Why is it so difficult to find work in Dubai? | Page 2 | ExpatWoman.com
 

Why is it so difficult to find work in Dubai?

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 May 2014 - 09:55
Hi ladies, glad to find this forum on the job hunting topic. I too am new to Dubai having been here for 3 weeks due to my husband's work transfer. I like it out here so far, but will be nicer if I had a job. Although I have a 2.5 year old who's keeping me busy currently, I am not used to not working and I like to be I financially independent. I am a qualified mgt accountant having worked in finance in banks in the UK for 10 years before moving here, but compared to the UK the market is so small I find for the types of jobs I do and I've been to a few recruitment consultants and through some contacts, but not got anywhere yet. Looking at everyone's experience here of finding a job, it seems that it takes a while so I'm afraid I will struggle and soon when the dust settles down, I will get bored though I will try to start making some friends of course. My husband's job can be quite demanding and I don't want to moan much about my frustration when he comes home, hence, have come to here to pour out my concern, hope you don't mind. I don't regret leaving my job coming here, as life is treating us pretty good here but I'm not someone used to being a stay at home mum for long, and I'd like to spend my own money too. So any help and advice on how to keep up with the momentum of getting something lined up, and staying positive would be helpful even just on the moral ground for a newbie here. Thanks!
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 14:50
Btw, I was a Service Desk/ Technical Support Manager for companies such as IBM, NOKIA, etc... Have you tried applying to those companies' offices here? Maybe you can just walk into their office, ask to meet the HR manager and tell them about your past work at the company and that you'd like to apply for job here. and then see how it goes. A lot of time walking into a company and leaving your CV with the HR department has better results than sending in a CV through email. The reason may be that companies get many CVs through email so yours can get lost in the pile. Most companies here do not accept hand delivered CVs.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 14:35
Btw, I was a Service Desk/ Technical Support Manager for companies such as IBM, NOKIA, etc... Have you tried applying to those companies' offices here? Maybe you can just walk into their office, ask to meet the HR manager and tell them about your past work at the company and that you'd like to apply for job here. and then see how it goes. A lot of time walking into a company and leaving your CV with the HR department has better results than sending in a CV through email. The reason may be that companies get many CVs through email so yours can get lost in the pile. It doesnt work and definitely not for where I work. Firstly, you wont be able to get into the building and past security without an appointment and secondly, HR managers are busy not only with recruitment but appraisals on boarding. If I get a CV via email and its good. ill pass it on and even if we are not recruiting, we will talk to that person.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 10:54
Job hunting in Dubai (and anywhere else in the world these days) is HARD work. It doesn't matter what your qualifications are, how many years of experience you have, or if you're new to UAE or not...it takes time, resilience, and patience. You need to continue to be persistent, put yourself out there, network, refresh your CV's and cover letters, and keep going. No job is going to knock on your door, you need to be aggresive and try all options. Yes, there are many recruiters who won't bother emailing back, even after interviews...but no point dwelling on it, just move on to the next opportunity. No time to dwell in the past but it's nice to know we're not by ourselves, going nuts with some recruiters :)
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 10:33
All recruiters should follow up with feedback after an interview. On occasion we have to chase clients for feedback as they only give a no and no reason why ( Very frustrating) The only time we cannot give feedback is when we send a CV and a candidate isn't shortlisted. It is very unprofessional of recruiters to not keep in touch after an interview and they give others a bad name. I have had recrutiters contact me from Linkedin etc and interview me and then not even bother to let me know that i have not been selected It isn't something I will ever do Izzy. The UAE is a small place and we rely on referrals etc
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 10:26
Ashkash- I agree with crashing waves on this and maybe consider editing the post Really? in all honestly, i thought both the things meant the same....like knowing somebody / reference.....let me search and see what really the 'H' word is.......Thanks for warning Crashing waves and Blondie007.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 10:25
Never had a problem with the recruiters I dealt with here. They have all been good with feedback, even if they have had to admit that the client is not very forthcoming. One thing I would suggest to try and get some UAE experience is, if you're after clerical / admin type of work and are on some one else's sponsorship, be available for temp work. I did quite a bit till I managed to get a permanent role and it did take me 18 months to eventually get there.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 10:22
All recruiters should follow up with feedback after an interview. On occasion we have to chase clients for feedback as they only give a no and no reason why ( Very frustrating) The only time we cannot give feedback is when we send a CV and a candidate isn't shortlisted. It is very unprofessional of recruiters to not keep in touch after an interview and they give others a bad name. I have had recrutiters contact me from Linkedin etc and interview me and then not even bother to let me know that i have not been selected
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 10:18
Job hunting in Dubai (and anywhere else in the world these days) is HARD work. It doesn't matter what your qualifications are, how many years of experience you have, or if you're new to UAE or not...it takes time, resilience, and patience. You need to continue to be persistent, put yourself out there, network, refresh your CV's and cover letters, and keep going. No job is going to knock on your door, you need to be aggresive and try all options. Yes, there are many recruiters who won't bother emailing back, even after interviews...but no point dwelling on it, just move on to the next opportunity. Good post, Sakhifa...
