# Anybody know what Du Telecom are like to work for?



## Guest

I'm contemplating working in the UAE for a few years as a manager somewhere in the IT/Telecom fields.

Can anyone please tell me what Du Telecom are like to work? Are they great? Or do they suck? How do they treat expats?

Thanks.


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## dizzyizzy

I think Dean, a forum member, works for Du.

Dean? Are you there?


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## gnomes

What would you like to know? DU are only 2 yrs old so they are in their infancy, if you worked for startups before you can imagine how it is. Long hours, very tiring, no one wants to do anything, processes and procedures do not get adhered to, and finally as all corporates, the polotics, empires etc. How do they treat expats, well its full of expats. Im not on DU payroll as work as a freelancer consultant to them.


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## Guest

gnomes said:


> What would you like to know? DU are only 2 yrs old so they are in their infancy, if you worked for startups before you can imagine how it is. Long hours, very tiring, no one wants to do anything, processes and procedures do not get adhered to, and finally as all corporates, the polotics, empires etc. How do they treat expats, well its full of expats. Im not on DU payroll as work as a freelancer consultant to them.


Thanks. Sounds promising and that I'm well credentialed as I have stacks of experience working for miserably dysfunctional IT firms.


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## gnomes

its pretty disfunctional and miserable at times here too mate. Having worked in several large telcos, accross Europe and Asia, they are all much of muchness.


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## dizzyizzy

when i first got here I had a Du phone and it was bloody useless if I may say so. It didn't make the job hunting any easier! First I would need to find a "good" spot, as the slightest movement could put me away from the coverage zone and drop the calls. Eventually I realised the phone only had decent coverage outdoors, so would have to always walk out to the balcony, with my laptop and notes, and make my phonecalls from there, which is not lots of fun during the summer. Then there I was, having conversations with recruiters or potential employes, using fluffy words and selling myself and telling them how wonderful I am, only to realise that the call had dropped and I had been speaking to my imaginary friend for ages. It made me feel very silly which is not good for your confidence which is not good to search for jobs! So ppl looking for jobs: get a etislat phone!!


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## Maz25

dizzyizzy said:


> when i first got here I had a Du phone and it was bloody useless if I may say so. It didn't make the job hunting any easier! First I would need to find a "good" spot, as the slightest movement could put me away from the coverage zone and drop the calls. Eventually I realised the phone only had decent coverage outdoors, so would have to always walk out to the balcony, with my laptop and notes, and make my phonecalls from there, which is not lots of fun during the summer. Then there I was, having conversations with recruiters or potential employes, using fluffy words and selling myself and telling them how wonderful I am, only to realise that the call had dropped and I had been speaking to my imaginary friend for ages. It made me feel very silly which is not good for your confidence which is not good to search for jobs! So ppl looking for jobs: get a etislat phone!!



It's not only in Dubai that you get those kind of probs. I was with T-Mobile in the UK - checked their website and it said there was excellent network coverage in my area! Problem is that they forgot to mention that the network coverage was excellent only when I was hanging precariously out of my 4th floor window!!! Didn't make life easy when I had my phone interview. I had to sit still - any slight movement would have resulted in the phone cutting off!


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## gforce23

Contemplator said:


> I'm contemplating working in the UAE for a few years as a manager somewhere in the IT/Telecom fields.
> 
> Can anyone please tell me what Du Telecom are like to work? Are they great? Or do they suck? How do they treat expats?
> 
> Thanks.


Glad to have another telco expert on here. I've applied for a similar position at Du and Etisalat.

Have you applied to Etisalat yet? Du seems to have tons of senior engineering and mid-management jobs on their web site but they haven't gotten back to me yet. On the other hand, Etisalat contacted me within one week of applying though they are atrociously slow on providing updates.


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## Guest

gforce23 said:


> Glad to have another telco expert on here. I've applied for a similar position at Du and Etisalat.
> 
> Have you applied to Etisalat yet? Du seems to have tons of senior engineering and mid-management jobs on their web site but they haven't gotten back to me yet. On the other hand, Etisalat contacted me within one week of applying though they are atrociously slow on providing updates.


Gidday

No, I haven't applied anywhere yet. My wife and I are in the early stages of contemplating a move to the UAE for work for a few years. If (more like when) I do start applying, I'll be seeking a mid-management role.

