In the military, you never operated alone. Your unit was your survival system people who had your back, shared intelligence, and ensured the mission succeeded. Civilian career success works the same way. The difference is that you have to build that unit yourself. Most Nigerian veterans underestimate how much civilian hiring relies on who you know. In a job market where millions of qualified candidates compete for limited roles, hiring managers routinely choose candidates referred by someone they trust over anonymous applications. Research consistently shows that over 70% of jobs are filled through networks before they are ever advertised publicly. If you are only applying to posted vacancies, you are competing in the hardest possible lane. WHY VETERANS STRUGGLE WITH NETWORKING AND WHY THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE Many veterans find networking uncomfortable. You were trained that results speak for themselves. You earned every promotion through performance, not politics. Asking for help or "selling yourself" at social events can feel like a contradiction of everything the military taught you. Here is the reframe: networking is not begging. It is intelligence gathering and alliance building — skills you already have. Every conversation you have with a civilian professional is a reconnaissance mission. You are learning the terrain, identifying who holds influence, and building the trust that earns you a seat at the table. The Nigerian military community is also larger than you think. There are veterans in banking, oil and gas, logistics, security, government agencies, construction, and private enterprise across every state. Many of them were waiting for someone to create the network they needed when they transitioned. VetJobPortal is that network. You are already part of it. WHERE TO START: YOUR 5-STEP NETWORKING MISSION PLAN STEP 1 — AUDIT YOUR EXISTING CONNECTIONS Before looking outward, look inward. Write down every person you know from your service years who has transitioned to civilian life. Former colleagues, officers who retired before you, classmates from the Defence Academy or officer cadet school, people you met during peacekeeping missions or inter-agency operations. These are your warmest connections — people who already respect your service and understand your background. Do not underestimate these relationships. A former colleague now working in a Lagos bank or an Abuja logistics firm is more likely to refer you for an opening than any recruiter you cold-contact. STEP 2 BUILD YOUR LINKEDIN PRESENCE THIS WEEK LinkedIn is the professional networking platform where Nigerian hiring managers, HR directors, and recruiters actively search for candidates. If you are not on LinkedIn, you are invisible to a significant portion of the civilian job market. Your profile does not need to be perfect to be effective. It needs to be present and professional. Use a clear, formal photograph — not a uniform photo (it can trigger unintended assumptions) but something that projects competence and confidence. Write a headline that speaks to what you offer, not just what you were. For example: "Operations and Logistics Professional | 24 Years Nigerian Army | Available for Senior Management Roles" communicates more to a civilian recruiter than your rank alone. Connect with every person you know. Request connections with professionals in industries you are targeting. Join LinkedIn groups for Nigerian professionals in your target sectors oil and gas, security management, logistics, public administration, banking operations. STEP 3 — ATTEND INDUSTRY EVENTS IN YOUR TARGET SECTOR Almost every professional sector in Nigeria holds periodic seminars, conferences, and association events — many of them free or low cost. The Nigerian Institute of Management, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, sector-specific associations in logistics and security these are spaces where decision-makers gather. You do not attend these events to ask for a job. You attend to listen, to learn the language of the sector, and to introduce yourself. One genuine conversation at a professional event is worth fifty online applications. Your goal for any event is to exchange contact information with at least two people and follow up within 48 hours. STEP 4 — MASTER THE INTRODUCTION THAT OPENS DOORS When you meet someone new, you need a concise, civilian-friendly introduction that communicates your value without sounding like a military briefing. This is sometimes called a "personal pitch" or "elevator statement." A strong veteran introduction sounds like this: "I spent 22 years in the Nigerian Army managing logistics operations for large-scale field deployments coordinating teams, supply chains, and resources under high-pressure conditions. I am now transitioning to civilian logistics and supply chain management and I am particularly interested in how companies like yours handle last-mile distribution." Notice what that introduction does: it translates your experience into civilian terms, signals your target industry, and ends with a question that invites them to talk about their own work. People remember conversations where they felt genuinely heard. STEP 5 GIVE BEFORE YOU TAKE The most respected networkers in any field are those who offer value before asking for anything. Share information. Introduce two people who should know each other. Recommend someone for a role you heard about but are not right for. Offer your security or operations expertise as input on a problem someone mentions. Veterans who show up to networks with something to give their experience, their perspective, their contacts earn genuine trust quickly. That trust converts to referrals, introductions, and opportunities. THE VETJOBPORTAL COMMUNITY You are not navigating this alone. VetJobPortal exists specifically to connect Nigerian veterans with employers who understand and value military experience. Use this platform not only to find jobs but to connect with other veterans in transition. Share what you know. Ask what you need to know. Your brothers and sisters who transitioned before you learned lessons that can save you months of unnecessary struggle. The unit may have changed. The mission has not. Keep advancing.