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 10:15
Hello ladies, I have a friend who's been looking for work for the last few months. So far she's had two interviews. In both cases there were the preliminary phone calls/emails before the interview in person and everyone was very polite and friendly. She followed up with a thank you email. But then heard nothing. She sent a polite inquiry email two weeks after each interview, but still didn't get a response, even only to say thank you very much but we've found someone else. Is that lack of communication from HR/hiring managers common out here? I would think that if you bring in someone for an interview then at least you'd have the courtesy to notify them afterwards if they didn't make the cut, instead of leaving them hanging. I too had an interview with a reputable local company at their HQ building once. I was very disappointed how the HR representative (Senior Talen Acquisition Executive) was very active in communicating the phone with emails to follow up when enquiring and arranging interview.... But once the interview was over, I could not even get the person to reply phone and email whether I was still in the running for the second round of interview. I spaced out my 2 follow up phone calls and emails and was even worried for a short while if she had changed jobs or was not well even. I think it was very, very rude. edited by Rafflesia on 13/04/2014 All recruiters should follow up with feedback after an interview. On occasion we have to chase clients for feedback as they only give a no and no reason why ( Very frustrating) The only time we cannot give feedback is when we send a CV and a candidate isn't shortlisted. It is very unprofessional of recruiters to not keep in touch after an interview and they give others a bad name.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 10:06
Job hunting in Dubai (and anywhere else in the world these days) is HARD work. It doesn't matter what your qualifications are, how many years of experience you have, or if you're new to UAE or not...it takes time, resilience, and patience. You need to continue to be persistent, put yourself out there, network, refresh your CV's and cover letters, and keep going. No job is going to knock on your door, you need to be aggresive and try all options. Yes, there are many recruiters who won't bother emailing back, even after interviews...but no point dwelling on it, just move on to the next opportunity.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 08:44
Hello ladies, I have a friend who's been looking for work for the last few months. So far she's had two interviews. In both cases there were the preliminary phone calls/emails before the interview in person and everyone was very polite and friendly. She followed up with a thank you email. But then heard nothing. She sent a polite inquiry email two weeks after each interview, but still didn't get a response, even only to say thank you very much but we've found someone else. Is that lack of communication from HR/hiring managers common out here? I would think that if you bring in someone for an interview then at least you'd have the courtesy to notify them afterwards if they didn't make the cut, instead of leaving them hanging. I too had an interview with a reputable local company at their HQ building once. I was very disappointed how the HR representative (Senior Talen Acquisition Executive) was very active in communicating the phone with emails to follow up when enquiring and arranging interview.... But once the interview was over, I could not even get the person to reply phone and email whether I was still in the running for the second round of interview. I spaced out my 2 follow up phone calls and emails and was even worried for a short while if she had changed jobs or was not well even. I think it was very, very rude. <em>edited by Rafflesia on 13/04/2014</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 08:22
Hello ladies, I have a friend who's been looking for work for the last few months. So far she's had two interviews. In both cases there were the preliminary phone calls/emails before the interview in person and everyone was very polite and friendly. She followed up with a thank you email. But then heard nothing. She sent a polite inquiry email two weeks after each interview, but still didn't get a response, even only to say thank you very much but we've found someone else. Is that lack of communication from HR/hiring managers common out here? I would think that if you bring in someone for an interview then at least you'd have the courtesy to notify them afterwards if they didn't make the cut, instead of leaving them hanging.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 April 2014 - 08:17
Greetings to the job-seekers out there. I was in the same boat for a full year when I moved here. Finally got a job but then got pregnant and had to resign as I wasn't keeping well :( I heard through a friend who works at Careem (the car company) that they are hiring for the role of office admin/receptionist/HR. She said this could be a part-time role so really great for moms. She didn't know about salary or benefits, but best thing would be to send your cv to [email protected]. I hope this is helpful. I've been in the unemployed camp and it's so discouraging- hang in there and hopefully something will come up! <em>edited by samz on 13/04/2014</em>
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 22:35