Our thoughts so far. We are leaning towards living in Dubai. And, from what I see, most of the Etisalat vacancies are in Abu Dhabi and most of the Du Telecom roles are in Dubai. From reading the posts, commuting between the two cities for work ain’t a great option. And, further, I gather the impression from this forum that the rent in Dubai is very expensive but that in Abu Dhabi the rents are insane. Thus, I’ve more been looking at Du Telecom roles.

But then I note Gnomes post in this thread. Sounds like Du Telecom is a tad shambolic but perhaps that is not too atypical for a telco. But then I read this pearl in the Core Competencies of the job description for the vacancy for the Support Manager that Du Telecom are advertising on their website – “Capable of working long hours and under stress” !!!!  I’ve always worked longer hours but that line is enough to turn one’s **** to water. 

That’s interesting about the Etisalat promptness. Was their initial response something substantive or was it just a “we’ve received your application and we will advise when we’re good and ready” type mail? Similarly, have their updates been substantive? 

How long have you been waiting on Du Telecom? Doesn’t sound good.

And do you know how they (either Etisalat or Du Telecom) structure their remuneration? From what I read on this forum, one has have accommodation costs factored in or you’ll get slaughtered financially.

Could you please keep me posted as to how things progress? I’m exceptionally interested.

Thanks


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## DesertStranded

Contemplator said:


> But then I read this pearl in the Core Competencies of the job description for the vacancy for the Support Manager that Du Telecom are advertising on their website – “Capable of working long hours and under stress” !!!!  I’ve always worked longer hours but that line is enough to turn one’s **** to water.


Actually, every JD I read out here says you need to work well under stress. 

So what makes you want to move to Dubai if you don't mind my asking?


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## Guest

DesertStranded said:


> Actually, every JD I read out here says you need to work well under stress.
> 
> So what makes you want to move to Dubai if you don't mind my asking?


1. Adventure - we (wife and I) have never lived in or visited an Arab country. And 
it's time for us to do something quite different.
2. Money

Currently, our requirement is 1. and 2. And we're trying to suss out both.


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## DesertStranded

Contemplator said:


> 1. Adventure - we (wife and I) have never lived in or visited an Arab country. And
> it's time for us to do something quite different..


That's a good enough reason. I'd kind of like to live in South America, either Brazil or Argentina, just for the change in scenery. Unfortunately, I don't see my fiance faring any better in finding IT jobs there than he is here.


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## gforce23

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I'm in the midst of a delivering a client project and things are getting a bit out of hand at the moment.

Anyhow, it may come as a surprise to you but I'm actually leaning a wee bit towards AD. According to my friends in Dubai and Sharjah, the construction and traffic is just insane right now. AD seems to be a bit more laid back and the traffic's a bit better. It's true that the renting in AD is becoming less viable by the minute and you'd be wasting a lot of time trying to find one but I still think that a medium sized apartment/villa is cheaper in the national capital than the tourism capital. Maybe some expert can chip in here yah?

Anyhow, I had applied to both companies for a couple of positions way back in August. Ironically, there's a counter on the Du page that lists the number of times that your application has been viewed. Mine stands at 10 if I remember correctly. Methinks the only way to get into Du is via a recruitment agency. Etisalat's first e-mail was an automated "we've received your app bla bla bla" via Bayt. The following week, someone called me to ask if I were interested in a particular role that was a bit different from the one I had originally applied for. After 2 phone calls, they stopped responding to my status requests via e-mail and finally got back to me last week with another interview request. I've replied in the affirmative and have even volunteered to fly down to the UAE and meet the hiring managers in person.

Unfortunately, that's were the good news with Etisalat ends. I've done a lot of research on the two firms and it seems that remuneration at the bigger firm is less than what Du pays for a similar role. The rate of attrition seems to be a bit higher than average too (based on my first hand knowledge of AT&T, Telstra & T-Mobile). Anyhow, have you taken a look at this (etisalat-careers.ae/careers/english/grades.jsp?grade=#) page? Managerial positions should be close to grade 22/23 since a bit of Google sleuthing reveals that engineering roles are grade 20, so that should give you a rough idea of the benefits/perks involved. I have no idea of a tangible amount but I wouldn't wager a bet on the housing allowance being more than 15K AED.


