Many Nigerians dream about being hired by companies located elsewhere in the world. They’re thinking about the advantages: getting paid higher wages and in more stable currencies (the dollar, pound, or Euro, for example), and the comforts of working remotely. But only a few know how to land a full-time remote job with an international company.
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This article sets out to close that information gap. Here, we’ll explain the steps to securing employment from organisations that are staffed by global teams. Whether your desired job is in software development or digital marketing, product management or data analysis, you’ll find this guide helpful for your purposes. Please read on.
Identify Your Interests
If you haven’t yet decided on what you’re going to pursue, it’s the first thing you ought to ascertain. You can begin by examining your interests. What subjects and tasks do you like to take a deep dive into? Are there things that you’re temperamentally attracted to? Think about these questions, and try to be clear and honest in answering them.
Research In-Demand Skills
Next, find out what skills are actually in demand in the international market for service-oriented workers. Don’t end your search with the well-known and often talked-about ones. Spread your net as wide as possible, and aim for a large capture of potential disciplines. While you’re at it, pay special attention to domains that resonate with you. Go for one that you both find appealing and think is likely to pay you a decent wage.
Sharpen Your Skills
Having settled for a specific type of job, you should go on to acquire skills in that area and sharpen relevant ones that you already have. No matter the career you choose, there are learning materials and courses online that cover them. A lot of those resources are available for free. Learn all that you’re required to, and then some more. Practice with mock projects, and aim to improve with each new assignment.
Get Active on Social Media
Putting yourself out on social media serves at least two purposes at this stage. First, you may want to hold yourself accountable by sharing updates about your mock projects with the world. Also, you could cultivate a public image of yourself that exudes knowledge, competence, and a willingness to learn and evolve. We recommend that you focus on platforms such as LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). It’s where many of the opportunities you’re looking for can be found.
Build an Online Portfolio
As the quality of your mock projects improves, you may begin to add some of them to a portfolio. Your portfolio will showcase your skills put to work—an efficient way to determine how good you are at what you do. The platforms on which you choose to hold your portfolio will depend on what the norm is for your industry. If it’s software development, you’re looking at GitHub. And if you’re pursuing data analytics, consider using Kaggle.
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Network
The platforms we just mentioned (and many others) are great places to demonstrate your skills, contribute to your professional community, and connect with people from across the world who are active in your field. There are international communities for other professions, too.
In addition to these, you should make the most of LinkedIn. Post informative and insightful content about your field, and prioritise global connections. Offer intelligent responses to your connections’ posts, and don’t be afraid to reach out to them privately if you need clarification about anything. But don’t spam, and don’t solicit favours without invitation. Let the quality of your engagements speak for you.
Seek Out Job Opportunities
Here’s where you actively apply for jobs. Sometimes you’ll find roles you can apply for on LinkedIn. But quite often, those roles will be advertised within the online communities to which you belong, or on job boards that have an international focus. Put together a strong CV or resume (depending on what’s requested) and submit your applications. You will probably be asked to provide a link to your portfolio as well.
Prepare for Interviews
You need to be ready for interviews. Train yourself on common interview questions and polish your communication skills. Learn all that you can about the company—its story, products and services, target market, clientele (if this information is publicly available), etc. –and think about how you could help it achieve its aims if you’re hired. Your technical knowledge may be tested, too, so be ready for this.
Choose a Payment Method
After being recruited, you’ll have to choose a means to receive wage or salary payments. Do not take this lightly; many Nigerians have been disqualified at this stage because hiring parties did not accept their proposed payment solutions. Thankfully, some platforms exist to solve this problem. Cleva, Geepay, and Grey Finance provide foreign currency accounts that are domiciled abroad (USA, the UK, and the EU). Weigh your options, and pick one that suits you.
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Final Words
The internet has shrunk the world in a sense. These days, it’s even enabling skilled Nigerians to secure employment with businesses and startups abroad without leaving the country. This article has shown you how to land a full-time remote job with an international company from Nigeria. It’s up to you to implement the tips we’ve shared here and become a part of a global team.
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