How to land a job before you move to Ghana
I recently received the question below from a friend on LinkedIn. It is a question I receive quite often given my work in Ghana and across the Diaspora. I hope that in answering this question publicly, it can be a resource to many others.
To start, it is important to acknowledge that there is not a one-size-fit-all model for moving and/or working in Ghana/Africa. I fully acknowledge that my knowledge and insight are specific to moving to work in startup/business in Accra, and that industry and country demographics deeply impact what the move in Ghana can look like. Still, there are some processes and insight that are generally applicable and that’s what I wish to share.
But first, my story, for context: I began my formal work with Ghana/Africa when I first came to Ghana as a study abroad student. I had an opportunity to work in development via a research NGO. I soon realized that the role was not for me and that was about it. I imagine I would have taken full advantage of the opportunity and gained much more from the experience should I have known that a few years later, I would move back.
In 2015, I decided to do a long trip to Ghana to learn about business opportunities in the market. About a month before I left NYC, I landed a job working remotely as an editor for an online platform for young African women entrepreneurs and professionals. I found the job posting on Instagram and decided to apply. While I didn’t have any formal editorial or journalism training, I had a track record of online contributions through a blog I had started right after college, and believe I ultimately got the job because I shared in the vision and mission of the company.
Since that job, I have worked as a country manager for Shypmate, a Y-combinator backed logistics company that wanted to solve the issue of expensive, lengthy shipping process between Africa and the rest of the world through an Uber model delivery platform. My cousin was a cofounder in the company, and I actually suggested that I come on board because I loved the mission and product.
After Shypmate, I launched my own companies - internship platform, YNG Interns Africa and events/review company, ChaleKasa. I also worked/consulted for a number of companies including Africa Schools Online, Africa Blockchain Institute, Springfield, Net2TV among others. Today, I manage my companies - ChaleKasa and Africans on China, work in data science, and continue to support many entrepreneurs across Africa.
From this diverse set of experiences, here is what I would advice:
Use industry/country fellowships and exchange programs
And by this I mean, medical exchange programs , Fulbrights, fellowship programs where you are paid to live and work in another part of the world as an ambassador of the program or country. The US has a plethora of these here and I imagine the same for other countries/regions, and in the medical field (ie. Doctors Without Borders, etc). Going this route helps buttress some of the expenses related to moving and gives you soft landing (funds, structure, networks, etc) on which to investigate whether you actually want to make the move, which industries you want to work in, and how to navigate the cultural and economic peculiarities of living in Accra, Ghana.
Search on LinkedIn / IG to work with smaller/medium-sized companies and brands
Should you be uninterested or unable to get into a fellowship or exchange program, you can begin your job search on social media. LinkedIn continues to be a highly underutilized platform, especially in Ghana. There are many job postings there that do not have any applicants. There is a great opportunity to easily make connections there and leverage your profile to get yourself ahead of the resume curve where most applicants get lost. Furthermore, Instagram among other social networks are now the in-place to find work, as I did with my first remote job. Follow causes/companies you care about so that you can spot opportunities when they are shared or you know you could be helpful.
Join Diaspora groups
To respond to the growing interest of the Diaspora to work/move to Africa, there are a number of companies springing up to respond to their needs. Companies like Ahaspora and MoveMeBack are intentional about this work and are great places to get find jobs specifically geared towards people from the Diaspora. Furthermore, there are many group pages on WhatsApp and Facebook where jobs are shared and would not be shared elsewhere. You could connect with people who have made the move and ask them to add you to relevant virtual social networks.
Ask your network to connect you to opportunities
Simply asking and putting yourself out there doesn’t hurt. Ghana’s employment pipelines runs on 'relationships’ or what we call locally, ‘whom you know or whom knows you’. Reaching out to people in your network and asking them to connect you with others in their network is the best way to integrate into the community and gain insight/opportunities.
Work for/with family/friends
I one wrote this post about beginning with your father’s house where I addressed the numerous assets already available to Diasporans that they do not use in an effort to establish themselves independently. Many of those who wish to move back often have family/friends who are doing work to which their skills could be greatly beneficial. They also have many tangible assets at their disposal (family homes that no one lives in, for example, can be flipped into airbnbs to make cash or helping the family far in the village). Working with family/friends may be tricky and difficult, however, but when it works, it is a wonderful spirit of pulling resources to accomplish a goal.
Now, all of the above is what you can/should do before making the move if you are serious about moving to Ghana for work, not vacation. Still, in the case that you end up in Ghana and can’t leave/decide to stay and don’t have a job, here is how you can fast track the job process:
Visit the office/companies you are interested in working with several times
Persistence pays off and most times in Ghana, it is about showing ones face/making an appearance. Should you have talked to someone on LinkedIn etc and received positive signals that have since stalled, try to schedule a visit. And do not give up when you face challenges during the initial visits. Be conscious of what you say and do when you visit, yet you should visit.
Attend networking events
There are a ton of summits, conferences, and networking events in Accra. A simple search on eventbrite or egotickets will show many. These events are key to meeting likeminded individuals through whom you may land the job of your dreams.
Take small gigs/ volunteer while you wait
Finally, the job search process may take a while. Still there is no shortage of small gigs that you can take on as you share your skills and interests with others in the community. In this way, you build rapport and relevant local experience.
I hope this helps as a starter. Should you like to discuss more + have you find more specific resources, you can schedule a time to speak here.