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## Guest

gforce23 said:


> Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I'm in the midst of a delivering a client project and things are getting a bit out of hand at the moment.
> 
> Anyhow, it may come as a surprise to you but I'm actually leaning a wee bit towards AD. According to my friends in Dubai and Sharjah, the construction and traffic is just insane right now. AD seems to be a bit more laid back and the traffic's a bit better. It's true that the renting in AD is becoming less viable by the minute and you'd be wasting a lot of time trying to find one but I still think that a medium sized apartment/villa is cheaper in the national capital than the tourism capital. Maybe some expert can chip in here yah?
> 
> Anyhow, I had applied to both companies for a couple of positions way back in August. Ironically, there's a counter on the Du page that lists the number of times that your application has been viewed. Mine stands at 10 if I remember correctly. Methinks the only way to get into Du is via a recruitment agency. Etisalat's first e-mail was an automated "we've received your app bla bla bla" via Bayt. The following week, someone called me to ask if I were interested in a particular role that was a bit different from the one I had originally applied for. After 2 phone calls, they stopped responding to my status requests via e-mail and finally got back to me last week with another interview request. I've replied in the affirmative and have even volunteered to fly down to the UAE and meet the hiring managers in person.
> 
> Unfortunately, that's were the good news with Etisalat ends. I've done a lot of research on the two firms and it seems that remuneration at the bigger firm is less than what Du pays for a similar role. The rate of attrition seems to be a bit higher than average too (based on my first hand knowledge of AT&T, Telstra & T-Mobile). Anyhow, have you taken a look at this (etisalat-careers.ae/careers/english/grades.jsp?grade=#) page? Managerial positions should be close to grade 22/23 since a bit of Google sleuthing reveals that engineering roles are grade 20, so that should give you a rough idea of the benefits/perks involved. I have no idea of a tangible amount but I wouldn't wager a bet on the housing allowance being more than 15K AED.



Thanks gforce23, some interesting stuff.

Good points about AD vs Dubai. I'm now widening my job search to include AD. Again, the main financial issue still seems to be the cost of accommodation. It can beggar you if you don't correctly allow for it.

That's interesting about the counter at the Du site showing the number of views. And the months that have past since you applied. I don't know what is normal in the UAE but, here in Australia, it can take 3/4 months to get an offer ie. just because one has heard nothing for a number of months doesn't mean one's application is dead in the water.

One point which interests me is that Etisalat are still actively considering your application well after the current global financial disaster had commenced. I note in another thread some unfortunate guy in the building industry had resigned his job at home, his wife had resigned, rented out his house and then had his contract canceled before he left Australia. And I think about the chances of that happening or being retrenched not long after starting work in the UAE. Really, nowhere is safe these days (I hear this morning that Citibank is retrenching a further 50,000 staff world wide after previously retrenching 35,000 ie. in total, a touch over 1 in 5 retrenched). Possibly an oil pumping country will ride it about better than most. Who knows. Sometimes you just have to have a go, knowing that from time to time you're gonna get mugged.

I'd seen the Etisalat page of job Grades but I hadn't been able to work out what job is at what level. Thanks for that.

I've attached a 2008 Salary Survey for IT roles in the UAE from a mob called Charterhouse (headhunters - http://www.charterhouseme.ae/pdf/Salary Guide - IT.pdf). You may well have seen it already. Food for thought.


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## K!tt!è

Hi all hope u all are well,im kinda new here so i wouldnt no how to start my own 'thread'im jus curious WHERE DO U GET THESE VACANCIES! i have been jobhunting 4 last 7months,the agencies in UAE are totally hopeless,oh im in cape town,south africa and here these agencies recruit 4 hotels in UAE for minimum wage,if im to move to UAE then it should be worth my while,dont no why its such a shlep getting an agency or company to recruit fr0m S.A.


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## gforce23

@Contemplator:
Citibank's edging back a bit, thanks to the efforts of the US government, although I'm guessing that the CEO is going to be KO'ed in all of this.

Thanks for that document. I'm not too sure if its accurate though. It seems that an average senior telco engineer earns more than his manager!

If I may take the liberty of creating an approximate package for a telecom manager based off the information on the Etisalat web site, it seems that the overall offer is slightly on the lower side tbh.

