# Struggling to hear back from recruiters



## Ennis2013 (Jul 31, 2013)

Hello, 

It has been a while since I was last on this forum. I trust everyone is keeping well  

I need some advice in terms of finding work in Dubai. I have registered with all the recruitment websites applied for numerous job but have heard nothing back. I am starting to get a little frustrated. Perhaps I am going about things the wrong way?

I have 12 years customer centric and marketing experience behind me, I have adapted my resume so many times as per advice on recruitment sites and I just got my undergraduate. 

Can anyone make recommendations on what would be the best approach for me to undertake? 
Are there specialist companies that will help aid my job search for British/Irish nationals?

At the moment I am not making any progress at all. 

Appreciate any feedback.

Ciara


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## Ennis2013 (Jul 31, 2013)

Hello, 

Still struggling to hear back from recruiters. I have registered on quite a few websites, connected with several via LinkedIn and joined the Irish business network. So far, only one recruiter has came back to request a different CV format which I was pleased about, but since then, I have failed to track the recruiter down. 

I would like to hear of other peoples experience in securing employment before arriving in Dubai.

How long did it take? 
Did you have many interviews before you got offered the right role? 
How long from accepting the job offer did you need to wait for visa's etc to be sorted? 
Did anyone bypass recruiters and prospected companies directly, if so, what was your experience? 

Take care, 
Ciara


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## Ennis2013 (Jul 31, 2013)

Also, is the fishing any good out there?


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Most likely you're not hearing back from employers because you're not based in Dubai and have no local experience. So the first step to getting a job here would be to come over on a visit visa for a couple of months if you can afford it. Also, generally speaking the less specialized your field or skill set, the more competiton you'll face. Your post was a bit vague but customer service does not pay very well, marketing on the other hand has more potential but getting a job without local experience and not based here will be very hard, as you are already experiencing. To increase your chances try to tailor your CV to make it look as much specialized as possible, for example, you want recruiters to think you specialize in B2B marketing for the IT industry, or B2C for food and beverage brands, hospitality, etc.


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## Ennis2013 (Jul 31, 2013)

Hello, 

Thanks so much for your response

My CV is tailored to B2B professional services marketing/CRM (EMEA) SaaS.
I certainly could not afford to go out for a few months, however I can the that it would be in my best interest to look into visiting, maybe for a few weeks and see if I can prospect better. 

I have just finished a list of local enterprises here at home that I know are based in Dubai or, have consultants there, so I will start reaching out to them tomorrow. Fingers crossed something comes up. 

Really appreciate your response


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Ennis2013 said:


> Hello,
> 
> Thanks so much for your response
> 
> ...


Hi,
If you could not afford to come here for a few months - have you considered how you are going to manage here once you get a job?
With or without a job - the first three months after you arrive in Dubai are quite a challenge.
There are many startup costs that are mostly not covered by employers - phone, DEWA deposits, agents fees, furniture, driving licence, hire care, parking, SALIK, hotel until you find a place, food, entertainment etc.
There is an endless chain of frustration in first few weeks relating to what you can and cannot obtain without your residence visa, id card, driving licence and salary certificate.
These include renting a place, renting a car, buying a car, school places, alcohol licence, opening a bank account etc.
You will need to bring money to cover the above.
Cheers
Steve


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Ennis2013 said:


> Hello,
> 
> Thanks so much for your response
> 
> ...


Then I'd say that the main issue is probably your location and lack of local experience.

In my experience what has worked the best for me is Linkedin. I constantly get calls from recruiters that find me there for jobs that have not been advertised. But you will definitely need to do something about your location first, there is so much local competition that employers will not want to fly you over here or pay for your relocation unless they are really forced to! But since there's always local candidates available there is really no need or motivation for them to do that.


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## JonGard (Aug 18, 2013)

Can only agree with the above.

In the nicest possible way, if you're not exceptional they will always go with a local hire. If you're serious you need to commit to coming out.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Agree with Jon. And even being locally based, you will still have to overcome the hurdle of the lack of local experience, however since you mention you've done marketing for EMEA you can try to highlight on your CV any projects or campaigns you've done that have involved producing results or generating leads for the Middle East region. You would still be at disadvantage compared to candidates who have been based out of the Middle East but at least this could give you better chances.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Just keep in mind that a lot of marketing positions are asking for fluency in Arabic, which makes sense given the region we're in. So much of marketing/media/PR here seems to be dominated by a certain country on the Mediterranean and their mafia is hard to break into, unless maybe for those who are thin and blond and willing to deal with leering bosses. 

