Tunde stared at his phone for the tenth time in an hour, waiting for it to ring. It had been six weeks since his aunt, a well-respected senior manager, had personally handed his CV to the General Manager of a top Lagos bank. “Don’t worry,” she had assured him, “He’s my guy. They are recruiting. Just be patient.” Tunde had been more than patient; he had been confident. He had a solid 2:1 in Economics, a good head on his shoulders, and most importantly, he had a “long-leg”—the quintessential Nigerian key to unlocking career opportunities. But as the weeks bled into months, the silence from the bank grew louder. The promised call never came. Tunde’s story is not unique; it’s a frustratingly common narrative playing out across Nigeria.
For generations, the concept of “who you know” has been the unwritten rule of the Nigerian job market. It’s a system built on relationships, favours, and the deeply ingrained belief that the right connection is more powerful than the most polished CV. We’ve all heard the advice: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” And for a long time, that was largely true. A well-placed uncle, aunt, or family friend could get your foot in the door and practically hold it open for you.
But a quiet revolution has been happening. The ground beneath the Nigerian job market has shifted. While connections can still play a role, their power has significantly diminished. They might still be able to open a door, but they can no longer walk you through it, pull up a chair, and sign the employment contract for you. The private sector, in particular, has evolved. It’s faster, more competitive, and infinitely more merit-driven than before.
This article will break down the hard truth about why your old-school reliance on “long-leg” is failing in today’s landscape. More importantly, it will equip you with a new, more powerful playbook—one built on undeniable value, strategic networking, and proven competence—to help you land the job you truly deserve, on your own merit.
The Hard Truth: Why Your Uncle’s Connection Isn’t a Golden Ticket Anymore
The belief that a single phone call from a powerful person can secure a job is becoming a dangerous myth. Relying on it is like navigating the superhighways of 2025 with a map from 1985. Here’s why the old system is breaking down:
The Rise of a Ruthless Meritocracy
The most significant change has been the explosion of high-growth sectors like tech, management consulting, and modern finance. These industries are fundamentally different. A tech startup in Yaba, funded by global venture capitalists, doesn’t care whose nephew you are. They care about one thing: can you write clean code, design a user-friendly product, or build a financial model that works? Their very survival depends on hiring the absolute best talent they can find. A bad hire isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a cash-burning disaster that can sink a project or even the entire company.
Similarly, multinational corporations and top-tier consulting firms operate with global performance standards. A hiring manager at a company like Google, PwC, or MTN has performance metrics to meet. Their reputation, and indeed their own job, is on the line. It is far less risky for them to politely tell their boss, “Unfortunately, your candidate wasn’t the right fit for the technical requirements of the role,” than it is to hire an unqualified person who will fail, disrupt the team, and reflect poorly on their judgment.
Connections Get You Seen, Competence Gets You Hired
Let’s be clear about what a connection can realistically achieve in today’s corporate world. Its primary power is to bypass the initial, brutal screening process. When a recruiter has 500+ applications for one role, a CV that lands on their desk via an internal referral from a trusted senior colleague will get a guaranteed look. It will be pulled from the pile and given a fair review. That is the beginning and the end of the favour.
Once your CV has been reviewed and you’re invited for an interview, the game changes entirely. The interview room is the great equalizer. You will be on your own, facing a panel of people whose job is to determine your competence. You will be given technical assessments, case studies, and competency-based behavioural questions. Your “uncle” cannot sit in the room with you. He cannot solve the algorithm problem, analyze the business case, or articulate your past achievements. If you cannot demonstrate your value under pressure, the connection that got you there becomes instantly irrelevant.
The Reputational Risk for Your Connection
Think about it from the perspective of your influential contact. When they recommend you for a role, they are not just forwarding a document; they are lending you their hard-earned credibility. They are implicitly saying, “I vouch for this person’s character and ability.” If you get the job and turn out to be incompetent, lazy, or unprofessional, that failure doesn’t just stick to you; it splashes back onto them. It makes them look like they have poor judgment.
Because of this, smart and influential professionals have become far more cautious. They are no longer willing to risk their reputation on an unknown quantity. They might be happy to make an introduction or forward a CV for someone they believe is genuinely qualified, but they will rarely, if ever, push for a hire. Their endorsement is now a reflection of their belief in your competence, not just your family ties.
The New Playbook: What to Do Instead
So, if the old way is broken, what is the new way? It’s about shifting your entire mindset from “Who do I know?” to “How can I become the person everyone *wants* to know and recommend?” It’s a strategy based on creating and demonstrating value.
Step 1: Build Undeniable Value (Become Irresistibly Competent)
The ultimate goal is to be so good at what you do that your connection is not doing you a favour by recommending you; you are making them look good by being an excellent candidate. You must become the solution to a company’s problem.
