Unemployment is a huge problem in Nigeria of today. There just seem not to be enough jobs for the teeming population of graduates and job seekers. It has become the proverbial “many are called few are chosen” thing. There are many graduates that apply for jobs almost every day yet they wonder why they don’t get invited for interviews or aptitude tests. The fact is their countless job applications might have been turned down due to one or more of the following reasons. So what are these obstacles and how can you avoid them as a job seeker?

1. Applying for every available job

To some job seekers, it’s all about quantity. They believe that your chances of getting an invite increases with the number of CVs you send. They tend to care less whether or not they are qualified or eligible for such positions. It’s more of the “try your luck” thing. Interestingly they are surprised that they are not getting invited for interviews and tests.

2. Defeatist mindset

One of the common excuses among Nigerian job seekers who fail in their job search is “you will never get a job until you know somebody”. While it is true that in Nigeria of today who you know matters, I sincerely believe that it is over exaggerated. The average company still offers merit-based employment. No serious company would want to populate her workforce with mediocre. Not everyone on the company’s payroll is a member of the MD’s family or his/her relative. When a candidate fails in his/her efforts to get a job by merit they turn around and lay the blame on their lack of connection.

3. Poor networking skills

Life is all about networking. Networking is one of the most easiest and effective way to get a good job in Nigeria. You would be surprised at the number of vacancies that are not advertised in the public media. How do such companies recruit staff? By referral and word of mouth of course. The good thing here is that the usual crowd that is a common occurrence in the publicized job adverts is non-existent here. So if you do not know how to effectively network, your chances of lingering long in the job market is very high.

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Do you know any other reason why people are unable to get jobs? Feel free to share.