Every year hundreds and thousands of people look forward to moving to Dubai and starting a career in this glitzy city. The allure of Dubai is unmistakable, which perhaps explains its ever-increasing population.
However, this has also created a problem since the number of jobs in the city is limited, and the number of enthusiastic job seekers - people looking for work so that they can shift out here - seems to be endless.
If you happen to be one of the above-mentioned folks, then it’s your lucky day! We have for you some tips and tricks on the best way to find a job in Dubai, written by a Dubai resident of over 20 years.
So without further ado, let’s get into it.
One of the best tips to find a job in Dubai is the be present here while you’re job-seeking. Does this mean that you can’t find a job when you apply from outside? No, you can definitely get lucky and land a great opportunity!
However, most companies prefer to hire candidates who are present in Dubai since they can start immediately. Having a Dubai-based phone number also helps.
You can move to Dubai on a visit visa valid for 3 months (as the 30-day visa would give you too little time to land a job) and try your luck by following the next few tips. Just remember to have savings that last you the duration!
If there was one tip that could influence your entire job search journey in Dubai, it would be this - NETWORK EFFECTIVELY. Most jobs in the city are not advertised but rather invite referrals. As they often say, your network is your net worth, and this is certainly true in this case.
Knowing the right folks can certainly land you a job. It’s best to visit job fairs and business club events and meet some people, in addition to having an active presence on LinkedIn. Once you have a strong network in place, you can leverage it to get the opportunity of your dreams.
Not all job search websites are created equal! We cannot stress this enough.
There are certain job websites in Dubai that are built to do nothing but be an advertising outlet and gain access to a database of people. If you see redundant opportunities or something that seems to be good to be true, you should stay far, far away.
Some legitimate websites where you should be applying for jobs are indeed.ae, LinkedIn, GulfTalent.com, and Bayt.com among others.
If you have been applying to jobs on the above-mentioned websites and have not heard back in a while, it could be a good idea to take matters into your own hands and reach out to recruiters by yourself.
Dubai has a thriving recruitment industry with several recruitment firms operating in the city. You can do some research on recruiters that work with folks in your sector and reach out to them via email or LinkedIn to introduce yourself.
Just remember to accurately highlight your experience and skill set with an impressive cover letter.
Another reason why you might have not heard back from companies with regard to your job application could be an imperfect CV. It is believed that a recruiter scans a potential candidate’s CV only for 6-7 seconds before moving forward!
You need your CV to stand out from the crowd. For starters, CVs in Dubai are a little different from what you might expect in other parts of the world. Photographs and birth dates might be frowned upon elsewhere, but are necessary out here. Thus you might want to tailor your CV with all the details a Dubai-based recruiter might want to see.
In addition to that, you should also tailor the CV to fit the job role in question by positioning your experience and using keywords the hiring manager might expect!
With thousands of people looking for work in Dubai, this has unfortunately led to a large number of scams that try to dupe job seekers out of cash. It is imperative that you are careful to not fall for such traps, and know your rights at all times. Some common scams include -
And that brings us to the end of our blog post for the week. Did you find some useful tips in there? We certainly hope you did!
Finding a job in Dubai can undoubtedly be a stressful and frustrating experience, however, with patience and some initiative on your part, you can definitely land an opportunity that complements your skill set and meets your expectations.
Just remember to watch out for prevalent scams while you’re at it. To put it simply, you will never be asked to cough up cash in any manner or form by a legitimate employer.
That’s it from us for now at Wise Move . Until next time, as always, choose wisely!
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