. You get the idea. Now bid for his name and run that ad. Whenever Aliko Dangote googles himself, your ad is the first thing he'll notice. People have gotten jobs via this creative means and it’s very cheap. The trial I did cost me less than $5 for months.

Google all the senior execs of the company you want to join, don't restrict yourself to the page 1 results. Read up to the results on page 10. Notice the execs that are members of clubs like Rotaract, Toastmasters, and other not-too-expensive-to-join clubs. Join one of these clubs and cozy up to one of the target execs.

If you are able to get the emails or mail address of some of the execs of the companies you are targeting, great. Write a compelling mail detailing the value you can add to the company, send the email at around 7:00am on a Monday morning or use DHL for a printed mail. This has once gotten me the attention of the CEO of a Telecoms company and landed me a VIP interview session.

The list of other creative things you can do is endless. And if you are in the independent consultancy biz, you can also give your biz cards to the children of the big shots you're targeting (especially those you attend the same church with, and tell them to give daddy).

STEP 4: Be Consistent!

Once again, don't count your disappointments. Don't give up. Keep updating your CV. Keep reading through job sites. Keep interacting on business communities online. Keep applying for relevant job openings. Keep being optimistic. And your dream job will only be a trial away.

STEP 5: Be the Best!

Be the best you can be - whether you are working for free somewhere or stuck in a job you hate. As long as you are still there, give your best. Sometimes, your dream job is the job you already have and you only need time to reveal it. And even if it's never going to be your dream job, your excellent work ethics and performance will always open future doors for you.

So as the French will say, bonne chance!

All the best in getting your dream job!