How To Get A Foot In The Door For The Job You Want…

‘Gbubemi Atimomo
Aug 8, 2017 · 7 min read

I often get people asking for my help with getting their first job, getting a job after a long absence from work, changing jobs, switching careers… basically finding jobs (although not everyone is often clear about what kind of job they really want: that will be another post!). No matter how hard I try, I know that I cannot help everyone directly; if someone sends me a resume, what’s the guarantee that I will remember it an hour after that? I always tell people upfront not to expect much when they send me resumes (sounds harsh but no point letting people get their hopes up) except it’s for a specific opportunity I have announced.

Anyways, to make it much easier for myself (and others who find themselves in similar situations), I have put together this short “guide” to help people get an invitation to test or interview for the job that they want (these are just my quick thoughts based on my experience and there are many books that you can refer to which definitely provide a lot more detail).

This post assumes the following about job seekers;

  1. They have fulfilled some typical recruitment criteria e.g. minimum age and class of degree requirements (where required). While these may be discriminatory, the reality is that many companies still use such criteria so one needs to prepare (I will probably write another post about how to surmount or avoid these challenges).
  2. They actually have something to offer; they have an above average combination of talent, skills, education, and experiences which has been presented in a clear and compelling resume. This is very important as many people say there are no jobs when in reality, there may be a shortage of well skilled people for the available jobs.
Source: Google Images

I have always believed that the best way anyone can get a job is to take the lead on their own job search; not waiting till they get info about job openings but actually taking the initiative to look for and even create vacancies for themselves.

First things first, what do you want?

Remember, the question seeks to find out what you want AND NOT what you don’t want. So, don’t start thinking “I don’t want to work in a bank”, “I don’t want to work a job with late hours” etc… start from defining exactly what it is that you want. Be as specific as you can as it’s been said that the universe conspires to make our dreams come true when we are specific.

Do not settle for anything less than what you want but be willing to adapt.

Ok this definitely sounds like an oxymoron but what I mean is, you have a fairly good idea of where you want your career to go but be flexible in terms of the route to getting there. This may mean looking at industries/ sectors/ companies/ roles other than what you may primarily be interested in. Particularly for first timers in the job market or career changers, when what you want seems elusive, consider getting a leg- in through another way.

Let’s say you want to work in Human Resources in a firm but there are no vacancies in the HR unit, if there’s one in the Admin unit and the offer is available to you, you could accept it. The key thing is to remember your primary objective (working in HR), plan towards achieving that objective, and ensure you don’t get derailed along the way (except you end up realising that your new path appears to be more like what you want to do).

Identify industry sectors (and sub- sectors) that interest you and for which you have a fit, either in terms of education, experience, skill, or talent.

This is very important so you can easily adapt into an area you already have an interest for. That way, it is easier to find a connection between your profile and the industry sector. You also don’t want to end up setting your expectations too high if your reality does not match your expectation (eg: wanting to work in a commercial bank and thus disregarding microfinance banks).

You also need to consider sectors/ industries undergoing a lot of change/ industries with future potential/ industries with a lot of activity e.g.; Agriculture, Creative Industry, Renewable Energy, Technology, etc. Don’t necessarily disregard the well known industries (oil and gas, banking, etc) but position yourself for the future. Remember it’s more about the skills you have that can traverse industries rather the industry itself.

Within those industries, target specific companies and conduct extensive research on them (at least 20).

Where do you find these companies? LinkedIn (even Facebook & Instagram), online directories, NSE company list, industry and association contacts, family and friends… basically anywhere you can get information. Find current or past employees, suppliers, stakeholders, anyone who has had anything to do with such companies.

What are you looking for? Their company profile, products & services, management team, company size, financials, current and future projects; any info you can acquire on these companies. Don’t limit your search to known companies, sometimes the smaller and unknown ones even offer greater opportunities. These smaller and unknown companies could also serve as your launching pad into the bigger companies you seek. Remember this particularly if you are a fresh graduate as that first job is very important.

You may also be able to identify the vacancies that currently exist in these companies or possibly even identify a gap that you can fill and thus create relevance for yourself (the latter is more likely in a smaller or more flexible firm).

Now you know a lot about these companies so you need to package yourself to fit their perceived needs.

Review your resume and focus on areas that fit in with each targeted company. You may need to rewrite your resume to achieve this and it should contain a profile summary, qualifications, skills and experience, professional memberships/ volunteer roles, etc. Also prepare a cover letter, addressed to a named decision maker in the firm; the MD/ CEO, Head of a unit, or the Head of HR (it must be addressed to an actual person), stating your intention, highlighting your profile, and requesting for a specific action to be taken on your application.

Now, depending on the size of the firm, you want to ensure that your resume and cover letter are reviewed by the person most likely to push for you to be invited for a test or interview. If it is a small company then that’s the MD/ CEO, a larger company then that would be the Head of a business unit or the Head of HR. I usually advise that the Head of HR should be the last person to consider sending your resume to, partly because they get many unsolicited resumes and also because HR is typically the “gatekeeper” to the company. However, nothing stops you from sending your resume and cover letter to two people in one company, that way you can increase the odds.

Oh, by all means, get someone else to review your resume, preferable a professional.

Package your resume and cover letter for each company.

There are 2 ways you can send off your resume to the companies you are interested in; hard copy or soft copy.

If sending hard copy;

  1. Print your resume and cover letter for each company on a clean A4 sheet of paper (never photocopy except the copy comes out looking like printed material).
  2. Place both documents in a white A4 envelope, addressed to a specific name, title, and company. Ensure that the addressing details are printed on the envelope, not handwritten (you could also have it marked “Private and Confidential”. This makes your package look like an official document that only the addressee should open). If you send in a wallet or brown envelope, everyone knows that it is likely to be a resume so they will most probably file it away, never to be opened, or even worse, toss in the bin.
  3. Hand deliver your envelope or have it couriered if you can afford to do so.

If sending soft copy;

  1. Ensure that you use a professionally named email address that has your name clearly spelled out as well, eg; Nino Okame “nokame@yahoo.com” (no room for Nino Okame “sexychocolate@gmail.com”, you’d be considered unserious and yes, people judge like that)
  2. Use an appropriate subject title that grabs attention at first read, eg: “Passionate Sales Candidate”
  3. Attach your resume and cover letter, DO NOT PASTE INTO THE BODY OF THE E-MAIL!!!
  4. Write a short intro with clear salutation, request (for resume to be reviewed and a test or interview invitation), and closing. Keep it short and sharp, no need to rehash what has been stated in the attachments.

I personally believe in sending your documents by hard copy as the receiver will be more likely to open it, particularly if it is packaged properly. It also communicates that the sender has a certain level of personal drive.

Wait for some of the companies to get back to you

The more the number of companies that you have sent your documents to, the greater the chances that some of them will contact you (as long as you have fulfilled the 2 assumptions stated at the beginning of this article).… but what if no one calls you back? Well, just rinse and repeat, ensuring you are as specific in your research and packaging as possible.

I wish you the very best in your job search!!!

PS: this is how I got my very first job after graduation.

‘Gbubemi Atimomo

Written by

Business & HR Consultant | The grass is greener on your side, you only need to water your garden | Entrepreneurship Advocate | People Observer & Harmony Seeker

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