From National Service to Hired: 3 Proven Tactics for Fresh Grads to Kickstart Their Careers

I remember that day vividly in 2014, walking under the scorching sun, with a sack bag filled with honey products sitting on my head drenched in sweat

I thought

“ How could a university graduate like me be delivering items under this heat when ideally I should be working a cushy office job without stress”

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This was my daily refrain whiles doing odd jobs looking for other opportunities after my National Service. I didn’t mind taking jobs that I knew were beneath my skill level because I saw them as a necessary stepping stone to build my career. The priority at that time for me was to make enough cash to apply for jobs better attuned to my skills and afford nicer clothes I could wear for interviews.

I worked as a factory hand and office administrator taking a 350ghc per month salary.

Those first few years building a career were challenging but it eventually got better.

Today I’m employed and currently building Ghana’s largest technical recruitment agency Tech Jobs in Ghana

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Work for free/Volunteer

Working for free is unacceptable to many people but it’s a great way of getting your foot through the door. I sharpened my writing and communication skills by writing for travel magazines as a volunteer writer. I submitted articles profiling Ghana’s tourist sites to various travel blogs. This experience fine-tuned my writing essentially making me the go to writer/comms/content creator for the companies I worked

Volunteer as much as you can. As a working professional I still make time to volunteer. The easiest way to create opportunities is to find a growing business and volunteer free services.

Your cousin has started a poultry farm? Volunteer by creating digital marketing

Rebrand your mom’s clothing store/business and help with sales

Help small food vendor with deliveries.

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Network

Networking as a newbie can seem daunting but its crucial for career growth in the early stages of building a career.

I capitalized on Eventbrite’s free business listing to attend networking events and meet business professionals some of whom have become lifelong friends and business partners

Visit Eventbrite and look at free event listings and start going to physical and virtual events. Be an active participant in these events, ask questions, contribute, volunteer etc.

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Mentorship

When we think about mentorship we often resort to the MD/CEO of a bank or insurance company as the preferred deferred candidate to mentor us. Basically we’re looking for a topshot in these companies. However the best mentors are the ones who’re a few years ahead of you and have solid experiences to share on how they attained their current position

The topshots can be virtual mentors.

I learnt valuable skills from the Managers in the various companies I worked whiles I was an officer/assistant. They quickly taught me the ropes on how to excel which was beneficial for my career growth.

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