Jobs In Dubai - Career Q & A

Hi Anna: I have been interviewed by prospective employers in Dubai. I am quite clueless about salary package & benefits that I should expect. I am a Public Relations/Marketing Communications Manager from an Engineering Consultant company in Singapore. Can you provide some tips to help me negotiate for my package? Thanks! Rezani.

Dear Rezani: thank you for your question. It’s not easy making a big decision to move away from the comfort of your home and friends and family to a new place. So, you have to make sure the package you receive is worth it. However, before you decide whether to negotiate your salary or not, it is important to understand the purchasing power of your paycheck. I have posted an article on the Jobs in Dubai website which you may want to check out to get your question answered:

http://jobsindubai.com/articledetail.asp?id=18&page=3

Thanks and good luck with negotiating! ^_^

Hi Anna, I’m looking for a work as a chef in Dubai. I’m currently working in a five start hotel in Saudi Arabia. I’ve graduated from a culinary arts school and have five years work experience. Can you tell me how the job market is like for chefs in the hospitality sector? Sincerely, Dilupa.

Dear Dilupa: thank you for your question. If you don’t already know, the tourism industry in Dubai is booming. As such, hotels in Dubai are competing with each other to recruit skilled staff for their hotels. There are thousands of opportunities available but only a limited number of places from where these hotels will be hiring.

For example, the $1.5 billion Atlantis resort (scheduled to open late 2008) will be hiring a large number of employees towards September. Movenpick plans to open 19 new hotels by 2009 with 93 new restaurants and bards. You can expect large hotel chains to hire professional staff from all over the world. Since the current number of UAE nationals pursuing careers in Dubai’s hospitality sector is just over 600 at present. You can expect your changes to be significantly greater.

As always, I encourage you to start networking with friends and family in Dubai. If you don’t know anyone there, consider working with your current group of friends to see if you can hook up with expats living and working in Dubai. Plan a trip there and start applying. Register with employment agencies and apply to employers. Remember that persistence is key.

You can find the following list of hotels useful for your job search: Jumeirah Hotel Group, Marriott Hotels, Ritz Carlton Hotels, Movenpick Hotels and Dusit Hotels. You can even visit the Desert Adventures Toursim site and check out opportunities there:

http://www.desertadventures.com/html/jobs.html

Jobs in Dubai is also adding new hotels to their employers section daily. You are welcome to sign up with us and we can get you connected with hotels in Dubai from the comfort of your home country. Thanks and Good Luck!

Are there formal exchange programs for high school age students who want to learn about business in Dubai? Ages 16-19? Thanks, Harold.

Hi Harold, yes, The American University of Dubai and Sharjah offer student exchange programs for a duration of one year but you must be enrolled in a graduate program. Sorry, but no such exchange programs exist for high school students at this time.

Hi Anna, I’m working as a customer support officer for the past two years. My brother is a resident of Dubai. He has always told me of the booming opportunities in Dubai and, as such, I want to take advantage. So what kind of opportunities I can look forward to? Thanks, Deekshith.

Dear Deekshith: Since your brother is already a resident of Dubai, I would strongly encourage you to obtain a visit visa and apply to employers while you are already there. Your brother can act as a sponsor and sponsor you for a visit visa.

However, before you head out, I would advise you to do your homework from your home country. You can start by networking with other professionals who are looking for work in Dubai. You can usually find lots of forums online or even start speaking with friends of family members about your goals. See if you can get information on upcoming companies or already established companies in Dubai. You can even start making phone calls from your home country to see if you can get through to the HR officer and establish a rapport. Once you have created a heavy contact list, you can plan your trip.

Bear in mind that Dubai is a luxurious city so it’s easy to get distracted with the sights and nightlife. Basically, you have to keep strong with your job search. It’s never easy to find work in a new place. However, with some persistence and a little bit of hard work, I’m sure things will look up.

Don’t stop your network once you are in the city. Start working on your social skills to create your own circle of friends and acquaintances, as you never know where your ideal opportunity will come from!

Research by Career Management Consultants suggests that networking increases your chances of getting hired by 30%. You can build that network while you are in Dubai as well. Try a few places from this list and you might find a little luck in your job hunt : Irish Village, QD's, Rock Bottom Café, Zinc, Barasti Bar, Aussie Legends, Go West (Ironic), Dubai Marine, Jumeirah Beach, Jimy Dix, Uptown, Trader Vic's, Koubba, Century Village, The Alamo, Fabber Magee's, Boardwalk, Studio One, Scarlett's, and Spike Bar.

Hi Anna, I am planning to have a career shift to a non-profit organization. What are my options & what is the industry like here in UAE? I am currently working as a Product Manager and have relevant non-profit background in micro financing. Thank you in advance for your consideration, Margarita

Dear Margarita: You will find a combination of international organizations, social organizations, human rights and liberties in Dubai which are mainly non-profit organizations. Some of these organizations have websites mainly in Arabic but you can select English for some of them. (Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Foundation, Human Appeal International, Anjuman-e-Najmi, etc.) You won’t find job ads for non-profit organizations over the web as they usually hire locally. So, it may be useful for you to apply there directly or once you are in Dubai.

Also don’t forget to network with other professionals so that you can get your feet wet. Expats always provide useful information to each other so it’s useful for you to work on your socializing skills and get the ball rolling.

Remember you can always sign up with Jobs in Dubai to get exposure to ideal non-profit organizations as we have quite a few registered on our site. Good Luck!