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Want to know how to get a high-paying remote job from Nigeria or any other African Country?
You’re in luck. This article will show you how to get a good remote job in 7 steps.
There are many benefits of having a remote job with foreign companies.
First, remote jobs pay much better than local companies and the pay is in foreign currencies as well.
Secondly, remote jobs give you the ability to work from anywhere so far you have the skills required and a good internet connection you enjoy the remote lifestyle.
Thirdly, remote jobs give you access to a new network of people from other countries that you may never have had the opportunity of meeting and this opens you up to more opportunities in the future.
The benefits of remote jobs cannot be overestimated. However, not a lot of people know how to get high-paying remote jobs with companies abroad.
This is because they do not position themselves for available remote roles and do not know how to make their CVs attractive to recruiters so they can get the job.
Continue reading to learn how to prepare yourself for attractive remote jobs, where to look for such jobs and how to apply successfully for these jobs and get them.
Note that this article will mostly focus on the tech industry because that is where a majority of these remote jobs come from.
Are you ready to get your first remote job? Grab a pen and paper and create a plan to follow because there will be lots of action points from this article you’ll need to implement.
Let’s get right into it.
Here are the 7 steps to landing your first remote job from Nigeria or any other African country for that matter.
Step 1: Decide on the area you want to specialize in
I believe at this point, you already have a few years of work experience in your home country. This experience hopefully would have been in an industry that helped you acquire some important skills and experience that you hope to apply in your next role.
Now you may want to switch to a new field in order to attract a remote job. Some good areas include Web Development, Software Engineering, Graphics Design, UI/UX, Product Management, Project Management etc.
Once you have decided on the industry or field you want to focus on, you are ready for the next step.
Step 2: Study the people that work in such companies and the industries they operate in
Now that you have decided on an industry you’d like to work with and the kind of role you’d like to hold in such industries, you need to put together a list of companies that operate in that field and start following and engaging with players and people who work for these companies.
This way, you will begin to familiarize yourself with the industry, the trends, the people and the best practices in the industry.
Step 3: Get Skilled and get certified
Now that you know
- The kind of job you want
- The kind of companies that offer such jobs
- The people who work in such companies, the kind of roles available in such companies and the career paths available in such companies, the next thing is to get down to the real work.
You need to equip yourself with the skills and certifications required to land a role in your desired area. Depending on your interested field, you may need to dedicate the next 6 months to 2 years of your life to learning, interning and acquiring the skills and certifications needed to help you get a job in your chosen area.
Some good places to acquire suck skills and certifications are Coursera, ALX Africa, Udemy and many more.
Some companies might require a Google Adwords certification, others may require a Chartered Institute of Marketing certification, and others require that you have specific skillsets like UX design, Javascript, Data Analysis or Software Engineering. Whatever it is that is required, this is the time you need to be learning practically so that you will fit well in the job market.
Remember nobody is going to hire you if you don’t have the skills they’re looking for.
Step 4: Build your portfolio
At this stage, I need you to know that learning never stops. However, while you are learning, you need to be sharing what you are learning or even better, implementing them. This will help you to develop a portfolio that will in turn make you more attractive to recruiters by the time you are ready to start applying for remote jobs.
Employers like to see what you have done in the past before they can hire you. Learning, building, sharing and putting out your certificate will show that you have skill in the game.
If you learnt to code, have a profile on Github and show the websites and applications you have built. If you learned UI, UX or graphics designs, make sure you have a profile on Behance or Dribbble with your work.
If you learned to build mobile apps, show your apps on Google Playstore and iOs app store.
If you learned marketing show the business success you helped some companies or small businesses achieve. You see how I am emphasizing the importance of documenting your work. This can determine if you will get the job or not so take this seriously.
Blogging is also a good way to show off your work.
5. Volunteer or Find a place to intern
A lot of you may not know it but volunteering and interning are one of the fastest ways of building skin in the game. Yes, you may not be paid during your volunteering and internship period but here you will be acquiring important skills that will help you build a strong portfolio and prepare you for the workplace. Please do not take volunteering and internships lightly as most Nigerians do. This is usually because of ignorance. Volunteering and internships can open you to a world of exciting opportunities you never knew existed.
Step 6: Upgrade your CV
There’s a quote I love. It says: “your next level will require a new you”. It is the same for your CV. If you want recruiters to take you seriously for your first remote role, you’ll need to upgrade your CV to reflect all the wonderful things you have learned. Make sure you tailor your CV to reflect your experience and the results you have achieved with the new skill sets and certifications you have gathered.
If you need help with creating a CV that recruiters will love and is guaranteed to get you the job, contact us and our in-house professionals will fix your CV for you.
- Start Applying for remote jobs
Now, that you have decided on the type of job you want, familiarized yourself with the people, industries and best practices for such roles and companies, upgraded your skillset, volunteered or interned, built a portfolio and upgraded your CV, where do you find the best remote jobs to apply for?
Here are 4 places to find remote jobs:
I hope we have simplified the process of getting a high-paying remote job from Nigeria or any other African Country and you now have the roadmap to get started.
Please note that the process of getting a remote job is not overnight and may take anywhere between 4 months to 2 years and you have to stay consistently on the path in order to make it happen.
You shouldn’t give up on the way. With determination and focus, it will happen for you.
Where are you on your remote job journey? Just starting or have you already got a few remote jobs already? What advice would you give to those just starting?
If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments area.
