Mujidah Sakibu is a career/job search coach dedicated to helping immigrants secure nine to five jobs. Having navigated the process herself, she understands the unique challenges immigrants face when entering the job market. Migrating to Canada two years ago, Sakibu successfully secured a six-figure job within seven weeks and now works as a product manager. She is passionate about helping others achieve similar success and fulfillment in their careers, offering personalised guidance and support at every stage. In this interview with ESTHER IJEWERE, she shares her story.
Inspiration Behind Becoming a Career/Job Search Coach for Immigrants
Throughout my journey to becoming a permanent resident, I didn’t feel very hopeful of being able to get a job, let alone a job that paid six-figures. It felt possible for others, just not for me. The popular stories I saw were of people having to take survival jobs, or needing to do a certification or some other programme before I could find something well-paying. Thankfully, I decided to write a different story. I figured something out for myself and I knew I wanted to share it. I had friends and family arriving in Canada and I wanted their stories to be different as well. That’s why I decided to be a career/job search coach focusing on helping immigrants.
Mujidah’s Journey to Canada and Career Triumph in Seven Weeks
I started to apply before I landed and got a few interviews but nothing solid. I hoped the journey would be easier and I’d get more interviews after I landed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. After we landed, I did the things almost every person looking for a job did – spend hours submitting applications, spoke with some potential colleagues on LinkedIn to try to get referrals to apply for roles, but week one and two went by and it was crickets. I was starting to lose hope that I was even qualified. It felt like I was only seeing jobs asking for things I’d never done and experiences I didn’t have. I didn’t feel good enough, much less a six-figure salary. I got an interview in week three or four, but it went so terribly. After that, I decided I’d had enough, I wanted to only apply to the project manager roles that I felt like I could do. Someone had to be hiring for things I already knew how to do, and I was going to focus on that. Submit the best resume possible to the jobs I knew I could do in my sleep. My best had to be good enough and I was willing to bet on it. I finally got a call some days into week five. This recruiter loved my profile and thought I was perfect for them. I remembered the job description, it looked so simple, and I made sure to submit a resume that focused on just the things they wanted. He used the word “perfect” when he described my experience to what they were hiring for. After a few nerve-wracking rounds of negotiating for a salary, I signed a six-figure job offer two weeks later.
Overcoming Employment Challenges: How Mujidah Helps Immigrants Succeed in a New Country
Immigrants face two main challenges when job hunting in a new country: standing out among other applicants to secure interviews or job offers, and maintaining confidence in the face of rejection. Many immigrants follow traditional job search methods like submitting CVs for matching job titles, but this approach relies heavily on luck in today’s competitive market. Companies have their pick of qualified candidates, so immigrants must demonstrate effortlessly why they are the best fit for the role. Rejection can be disheartening, leading immigrants to question their abilities or seek unnecessary certifications. I help immigrants master techniques to stand out in applications, double their interview chances, excel in interviews, and secure high-paying jobs, whether or not they use LinkedIn. I also coach resilience, teaching them to view rejection as constructive feedback rather than a personal reflection. By understanding company needs and confidently positioning themselves as the ideal candidate, immigrants can negotiate effectively and achieve their desired salaries
Approach to Supporting Clients in Their Job Search Journey
I provide support for my clients through one-on-one coaching. For a client who is trying to get interviews, the calls are where they get coached on what they need to do differently on their resumes, profiles, or applications in order to get noticed. For clients who already have interviews, we use these sessions to prep for interviews by making sure their stories position them as experts and practice active listening so they know how to speak to what a company wants to hear in interviews through interview mocks and review interview, other prep materials like case studies or take-home assignments. Whatsapp support allows my client to reach me throughout the weekday for resume reviews, to answer questions, or to get support to prep for interviews that come up in between calls. In my coaching container, my clients are either getting the results they want or they know exactly why they’re not and know what they need to do different. One-on-one coaching makes sure they have the support they need for every step of the journey and are not having to figure things out themselves.
Helping Immigrants Stand Out and Secure Job Offers
One effective strategy I use for myself and clients is to pinpoint and emphasize the specific value you offer to companies. By aligning yourself with roles that require your unique expertise and backing it up with tangible achievements, you significantly increase your chances of standing out in both applications and interviews. Beyond professional success, I emphasize two key aspects of a fulfilling career with clients: Firstly, finding work that holds personal meaning is essential. When your work aligns with your values, it becomes a meaningful way to make a positive impact. Secondly, it’s crucial to recognize your inherent worth beyond job titles or current employment status. Building self-worth independently of professional achievements enhances resilience and overall well-being, especially in challenging job markets. By integrating these principles into your approach, you shift from passively seeking a job to being actively sought after by recruiters who recognize your value and potential fit for their organisations.
Balancing Act: Juggling Product Management, Career Coaching, and Family Life
I try to have clear goals and boundaries in my career and business, and I have an incredible support system in my husband. I’m one of the lucky few still working fully remotely at the moment, which means I have flexibility around what I can do during my lunch break and after work hours. I try to keep weekdays for as much work and business stuff, and I try very hard to keep my weekends for family time or other things I do for just me. My business mentor taught me the value of doing one thing for an hour during the day and one thing for another hour after work for my business. That has really helped me get very specific about the work that moves the needle forward in my business and ruthlessly prioritise what I need to do. The rest of the time outside of that I spend as I see fit.
Women who Inspire
Three women who inspire me – Kerry Washington, Dr Rania Awaad, and Dielle Charon. All three are women who are fiercely dedicated to their craft and are constantly breaking limits in their different careers. I’m a sucker for a good story about diligence, going hard for what you believe in and continuous improvement and these women exemplify that for me at a level I deeply respect.
Being a Woman of Rubies
My values are – diligence, resourcefulness, and excellence and I know these make me a woman of rubies.
