All You Need To Know About Getting Civil Service Jobs In Nigeria
Civil service sector is the sector that employs the highest number of people in Nigeria. It is the government employment sector. It is part of the Public service. When you remove the military and paramilitary and the lecturing jobs from the Public service, then the remaining other government parastatals and agencies and ministries are what make up the civil service. It offers a lot of Job security. In fact it arguably offers the highest job security in Nigeria. With a reasonable requisite qualification, you can be comfortable working a civil service job in Nigeria.
The deal is getting the job. It is really pretty difficult giving that the positions that are vacant are not commensurate to the teeming number of unemployed Nigerians seeking employment into the sector. The annoying part is that people are not retiring. They have to spend at least 35years in service before retiring. Some that are even over 50years old are still working because of document falsification. These are the things that make it pretty hard for people to get in even when they have interest in the civil service.
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All these notwithstanding, people still get into the civil service. Yea that’s true. On a daily basis, people are employed into the civil service. Some by crook while others are by hook. Does it matter really? I thought the end justifies the means? You decide. If you are empowered with the right piece of information and you know the right set of people or even the right person, you will get a job even if they will fire someone to employ you. Does it really matter? After all, Nigeria still operates with the jungle rule where small animals are being trounced by the big ones. You decide. Here, we want to consider some steps you can take in order to get employed in Nigeria’s civil service. Please be reminded that these steps are not sacrosanct but if you follow them, you will definitely make something out of nothing. I pray really that you get lucky.
Tips on getting Civil Service Jobs in Nigeria
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The Qualification has to be right:
You see, Nigeria places so much emphasis on qualification, especially on paper. You must have the right certificates if you want to get employed. It is that simple after all, that is the reason even old people go to school in Nigeria. That’s my opinion though. No beefing please. So your real or fake documents must be equal to the requirement of the job you seek. What do you do then? Go and make sure that you are qualified for the job. At least, that your certificate says you are qualified. The maximum requirement for civil service jobs in Nigeria is the first degree or its equivalent. You can become the permanent secretary which is the highest position with your bachelor’s degree. Be ready first.
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Find out the employment agencies used by the government
There are agencies used by the government sometimes for employment purposes. These agencies are mostly used by private companies in recruitment but the government sometimes uses these agencies for employment purposes. It will do you a world of good to check them out and submit your CV to them. For those ministries that don’t work with these agencies, you can look out for their recruitment period and follow the process laid down by them.
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Internal references will be key
By internal references we mean those that are already part of the establishment you are hoping to become part of. The members of the staff of the ministry especially the senior staff members can be very crucial in getting you the job you seek. Therefore, it is your best interest to locate an insider and get insider’s information on the recruitment process. The members of the staff are usually the first to know of the vacancies existing in any establishment and they can also facilitate the movement of your CV to the appropriate quarters.
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Check out adverts online and offline
Some of the government agencies still go through the process of advertisement even though the ads come after they have chosen the people they want in some cases. That notwithstanding, many people have actually gotten jobs in the civil service through the application they did either online or offline after the jobs were advertised. So be on alert and apply as soon the jobs are advertised. Don’t lose hope.
5. Proactive application can be the answer
Sometimes, taking the bull by the horn might be all you need. You can become proactive by submitting your application to the ministry you want a job in even if the vacancy has not come up. This sounds crazy but it works. It is not really the ultimate answer but it could be the answer. When openings come up in such institutions, they go through applications they have at hand and they give special consideration to them. You might not get job in the long run but it is an option that you might want to explore. It has worked for many people as earlier stated but it has a risk attached to it. The risk is that it might take a very long time before it happens. Some waited for between 3-5years before they got the call. I really don’t know how long you can wait. Try it shaa.
6. It really won’t hurt if you visit the department’s website regularly
If you can visit your whatsapp and facebook pages regularly, then nothing stops you from visiting the website of your potential employers regularly. Most of the ministries, departments and parastatals have got websites online. It is just very few that are still offline. Make the sites your facebook page and see what they have got. Subscribe also to job websites and get alerts on latest jobs. Who knows, you might get lucky.
7. Make use of your connections
Nigerians cannot survive in this current set up without having connections to fall back on. It is true of virtually everything in the country. To get employed in the civil service, you might need to pull a few strings. The connections here could mean almost the same thing as internal references but only that it is wider. It includes both people within and outside the ministry that can pull few strings for you. Get people who can make things happen involved in your quest for jobs in the civil service.
8. Don’t forget God
The last and the most important is God. Everything can work against you but God will never work against you. If you have faith in him, he will see you through. This is the only thing I know that is undisputable.
Your job is secure and it is waiting for you. Pit your mind to it and exploit all the options open to you. It will not fail. You have to persevere and in the long run, you will land your dream job.
