donjon: We wey we get job, make we thank GOD be dat o!!! I left sec school nd joined d navy

Onward together. I.joined the army to continue where papa stopped.

chineds: acting as if you are making a phone call while you read and memorize addresses and contact numbers of job posts along major highways. It was not easy...

LMFAO!!

Awwwww! So glad it paid off!!!

donjon: We wey we get job, make we thank GOD be dat o!!! I left sec school nd joined d navy

Hope say u no be ur mama only child ;d

I sleep day time to stay up all night filling in application forms!!

sending 1000s of CVs with covering letters is the easy bit, but filling tons of application forms online did my head!!

Some days i will miss calls from HR depts informing me of interviews dates; thank goodness for emails and voicemails!

At one stage i stopped going for interviews, there's one interview I did over the phone when i told the manager i cant afford train fare

Looking for job na full time work o, just gotta keep going, think about it, the day you give up, your fellow job finder has just lost a competitor
and the further you go the better you get (in theory)

Going to Abuja from Kaduna to gate-crash several aptitude tests, but on two different occassions, I was denied entry - owo wo gbo! I refuse to submit my cv online but I always walk with copies in that usual job seekers brown envelopes. But at after several tests and interviews with diff companies, I got two bank jobs at the same time out of which I choose one- ope o!

Too many to mention but I developed all sorts of specialities before becoming a fully fledged engineer. I was a store, office & house cleaner, a burger flipper, a market researcher ( i hated that job, used to develop a headache when it was time to go to work), a retail assistant, etc.

I remember once I had to go to an interview but I could not afford the train fare, rather than miss the interview, I got on the train and sat in the toilet for the 45min journey. Mehn, pesin don suffer sha

I'm encouraged by all these. I'm still looking 4 job.

I Hv walked the streets of abj for d past 2wks distributing my CV, nothing yet. Got an offer at winco foam for 20k upkeep. Dont knw if i shld take it or just keep searchin.

Poster thanks for this thread, it tells me how lucky Iam. After professional qualification my present boss just looked at me once and give me a job without looking at my documents.
Funny part is that Iam head of that firm now and securing the job in the manner I did has made it difficult for me to quit or set up mine.
For every struggle there will be a fruitful end. Make God just deal with all those theives that are making our life difficult.

chineds: acting as if you are making a phone call while you read and memorize addresses and contact numbers of job posts along major highways. It was not easy...

mehn see strategy

Gosh! Job hunting is really frustrating. 4 as many whose got a job, i'm really happy 4 u. My lack of employment is making life miserable 4 me... My hope is stil in God anyways.

Nawah o 4 naija o. Well there is hope. A frnd of mine has a funny story towards getting his job.

Every day his morning activity was to go to a near by mechanic, gist, hail guys coming to fix up cars pallies wif dem n finally may b lucky 2 get some change from those guys. In the evening he always go to d bar to chill ova a bottle of beer he says its relaxin afta d days stress.

One day he went to d bar saw a guy sitting allalone and he decided to buy 2 bottles of beer for himself and d stranger with his transport inclusive not minding to walk home after d drink, the stranger was supprised. To cut d long story short afta much gist and joke over d bottles of beer he told d stanger am jobless but I jus lyk comin here 2 feel wat it feels lyk relaxin afta a hectic day. Guess what he was talking to an ED of AGIP petroleum and he was offered through d influence of his new friend,a regular employee job in AGIP as we speak now he is a biiiig boy n jus got married.
God has a way of taking u through your path of success

jkeva: Hasnt been easy, especially as a female looking for job, all those that claim to help u will want to get down with u n if u say NO, den ur on a long thing, bt i still believe my own time will come. Ds country is really messed up.

Sista, the world is messed up not only 9ja. But God will visit you soon... Amen

After my NYSC my papa don conclude say na me useless pass for family!

I was just busy nacking babes and seemed less concerned about getting job (in his mind), meanwhile I was writing part-time for an online mag & making small money.

