Work and Other Things (Series 2)

Based on my offer to assist a connection on LinkedIn with garnering work in America, it's interesting how many people on LinkedIn raced to find out the secrets to working in America as a foreign-trained lawyer. But these same people are not interested in divulging the secrets to breaking it in to working in Nigeria as a Nigeria trained lawyer. They don't even respect the fact that you were able to work in America as a foreign-trained lawyer.

Working in America, be prepared to hear No...a lot. You hear so many "Nos" that it will break your spirit, make you want to buy that ticket home. However, if you survive to make it through the No's you will get a Yes, as a good friend of mine used to say: All it takes is just one person to say Yes. There is always that one person who wants to take a chance on a foreign trained lawyer with a lot of heart. It's this heart, belief in potential that makes it...the land of opportunity. And when that yes happens, as you get in, you make it the best opportunity ever, show 'em what you're made of, prove your worth. 

In America, if you have a good educational background which shows potential you will at least be shortlisted for an interview. In Nigeria, not at all. If your resume does not reflect that you have practiced that area of law that they have advertised for, you won't hear a peep from them. Then of course, there's the matter of knowing someone on the inside to pass your resume to so you can get shortlisted, that does not apply in America. I can post my resume on Indeed and get a call back almost the next day.

In Nigeria, there are no responses. That's just the problem. There's a silence that's almost deafening. It makes you question your purpose, your qualifications, your self-worth. You start to doubt your skill-set. You wonder, this is the same resume I used to garner interviews from Amazon, Cornell University, Red Hat, Zappos, etc (to name a few) now I can't even get the local law firm to call me back? Is there something wrong with me? It also makes you question the integrity of the people reviewing the applications, their knowledge of your international expertise, but that's a whole other story - I've come to the conclusion that ACIPM stands for "I do not respond to emails, texts, or calls." 

Then, you recount all the other big wigs you interviewed with and the jobs you got, some of them you turned down, and then you think to yourself, maybe it's not you...but the system. 

After this 3.5 year search for a job that makes sense in Nigeria, I've come to a lot of conclusions, one of them being to doubt myself, but I've also come to a conclusion about my people...that results in me not liking them very much. America is filled with its own issues but one thing about it is it gives you that little bit of spark in the midst of the darkness, there's always that little kick that keeps you going, fighting for another day. In Nigeria, they are ready to kick you further down and relish in seeing you sink deeper down into your hole. After all, it leaves plenty more room for them at the top.

We can't darn well have the 1% be 10% now, can we?

If you like this, read Work and Other Things (Series 1)