The job market in Uganda can be difficult to navigate, especially if you’re looking to start one from scratch or leave your current career.
But with the right tools at hand (and some good luck), anyone can find success in Uganda! Here’s how:
Table of Contents
#1. Consider the job market before you specialize.
Actually, it’s important to consider the job market before you wake up in the morning and decide if you should get out of bed.
If there is no demand for what you want to do, that’s a bad sign. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be doing it—just that there will be lots of competition and fewer opportunities than if something were in high demand.
If its already too late then you can enroll for extra courses that are on demand to improve your employability.
#2. Enroll in the right classes.
The first step to getting a job with your degree is by taking the right classes.
What does that mean? It means you should be taking classes that are directly related to your major, but also ones that will help get you a job after graduation.
If you’re studying Journalism and want to work at the New York Times, then taking a class on how journalists survive in the digital age would be helpful (and if they offered it).
If it’s possible, take one or two classes outside of your field of study; this will help give you an idea what else may interest you and provide valuable life skills that can be used in any career path — which brings us back to our first point: always keep learning new things!
#3. Get internships/ volunteer Jobs early.
The more work and experience you put in before you graduate, the better chance you have at getting a job after college. I got two internships before I graduated from university: one in Uganda and another abroad in the United States.
But my first internship was with a local telecom company that was later acquired by MTN Uganda (Africa’s largest mobile network company).
This experience gave me an edge over other graduates because I knew what it felt like to work with MTN as well as how to pitch ideas that could potentially be implemented by them or any other telecom company in Uganda.
If its too late for that, worry not. You can search apply for graduate trainee jobs / volunteering jobs in a similar career field to boost your Experience.
#4. Land an internship/ an entry level job.
Finding an entry level job is one of the best ways to get a foot in the door. You can find such opportunities through your networks, or you can search for them online.
- University – If you’re lucky enough to be studying at a university that has an established program for finding internships, use it! It’s likely that they are well-connected with local companies and even international organizations. The more prestigious your university, the better connected their alumni network is likely to be—and thus easier it will be for you to find an internship through them (assuming they’ve already been introduced).
- Researching online – Use Google search and LinkedIn to find companies that have open positions matching your interests and skillset. Then reach out directly by email or phone call (or both) with specific questions about what they need from interns and why they would benefit from hiring someone like you who doesn’t have formal work experience yet but knows how hardworking they’d be under pressure if given the chance at doing so now instead later when it matters most: namely during college where applying knowledge learned in class isn’t nearly as valuable because most students won’t remember anything after graduation anyway…
#5. Befriend your Professors.
If you want to start a career in Uganda, it’s worth befriending your professors. Professors can be a great source of information and advice. They are also very influential people who can help you get valuable opportunities.
For example, if your professor is an alumnus at the company where you want to work after graduation, he or she will know about job openings there and will be able to give you an edge over other applicants.
#6. Find a mentor.
Mentors are people who have been in your shoes, who can help you get started and keep going. They’ve been there, done that, so they know what to expect.
They give support to their mentees with job search guidance (and maybe even some contacts), networking opportunities, personal development advice and more.
Mentors can be found in many places: they may be a family member or friend; they may be someone you meet online; they may even be an acquaintance at work. It doesn’t matter if they’ve never been to Uganda – all that matters is that they share your goals and aspirations and want to help you reach them!
Alternatively you can check out Speedymentors.com a website where you can find mentors in uganda online.
Conclusion
And that’s it! You now have all the information you need to start your career in Uganda. Just remember to keep an open mind, be prepared for setbacks, and take advantage of every opportunity.
You never know when the right person will come along and give you their advice or help out with something important in their industry!