My father had to make up with a very popular lawyer in Naija who used to live in our BQ b4 we had serious quarrel & he became a national figure. My mother till today hasn't forgiven my dad for reconciling with the schmuck. He still didn't get me the said job sef.
Dad was making contacts and rily trying to fix me up somewhere, while I maintained a non-challant attitude, unknown to him, I was making underground contacts. Submitting CV's indiscriminately, writing aptitude tests everyhow, etc.

Went for Cool fm audition, no show.

Went to the first and previously biggest ad agency in naija, couldn't even pass the reception. Dropping my cv was futile. I refused to give up, went online and researched and snooped and dug, got director phone number, oboy see 5-page sms na? The man replied immediately with numbers of 5 other directors and asked me to say I was from him for audience, finally got past reception, first director was so helpful (cos I spun a heartfelt tale of my keen desire to learn advertising and be the best + offered to friggin' work for free for six months to learn the ropes), but HR told me politely to f-uck off. Director insisted I come back and he'd fix me.

Didn't have to, my influential in-laws had gotten me appointment/tentative job at my fav radio station, Beat fm. Had also started interviewing at an international Private equity firm through a God-send I met during my NYsC,infact dat na story for anoda day. (B4 dis girl agree become my friend eh? I cry die! She use my self-esteem rub for ground. I gave up. And then kept trying, not knowing that my insistence was tied to my destiny).
Went to see the MD of Beat fm but he was wasting my time, so I left his office to rush back home and nack one very very hot chic I had just snagged. . While nacking, the foreign guy at the PE firm was interviewing me on phone while she was sucking my ****
That man is now my boss!

Infact when I started flying to abuja and coming back same day on the firm's tab without offer letter, my dad still didn't know how far. He was surprised I finally got my act together and landed a good one without his gaddem help. Now he's proud of me. Praise da Lord!!!!!!

On the level tho, I f-ucking paid my dues. Now I'm "living the life", car, sitting in exclusive meetings with some of the biggest boys in corporate nigeria and abroad, exposure to; 5-star hotels, finance, and making solid contacts. Sometimes I pinch myself.

To an extent, job searching in the US is a lot easier. I sent in close to 10 CVs online and was called for 4 interviews during our society meeting in March. Got final interviews with all 4, 2 firm offers and finally accepted 1. Quite an interesting 6-month period as i ended up getting the dream job i had been chasing for 2 years!

For those waiting for someone to do it for them, Heaven helps those who help themselves. A girl deleted me because she expected me to magically get her a job. No be say aunty brilliant. She has a 2.1 she can't defend. In an irrelevant course. Not helping matters was that madam wants a big-a.s.s job in a multinational! Big eye! Even tho I managed to fix another buddy somewhere from another contact and trying to fix two more in different places, I think it is based on the individual's attitude.

To illustrate the heaven helps those who pay their dues, my good friend who we went to school 2geda + NIM heard my gate-crashing story and was overly-motivated so he too gate-crashed UBA test. My guy is now a staff of UBA.

But when u sit down and wait for someone who has his own challenges to "help u", hmmmm. . .
Don't depend on no-f-ucking-body! The brother of the MD of one of the leading banks in nigeria is a good friend of mine regardless of being way older than me. I've met some of the biggest public figures @ his place in lekki. But when I was begging for a place to do NYSC he couldn't come through. That's when I knew it was all man for himself and God for all. When he got the profile of my new job, he wanted to know if there is vacancy for a candidate of his. Let that marinate for a bit if u can deduce the import of that.

Fortune favours the brave! Keep hustling and your efforts will pay off. But don't sit on yo ass and wait for miracle or ur long-lost ex to make it happen for u. TAKE CHARGE!

johnCole1441: Just an advice to all my people, "na who get swagger pass ni dem dey employ oooo">... its not about academic qualification...

boss pls wat do u mean "swagga"

Hmmm God has been so good to me. I did my SIWES or IT wit 7up in their marketing dept though I read Geography. I was recommended to the management by the marketing manager,I did an interview wit d MD,MM,QAM at d end I was allow to work on the strong warning from d MM dat I sud be ready to trek in d sun. What's my salary: two crates of liquid contents for two weeks. At a point I intend to quit but my mum insisted dat I sud hang on and she was supporting me cos she is one of their big distributors and since I join they av been givin her all her dues cos am not part of d system.