I deleted my earlier post as it was actually meant tongue-in-cheek but I think ppl took it too seriously. I agree it sounded quite 1980s (lol!) but unfortunately the Dubai market is different to the west... which I know reasonably well as I am European and worked in London for 10 years before coming here :-) When I first came out to Dubai I was struck by how less specialised ppl were and how necessary it was to almost 'dumb down' my experience to make it saleable. I also couldn't believe how much employers would favour someone they had met socially over a better-qualified person they didn't know. And agents knew *very* little about the world of banking as it was so limited here. That has improved over the past few years, but I would still favour contacting ppl directly as opposed to going via an agent or HR dept. As for BS, I would never suggest that anyone does that - if anything I am very pedantic about detail, and key to passing an interview is knowing your subject area as well as possible. Best of luck to anyone out there job-hunting. It *is* hard work, but you will get there eventually :-)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 12:48
Yes why not put the phone down on a potential employer and say you are already in an interview - very claaassssey <em>edited by keeperofthetreasure on 12/04/2014</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 12:45
WhiteOrchid, that is very 1980's! Very funny. Personnally I have a very good nose for BS and I find, comparing to 1st world countries, its quite easy to tell here - in general that is - or maybe it's because just about everyone does it. White Orchid have you ever worked in Europe or US, out of interest? the post reminded me of the early 90's book "The Rules" even though that was for dating.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 12:40
WhiteOrchid, that is very 1980's! Very funny. Personnally I have a very good nose for BS and I find, comparing to 1st world countries, its quite easy to tell here - in general that is - or maybe it's because just about everyone does it. White Orchid have you ever worked in Europe or US, out of interest?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 10:25
Ashkash- I agree with crashing waves on this and maybe consider editing the post
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 09:03
ofcourse not all the time but [b'>mostly[/b'> jobs in Dubai are all about Wasta and Hawala! Hawala Is illegal here and you should not say this in a public forum. Wasta, why not? If you have networked properly then you will have wasta.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 08:52
ofcourse not all the time but [b'>mostly[/b'> jobs in Dubai are all about Wasta and Hawala!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 07:15
If you can't get a single response to your job application, it's most likely that your CV and / or cover letter need to be revised. I agree 100%
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 00:48
Maybe you can just walk into their office, ask to meet the HR manager and tell them about your past work at the company and that you'd like to apply for job here. and then see how it goes. I beg to differ, HR managers are not sitting around and waiting for job seekers to stroll in so they can conduct a random interview. These people and their departments are busy. A lot of time walking into a company and leaving your CV with the HR department has better results than sending in a CV through email. The reason may be that companies get many CVs through email so yours can get lost in the pile. I know of lots of companies who do not accept CV's like this, and will direct you to their careers website. Especially the companies the OP has mentioned. Such companies follow a process and walk in's do not work unless advertised for. To the OP, hope you are networking on Linkedin, there are various groups for different industries within the UAE where lots of recruiters / hiring managers advertise. I know many who have been hired this way.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 April 2014 - 00:09
Btw, I was a Service Desk/ Technical Support Manager for companies such as IBM, NOKIA, etc... Have you tried applying to those companies' offices here? Maybe you can just walk into their office, ask to meet the HR manager and tell them about your past work at the company and that you'd like to apply for job here. and then see how it goes. A lot of time walking into a company and leaving your CV with the HR department has better results than sending in a CV through email. The reason may be that companies get many CVs through email so yours can get lost in the pile.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 April 2014 - 23:40
If you can't get a single response to your job application, it's most likely that your CV and / or cover letter need to be revised. Let me have a look at your cover letter. Just post it here (if you like) and I'll revise it, if necessary. You can change personal information or use asterisks to hide your identity.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 April 2014 - 17:52
For example, getting a bit more calls or enquiries although still no offers...... Just curious what is happening in the job market
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 April 2014 - 17:51
Do you feel like things are picking up?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 April 2014 - 14:00
It has now been 10 months and Im still searching for a job:(
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 January 2014 - 09:10
I don't think I have high expectations. I apply for entry level positions and roles as well as more senior level roles. I know you'll think this quite silly, but do you use the same CV all the time? The main part of mine is the same detailing previous roles, but the initial profile at the very beginning changes for every role, just like my cover letters do. That means I can 'dumb it down' for the less senior roles.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 January 2014 - 22:17
I don't think I have high expectations. I apply for entry level positions and roles as well as more senior level roles.
 
 

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