The job market in Francophone Africa is professionalising, and job-search conventions are evolving with it. This guide is for candidates: what genuinely matters, and what's not worth exhausting yourself over.
1. A readable CV rather than an exhaustive one
A recruiter spends little time on a first screening pass. A one- to two-page CV, structured around concrete achievements rather than task lists, with numbers where you have them, gets through that filter far better than a dense four-page document.
2. Your network remains the primary channel
Referrals and recommendations still carry a lot of weight in the region. Activating your network isn't asking for a job: it's precisely stating what you're looking for, to people who might think of you at the right moment.
3. Prepare the interview on three fronts
- The company: its business, its market, its current challenges — not just its homepage.
- Your achievements: three precise examples, with context, action and result.
- Your questions: what you want to know about the role, the team and expectations after a year.
4. Discuss pay without discomfort
Find out about practices for the sector and company size concerned, and state a coherent range rather than a single number. A candidate who knows their worth and states it clearly inspires more confidence than an evasive one.
5. Follow up without pestering
A courteous follow-up message about ten days after the interview is well received. Beyond two follow-ups with no reply, your energy is better spent elsewhere.
In practice — the point often forgotten
Take care of your professional online presence. Many recruiters check profiles before calling back — a profile that's up to date and consistent with your CV avoids unnecessary questions.
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