As a Nigerian graduate, the odds are stacked against you.

I won’t bore you with the complaints we hear every day about the country, because frankly, that’s not why I’m writing this to you today.

Personally, I believe you need to 1) acknowledge real societal problems and 2) improve your individual situation.

I’m here today to talk about No. 2 – improving your individual situation.

To get your dream job, ask yourself three important questions.

Question #1: "What is my dream job?"

Before you can get your dream job, you need to know what your dream job is.

I’ll give you an example: A Process Engineer at Shell in Lagos.

Question #2: "What are the requirements to getting my dream job?"

There are two paths you can take here:

a) From the company: For our ‘Process Engineer at Shell’ example, go to the Shell website and LinkedIn page, see if they have the opening available and go through the Job Description and Job Requirements provided for that specific job

b) From current employees: Go to LinkedIn and search for ‘Process Engineer Shell Lagos.’ Spend time studying the backgrounds of the employees – the schools they attended, their day-to-day job duties, previous jobs and internships, resumes (if available), etc.

Question #3: "How can I spend quality time, each day, on getting this dream job?"

You can do this in different ways.

Review your background, skills, and experiences to see that you can actually prepare for and get the role. If you studied psychology while in school, then it might be challenging to get a process engineering role at Shell.

Talk to current employees at your dream job. Email them… bother them, pleasantly. Find out how they got the job, useful tips they have to share, what they do day-to-day on the job, sample resumes and cover letters you can use, and resources that were helpful for them.

Spend time implementing the advice that you’ve received. It’s not enough to simply ask for the advice, if you won’t act on it. Re-write your resume, cove letter, and other application materials to focus on the dream job.

To be consistent and committed towards your goal, create a job search chart that goes from you preparing for interviews TO applying TO finding a referral to recommend you TO interviewing across the various interview rounds TO getting the offer.

And spend quality time each day steadily working down that chart.

Although there are only three steps here, I can assure you this: they are very hard to do, but they work.

Here are some of the mistakes that I’ve made, and see a lot of other Nigerian graduates make, in their search for a dream job:

1. Not actually deciding on ONE specific dream job

2. Trying to start a business while working towards that dream job

3. Thinking you can pursue multiple dream jobs

4. Relying only on your academic achievements

5. Simply applying online and waiting for an interview invite

6. Not finding an insider in the company to refer you

7. Missing out days or weeks without religiously following a daily routine to prepare for the dream job

8. Not preparing for interviews with an interview partner, friend, mentor, or coach

9. Expecting a PERFECT dream job – every job has its pros and cons

10. Expecting to land a dream job in three weeks – it takes time

11. Not practically calculate your chances of getting the dream job, given your background, skills and experiences

12. Losing focus, and applying to any job opening that comes your way

13. Blaming the government, system, politicians, etc. for your challenges, without taking care of your personal situation

14. Reading an article like this, and looking for the next ‘shiny’ method to getting your dream job

15. Giving up at the first sign of defeat/failure.