Base: 35K (from your document)
Housing: 15K (based on my research)
Transport allowance: probably enough for a mid-sized car or SUV
National allowance: N/A since we're western expats
Children educational allowance: N/A in my case but I'm guessing it'll cover the cost of education at an American/British school
Utility allowance: 500-1000 AED, I suppose for power, gas, water etc. 
Air passage: I'm hoping for a BC/BE ticket but I'll assume economy for now
Vacation allowance: same as national allowance and therefore N/A
Telephone rebate: I'd be happier if they'd cover my cell phone/Blackberry usage bill. 500 AED is my guesstimate based on my current usage pattern in the US and UK.
Medical Insurance: included

I'm not too sure how it works for you guys in Oz but us Americans have to pay taxes on income over $85K (or 311K AED/year), which does take some of the sheen off that "tax free" job. Guess I'll wait for either telco firm to make an offer and decide after that. Anyhow, the holy month of Hajj (sp?) has just begun in the Middle East and if its anything like Ramadan, the hiring managers won't be getting back to us anytime soon.

@K!tt!e
Sorry, I don't have a circumflex key on my laptop and can't get that "e" in your name. Anyhow, take a look at the major job web sites like Bayt, GulfTalent, JobsInDubai etc. in addition to the careers portal of all the relevant multi-national companies who have a presence in the UAE market. Bombarding applications is the easy bit; its the pre-app or research phase that'll take some time. Keep applying and don't lose hope. You might want to reach out to someone on here who's in the same industry (I'm assuming hospitality??). Good luck!


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## Guest

gforce23 said:


> @Contemplator:
> Citibank's edging back a bit, thanks to the efforts of the US government, although I'm guessing that the CEO is going to be KO'ed in all of this.
> 
> Thanks for that document. I'm not too sure if its accurate though. It seems that an average senior telco engineer earns more than his manager!
> 
> If I may take the liberty of creating an approximate package for a telecom manager based off the information on the Etisalat web site, it seems that the overall offer is slightly on the lower side tbh.
> 
> Base: 35K (from your document)
> Housing: 15K (based on my research)
> Transport allowance: probably enough for a mid-sized car or SUV
> National allowance: N/A since we're western expats
> Children educational allowance: N/A in my case but I'm guessing it'll cover the cost of education at an American/British school
> Utility allowance: 500-1000 AED, I suppose for power, gas, water etc.
> Air passage: I'm hoping for a BC/BE ticket but I'll assume economy for now
> Vacation allowance: same as national allowance and therefore N/A
> Telephone rebate: I'd be happier if they'd cover my cell phone/Blackberry usage bill. 500 AED is my guesstimate based on my current usage pattern in the US and UK.
> Medical Insurance: included
> 
> I'm not too sure how it works for you guys in Oz but us Americans have to pay taxes on income over $85K (or 311K AED/year), which does take some of the sheen off that "tax free" job. Guess I'll wait for either telco firm to make an offer and decide after that. Anyhow, the holy month of Hajj (sp?) has just begun in the Middle East and if its anything like Ramadan, the hiring managers won't be getting back to us anytime soon.
> 
> @K!tt!e
> Sorry, I don't have a circumflex key on my laptop and can't get that "e" in your name. Anyhow, take a look at the major job web sites like Bayt, GulfTalent, JobsInDubai etc. in addition to the careers portal of all the relevant multi-national companies who have a presence in the UAE market. Bombarding applications is the easy bit; its the pre-app or research phase that'll take some time. Keep applying and don't lose hope. You might want to reach out to someone on here who's in the same industry (I'm assuming hospitality??). Good luck!



I like your offer, I'll take it, when do I start???

That package very much looks like what may be on offer. Again, I think the big item is the Housing Allowance, both in the first year and all out years ie. no point in having the first 12 months covered with a fixed allowance if the rent for year 2 is 25% - 50% higher and the increases in following years are again high. Particularly in AD. I think one could go from accumulating a nice sum to barely being able to afford one’s next beer.

The big unknown, I guess, is whether the big two telcos are going into cost-saving, batten down the hatches mode. I’ve seen a number of recent posts where some unfortunate folks have had their contracts cancelled or have been retrenched. The occupations that they have been working in have nearly all been construction/building. I haven’t seen a telco yet. Or IT infrastructure for that matter. Fingers crossed.

Very kindly, my government (Australia) does not tax any foreign earning while one is a resident of that country.

Best of luck with the offers. Hope they roll in. And with a package that will require a larger wallet.


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## gforce23

You made some valid observations. Thankfully, the telecom sector is still going strong in many parts of the world. FWIW, Etisalat is going on a buying spree with its $3B stockpile of cash. A few companies that are partially owned by them have been signing B/OSS deals with us. In the scheme of things, Etisalat's outlook seems to be quite bullish at the moment.

