₦airaland Forum

Good morning everyone!

It is good that a lot of you have shown interest in working at NGOs, from my original post at Lingo Africa. One thing I must say is that a lot of jobs on social work has to do with working in really vulnerable locations like the Northeast, where Boko Haram is active. There are a lot of volunteer positions open in that region, but a lot of times, many people are reluctant to work there. So, ask yourself, are you ready to live and work in a vulnerable location?

Consider this before accepting volunteer jobs at NGOs. Good luck!

Girlbestfriend:
This is also my problem. I have applied as a volunteer, even tried interning. But still not called.

If you have applied as a volunteer and did not get any response, try this;

1. Package your CV and write a good cover letter to all major NGOs that interest you in your city. In the letter, talk about your professional achievements and what you are skilled at. NGOs lookout for some specific set of skills, if you want to know more, read this; https://lingoafrica.com/six-courses-to-take-to-aid-your-ngo-job-search/

2. Address your letter to the Head of Human Resources in that NGO (check their website, you will see the person's name), if not it will be discarded by people who have their own agenda.

3. Drop it at their office. You can also use NIPOST for this.

Trust that one of them will invite you to interview as a volunteer. When they do, accept it.

If you need a cover letter sample, I can provide a generic one on this page or Lingo Africa can prepare an exclusive one for you based on your work experiences and skills for a small fee, just indicate.

PUT IT IN THE HEALTH SECTOR!

Lingo Africa, the foremost human capital development platform in Abuja, Nigeria, had the honor of speaking to a head hunter who works in one of the top NGOs in the country and he told us that a lot of the time, human resources personnel go through hundreds if not thousands of resumes from new applicants after they post available positions on online job boards.

This, he says happens on a daily basis. However, he admitted that 99 times out of a hundred, a lot of NGOs fill available positions internally. What this means is that they end up giving the available positions to those who are already working with them in another capacity instead of new applicants.

This made us understand why we have received feedback from a lot of our followers, asking why NGOs never seem to hire them even if they send in applications all year long. That being said, we asked him how new applicants can actually get to work with NGOs as there are so many young, talented professionals who would want to deploy their skills in social development.

He said the only way was to start from the bottom. According to him, there are always available spaces for volunteers, who will work for NGOs, using their skills to offer solutions and at the end of the day, when the same NGO is looking to hire for a less temporary position, the volunteers are usually the first port of call. So, it is advised that new applicants first apply as volunteers to gain entry into NGOs.

He added that a lot of new applicants must realize that jobs at NGOs are only as permanent as the funding they receive. “It is good for people to know that NGOs are executors of projects involving people and situations and roles are only open for as long as the NGOs are able to get funding, it is the reason why grant writers are very important in any NGO because they hold the responsibility of convincing funders to give money to the NGOs, so they can execute projects in communities they have interests in.”

Dear new applicants, if you are interested in working in an NGO, you should try to volunteer for one. Kindly note that experience in volunteering for an NGO varies. Some NGOs will pay a stipend, others will not. It is good, however, that you focus on your goal, which is to ensure that you get a less temporary role within the NGO.

A client of ours landed a volunteer position at an NGO last year. She was reluctant to take it because they weren’t paying a stipend but later did based on our recommendations. After working three times a week for three months for free, she received a job offer and still works there as the project she is working on will run for three years. So, you see, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The only thing constant when it comes to achieving your set goals is a compromise. What if she had gone ahead to reject the volunteer position? She would have still been on the lookout for an NGO job right now. Please, note that sometimes even after volunteering, the NGO may not offer you a job, but guess what? You have great experience and you can use that to apply for jobs at another NGO.

Say, for instance, you volunteered with the United Nations for a year and you did not get any job. You can apply to other NGOs or INGOs like the Red Cross, Society for Family Health, Action Aid, etc and if they see you have worked with the UN with measurable results, why shouldn’t they hire you?

Yes, internal candidates stand more chance than new applicants, however, the UN is like the holy grail of social development work, anyone will want to hire people who have great work experience from them. Lesson? Do not pass up volunteer jobs, especially from International NGOs!

As usual, relevant links are contained in the Source - https://lingoafrica.com/new-applicants-who-need-ngo-jobs-should-read-this/

Lingo Africa.

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Good evening!

nanyanuel:
This is very true. When companies place adverts for a particular vacant role, they often times describe what your duties are on resumption and what they hope you can also learn to do on the job.

Thank you. I just wish more people understood and believed this.

Good afternoon!

Here at Lingo Africa, we understand the job application process because we live reality every day, through our clients and also from the experiences of our many facilitators.

So many job seekers out there are on edge right now due to the Coronavirus outbreak and this is understandable. It is also true that a lot of people are on the lookout for more work opportunities, as many companies have started downsizing and getting rid of workers because they cannot cope with the lockdown order in many communities.

Some other companies are slashing salaries so they can stay afloat. In all these, it is easy to become a nervous wreck as everyone needs money to cater to their needs and the needs of their dependents. We want to give advice based on what we have seen many job seekers do when it comes to the job application process.

Two weeks ago, a client of ours, Sarah, lost her job and she decided to apply for new jobs. After a few days of applying through online job boards, she told our in-house consultant that anytime she clicked on a potential job, she would read the job description carefully and discover that the requirements were higher than she expected, so, she ended up not applying for many jobs she thought she was suited for, based on two or more traits she didn’t have.

Our consultant let her know that she was doing herself a disservice by avoiding some advertised roles. We want to advise that if you find yourself in the job application process especially now, you should never let go of a role except it is something you know you cannot do. When you read through any job description, and you fit about 70 percent of the requirements, please, apply for the job.

Do not overlook your skills or assume that the company or organization will not need someone like you! There are so many professionals out there, who have gotten jobs because they did not overlook their skills, but, rather, were confident enough to apply and they got it!

This is the most ignored fact in job-seeking – when jobseekers are involved in the job application process, some of them tend to shy away from job requirements that they think are above their level, but, those who are confident enough to apply, can get it.

What do you have to lose if you choose to apply for a job role where you fit 70 percent of the requirements? You can hardly find a role during the job application process where you fit everything to 100 percent. Will you wait until you are a 100 percent fit for a job before applying?

This way, you are limiting yourself and delaying landing a lucrative job for yourself. Why not follow our advice and change this perspective, so you can get to where you were meant to be?

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/job-application-one-habit-you-must-try-to-avoid-as-a-job-seeker/

Lingo Africa

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