I ain't saying it's impossible and of course the marketing sector is pretty big and varies from company to company and industry to industry, but just be aware that the sector (as with most job sectors in the UAE) operates with a cold dose of cultural reality that may not exist in the UK.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

TallyHo said:


> _Just keep in mind that a lot of marketing positions are asking for fluency in Arabic, which makes sense given the region we're in. So much of marketing/media/PR here seems to be dominated by a certain country on the Mediterranean and their mafia is hard to break into, unless maybe for those who are thin and blond and willing to deal with leering bosses. _


LOL, yes this is true. I don't speak any Arabic so is certainly not mandatory but Tally is right, many employers will ask for Arabic speakers, I'd say is a little bit less relevant for B2B/MNC's but for B2C is definitely more critical.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

TallyHo said:


> So much of marketing/media/PR here seems to be dominated by a certain country on the Mediterranean and their mafia is hard to break into


The rubbish stuff such as blindly spending budgets on massive billboards and covering the side of buildings is. Proper, strategic marketing still tends to get judged on ability and experience. 

Arabic speaking is heavily favored simply because the largest retail spend in the UAE is from Saudi, also most of the big groups and franchise owners here will be running operations in Saudi too.

B2B software services etc don't require you to make a direct connection to a fat guy, driving his wives around in a massive GMC but employers still do have the luxury of employing people with extensive MENA experience. 

Your best bet would be to get placed here with an existing multi national.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Mr Rossi said:


> B2B software services etc don't require you to make a direct connection to a fat guy, driving his wives around in a massive GMC but employers still do have the luxury of employing people with extensive MENA experience.
> 
> Your best bet would be to get placed here with an existing multi national.


That's right, this is the sector I am specialized in so that's why not speaking Arabic hasn't been a problem for me. I'm not glorifying MNCs or anything but in my opinion they are the best for marketing jobs for westerns or marketers used to working for western organizations. Better marketing practices, an actual budget to work with (none of that 'tell me how much it costs and then we'll see' nonsense), you belong to a global team and usually report to a person in the west who normally knows what they're talking about, and above all, you don't have to deal with the types that Tally and Rossi have so accurately described  I have a friend working for one of the big local companies and she wants to slit her wrists on a daily basis.

If you're in Dublin that may be an advantage for you as there are so many IT companies headquartered there so maybe it would be easier for you to join an organization in Dublin that has offices in Dubai, with the prospect of looking at a potential internal transfer after a couple of years.


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## tahir29 (Mar 13, 2014)

Hi All, 

I'm from the UK and been in Dubai since March, I've been applying for jobs but only had two offers both companies wanted me to worked in Europe which i declined, since mid march I've applied directly to companies, agencies, websites etc and not had a single reply, my resume has been checked professionally, I've worked for companies such as IBM, DHL, NHS to name a few but I've realised it's not just challenging but very demanding looking for a job in Dubai whether your located here or outside UAE. Recruitment agencies don't meet in person as they would in the UK most of the work is done by the individual online which is frustrating as you tend to apply for 50 jobs a week without getting any replies, most of the jobs i apply for i could do in my sleep but as you can imagine companies receive over 1000 applicants a day therefore i guess depending on your experience and how far from the top you application is most likely agencies don;t view your resume. 

I'll keep you posted, I've applied to companies directly yet my applications are showing as "submitted", recruiting is very slow here taking into consideration Ramadan approaching shortly it will get even slower. 

If anyone else has any ideas of applying for jobs or advice, please feel free to message me. 

Thanks

Tahir


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## Ennis2013 (Jul 31, 2013)

Wow. thank you all for your helpful and insightful advice. I will take all on board and will review my CV with immediate effect. In regards to EMEA experience I manage two pharmaceutical accounts that are based in region.

I can see that you all agree that being based in Dubai would be beneficial for me. In regards to funding this, I would worry about making the move for a few months and not finding employment. However, I also gather than networking is key. So far, I have managed to get a local SME here at home who have agreed to forward my CV to their consultants in Dubai, so at the very least, I will have a contact if nothing else when I arrive. 

Unfortunately, I don't speak Arabic, but perhaps for SaaS or pharmaceuticals, it might not be such a problem. I think I need to consider getting over first and look for work as soon as I arrive. I will need to save hard though, just in case I can't find anything and need to support myself should I need to return home. 

Thank you all again 

Take care, 
Ciara


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