Anyhow, a couple of new jobs have popped up on the Du web site. You might want to take a look.


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## nm62

Hi 
Just wanted to add if you have Masters Degree you automatically gets a Grade higher.


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## gforce23

nm62 said:


> Hi
> Just wanted to add if you have Masters Degree you automatically gets a Grade higher.


Got one right here. I'm guessing you're an employee, is it?


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## nm62

Well worked for etisalat as an out source staff.
I am also waiting for that 'call' after submitting my documents.
Actually it was suppose to be in August but got delay 
but now it seems they have again waken up.
I am very well aware of the company.

Just another tip if you are shifting to Dubai 
bring your family after few months (3 months atleast)
do not cut all your roots back home immediately
as offer letter/ sponsership/ visa/ salary is not enough 
you get another letter after sometime
before that you are on probation
and i have seen many who get terminated or 
get an extension on the probation period (various reason, eg. degree not recognized, not attested properly, not able to settle down due to high discrimination/racialism culture )
then life becomes tough as you are hanging in between with the family.
but do let me know if you get a call for interview.
one more thing they take a long time to give the offer letter initially as it has to get approved from many places (senior management). 
You will not get it before end of february if earliestttt possible it will be end of january .


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## gforce23

Thanks for the words of wisdom.

Anyhow, I just found a friend of a friend who's at Du in Dubai. I'm going to try and elicit some information about their hiring practices since this is all getting a bit too tiring.


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## gforce23

Has anyone thought of applying to other telcos in the region - BatelCo (Bahrain) and Qtel (Qatar) perhaps? 
I'm also toying with the idea of reconnecting with some old firms who have a presence in the Gulf - Cisco, for example, has a lot of stuff in KSA while Huawei might have a couple of jobs in the AE.


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## nm62

Try *thuraya* in UAE


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## gforce23

A glimmer of hope - Du's interested in setting up an interview sometime this week. This might be interesting.

P.S.: Don't quote me on this but a little birdie dropped some juicy tidbits about a couple of managerial positions that are available in a group headed by someone named Ken. I'm trying to get more details from an acquaintance and shall pass 'em along.


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## Guest

Good luck. That's a good sign if they're still actively seeking new employees


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## gforce23

Contemplator said:


> Good luck. That's a good sign if they're still actively seeking new employees


Thanks. I'll PM the details if I can find a reliable contact at the firm.
Oh, and I've received an offer from Etisalat via e-mail. Still trying to work out the details but it's looking pretty good at the moment.

EDIT: Just got notified of my start date at Etisalat if I were to accept the offer. February '09 sounds decent enough.


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## Guest

Well done on the Etisalat offer! Particularly as it is a good one. AD or Dubai or somewhere else?


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## BadaBing

I would still be careful about switching jobs at this point though. Particularly here in the UAE as hiring freezes can be put in place at any time in the current situation. Even if you have been offered a job, if you have not started, the offer may be withdrawn if a hiring freeze is put in place. Even if you are hired they may not choose to let you continue after the probationary period. I do know for a fact that regardless of their financial position, Etisalat has started to tighten their belt and internally rumors of a hiring freeze abound.


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## nm62

Hi BadaBing 
Yes i have recently read an article (section was ask law) that a semi government gave a call to a person to sign the contract, instructed him to resign from previous company, cancel visa and immediately submit passport to them for visa process.
The next day that person received a call saying that they will not be able to recruit him due to economic turndown. 
That person was advised to go to court as the employer had signed the contract. It was a mutually accepted contract and they cannot terminate him. And meanwhile he cannot work anywhere else. 
But i do agree on that probation part, once you have joined, employer can terminate you on any reason. the probation period is meant for 'trial period'. 
It is painful i know few going through this situation but their is always the positive side to everything.


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## gforce23

Contemplator said:


> Well done on the Etisalat offer! Particularly as it is a good one. AD or Dubai or somewhere else?


Manager @ their office in AD, which by all means should be the tower located at the intersection of 2nd and 7th streets, a couple of blocks down from the Corniche. As much as I'd love to work and enjoy life in Dubai, I think the current economic situation in the UAE leads me to believe that AD is a much safer (job security-wise) place to work at the moment. If the situation does improve in '09 and '10, I'll try to get a transfer to their DXB office, assuming I'll be with the company until then.

