Job hunting in a new country comes with its challenges, and for Nigerians relocating to the UK, one of the biggest obstacles is providing credible job references when you’ve never worked in the UK before. As the saying goes in the UK: ”You need references to get a job, but you need a job to get references”!
Jumoke Fadahunsi, a marketing professional from Lagos, faced this exact dilemma when she moved to Bolton. She had a solid career back in Nigeria, but finding her feet in the UK job market was more difficult than she anticipated. However, by leveraging her Nigerian experience, volunteering, and making strategic connections, she successfully built a network of references that helped her land a job at a top UK firm.
Here’s how Jumoke navigated this challenge, and what you can learn from her experience.
Step 1: Leveraging Your Nigerian Work Experience
Like many Nigerians, Jumoke had built a strong professional reputation in Nigeria. She had worked for five years at one of the leading marketing agencies in Lagos. But in the UK, where companies often request UK-based references, Jumoke was concerned that her Nigerian work experience might not hold as much weight.
Her first move? Contacting her former employers and colleagues in Nigeria. She requested detailed reference letters that focused on her hard and soft skills, such as managing client relationships, leading marketing campaigns, and solving complex problems.
“I asked my former boss to outline specific achievements,” Jumoke explained. “UK employers want to see what you’ve done, not just where you worked. I made sure my references focused on the results I’d delivered.”
Pro Tip: When asking for Nigerian references, be specific. Request that your references mention quantifiable achievements—such as “increased sales by 30%” or “managed a team of five”—to show that your skills are measurable and relevant.
Step 2: Gaining UK Experience Through Temporary Work and Volunteering
While Jumoke’s Nigerian references were valuable, she realized she needed to complement them with UK-based ones. Her solution was to start with temp jobs and volunteering. After searching online, she found short-term assignments in customer service, which not only helped her get some local experience but also provided her with UK-based supervisors who could act as references.
“I worked a few temporary gigs just to build some UK references,” she shared. “Even though the jobs were not in my field, they gave me credibility and showed employers that I was adaptable.”
She also volunteered at a local charity, offering her marketing skills to help with their fundraising campaigns. This added a local reference and allowed her to network with professionals who later recommended her for paid positions.
Pro Tip: Temporary work and volunteering are excellent ways to get local references quickly. Agencies like Adecco and Reed often provide temp opportunities, while sites like Do-it.org offer a range of volunteer roles.
Step 3: Connecting With the Nigerian Diaspora
For Jumoke, connecting with the Nigerian community in the UK was crucial. Through Nigerian diaspora groups, she met people who had been in the UK for longer and could provide advice, mentorship, and in some cases, even act as references.
She found professional groups on LinkedIn, joined the Association of Nigerian Professionals in the UK (ANP-UK), and attended diaspora events. Through these connections, she learned about job opportunities and even worked on a freelance marketing project for a Nigerian-owned business in London. This freelance gig eventually provided her with a UK-based professional reference.
“The Nigerian community here is a great resource,” Jumoke emphasized. “You meet people who understand the challenges you’re facing, and some are even in a position to help you professionally.”
Pro Tip: Join Nigerian professional associations, both online and offline, to build your network. It’s a way to tap into a supportive community that understands the specific challenges Nigerians face in the UK.
Step 4: Personal and Character References
When Jumoke was applying for jobs, she realized some UK employers were open to receiving personal references in addition to professional ones. Personal references can come from people who know you well and can vouch for your character, such as religious leaders, academic professors, or community leaders.
Jumoke used a family friend, who had been living in the UK for many years, as a character reference. She also asked her former university lecturer from Nigeria to provide a reference that highlighted her dedication to her studies and her ability to manage projects during her coursework.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have many professional references, use personal references from trusted individuals who can speak to your integrity, professionalism, and work ethic.
Step 5: Using LinkedIn and Freelancing to Build Credibility
Jumoke also took advantage of LinkedIn to showcase her skills and connect with potential employers. She actively updated her profile with her accomplishments in Nigeria and sought out freelance marketing gigs that she could do remotely from the UK.
“I used LinkedIn to reach out to UK-based companies offering freelance services. Every freelance job I completed gave me another potential reference,” she said. This helped her build a solid portfolio and references that ultimately contributed to her landing a full-time marketing role in Manchester.
Pro Tip: Freelancing is an excellent way to gain UK-based references. Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr allow you to find short-term contracts and projects, even if you’re new to the UK.
Conclusion
Japastreeters, building job references in the UK when you’re new and haven’t worked there before can seem daunting. But as Jumoke Fadahunsi’s story shows, it’s entirely possible to overcome this hurdle with a combination of leveraging your Nigerian experience, gaining local references through volunteering and temp work, and networking within the Nigerian community.
By thinking strategically and being proactive, you can develop the credible job references needed to succeed in the competitive UK job market.
