How to find your first job in Algeria?

First, congratulations! You’ve made it! You’re finally here! After long years of hard work and studying, you’ve finally graduated!

Ha…feels good right?

Now, it’s time to face the real world and search for the right opportunity to utilize all the knowledge that you’ve gained from your university years into your very first job.

And before I even start sharing my hacks, tips, and tricks I want you to bear in mind that your limiting beliefs and the thoughts you focus on such as: “ There aren’t many opportunities in this country” or “The only way to get a job in Algeria is through bribery”, stop all this right now. The only one holding you from obtaining the job that you’ve always dreamt about is no one but you, it’s not the country or your parents’ fault, it is because of you not putting in the hard work.

So, now that we’ve cleared that up, here are my top tips that will surely benefit you in your job-hunting journey.

1-Be ready

As a first step, you need to make a little extra effort! I can already feel you complaining, but sis, believe me, this is important, finding the one thing that will differentiate you from your competitors will lead you to your goal, it can be your excellent software skills, or the 2 years of experience you had while still studying in your university, or maybe the beneficial courses and trainings you enrolled in, so for example, search the crucial skills your job needs and consider taking extra courses in that particular area.

Courses can be online or in-person, search for private schools in your city or the closest city to you that offer courses in the skills you need, for me Udemy is a treasure, you can basically find any course you want and in any field.

So don’t waste time and start hustling sis!

2-CV and Cover letter:

Recruiters won’t spend more than 5 seconds looking at your CV, and any small grammar mistake they notice during their brief glance at your resume will eliminate you immediately from the competition!

So work on making a great impression by well representing yourself through your resume, here are the best free cv maker tools I’ve found:

Make sure that you include these elements in your CV:

Full Name
Contact information
Education
Skills
Experience (Including Internships)
Projects
Courses
Languages

And to complete your application and appear more professional, include a brief cover letter Introducing yourself and explaining why you want this job, this is an example of a cover letter:

Dear Hiring manager,

I’m an adaptable college graduate from Algiers university. During the course of my academic career, I also managed to accrue nearly 3 years of experience. I had the privilege of working for Worood company as a business executive.

I learned valuable professional skills such as design, research, and work methods analysis.

In both my professional and academic life, I have been constantly praised as hard-working by my professors and peers. whether working on academic, extracurricular, or professional projects. I have excellent language, critical thinking, and writing skills.

After reviewing my resume, I hope you will agree that I am the type of competent and competitive candidate you are looking for. I look forward to elaborating on how my specific skills and abilities will benefit your company…

Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Amira Ikram Ourrad.

PS: Most companies in Algeria use the French language, so consider writing your CV and cover letter in French.

3-Job hunting

Let’s start the real work. Now that you’ve taken the necessary courses, improved your skills, and prepared your CV and cover letter, it’s time to find the perfect opportunity.

Make a list of all the Algerian companies in your area of specialty that you think could hire you and start emailing them by attaching your CV and cover letter in the body of the email. Don’t forget to add your name and title in the subject of your email.
With the free version of this Chrome extension, you can just write the email once and send it to all companies separately. And honestly, this is life-changing.

Obtain the equivalence certificate from the General Directorate of Public Employment in your city, it will give you an idea of all possible jobs you can apply for with your degree.

Register with the National Agency of employment in your city (ANEM) and don’t forget to renew your application every 6 months.
Download their app on your phone and check the job openings in your city.

Follow employment accounts and groups on Instagram and Facebook like these:
- https://www.instagram.com/offre_emploi_dz
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/1001JOB

Visit the different fairs in the exhibition hall of Algiers for example, if you are from there. These fairs can also be found in other cities such as Oran or Constantine. Visiting these fairs is a great way for meeting professionals from different sectors and industries and expanding your network.
This is a website where you can check upcoming events and fairs near you:
https://www.foiresinfo.fr/Foires-Alg%C3%A9rie-Z60-S1.html

4-consider working online

In a fast-growing digital world, it has become possible to work from home and earn money. The best part of it is the flexibility you get that allows you to work anywhere, anytime.

Here are some websites where you can open a profile and offer your services:

5-Have faith

Listen, we have all been through this, and we are all looking for solutions. You are not alone, be easy on yourself, and remember you are not in a competition with anyone, your days will come.

Just have trust in God and yourself. Practice your prayers on time and ask God for guidance to clear up your way. Believe that he will never let you down and that one day all of your hard work will pay off.

The bottom line is, If you utilize all the tips I gave you, and put your heart and soul into applying them consistently, you’ll eventually obtain what you’ve always dreamt of.