The base salary, transportation allowance and other bits are in line with the expected salary that I had posted a couple of days ago but it's the housing allowance that I'm worried about. The current figure is pretty low and I've dashed an e-mail asking for an increase.

Anyhow, keep your chin up. I think December has been a particularly slow month for government companies like Etisalat, thanks to the 15+ days of vacation that they've had so far. Their response time should decrease in the coming weeks and hopefully, y'all will receive something very soon.


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## Littleover_Ram

Hi Dizzyizzy,

I'm trying to sort out as many things as I can before moving to Dubai, you mentioned Du were not great in terms of mobile service etc. Are they better? Is there anybody else better?


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## Alfie Moon

*IT market drying up*

Can I ask why Du Telecom? I have recently moved out here as a tech head but not for Du, I can only speak as a customer and they seem to be a pants org but mayb I just need to get used to it.. 

Also be aware that the IT market is drying up a bit out here, lots of recruitment bans being put in place and no one is too sure what s going to happen to the market over the next few months but good luck with it..


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## gforce23

Alright, it seems like the chief of HR is vacationing (in the south of France I presume) until the 11th and all final offers require his approval. This is probably going to take a lot more time than I had originally thought.


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## nm62

Trust me
ur on the fast track 
I was not expecting it before february/March
Relaxxxx


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## gforce23

Mate trust me, there's barely any time to relax. We have some interesting stuff in the pipeline starting this Q1/early Q2 and I just lost a great opportunity to work on a B/OSS project at Rogers, thanks to my procrastination and dilemma over leaving my current job vs working at Etisalat.

What is beyond me is why they're taking ages to sign an offer. It's not as if I'm coming from the boonies or have some civil/criminal record. Anyhow, we're going to get the SLAs signed for a massive new project later this month and once that happens, I'm afraid that I'll have to pass this offer.


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## nm62

I was a little upset when i came to know that no one enters the company before April.
what can we do, we are not the decision makers, You can ask the HR person next time they call you.


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## dizzyizzy

Littleover_Ram said:


> Hi Dizzyizzy,
> 
> I'm trying to sort out as many things as I can before moving to Dubai, you mentioned Du were not great in terms of mobile service etc. Are they better? Is there anybody else better?


hi, sorry for the late reply, didnt see your post until now 

yes etisalat has a much better coverage .... at least in my experience... a few months ago I had a Du SIM and people would not hear me, I had crappy coverage, and the calls could cut off to the point of frustration... and I am sure it was not the phone because that phone worked just fine with an Etisalat SIM. Several people seemed to have the same problem as I did. So I would recommend you to get a line with Etisalat and not Du...


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## judicious

dizzyizzy said:


> hi, sorry for the late reply, didnt see your post until now
> 
> yes etisalat has a much better coverage .... at least in my experience... a few months ago I had a Du SIM and people would not hear me, I had crappy coverage, and the calls could cut off to the point of frustration... and I am sure it was not the phone because that phone worked just fine with an Etisalat SIM. Several people seemed to have the same problem as I did. So I would recommend you to get a line with Etisalat and not Du...


I think Du is fine, I have both an etisilat line and a Du line and tbh the only problem I have with the Du is that it cuts out (no signal) for about 30 seconds on a certain part of the Emirates Road heading to Sharjah........


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## Littleover_Ram

Thanks Dizzy. It sounds a bit like when '3' was launched in the UK. Great phones, great prices, wonderful packages, dodgy coverage.

Speak soon.


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## dizzyizzy

judicious said:


> I think Du is fine, I have both an etisilat line and a Du line and tbh the only problem I have with the Du is that it cuts out (no signal) for about 30 seconds on a certain part of the Emirates Road heading to Sharjah........


could be that they have better coverage there... I don't know... all I know is that it didn't work for me!!! The areas i
I frequented were Al Barsha (where I live), internet city, media city, knowledge village, jebel ali and the airport free zone, and always had that problem. So I really can't recommend Du!!


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## judicious

dizzyizzy said:


> could be that they have better coverage there... I don't know... all I know is that it didn't work for me!!! The areas i
> I frequented were Al Barsha (where I live), internet city, media city, knowledge village, jebel ali and the airport free zone, and always had that problem. So I really can't recommend Du!!


This is what most people say to be honest, that Du is not as good as Etisalat which is probably true overall but I think the area may affect coverage although I actually work in Al Barsha and it's fine where I am.


