Given that some people asked me how should one go about to find a well-paid IT job, I wanted to put down some of my experiences and thoughts, so that it might be of use to you all

Preface - I am not Nigerian but Italian, so my experience in this field might differ from yours, but given that I work remotely for foreign (Western) companies, I feel that at least some of what I write will apply.

I - What to learn, aka finding a niche
I don't mean it in an entrepreneurial sense, but in a literal sense: you need to choose what you wish to specialize in.

Make use of websites that are commonly used in the West when looking for work - examples could be Linkedin, TheLocal, Monsters, Indeed, etc - and apply the filters that apply to your wishes. For example, in this case we'd apply the "remote job" filter (however it is written on the website you've chosen), and then whichever filter related to salary/etc you want to.

Once you have done so, make a list of job ads - you need to find out what are the most in-demand skills that you think you could learn.

Once you have a list of 2-3 skills - which could be anything, from a SAP module to a programming language (Javascript, C++, etc) or even other things such as web design -, you need to seriously sit down and think what you could learn.

II - Where to learn
Websites such as Youtube, or Linkedin, are your best friend here.

I spent a good month and half trying to learn what I could from Youtube tutorials and other specialized websites before sending my application for a "boot camp" for SAP. If you wish to learn how to program, there many good websites that are also free (e.g. if you wished to learn PHP, you could use https://phptherightway.com/ - found within a few minutes of googling "how to learn php" ) .

III - How to stand out from the competition
Once you have a solid base, you need I'd check if you can earn a certification to distinguish yourself from your competition.

This depends heavily on the field you've chosen - for example the multinational SAP offers certifications on its own, whereas if you chose web design, you could try to put up some websites that you could then link on your CV (to serve as proof of your skills); if you chose to learn a programming language, I'd advise to simply throw anything you programmed on a free-hosting website such as GitHub (and use that as proof of competence).

Again: your goal is now to stand out.

Bits of advice that could be useful in this regard, drawn from my own experience:
a) Make sure to list all relevant work experiences you have. This seems obvious but make sure to follow it - you never know what might catch the eye of a recruiter
b) Make sure your CV is never longer than 1 page.
c) Remember this is a numbers game, so send your cv around, but remember that this is also a matter of targeting the correct company. If you are an aspiring programmer and you send your cv to a cleaning company, they ain't hiring you, simple as. If you learnt programming, send your cv to IT companies that deal in programming, for example.

IV - I got the job interview, now what?
If you managed to land an interview with a company for a remote job, congratulations. Sincerely.

Now comes the hard part - to make a good first impression. European work ethics is different from American work ethic, remember that - we are more relaxed, but also more "on point". Don't try to sugarcoat or sweet talk your way through the interview - you are applying for a technical job, where your know-how matters much more than your personality.

Be polite, be punctual, be on point.

That simple.

Notes on salary: working remotely will likely require you to maintain a flexible sleeping schedule, which could conflict with your usual day-by-day schedule. Having said that the average Nigerian salary, as given by google, is 339 000 NGN. The average IT salary in Europe, at least in my field after 4 years, ranges from 1,852,266.15 NGN (4000 Euro)/month in Germany to 2/3 of that in Italy, and over 6000 in Sweden.

You will be offered less than that. Due to you working from abroad, the companies will be able to get away with it. Having said that, even a quite low salary / entry-level salary (1500 Euro - 694 599.81 NGN) will likely be compensated by the lower cost of living compared to Europe.

Let me make this clear - it will take a lot of efforts to find remote work abroad without migrating, but I know from experience that it can be done given my current employer is an American company.

Feel free to ask questions, I'll answer if I know the answer.

OAra:
Given that some people asked me how should one go about to find a well-paid IT job, I wanted to put down some of my experiences and thoughts, so that it might be of use to you all

Preface - I am not Nigerian but Italian, so my experience in this field might differ from yours, but given that I work remotely for foreign (Western) companies, I feel that at least some of what I write will apply.

I - What to learn, aka finding a niche
I don't mean it in an entrepreneurial sense, but in a literal sense: you need to choose what you wish to specialize in.

Make use of websites that are commonly used in the West when looking for work - examples could be Linkedin, TheLocal, Monsters, Indeed, etc - and apply the filters that apply to your wishes. For example, in this case we'd apply the "remote job" filter (however it is written on the website you've chosen), and then whichever filter related to salary/etc you want to.