It pays good reward if you are hardworking. Couple of weeks later I became d golden boy of d coy,though I spent my first four week following salesman in that hot 911 trucks for route riding. U guys must has bEen seeing dem breaking down on roads before and guess wat police no dey catch dem.

I quit d job in my final year cos we travel a lot and don't want to have extra year. they did not want me to go but I left. After my NYSC they still call me but thank God the new MM manager told me to go to Lagos and hustle dat is the London of Nigeria! But I was already working in an insurance biz where I have been trekking for months but very hopeful and trying to know Lagos. I barely use two months where I served when the MD of d coy has been begging He will be happy if I work for him. He was paying me 5k but I was doing his job like me own,he is based abroad so his library is very rich so I read a lot enginering books and within couple of months I became system engineer trainee and as at when I am tru wit my NYSC gave me an offer as system engineer and at that point our Systems Manager left his job so he needs me. I told the guy my pay is 40k,he has no option dan to agree cos I am the only one that have the password to all our networks and workstation which the System manager dat left went away without proper documentation and we are midway on a project. I left three weeks into the job after I completed those projects even without collecting my salary I told the guy that dats my humble service to humanity.
I later work wit a vitafoam distributor and he was paying just 20k,I voluntered to be driving d van so automatically became Van salesman despite dat d guy no increase my salary but I can drive to Oniru Beach 3am,notin do me! Or help someone to take his bed to VGC and pocket d cash. After 9months I got my present Job as a sales executive wit a professional driver,13months later am a depot manager when there people that has been in d coy for 8years still watching. But to be honest, I am really trying my best at what I doing cos I always have the end in mind and that's d driving force and Gods favour but heaven help those who help themselves. I don't know anybody but God knows me.

So so encouraging_i thank God al d hustlin pays at last..am encouraged

@otumbaGm, your post reminds me of the scene in Coming to America, when Akeem and Semmi started work at the restaurant
Maurice: Hey, I started
out mopping the floor
just like you guys. But
now... now I'm
washing lettuce. Soon
I'll be on fries; then the grill. And pretty soon,
I'll make assistant
manager, and that's
when the big bucks
start rolling in.

Nice stories

mine was a bit not stressing sha .... worked in a biz centre doing fotocopying and using my lappy to do jamb registration b4 i got my job through MAN KNOW MAN. Thank God sha.

i have a friend after NYSC, he goes to the North to[b] buy DONKEYS and sell[/b] them in Delta state as meat ###yuck
Now the guy is still searching for a job... he is selling recharge cards for now. I pray
God help him fast.

Made hundreds of CVs and attended several apttitude tests including Dat of National Asembly Service Commission. Went over, and over G-mat, got duped by a fake NGO(Black Race International) along Toyin Street Ikeja, etc...

Let me shared a secret with you guys; when I got to interview center and the secretary who was a man check his list my name was not there. It was my brothers name that was on the list. He works wit Glo,he has Msc,and more matured. I did his CV in a new format so his tel contact was my number and his own on his CV.

I told the guy it is a mistake,he ask me for the sms they sent to invite me for d interview I show him on my fone. Then he collected my CV and ask me to sit and wait for my turn.

When it is finally my turn, d guy ask one or two question and I was about to start shivering then his GF called. As he was talking to her on the phone, my confidence begin to gather weight then I started smiling and you know what, after he drop the call he said to me "it is one of those things" and I said yes of course and we laughed seriously together.

That was it! He asked me several questions and I answered. The following month they invited us to come for futher interview. I went out on a date wit my wife who was my fiancee back then to one hotel new my house where I supplied matresses to all the rooms and the guy paid me that day. I drank heavily cos I made little money.

