All of twitter is abuzz with the “Nepo baby” trend but it’s reality dressed in comedy. Some people only need to visit ‘uncle’ or send a small gift to big Aunty. Others just need one phone call and the next day, they’re in a big office with a better swivel chair than your CEO’s. They do not ‘need’ a salary. Your big breakthrough job is their starting point. They certainly don’t need to know job search tips to land high-paying jobs.
How to know if you’re a Nepo baby? Maybe your family is well to do. I’ll tell you how. If you can call three people on your contact list and get a job in one week. If you can’t do that, you are NOT a Nepo baby. It is unfair but it’s not hopeless.
Let’s focus on how to snag those big boy or big girl jobs without the connection or Nepotism. Today, let’s discuss job search tips to take seriously if you’re not a Nepo baby.
Table of Contents
Job Search Tips To Land High-Paying Jobs Without Connections
- Think and Move Smart
Your strategy cannot be to “hope the universe is kind to you” while you fold your arms and expect to miraculously land a job, especially if you’re still in the early stages of your career. You need to figure out a number of things, one of which includes where the good jobs are, where you are and what you need to do to be qualified for the jobs you want.
You need to build systems and habits that will position you as one to have on a team. I have a couple of people who want to work with me even when I may be difficult to access. It is not because I’m the only one who can do it. It is because I have combined expertise with results and positioning.
Master new tools. Learn to use AI more than the average person. Talk excessively about the skills you’re acquiring or have acquired. Show past results and get reviews. Never become redundant or irrelevant. Upskill regularly!
Check out a few courses on Jobberman to start your upskilling journey.
- Apply Early to Jobs You Want
You’ve heard it a thousand times, yes, That’s because it is very crucial in securing interviews. Applying early gives you the “first-mover” advantage. So, how do you catch the job openings early enough? Job Alerts.
With Jobberman Job Alert, you don’t need to spend your precious time canvassing the website for open roles that match your preferences. All you have to do is set up your job alert and the algorithm will
- Send you jobs that match your role, industry, location and years of experience.
- Let you decide how often you receive the alerts whether daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
- Monitor your engagement and reduce the frequency at which it emails you if you stop opening the emails.
No clutter, no confusion, no clamouring. Just better control. As a ‘non-nepo baby’, you can’t afford to waste what little time you have.
- Use Reputable Job Platforms and Apply Directly
While people use whatsapp groups to send job listings, your best bet is finding the direct source of the vacancy and applying there. If possible, trace the listing to the direct website of the hiring company and find the recruiter or hiring team, then email them directly. Too many people in the chain reduced your chances
Whatever be the case, whether you’re applying on a job board like the Jobberman job listings website, ensure the website is a reputable and reliable one to prevent scams or unverified jobs.
Again, when you find these reliable and trustworthy websites, set up job alerts to reduce the work you have to do. Search smart, not hard.
Note: Jobberman will NEVER ask you to pay any money to apply for a job. Please report any such incident immediately to info@jobberman.com
- Become a Pseudo-Nepo Baby – Network Like Your Future Depends On It
You read that right. If you’re not born with a silver spoon, work hard to buy one. Read the next paragraphs carefully.
Use LinkedIn to build your network. Offer real value, ask questions respectfully and gather favours (as in, offer so much value that high-network individuals start to say “I owe you one”). Be unforgettable.
Attend events too and listen when these high-network people speak, take notes and ask great questions. Afterward, meet them personally and thank them for their contribution. Follow-up with a request to connect on LinkedIn. After a few days, make a post about the event and quote the people you’re looking to connect with. Tag them to the post and watch the nepo-connection begin slowly.
Remember that you’re still following the other tips above. Offer to work for free sometimes too. You can offer a one month or three month stint for free. That way, you get to be affiliated with the bigshots.
If you’re lucky, they will retain you. Even if they don’t, ask for a recommendation on LinkedIIn and a reference letter. Watch things turn around.
5. Keep Showing Up Consistently
It sounds like motivation, but it isn’t. If you do all these things once in a blue moon, the odds may remain stacked against you. Consistency is where the results are. So, if you want to keep levelling up in your job search, keep showing up. Attain mastery – and you know what they say about mastery; it takes about 10,000 hours of doing something to actually be a master at it. So, if you haven’t put in up to 500 hours, don’t hate on the Nepo babies. You don’t have time for that!
Monitor your job alerts. Keep upskilling and talking about it. Keep connecting on LinkedIn and offering real value. Be in everyone’s faces and not long after, you’ll reap the rewards and maybe even enjoy a little nepotism (shhhh!).
Bottomline
The odds may not be in your favour in terms of your background but hard and smart work ALWAYS pay. Follow these job hunting tips to find jobs in Nigeria without connections. The most important part is to create your job alert and keep applying early enough while you work on implementing the other tips.
Your network may be small but your options do not have to be. So, create your job alert now.
