7 myths of Dubai Job Hunt!!

What Dubai Job hunt is NOT!

Since the day I’ve arrived in Dubai, my friends back home feel that I live like a king here in Dubai. The same is true for most of us, I guess. By default, if you live in Dubai, you must be living a lavish life, at least that is what people think. The same thing happened to me when I visited one of the European countries. The moment I mentioned that I lived in Dubai, people around me started to talk about the fast cars, Palm islands, Burj Al Arab and so on. While yes, many may be living such life, but for an average person, these may be distant dreams.

The same is true for Jobs in Dubai. There are so many misconceptions in the minds of people when it comes to Jobs in Dubai, I thought, I’d cover whatever comes to mind in this post. There may be many other things, but these are the things that are at the top of my mind:

Myth #1. If I come to Dubai, I will get a job!

This is one of the most misunderstood fact about Dubai Job hunt. Most of the aspirants who come to Dubai or are thinking of coming to Dubai feel that, if they come to Dubai and look for a job, you will find it. Truth is always opposite. I have at least known 20 of them who have spent numerous months in Dubai looking for  job and they have not been able to find one that is suitable to their profile and skills. A rookie mistake job seekers do is to come here on visit visa when they do not have sufficient experience.

One question to ask before you even think of coming here is “Why should a company hire me?”, “Do I have some special skills that are in demand?”, “Do I have necessary experience?”

Many a times job seekers come to Dubai with all hopes and dreams only to find that they have spent few months here and have still not landed a job. They then become desperate and join a company where their skills, qualifications do not  match. They end up compromising their talents which they could have used somewhere else effectively. Having said that, I am not discouraging you from coming here and looking for jobs. Keep an open mind and keep your expectations within limit. Do not expect to be hired at very large salary and a perfect job.

Myth #2. My friends and relatives will help me land a job:

If you have relatives and friends who are helpful, you are one of the luckiest. On the other hand, you are on your own. Coming to Dubai on visit visa or tourist visa and finding a job can be very challenging especially if you do not have friends and relatives to guide you. But not every friend or a relative may help. Before you come to Dubai, try and speak with your friends / relative on the level of help they can extend to you. Keep your expectations low. Do your own research. Get in touch with the recruiters. Don’t just depend on your friends and relatives. Given the market challenges, landing a job has become that much harder if you do not have sufficient skills, experience and contacts. Don’t reply on others to find a job for you. Be on your own!

Myth #3. Ramadan is a bad time for job hunt!

I often receive emails from Job seekers who ask me, what would be the best time to come for job hunt!! I usually reply, anytime is good time as long as you have a plan! In the same context, people also feel that Ramadan is not a good time for job hunting in Dubai and they are right. During Ramadan, usual commercial activity reduces as our Muslim friends have day long fast. But as far as I know, Dubai is one of the top commercial cities in the world. Although recruitment activity reduces, it does not come to a full halt. In fact I know few job seekers who found jobs in Ramadan because they had a plan of action. So do not feel that Ramadan is a wrong time to look for jobs.

Myth #4. You need to know Arabic to land a job!

As I already mentioned, Dubai is among the top global business hub. Majority of the expats living here do not speak Arabic. So, you need not know Arabic to land a job. But, it is an added advantage if you know Arabic, especially if you are targeting customer service jobs, if your company exports to Arabic speaking countries etc. But do not ever be under the impression that you need to know Arabic to find a job in Dubai. You can start learning basic Arabic words or Do a professional Arabic course online.

Myth #5. Men have priority over women!

Yes, in certain professions like oil rigs, construction work, men are preferred due to the physicality of job. But if your job is related to Operations, Administration, Sales etc, it would be unusual to see that men are preferred over women. Many companies do follow gender equality and have specific policies in this regard. But, never be under the impression that companies prefer men over women for any job.

Myth# 6. Job search sites and recruitment agencies will do my job hunting!

While job sites and recruitment agencies do help in finding jobs, you must not completely rely on them to find jobs for you. It is not their responsibility. Their responsibility is to maintain your profile and forward your profile to companies. But they are in no way obliged to provide you jobs.

Myth #7. Mass emailing will land me a job!

There are a number companies who provide you mass emailing services. Many may be genuine and many are not. I receive more than 20 emails per day in my SPAM folders from the “recruiters” who send CVs. Actually they are the mass emailing companies who have collected emails and send CVs. Who are their customers? You guessed it right: Job Seekers. Few job seekers even reached out to me after they paid money to these CV BLAST services asking whether they were genuine. My answer in most cases is that, they lost their hard earned money. I am yet to come across someone who has found job just because they used CV BLAST services. I’d prefer that they use that money to remake their CV to suit UAE requirements or use that money to be a featured CV on job sites. Because CV is the most important marketing material about yourself, in your whole life. Using CV Blasting services is not only a waste of your money but it is also not productive. You are signing up to something that does not provide you the ROI (return on investment) that you’d expect.

So there you are! These are the 7 myths of Dubai Job Hunt that I could think of. In any case, if you are job hunting, be positive, be networking. Your efforts will surely bear fruits.