By the time I woke up next morning,I am still half drunk! Anyhow I managed to get to the counsultant office and I met three other fellow jobseekers then the man annouce we are successful. He will give us letter to meet the management of the coy dat same day that they are waiting for us Jesus!

I started feeling like visiting d toilet,I managed but when we left for d coy,I told the other guys I need to buy some drugs so they have to wait for me cos we have to go together. On getting to d coy I started feeling someaw cos I used overdose to stop my dysentary I guess is on d way,so I rushed to their canteen to buy toasted bread and eva water to dilute the activities in my tummy. After drinking the water I started getting high again!

My next move was to start asking the receptionist her name,I like her jacket,she is beautiful just a pity dat am hooked,what do the coy pay their sales executive? She responded well. Then all of a sudden, they asked up to come upstairs. I was second on d list but they call me last. But guess wat I asked each of dem wat do they ask them to fine tune my package.

Finally it was my turn, you need to see my confidence level. The first guy was a marketer from wema bank,d only lady was cocacola staff,one old guy from one computer coy and I was d youngest. I almost cross my legs cos my morale was too high but It was God. The MD himself called me the following week,out of 12 I was chosen.

The day I took my car to my friends at Ligali Ayorinde where I do go market during my Insurance days who will buy me drinks and give me transport fare back home and said Mr O.. dat is my car, he said which one? I said dat car! He could not believe it until I open it and ask him to enter then he reminded me dat is it not me dat use to come and market dem, I said that was 2009 dis is 2012! He now said finally dat 'I know dat ur eyes is too strong' (oju e le tele). Thinking maybe I am into some dirty stuffs. I just laugh.

When it is ur time,notin can stop u. My advise is know who you are and be ready to start small. Today am happily married n am blessed wit a wonderful son who has started sch already all within 3years. Just believe you will get there.

I tried UK visa twice and it failed but I have helped people travel but today I don't think am regretin anytin cos am better off.

Try to learn a skill while job hunting! Every body has loads of problems dat is what one honourable member of assembly told me yesterday at a building site. Nobody can help you and know that when you are made,u dictate what u eat,wear,drive etc Nobody can do dat for u.

The way my brother use to tell me to come to Lagos, I tot I will land a Glo job instantly. When I visited him wen serving,he took me to places very tempting cos I told him I don't think I can stay in Lag. At one occassion I met Dbanj and he took me to virtually all clubs and joints on the mainland just to entice me by when I resign my job in Jos and came back to Lag I realise wat is called Lagos Life.

Today my broda is late,but his legacy lives on! One of his friends working wit airtel then I ask him for job,he said everybody is a jobseeker. Everybody needs chevron or mobil job! Me sef I wan work for Aso Rock!

It has really been difficult for me getting a job after nysc in feb.after so many interviews.the only ones available are marketing jobs. May God help us

I'm experiencing most of the things u guys just said.
It's not just easy, I'm getting fed up.
but u Know good things doesn't com easy.

Instead of job hunting, why not check this out ......more than 100 businesses you can do in nigeria and how to look for funding @ http://hypemarket..com/

This is 1 of the best threads on NL.

I'm just 21 and almost done with uni so I haven't really started job hunting in search of a career but getting a good job at 17 in Africa was hard. It's not like over here where a 15 yr old can get a min wage job easily.

A few days after graduating from high school, I spent a few days walking the streets of Gaborone (Botswana) with my resume handing it out to any receptionist who would collect it. I finally decided that I wanted to work for my favorite national newspaper but the editor wouldn't hire me cos I had no experience. I emailed him and called several times, totally ignored.

I then started to write news articles and would snail mail it to him everyday for weeks. He finally got back to me and hired 17 yr old me. I became a journalist (student news correspondent) with front page stories, earning money!! I saved it all up cos I was still getting pocket money #balling . Good times...

Journalism has since become my passion and my bro and I have started a media company. Babysteps.