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## gforce23

nm62 said:


> I was a little upset when i came to know that no one enters the company before April.
> what can we do, we are not the decision makers, You can ask the HR person next time they call you.


nm, could you please enable PMs for your account? I'd like to discuss a couple of things.

edit:
Crapiola! I could've sworn the PM feature wasn't available on your page earlier. Never mind bro.


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## Jezza

So how are things within Du at the moment ?

I am holding an offer from them and have attempted to negotiate with little success. Only a 10% increase.

Does anyone have tips on how to improve my negotiation, I am currently directly in contact with the HR department.

Position is Grade 16 and Basic+Travel+Housing = 33k AED p/m


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## Elphaba

For anyone seeking work with Du - be warned. They are currently laying off contractors and there are rumours about staff cuts too.


-


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## gforce23

Oh wow! 

YGPM Elph.


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## nm62

I did hear the same about etisalat that they are going to freeze recruitments.
same for Dnata/ Emirates airlines that they have also done it on this forum.
I think you are right about Du bcoz i have just read something on them that 
the sales will fall in 2009.


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## sayfur79

Jezza what have you joined as?

I don't think you'll get more than that as a g16.


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## sayfur79

does anyone have source of where this staff cut rumour originates from?


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## Elphaba

sayfur79 said:


> does anyone have source of where this staff cut rumour originates from?


It is not a rumour. If it was I would have said so. I know personally of contractors who are no longer working for them.


-


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## Jezza

Elphaba said:


> It is not a rumour. If it was I would have said so. I know personally of contractors who are no longer working for them.
> 
> 
> -


This often happens in times of downturn in businesses that contractors are removed. What is the situation with permanent staff ? Are they being laid off ?

Also it is critical to know which areas that peoiple are being laid off in, Sales, Operations, Marketing, Field technicians, etc, this provides an indication of the level of restructuring that is being carried out.


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## gnomes

*Its not rumours*



Elphaba said:


> It is not a rumour. If it was I would have said so. I know personally of contractors who are no longer working for them.
> 
> 
> -


Its true, contractors have been laid off and those left that includes me too, are due to be laid off end of March. du are not renewing contracts, as for staff cuts, this hasnt happened yet, although a lot of internal staff movements are happening. As for Etisalat, there is no recruitment freeze, they are still recruiting. I have this from a person who is constantly placing staff in Etisalat.


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## gforce23

gnomes said:


> Its true, contractors have been laid off and those left that includes me too, are due to be laid off end of March. du are not renewing contracts, as for staff cuts, this hasnt happened yet, although a lot of internal staff movements are happening. As for Etisalat, there is no recruitment freeze, they are still recruiting. I have this from a person who is constantly placing staff in Etisalat.


Thanks for the insider tip. I really appreciate the info. Every bit definitely helps folks like me who are still on the fence.


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## nm62

thanks gnomes for the info....
plz update us if u have any info
thanks a lot...it is a relieve to me


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## gnomes

Etisalat are just slow at everything, personally I would not recommend you wait around for them unless you have the offer from them in hand. I know of 1 case personally, where a guy was and is suitable for 2 positions, his CV was sent to the right person but nothing has happened, this was over 2 months ago. HR in this region are totally unreliable.


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## gforce23

gnomes said:


> Etisalat are just slow at everything, personally I would not recommend you wait around for them unless you have the offer from them in hand. I know of 1 case personally, where a guy was and is suitable for 2 positions, his CV was sent to the right person but nothing has happened, this was over 2 months ago. HR in this region are totally unreliable.


Well I do have an offer but their response times are just pathetic. A simple one-liner takes two or sometimes three weeks to elicit a response via e-mail.

Do you happen to know if Du or Etisalat are cutting back on projects in any particular area? Feel free to PM if you wish. Appreciate your help. 

Thanks!


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## smita

I just received on offer from DU for a managerial position, but they are not offering any housing allowances. All of that is to be my responsibility. They are offering me a 1 year contract: 35K/mo, annual ticket home, medical insurance, and 14 days of vacation. In speaking to my manager's manager during the interview -- he definitely mentioned long hours, and a lot of hard work. So they are quite upfront about that sort of thing. 

Does anyone know where DU is located? And what are the best places to live around there?


