# Please Help!



## wantingachange (Aug 24, 2013)

Hello, my name is Daniel

Background Info: My father was unfortunately made redundant after working in an Australian IT company for 15 years. The IT job situation in Australia is terrible and there are absolutely no jobs, so because of this my father is now searching online for jobs in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. We like the idea a lot because it's practically in the middle of the world (easy trips to Europe, Asia, America, well the UAE is closer to all those places than where we are right now in Australia) and we have a lot of family currently working in the Middle East, so living in Dubai or Abu Dhabi brings us much closer to them. Dubai seems to have a lot of jobs in the role that my father wants and he is currently applying for many jobs. 

Questions:
1. What is the likelihood of landing a decent IT job that will relocate the family, pay for housing and school? (Heard that schooling in the UAE is highly expensive!) 
2. After applying for many jobs this month, is it due to the fact that this is apparently the 'dead season' for employment in the UAE, or is there something else that is wrong (my father has a very impressive resume)? Because he hasn't heard anything back form anyone apart form an e-mail confirming that they received the application. 
3. Is there much to do for teenagers in the UAE? 
4. Are there specific areas where families with TEENAGERS (rather than little children) live? Or is it a good mix?


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Hi Daniel, I hate to give you negative feedback, but IT is one of the sectors that is terribly over subscribed. Your father would be competing with hundreds of applicants from the subcontinent, who would work for little money - and the employers know it! Unless he's able to get a managerial position, the wages wouldn't be great I'm afraid and most likely not enough to keep you in the lifestyle you're uesd to in Australia.

I'm sure others will have a vie on the subject, but that's just the knowledge that I have.


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## wantingachange (Aug 24, 2013)

Hi Chocoholic, my father is in a managerial position, technically a Project Manager. He has a lot of experience, much more than any graduate from the subcontinent.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Hi Daniel

Tell your dad to check out the 'how to find jobs in Dubai' thread, all he needs to know is there.

But for starters even for the right candidates for the right jobs that are on demand can take up to a year or sometimes more, to land a job.

Don't worry about meeting people your age, there's lots.

Good luck to you and your family.


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## wantingachange (Aug 24, 2013)

Thanks! I will direct him there.
Another question, does anyone know if we can bring our dog with us to Dubai? Are most villas dog friendly, because they have gardens? Or can anyone tell us about an area where dogs are welcomed?


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

wantingachange said:


> Hi Chocoholic, my father is in a managerial position, technically a Project Manager. He has a lot of experience, much more than any graduate from the subcontinent.


I have a hard time when people ask about jobs in the IT industry, because it is a huge industry. What is his specialty? I work in IT, but my real value is that I have considerable domain knowledge within a certain industry sector and with specific types of systems. I would suggest he use Linked-In and find companies that do work with the types of projects he has experience, or consulting companies that offer these services. There are jobs for senior people, but chances are these are not advertised jobs, these are the type of jobs that you have to find (or create) with research. 

Expect that it will take a while and that he will have to contact multiple people at the same company.


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## wantingachange (Aug 24, 2013)

He is very flexible at the moment. However, his specialty (I'm guessing out of what I've heard him say and what he's been searching for)... I think it's managing projects migration and infrastructure, hardware and software, leading a team, SAP (as well as a few other terms with just capital letters, which I don't quite remember).


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

wantingachange said:


> Thanks! I will direct him there.
> Another question, does anyone know if we can bring our dog with us to Dubai? Are most villas dog friendly, because they have gardens? Or can anyone tell us about an area where dogs are welcomed?


Yes you can bring your dog but is expensive, search pet relocation and you'll find the info.

And yes there are villas on areas that are dog friendly such as Arabian ranches, springs etc. Again - do a search, you'll find this has been covered tons if times before.


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Let me get this straight.

He is a project manager in IT. He has experience in systems development SDLC and infra stuff from IT perspective. Is this correct ?

Which main industry has he been working ? Manufacture, financial services, you said he has experience in SAP right ?

Does he have PMP or Prince?

