The Reality of Job Hunting In Nigeria

The last time I shared my job hunting misadventures here was in the year 2020. An employer was set to exploit me and many others after a series of stressful interviews and two years later, nothing has changed much. The job market is a tough one and if you're lucky to land a good job, the universe and all the gods that may be really have things working for you.

I had come across a job ad sometime last week on the slack channel of a training I just completed. My assumption was that every job posted there by the admin is legit so I always watched closely.

The organization was recruiting for several roles and I was particularly interested because the ad said, 'must have a knowledge of blockchain technology'. I chose the content creator role and contacted the recruiter. We got talking the next day and we were halfway into an interview before I realized we were actually having an interview.

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The Interview Stage

The job ad was without a job description so I had to enquire what my roles entailed. I wasn't satisfied with the reply and that was a red flag for me already because why's it so hard to be specific? I continued though because of course, it is expected that one doesn't restrict themself to one area only, I am quite knowledgeable in the other attached roles too.

I found it weird that I was having a full interview on WhatsApp chat but it was professional and we're in unconventional times so I had to go with the flow. The recruiter was really pleased with the interview and was sure I'd get the job after speaking to me on a voice call. All I had to do was have one more interview with the CEO and the job was mine.

The interview with the CEO went well, he asked what I knew about blockchain technology, the company, and about me. Again, he was also pleased with my answers and I became worried that I had found myself in another job scam. All I got were 'nice', 'lovely', 'awesome' and 'that's good'. It was so weird, lol. At least probe further at my answers.

The Not-So Shocking Shocker

At the end of the interview, he asked if I knew the terms of job. I knew about the salary of $261 because it was stated in the ad and the recruiter had also mentioned it. What wasn't stated was the fact that there would be a three-months probation period without pay.

That came like a slap to my face because I never expected to be hit with something like that even though I had perceived something fishy in the course of the interview.

The last time I got such an offer, I was broke with barely any money to my name and I rejected it (the salary was about $100 then). Now, hive has helped me with earning more than I ever have and on good months, I have made more than this proposed salary with my combined rewards.

So why would I accept such when I'm not even broke? This is a very demanding job and they weren't even explicit because they have the intention of bombarding me with multiple roles.

Pay Me With Money, Not Exposure

If you've been in the Nigerian job market long enough you'd know all of the tricks, especially with start-ups. Whenever a company mentions a three-months probation without pay, be sure to run for your life because they're about to suck the life out of you.

They would always look for a way to dispose you before the end of the probation period and then refuse to pay you for the time spent. These are the type of companies to also offer you 'exposure' for your work instead of paying a salary.

I rejected the offer and thanked them for their time. I wasn't going to help someone grow their business only to get dumped in no time.

We Need You, Please

I didn't expect to be contacted again but I was and they literally begged me to accept their offer. The recruiter said they needed me and are willing to pay an incentive of $47 monthly during the probation period. I was annoyed so I still haven't replied to them.

I've had several conversations with myself about this and I was asking if I was too proud. The conclusion is, I'm not. End of story lol.

Today, I was opportune to talk to the CEO of the training institute I just finished from, and I explained my experience with this job interview and asked if I was being extra rejecting the job. He assured me I did the right thing rejecting such an offer and to be mindful of exploiters. That's enough validation on this and I hope to not meet shitty employers like this anymore.

If the employer had offered me stakes in his project to become an early investor, I might have considered being fully invested in it even with the probation. I actually like the first DApp they're about launching but as it is, I don't see the value in it for me and I can't add value to an organization that has nothing to offer me.

Have you had any unpleasant job hunting experiences lately? I'd love to read it in the comments.

Discord - wolfofnostreet#4939

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