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## adywicaksono

smita said:


> I just received on offer from DU for a managerial position, but they are not offering any housing allowances. All of that is to be my responsibility. They are offering me a 1 year contract: 35K/mo, annual ticket home, medical insurance, and 14 days of vacation. In speaking to my manager's manager during the interview -- he definitely mentioned long hours, and a lot of hard work. So they are quite upfront about that sort of thing.
> 
> Does anyone know where DU is located? And what are the best places to live around there?


Du location can be
1. Dubai Media City (Satha Tower)
2. Dubai Internet City (DMC 14)
3. Dubai Academic City

Best place to stay is depend on your office
- If your office is located in DMC/DIC, you can choose
* TECOM area, The Greens, Discovery Garden, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Al Barsha, ...

- If your office is located in DAC, you may struggle as this place is far from everywhere


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## aamert

*gforce23* do you have any update to your situation? did you go with Etisalat finally?


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## gforce23

@aamert:
Yep, I did although I had to settle for a second tier city (ADH and not DXB).

I'm still trying to get into the groove of things out here since everything's so _different_ compared to the U.S.


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## adywicaksono

gforce23 said:


> @aamert:
> Yep, I did although I had to settle for a second tier city (ADH and not DXB).
> 
> I'm still trying to get into the groove of things out here since everything's so _different_ compared to the U.S.


congratulation, finally you move to UAE (Abu Dhabi-Etisalat)


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## sing2010

*Etisalat employment*



gforce23 said:


> @aamert:
> Yep, I did although I had to settle for a second tier city (ADH and not DXB).
> 
> I'm still trying to get into the groove of things out here since everything's so _different_ compared to the U.S.


Gforce - Noticed your thread - but then, no news after you moved to Etisalat.
Are you still there?
I am a IT/Telcom profesional myself - and wanted to ask - how much is the housing allowance for senior managers, and if is sufficient at the expat compounds? And, what grade would AED41-45k/ month be? This includes housing.
Thanks for your info.


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## abhi1983

I had an interview with Etisalat in August end and was asked to submit all documents (experience certificates, photos, educational certificates...etc). However there is no response after that. The HR Assistant in charge told me that its a time consuming process. Does anybody have an idea of the time line it takes for an intitial offer? 

@Gforce, perhaps you could give put in some inputs


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## Telecom

*Telecom job in either Du or Etisalat*

Hi Everybody,

My wife specializes in GPRS, GSM, 3G, 4G, UMTS, CDMA, GGSN testing. 

She has been working as an employee of a major Indian services company since the past 5 years on a Nortel Networks project. 

I hold a UAE residence visa and am looking for a job opportunity for my wife with either Etisalat or Du. Any help by the members here to get in touch with anybody in either of these organization will be very helpful.

Kindly help,
Telecom


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## gforce23

abhi1983 said:


> I had an interview with Etisalat in August end and was asked to submit all documents (experience certificates, photos, educational certificates...etc). However there is no response after that. The HR Assistant in charge told me that its a time consuming process. Does anybody have an idea of the time line it takes for an intitial offer?
> 
> @Gforce, perhaps you could give put in some inputs


I guess you're amongst the bunch of guys who are scheduled to start work next month, right?


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## Telecom

gforce23 said:


> I guess you're amongst the bunch of guys who are scheduled to start work next month, right?


Dear gforce23,

Is there any requirements for GPRS, GSM, 3G, 4G, UMTS, CDMA, GGSN, SGSN - testing?

Kinldy reply.

Telecom


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## orangekitten

*Interviewed*



gnomes said:


> What would you like to know? DU are only 2 yrs old so they are in their infancy, if you worked for startups before you can imagine how it is. Long hours, very tiring, no one wants to do anything, processes and procedures do not get adhered to, and finally as all corporates, the polotics, empires etc. How do they treat expats, well its full of expats. Im not on DU payroll as work as a freelancer consultant to them.


Hi, 

Wondering if you can help me out. I applied for a job at DU and will have an interview tomorrow. I am a Kenyan lady single and wondering if this will be a problem ie me being African as well as being female AND single.

Also, what do you mean by long hours as I will be starting a department there, creating procedures etc? I currently work for Zain Group so have worked in many Middle East countries (albeit shortly) so know about the culture and dress code.

Still am scared about the racism someone spoke of here in the forum as well as the unfair dismissals as I have just read an unfortunate one here in the forum.

Any tips for me and if I should give up on getting the job? Still being interviewed now


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