15+ in project management depending on the sector can yield for jobs as PMO.

Don't be shy by comments that people will work for less. If he has the qualifications and experience sought, it is game.

And tell him not to look only in the UAE. Singapore and NZ are game too if he still desires to work

Best


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## wantingachange (Aug 24, 2013)

Canuck_Sens said:


> Let me get this straight.
> 
> He is a project manager in IT. He has experience in systems development SDLC and infra stuff from IT perspective. Is this correct ?
> 
> ...




Hi! Thanks for the reply.
1. He's had experience as an IT PM in Oil &Gas, Banking and Telecommunications. 
2. He's sitting the PMP in a few weeks
3. The UAE is what he wants because its very close to family in the Middle East. NZ us essentially the same location as Australia and wouldn't really be an improvement. Singapore is highly expensive and closer, but not as close as the UAE.


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Yeah tell him to get the PMP and apply. Is your family from Middle East ? Can he speak Arabic? If he can he is set. Really.


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## Robbo5265 (Oct 23, 2012)

wantingachange said:


> Hi! Thanks for the reply.
> 1. He's had experience as an IT PM in Oil &Gas, Banking and Telecommunications.
> 2. He's sitting the PMP in a few weeks
> 3. The UAE is what he wants because its very close to family in the Middle East. NZ us essentially the same location as Australia and wouldn't really be an improvement. Singapore is highly expensive and closer, but not as close as the UAE.


An experienced IT PM, so why are you as his teenage son doing all the donkey work when he should have the facts at his fingertips?


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## JonGard (Aug 18, 2013)

Robbo5265 said:


> An experienced IT PM, so why are you as his teenage son doing all the donkey work when he should have the facts at his fingertips?



Because he's not telling the truth?


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## wantingachange (Aug 24, 2013)

JonGard said:


> Because he's not telling the truth?


I know this doesn't count for much on the Internet, but I'm not lying! And I'm doing this because I am personally really wanting to move. I don't hate Australia, however all my family is in the middle east and i really cant stand being away from them! He is doing most of it, applying for jobs etc, I am here because I'm simply curious. 

He does speak Arabic. To me, he does seen set, however that doesn't explain why he isn't hearing anything back from the companies.


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

wantingachange said:


> He does speak Arabic. To me, he does seen set, however that doesn't explain why he isn't hearing anything back from the companies.


 While I am not here to judge your intentions because you are searching for info and this is one of the main thrust of this forum by the way and I frankly fail to see how criticizing your quest for info would fulfill that remit, your dad could call directly the companies he is interested and/ or make contacts on Linkedin.

Speaking Arabic is a big deal as upper Senior Management is mostly Arabic and they do have a preference for qualified (experience) people that can speak Arabic.
It is a fact.


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## JonGard (Aug 18, 2013)

wantingachange said:


> I know this doesn't count for much on the Internet, but I'm not lying!


I was only teasing, sorry and good luck


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## wantingachange (Aug 24, 2013)

Canuck_Sens said:


> While I am not here to judge your intentions because you are searching for info and this is one of the main thrust of this forum by the way and I frankly fail to see how criticizing your quest for info would fulfill that remit, your dad could call directly the companies he is interested and/ or make contacts on Linkedin.
> 
> Speaking Arabic is a big deal as upper Senior Management is mostly Arabic and they do have a preference for qualified (experience) people that can speak Arabic.
> It is a fact.


Great! And thanks so much for your help!


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## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

A senior experienced IT PM with more than a couple of full cycle ERP implementations under his belt will NEVER be out of a job for very long, regardless of his/her passport/skin color, language, the country or the state of the economy...

I'm talking about the guy who manages the end to end cycle, not just a part of it...


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## wantingachange (Aug 24, 2013)

imac said:


> A senior experienced IT PM with more than a couple of full cycle ERP implementations under his belt will NEVER be out of a job for very long, regardless of his/her passport/skin color, language, the country or the state of the economy...
> 
> I'm talking about the guy who manages the end to end cycle, not just a part of it...


I hope so too, thanks.


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