Monday, July 7, 2014

Guide for finding a perfect Job in Dubai / UAE


Dubai is a land of Dreams! Land for a common man to accomplish his dream of getting a good job fetching handful income. Dubai is one of the world’s busiest cities. It holds the planet's tallest building, the majestic Burj Khalifa, Burg al Arab and many other landmarks are there in Dubai. It’s a fascinating world.

Dubai is one among the 7 emirates of UAE. Abudhabi is the capital city of UAE. Other emirates are Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimha, Fujairha, Um Al Qwain, Ajman

Things to remember before coming for job hunt.

1.   Attest your latest degree or educational certificate (one is enough) from local Notary and Indian embassy. Mostly travel agencies nearby your location can help you. It will take 1 to 2 months for attestation.
2.   Take 3-months visit visa instead of 1-month tourist visa for Job Hunt. One month is often not enough to find a suitable job.
3.   Find a local accommodation. Search in http://www.dubizzle.com for local accommodation. It is better if you have any friends or relative's. Find an accommodation with internet facility preferably near Metro station / Bus station which will be convenient for travel. 
4.   Carry enough funds with you. Current INR exchange rate when I am writing this blog is 1 AED = 18 INR. So carry at least 2000 AED with you in currency.
5.   Take enough copies of resume / cover letter print outs with preferably local address mentioned. Here in UAE, a printout can cost 2 to 5 AED. That’s a big money compared to India.
6.   Keep copies of your passport and Visa all time with you.
7.   Register yourself in all the Gulf job portals and apply for relevant jobs. I will list the most use full job portals later. This has to be done a month before reaching Dubai for perfect result.
8.   If possible, try to get a UAE mobile phone no. Your friend or relative can help on this.
9.   Ensure that your ticket/visa is stamped ‘OK to Board’ before you reach the home country airport. Travel agent can help you on this.
1.   Bring a laptop.

Let’s Fly Dubai now…

How to reach Dubai ?
There are times when people dream't of reaching Dubai by local merchant ship called Dhow. Now the time has changed and there are plenty of travel and Visa options.
For a job seeker who is desired hunting jobs in Dubai or UAE, a Visit visa is the perfect solution. Most of the travel agencies nearby your door can help sponsor a visit visa to UAE. The cost vary depends on the travel agency. There are 30 and 90 days visit visa available. Take 3-month visit visa instead of 1-month tourist visa for Job Hunt. One month is often not enough to find a suitable job.
Lot of airline services offer services to all the emirates. My recommendation is to travel to Sharjah and reach Dubai. Reason is Sharjah airport is less crowded compared to Dubai. Also Sharjah is a suburb to Dubai. However, it is your choice. 

Job hunt begins…

1.   Personal reference
See if you know anyone here who can recommend or help you to get a job.

2.   Job sites
There are plenty of job sites available. You can get more if you google. Few useful sites are.



3.   Company Websites/Emails:
Lot of MNC’s and mid-sized companies look for openings apply directly to their site. Google it and register to most of the MNC’s. They will call if there is requirement.

4.   HR Consultancy:
There are several HR consultants present across UAE. I am also one among the same. Never pay any recruitment charges or fees to these consultants. There are several consultants charging 100 to 500 or more AED from candidates and offering interview. Don’t fall in those things.

5.   Walk in Interviews:
Look up for walk-in interviews online or Gulf news and Khaleej times etc
Newspaper Advertisement: Advertisements in Gulf News can be found online at gncareers.com. So no need to spend money on buying newspaper. If you know Arabic, Al Waseet (an Arabic newspaper) is a good resource too.

Give your personal Ad in the Gulf News mentioning your skills and experience. Do not forget to mention your contact details. A couple of people I know switched/found jobs by posting their Ads on Gulf News.

6.   Personal Visits to different business towers:
Personal visit may not work these days as most office has strict policies. However, you can walk-in and see. Make sure you have enough copies of resume.
           
Final word is don’t lose confidence if you dint get a job in 1 month. It can take up-to nearly 3 months to get a job.

Hurray!! I got a job Offer!

Congrats!! you got a job. Please make sure you read all appointment letter agreement carefully before signing. Make sure the visit visa is cancelled or converted to job visa. Proceed with visit visa exit process and get your job visa on hand. Then undergo Medical, Emirates ID and Visa stamping process. Company PRO will help you.

All the best and God bless

NB - The notes above are purely based on my personal experience. Use it at your own discretion.