Dear Folks, A couple of months ago I was fortunate enough to be part of a panel on “how to find a job in Africa“. As one of the main functions of my blog is to encourage the idea of working in Africa, I thought it would come in handy to share with you all a few highlights on what I discussed.
I would be the first person to admit that it isn’t easy trying to find a job on the continent especially when you are physically not present. However, if this is your desire, then I urge you to stay steadfast……perseverance pays, and in the end it will all be worth it!! Like I always tell people, working in Africa in my view is always a good idea. So here are some tips to help you with your job search. Good Luck!!
BEST WAYS TO JOB SEARCH 1. Research Companies Operating in Africa or EMEA Region: Examples of companies in Africa – Consumer Goods: (Unilever, PepsiCo ,Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Food, Diageo) – Financial Sector: (MasterCard, KPMG, E&Y, Deloitte, Actis, Prudential, Carlyle Group ) – Pharmaceutical Industry: (Proctor & Gamble, AstraZeneca) – Information Technology: (IBM, SAP, Microsoft, Google, Cisco, HP, Motorola) – Engineering: (GE, BP, Rio Tinto, Vale, Bollore, Black & Veatch) – Telecomm & Journalism: (MTV, Reuters, CNN, Nielson, Orange, MTN, Vodaphone) – Banking: (BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Societe Generale, CitiGroup)
2. Apply Via Company Website: Career Portal ( if you have the HR contact info of company try to send them a personalized email) – HR Africa contact for Merck Africa: Eva Pappas (eva.pappas@merck.com) – HR Africa contact for Diamler Chrysler: Brian Rambo (brian.rambo@daimler.com – HR Africa contact for Groupon: Victoria Hawkins (victoria@groupon.sa) – HR Africa contact for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Sonia Cudd (sonia.cudd@gatesfoundation.org)
3. Attend Africa Career Fair Recruitment Events: these are normally held in the Diaspora (US, UK, France, Portugal) Some of the most renowned recruitment events held yearly are: – Careers in Africa: www.careersinafrica.com – Homecoming Revolution: www.homecomingrevolution.com – Elite International Careers: www.eliteic.net
4. Use Headhunters: These are very good for jobs in South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana. Some reputable headhunters who have secured job positions for friends of mine are as follows: – Terry Brink, South Africa www.capitaltalent.co.za email: terry@capitaltalent.co.za – Edward Stokes, South Africa www.intrepidhr.co.za edward@intrepidhr.co.za
– Elisa Salazar – Chukuma, Nigeria www.es-africa.com administrator@es-africa.com
5. Personal Networking: Yep, is one of the most effective ways to land a job in Africa. I cannot emphasize this enough. Use your network of friends, friends of friends, as a resource while on the job search.
On that note, good luck with everything!! YOU CAN DO IT 🙂
xoxo
Juanita
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