If you are young, ambitious and planning to advance your career in the Middle East, Dubai is likely to be your first choice. But while the land of luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture, a lively nightlife, and Burj Khalifa beckons in your professional dreams, it is important to prepare for the trajectory well.
Duration of your Visit Visa
A UAE visit visa can be of 30-90 days’ duration. You may also acquire a 6-month visa with multiple entries, however, it does not allow you to stay for more than 14 days at a stretch. If you plan to land anywhere in the UAE, leave alone Dubai, and start from scratch with the cold calling, there may not be enough time given the competitive nature of jobs in Dubai. However, if you explore your options and come armed with a full schedule of meetings for interviews, you may succeed.
Hunt Jobs Online
The Internet is a great place to begin your Dubai job search to make your visit visa duration worth every penny and day spent. Check out relevant online forums and groups, search for Dubai jobs related posts on social media and connect with people.
If your profile or resume is on a Dubai job site such as Monster Gulf, make sure you change your current location to the United Arab Emirates as recruiters prefer people who stay in Dubai.
Bonus Tip: Before you go all out in your job hunt, don’t forget to figure out if the role you’re interested in is even required in Dubai!
Time of Year
Just as there are tourist, festival and wedding seasons, there are also specific months during the year when recruiters are prepared to search for applicants. The best time to make a job-visit to Dubai is between November and February. Once you’ve ensured you have plenty of appointments to run to and coordinate, make sure you have a local number (Etisalat or Du) as well as a Dubai metro card to save on travel and calling costs.
Get Social
There’s no such thing as enough acquaintances in Dubai. Mingle with your friends and family and their close and distant social circles and let it be known that you’re looking to make a career in Dubai . The same goes for your social media, especially for LinkedIn. This is not time to be shy or diffident. It’s time to connect with people that matter to fulfill your dream.
Groom Well
Educational qualifications and high degree of Indian professional experience is all well and good, but as they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Dubai is a melting pot of cultures and people of various origins converge there for work as well. Even if you do not have a stiff upper lip or you don’t roll your Rs, train yourself to speak in a clear accent without any Indianisms. Make sure you’re carrying a well-tailored two-piece suit for all your interview meetings. Moreover, be polite and definitely do not spam recruiters with multiple versions of your profiles and incessant follow-ups.
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