Once you have done so, make a list of job ads - you need to find out what are the most in-demand skills that you think you could learn.

Once you have a list of 2-3 skills - which could be anything, from a SAP module to a programming language (Javascript, C++, etc) or even other things such as web design -, you need to seriously sit down and think what you could learn.

II - Where to learn
Websites such as Youtube, or Linkedin, are your best friend here.

I spent a good month and half trying to learn what I could from Youtube tutorials and other specialized websites before sending my application for a "boot camp" for SAP. If you wish to learn how to program, there many good websites that are also free (e.g. if you wished to learn PHP, you could use https://phptherightway.com/ - found within a few minutes of googling "how to learn php" ) .

III - How to stand out from the competition
Once you have a solid base, you need I'd check if you can earn a certification to distinguish yourself from your competition.

This depends heavily on the field you've chosen - for example the multinational SAP offers certifications on its own, whereas if you chose web design, you could try to put up some websites that you could then link on your CV (to serve as proof of your skills); if you chose to learn a programming language, I'd advise to simply throw anything you programmed on a free-hosting website such as GitHub (and use that as proof of competence).

Again: your goal is now to stand out.

Bits of advice that could be useful in this regard, drawn from my own experience:
a) Make sure to list all relevant work experiences you have. This seems obvious but make sure to follow it - you never know what might catch the eye of a recruiter
b) Make sure your CV is never longer than 1 page.
c) Remember this is a numbers game, so send your cv around, but remember that this is also a matter of targeting the correct company. If you are an aspiring programmer and you send your cv to a cleaning company, they ain't hiring you, simple as. If you learnt programming, send your cv to IT companies that deal in programming, for example.

IV - I got the job interview, now what?
If you managed to land an interview with a company for a remote job, congratulations. Sincerely.

Now comes the hard part - to make a good first impression. European work ethics is different from American work ethic, remember that - we are more relaxed, but also more "on point". Don't try to sugarcoat or sweet talk your way through the interview - you are applying for a technical job, where your know-how matters much more than your personality.

Be polite, be punctual, be on point.

That simple.

Notes on salary: working remotely will likely require you to maintain a flexible sleeping schedule, which could conflict with your usual day-by-day schedule. Having said that the average Nigerian salary, as given by google, is 339 000 NGN. The average IT salary in Europe, at least in my field after 4 years, ranges from 1,852,266.15 NGN (4000 Euro)/month in Germany to 2/3 of that in Italy, and over 6000 in Sweden.

You will be offered less than that. Due to you working from abroad, the companies will be able to get away with it. Having said that, even a quite low salary / entry-level salary (1500 Euro - 694 599.81 NGN) will likely be compensated by the lower cost of living compared to Europe.

Let me make this clear - it will take a lot of efforts to find remote work abroad without migrating, but I know from experience that it can be done given my current employer is an American company.

Feel free to ask questions, I'll answer if I know the answer.

is japan ok for remote job

fnep2smooth:

is japan ok for remote job

As a general rule any developed economy offers remote jobs. If you happen to speak Japanese, Japan would be a goldmine for you, given that while given the majority of IT people are English-speaking, few of them speak Japanese - Japan is a very culturally homogeneous country, so speaking Japanese would be a huge plus in their book.

@O

SIBF:
@OAra
Sir I'll be glad if you can consider my request.
My generations depend in it.
I have every credentials to present to you.
Thanks.

I'm sorry, but I am not offering a job - I'm simply offering advise that I wish someone gave me when I started looking for a remote IT job. if you have any question ask away

Quite insightful.

Which programming language can one start with, the one that is easy to learn and also the one universally in demand?

Valwezzy:
Quite insightful.

Which programming language can one start with, the one that is easy to learn and also the one universally in demand?

In my experience, in this order - Javascript, Java, Python. Personally I learned the obvious HTML/CSS and Javascript. One can easily learn them over the course of 5-6 months.

You can use this website since it's free and gives a good comprehensive introduction to many programming languages:
https://www.learn-js.org/

OAra:


In my experience, in this order - Javascript, Java, Python. Personally I learned the obvious HTML/CSS and Javascript. One can easily learn them over the course of 5-6 months.

You can use this website since it's free and gives a good comprehensive introduction to many programming languages:
https://www.learn-js.org/

Thanks a lot