# Been invited for an Interview in Dubai - Help!



## koko_D (Jan 29, 2014)

Hi!

I graduated from a reputed university in the U.S 1 year ago and currently run my start up based in India. I'm on a short trip to *Muscat, Oman* to further explore business avenues. 

Meanwhile, I've come across an internal job opening of a Digital Marketing Executive in a reputed 5 star hotel in *Dubai* through a connection. I've also had a Skype interview and a telephonic interview with the key people there. 

They had asked me to indicate on package expectation via email and I replied saying - _I had a rough estimate of 15k AED / month in mind; although, I'm open to discussions and exploring further on this depending on other variable factors._ 

And now, I've been invited to meet them in person. I'll be seeing them after 1 week.

I feel that being able to work in Dubai would allow me to make new contacts and connections, through which I may be able to expand my start up to Dubai as well + I'll have some money flowing in.

*As I'll be seeing them face to face, could someone please guide me an approach to get the maximum possible salary from them? Or do you think I've closed myself at 15k AED / month ?*

_PS: I'm aware of the ridiculous stereotype for Indians, especially when it comes to salary in Dubai. Do you think my U.S degree can shield me from being judged in regards to my salary?_

I'd appreciate your inputs on this and let me know if anyone would like to meet up for a cup of coffee when I get there next week (*coffee on me*). 

Thanks!


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## arabianhorse (Nov 13, 2013)

They've invited you for a face to face. so obviously they havent been put off by your salary expectations


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

koko_D said:


> They had asked me to indicate on package expectation via email and I replied saying - _I had a rough estimate of 15k AED / month in mind; although, I'm open to discussions and exploring further on this depending on other variable factors._


Tell them that you have not worked in UAE before and you under-estimated the cost of living so you would need a bit more. Rents in Dubai have gone up in the last 6 months by at least 20%, more in some cases.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

I agree with Gavtek. You will need to revisit your offer and it is ok to be honest with they. They're very aware of the situation in Dubai and how the cost of living is going up but salaries aren't matching that increase. So, negotiate when you meet them. 

A US degree is good but unfortunately in Dubai, you will be judged by your race. So even though your education and the way you communicate will play a big part in your interview, depending on the company that is hiring, they might look at you being Indian and demanding a higher salary as a negative. Go for it though, don't sell yourself short! There are a lot of good companies out here that value talent and do not take race into account at all.

Good luck!


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

The degree helps (personal experience) ... But be realistic. Unfortunately, quite a few people approach the issue like this: "Wait. What? You want XXX amount! For that salary I can get a European..."

I apologize for the extremely brash/racist comment above, but unfortunately quite a few employers follow that thought process...


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## koko_D (Jan 29, 2014)

arabianhorse said:


> They've invited you for a face to face. so obviously they havent been put off by your salary expectations


True that they haven't been put off by my salary expectations, but I don't know how they'd react when I'll tell them to pay me more. Could you think of a way to politely convince them to pay more?


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## koko_D (Jan 29, 2014)

Gavtek said:


> Tell them that you have not worked in UAE before and you under-estimated the cost of living so you would need a bit more. Rents in Dubai have gone up in the last 6 months by at least 20%, more in some cases.


Thanks, I'll definitely mention this point to them. A 20% increase would bump my salary from 15k to 18k / month and I feel that a figure around 22k-23k should be a decent offer for someone with my experience and skills after considering the cost of living in Dubai. Could you suggest how can I politely negotiate with them around that figure?


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## arabianhorse (Nov 13, 2013)

koko_D said:


> Thanks, I'll definitely mention this point to them. A 20% increase would bump my salary from 15k to 18k / month and I feel that a figure around 22k-23k should be a decent offer for someone with my experience and skills after considering the cost of living in Dubai. Could you suggest how can I politely negotiate with them around that figure?


My view - don't jump ahead of yourself. First things first. Focus on doing well at the interview.
Then depending on the offer, devise your response .

For eg.if total package is $15 k, go back and say, your expectations were $15k plus housing allowance. 

At the end of the day you need to know what your bottom line figure is. If you're not prepared to go below $22k, then depending on their response to your initial request, you can start to play hardball.


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## koko_D (Jan 29, 2014)

pamela0810 said:


> I agree with Gavtek. You will need to revisit your offer and it is ok to be honest with they. They're very aware of the situation in Dubai and how the cost of living is going up but salaries aren't matching that increase. So, negotiate when you meet them.
> 
> A US degree is good but unfortunately in Dubai, you will be judged by your race. So even though your education and the way you communicate will play a big part in your interview, depending on the company that is hiring, they might look at you being Indian and demanding a higher salary as a negative. Go for it though, don't sell yourself short! There are a lot of good companies out here that value talent and do not take race into account at all.
> 
> Good luck!


Thank you for your input. I'll definitely try to negotiate once I meet them. Although I suggested a package of 15k / month, they know that i'd be interested to explore further on this with them.

Now, after carefully assessing the cost of living in Dubai, I feel that a package of around 22-23k / month should be a decent offer considering my experience and skills. Could you please suggest some specific points that I can bring up when negotiating that can bump my salary to my expectations?


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## koko_D (Jan 29, 2014)

saraswat said:


> The degree helps (personal experience) ... But be realistic. Unfortunately, quite a few people approach the issue like this: "Wait. What? You want XXX amount! For that salary I can get a European..."
> 
> I apologize for the extremely brash/racist comment above, but unfortunately quite a few employers follow that thought process...


Thank you for your input. I believe what you mentioned is the sad truth about living in Dubai. Have you figured out a way to tackle people with such mentality in your career in Dubai so far? My interviewer is from South Africa and has been extremely polite to me so far in the process, I hope she's different.


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## koko_D (Jan 29, 2014)

arabianhorse said:


> My view - don't jump ahead of yourself. First things first. Focus on doing well at the interview.
> Then depending on the offer, devise your response .
> 
> For eg.if total package is $15 k, go back and say, your expectations were $15k plus housing allowance.
> ...


I think you are absolutely right. Thank you! :hug:


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

koko_D said:


> Thank you for your input. I believe what you mentioned is the sad truth about living in Dubai. Have you figured out a way to tackle people with such mentality in your career in Dubai so far? My interviewer is from South Africa and has been extremely polite to me so far in the process, I hope she's different.


One of the things I did was to specialize with professional certifications within my profession. Not only does it add to your educational profile but also differentiates you more as a candidate. 

Another thing is patience! Relevant local/regional work experience works wonders out here. Not sure if you have any yet, but if not then patiently earning that experience even though the wage might not be up to scratch is something to think about. 

Finally, target big global, multi-national and regional players. That would help with the experience bit mentioned above, and they are most likely to be the one's actively looking for your type of candidates. Also, almost all of these companies have proper, regulated and monitored HR practices, which negates a lot of discrimination that you might be at risk to (this is not to say it might not still happen...). 

Hope that helps, the above is just my take on it, but also factor in luck. Some people are just more lucky than others .


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