There are many unemployed men and women out there looking for the same jobs you’re chasing. And there are many who are already in employment looking for that same job. On the other side, are frustrated HR officers and managers hurriedly flipping through hundreds of CVs and applications and browsing several online pages in an attempt to recruit a suitable candidate.

Here is what you can do

Brand yourself well on social media

Social media has become a part of life – and a part of corporate life as well. It is important to keep a certain decent image on social media, at least the kind of image that suits the jobs you’re applying for. It goes beyond just signing up. You must be seen to be actively engaged in discussions related to your chosen field, belonging to professional groups on linkedin and facebook to mention a few, to enhance your online reputation. You may need a professional – an online image expert if you want to draw attention of employers to yourself.

Get a good CV

A good CV is what will catch the attention of your prospective employer. You need an impressive CV to get a job. Some job applicants have not even had the opportunity of being invited for an interview. In some cases, the applicant is not suitable for the job but also in most cases, the CV is brushed over in a matter of 3 seconds. Learn how to write an impressive CV that gets you a good job. And once you have a well written CV, be sure the calls will start coming. Prepare well for an interview afterwards. You may need to read a couple of guidelines for interviews.

Related: How to write a good cv that gets you the job

Use online job portals

Several online portals for jobs are now available in Ghana. Look for them and sign up. Upload a CV or complete their CV forms and constantly apply for jobs. Jobberman.com.gh is one of the leading portals in Ghana. Employers use it often and you increase your chance by at least 10x if you sign up and use it often to apply for jobs. You have to join linkedin as well and make yourself visible there too. Again, if you don’t know how, learn from your friends or contact a digital media expert to help you out. It is worth your time, trust me!

Make friends who are employed

Although they are not aggressively looking for jobs like you are, your friends who are employed will be on the lookout for you, sniffing around their respective HR offices for opportunities that fit your profile. Once they do, be sure they’ll do their best to convince the human resource manager to give you a consideration – if you keep reminding them. Internal endorsement of job applicants is very powerful and effective. Don’t let this chance pass you by if you need a job.

Recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies in Ghana usually have a large portfolio of clients they recruit for. Their relationship with their clients is very professional – but personal as well. Contact these recruitment agencies, seek their professional opinion, pay for some of their services and be sure that you’ll be considered in their next round of recruitment. Importantly, you must keep reminding them that you’re here and ready to work, albeit in a professional manner.

Do not miss an opportunity to impress

Everyday in our lives we come across people, old friends and new faces. We hardly embrace the opportunity to let them know we are looking for a job, and neither do we act and speak in a manner that would get them thinking that we would make good additions to their workforce. Since you may not know who has the power to trigger a conversation that would eventually lead to your employment, I suggest you make an effort to impress when you meet people who are in a position to offer you a job – no matter the place and time.

 

It is important you realize that it is not the most qualified person for the job who gets the job. So do not spend too much time trying to obtain degrees and certificates with the sole reason of making yourself more employable. The people working in these large and small organizations are only as good as you are when they were recruited – perhaps, less or more. My hope is that you may be able to apply these recommendations and leave a comment here when you get a job.