IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING A JOB IN THE EMIRATES?

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING A JOB IN THE EMIRATES?

Being in the HR field Internationally as a recruiter I hope these tips will help you land your dream job and increase the chances of you getting an interview call & further!

A well written CV does not guarantee you a job in the Emirates however it can increase your chances of getting an interview call.  In my experience if you are honest and the recruiter finds that what is written on paper is what is in front of them in an interview then your chances will definitely increase!

TIPS ON WRITING YOUR CV 

1. Make a Brief to the point CV for each company you are applying to – yes make some effort and research the company and if your skill set matches their requirements by even 60% then make a CV unique for that company!
2. In the UAE the HR heads get an overwhelming volume of people looking for jobs – so be to the point and make sure you can fit it all in on one page – nobody cares about your religion or what your marital status is so please ensure you give information that will be relevant to the employer to you!
3. Ensure you take a professional photo and embed that in your CV like you do for a passport – looks matter
4. Make sure you highlight the main points in your covering email that are in your CV – your email should not be more than 6 – 7 sentences as time is the most precious commodity here not you demonstrating your ability to manipulate the English Language
5. Ensure you put down the correct information and mention the best times to call you – do not give multiple numbers only one which is on all the time and you can answer immediately – this way if an employer likes what they read they can impulsively call you so make it easy for them
6. Make sure you are in the Emirates and not outside fishing for an opportunity as people normally do – these will be pushed down the pile of emails
7. Do not ramble on about what you have done at your last job and having a professionally written to the point LinkedIn Profile that matches your CV will help you
8. Clean up your life on social media – Social media will always hurt you and your past will come back to haunt you if you have posted compromising pictures about your personal life online.  If the company in the UAE is a conservative bank then pictures of you at a casino will definitely weaken your chances once the recruiters research you.

WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO – TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF LANDING AN INTERVIEW - DO NOT GET A PROFESSIONAL WRITER TO WRITE THIS FOR YOU AS ONLY YOU CAN BEST SELL YOUR SELF

Once you get called for an interview here are a few do’s and don’ts you should consider

1. Time will be your best friend to avoid stressful situations so respecting time should be your utmost priority be there early and compose your self mentally and emotionally
2. Keep it professionally personal and stick to what you can do for the company – be focused as the recruiters have heavy schedules and are normally hiring for 3^rd parties just the fact you are called mean they found something interesting and you should focus on that alone as to them you are only a number as a candidate in a massive pool of applicant
3. Trying to befriend a recruiter and trying to win them over on emotions will not work – they are not the end client and working for money like you want to do so be to the point and warm yet avoid the fuzzy you and save that for your life partner
4. Interviewers like to see how you can handle situations so if they throw a curveball at you like why you are leaving your job it is futile to blame other people for what failures you are having – personally I always dismiss a candidate who just goes on about the fact how their colleagues are the reason they have had to leave the job.  I respect those who tell me what progress they have made and how that learning will help them in the new job – so focus on being positive and being a solution for them not someone who carries a briefcase of past problems they want to abandon

After your interview is over before you exit you have every right to ask

1. if the job is direct or a third party hire
2. about the compensation structure – this is not to haggle about it as no offer has been made but to give you an idea of what your market worth will be – whatever is stated is a generic rate for your tier of hiring so quietly accept that and walk out as no offer has been made
3. about the benefits involved – again just listen don’t start bargaining
4. about the visa structure and insurance coverage for you and your family
5. by when should you expect to hear back from the recruiter

DO NOT

1. sound desperate by saying you have to exit the country and need to know immediately as that is always taken negatively
2. try to make after interview plans with the recruiter – some recruiters will try to do that with you only to check your levels of desperation but from all my years of HR experience job offers are only made in the offices during office timings and not at a restaurant or a bar where you are paying the bill – be professional at all times

PERSONALLY SPEAKING

1. Nobody helped me ever get a job despite any relationship value with or to them or my family's standing - i did what i had to on my own with more enemies within my friends than i ever needed - in fact my oldest friends tried to benefit from getting me a job
2. It did not matter what i was in my home country here i was nothing as the horizon is so huge you are a tiny fish in a big ocean of sharks 
3. In the Emirates people can not and will not help you land a job despite the years you have known them
4. If they do help you land a job in their company (which nobody helped me ever) then try to think 6 months ahead what the cost will be emotionally and financially
5. If you want a job then the best listings are found not online but at networking events which you can find on the Emirati Business groups and also on social media – these events are all about networking and one gets to know about good opportunities that are happening NOW – here in the Emirates news gets old within the blink of an eye so you need to work smart as well as hard – these networking events cost anywhere from AED 50/- to AED 150/- to attend and the money is worth the investment
6. Even with my connections and a budget of AED 20,000/-  for 3 months I never landed an interview but was able to build enough contacts to start my own company with zero capital – so the money you will spend is a risk but the risk factor becomes significantly lower if you network smart

In short if you are to the point can prove your professional principles and come across as a pragmatic and sensible human being with the ability to manage time then you would have proven your self as a professional and definitely increase your chances of getting a job in the Emirates

If you still want me to help you get a job – then please note that despite what I charge you I cannot help you at all in fact nobody can because you will not land a job as in life depending upon people - you must do things on your own and have confidence in yourself!

Good Luck!

Amyn

If what I wrote made sense then please do share it and leave a comment as well! 

If you need any advice then contact me on - amyn@ghulamalis.ae 

OR connect with me on LinkedIn Here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amynaghulamali/