- Go Beyond Your Degree: Your university degree is just the entry ticket; it’s not the main event. The real world demands practical, up-to-date skills. Invest in yourself relentlessly. Take professional courses on platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning. Get globally recognized certifications in your field (e.g., PMP for project management, ACCA for accounting, Google’s certificates for digital marketing or data analytics).
- Build a Portfolio of Proof: The most powerful tool in your arsenal is a portfolio of work that proves you can do what you claim. Don’t just tell; show.
- For Tech Professionals: Your GitHub profile is your CV. Fill it with personal projects, contributions to open-source software, and code samples.
- For Creatives (Designers, Writers): Have a professional online portfolio (on Behance, Dribbble, or your own website) showcasing your best work. Start a blog to demonstrate your expertise.
- For Marketers & Business Professionals: Create case studies of projects you’ve worked on. Quantify your results. If you don’t have professional experience, create your own. Start a small Instagram business and document your strategy for growing it from 0 to 1000 followers.
Step 2: Master Modern Networking (Giving Before You Ask)
The old form of networking was transactional and hierarchical (“Uncle, please help me”). Modern networking is relational and value-based. It’s about building a genuine community of professional peers and mentors.
- Treat LinkedIn as Your Professional Headquarters: Your LinkedIn profile is no longer an online CV; it’s your personal brand website. Your headline should clearly state your value proposition (e.g., “Data Analyst passionate about helping fintech companies make data-driven decisions”). Your summary should tell your professional story. Your experience section should be filled with your quantified achievements, not just a list of duties.
- Provide Value First: Identify 20-30 people in Nigeria who have the jobs you want or work at the companies you admire. Connect with them. But here’s the crucial part: do not ask for a job. Instead, engage with their content. If they share an article, read it and leave a thoughtful comment. If they post about a success, congratulate them. Share their work with your own network, adding your own insightful commentary. Become a known, valuable presence in their digital professional circle.
- The Power of the Informational Interview: Once you’ve built some rapport, reach out to a few of these contacts with a humble request for advice. Send a short message like: “Hi [Name], I’ve been following your work at [Company] for a while and I’m incredibly impressed. As someone aspiring to build a career in [your field], I would be grateful for the chance to ask you a few questions about your journey and any advice you might have. Would you be open to a brief 15-minute virtual chat sometime in the next few weeks?” People are generally happy to share their advice. This turns a stranger into a mentor and puts you directly on their radar.
Step 3: Articulate Your Value with Confidence
You’ve built your skills and made some strategic connections. Now, you’ve landed the interview. This is where you cash in on all your hard work. You must be able to confidently and clearly communicate the value you bring.
- Become a Storyteller: Use the Problem-Action-Result (PAR) framework to talk about your achievements. Don’t just say, “I was in charge of social media.” Say, “The company was struggling with low online engagement (Problem). I developed and implemented a new content strategy focused on video and user-generated content (Action), which resulted in a 50% increase in engagement and a 20% growth in followers over three months (Result).”
- Research Like a Detective: Go deep into the company. Understand their products, their recent news, their challenges, and their key people. In the interview, connect your skills directly to their needs. Say things like, “I saw in the news that you’re expanding into the northern market. In my previous role, I managed a product launch in a new region and learned a lot about logistics and local marketing, which I believe would be very valuable here.”
How to Use Your Existing Connections the Right Way
This doesn’t mean your family connections are useless. You just need to change how you use them. Treat them with the same professionalism you would any other contact. Make it easy for them to help you.
The Wrong Way to Ask: “Aunty, please help me find a job. Any job.”
The Right Way to Ask: “Aunty, good afternoon. I hope you’re well. I’m actively pursuing a career in brand management, and I’ve just completed a new certification in digital marketing. I noticed on LinkedIn that your company is hiring for a ‘Brand Associate.’ Based on the job description, my experience in [mention a specific achievement] makes me a very strong candidate. I was hoping I could get your advice on what the team values most in a candidate. If you feel comfortable after reviewing my tailored CV, I would be incredibly grateful if you could forward it to the hiring manager.”
This new approach does three things: it shows you are serious and have done your homework, it respects their position by asking for advice first, and it gives them an easy, low-risk way to help you.
Conclusion
The Nigerian job market has matured. The golden ticket of “long-leg” is fading, replaced by the universal currency of competence, value, and strategic networking. A connection might still get your CV a first look, but only your skills, preparation, and ability to articulate your worth will get you the job. The power has shifted from who your parents know to what you, as an individual, can prove you can do.
So, stop waiting by the phone. Stop outsourcing your career ambitions to others. The call you’re waiting for is the one you need to make to yourself. Take control. Invest in your skills, build your portfolio, cultivate your professional network, and become the undeniably valuable candidate that companies are competing to hire—with or without a connection. Your future is in your hands, not in someone else’s address book.