Need help finding a job in Dubai

hyder · 2nd April 2007, 16:31

Hi guys,

I've been emailing CV's @ 20/day for the last 5 weeks. Until now, I've only received one not-very-enthusiastic reply. I'm skilled in Photoshop and Flash (including actionscript) on a Mac. In fact, I'm just as skilled as any Mac technician (my roommate used to do freelance work fixing Macs). This was while in the US for the last two years.

I'm really shocked to the extent the job market here in the UAE is saturated.

I don't really know if its my resume, my lack of experience (2 yrs freelance), the fact that I'm on a visit visa here or perhaps that I don't have a cell phone that these guys don't bother replying.

Anyway, my CV follows! Any sort of help would be appreciated- resume review, jobs that u know of.

A hug in advance!

Magnus · 2nd April 2007, 16:59

Sorry to hear about your experience. In my view, five weeks is not a long time to look for work, and quantity rarely makes up for quality. It's more about hitting the right places than it is about hitting a lot of places. I have no idea who you're contacting, so I can't obviously know if that applies in your case, but perhaps you need to be more selective and do a more personal/customized approach. With so many CVs and letters to send out, I would imagine they will all be more or less cookie-cutter format, and not tailored much to the particular situation. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents.

I edited out your full CV, if anyone's interested they can PM you.

senthil03 · 2nd April 2007, 20:53

I don't mean to discourage you, but my opinion of Dubai is that it is still a small market compared to US, Europe and Far East.

As Emirates Mac pointed out, I guess the first thing you need to do is to short list the kind of organisations/companies you want to work with and then go and meet them directly.

Another observation is that there is a huge shortage of talent in UAE and if you are good there is no reason why you won't be grabbed at a premium. Targetting the right place is the key..

hyder · 3rd April 2007, 09:56

First off, thanks for the reply guys. I really do appreciate it.

I spend over 6 hours each day sending out CVs. I attempt to attune CVs for a particular group of companies rather than custom-cut CVs for each and every company. This way, I was able to cover a larger market.

But I guess both of you are right; i'm gonna have to short list the kind of companies I need to apply to and tailor my CVs to their requirements.

Thanks again guys!

Magnus · 3rd April 2007, 12:25

Consider this: most likely you only have a few seconds to impress someone looking at your resume, so it should be spot on for a particular position. Also, your CV may very well just automatically be scanned for keywords and phrases by a computer before even getting to a human eye. I would think a personalized approach, with more custom-made CVs and cover letters is better than a cookie-cutter approach. Not all your education and experience is equally valid for every position you apply for, nor is your personal statement, and what you write in the cover letter.

dandantheitman · 5th April 2007, 04:38

Hi Hyder,

Have you tried all of the job agencies ? Clarendon Parker, BBB, Ingram Consultants etc...
You might try speaking with the companies who promote / sponsor the shuffle magazine as they will most definitely have a requirement for Mac guys, maybe not now, but at some point they will.

Look through a couple of the other threads in this forum and look for a few ideas that other people have posted.

daN

2nd April 2007, 16:31	#1 (permalink)
hyder Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 27	Need help finding a job in Dubai Hi guys, I've been emailing CV's @ 20/day for the last 5 weeks. Until now, I've only received one not-very-enthusiastic reply. I'm skilled in Photoshop and Flash (including actionscript) on a Mac. In fact, I'm just as skilled as any Mac technician (my roommate used to do freelance work fixing Macs). This was while in the US for the last two years. I'm really shocked to the extent the job market here in the UAE is saturated. I don't really know if its my resume, my lack of experience (2 yrs freelance), the fact that I'm on a visit visa here or perhaps that I don't have a cell phone that these guys don't bother replying. Anyway, my CV follows! Any sort of help would be appreciated- resume review, jobs that u know of. A hug in advance! Last edited by Magnus : 2nd April 2007 at 16:56. Reason: Edited out full CV - contact hyder for details if you're interested.

5th April 2007, 04:38	#6 (permalink)
dandantheitman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Myrtle Beach, SC. Posts: 722	The Hunt for Job Hi Hyder, Have you tried all of the job agencies ? Clarendon Parker, BBB, Ingram Consultants etc... You might try speaking with the companies who promote / sponsor the shuffle magazine as they will most definitely have a requirement for Mac guys, maybe not now, but at some point they will. Look through a couple of the other threads in this forum and look for a few ideas that other people have posted. daN

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2nd April 2007, 16:59	#2 (permalink)
Magnus Administrator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Dubai Posts: 8,410	Sorry to hear about your experience. In my view, five weeks is not a long time to look for work, and quantity rarely makes up for quality. It's more about hitting the right places than it is about hitting a lot of places. I have no idea who you're contacting, so I can't obviously know if that applies in your case, but perhaps you need to be more selective and do a more personal/customized approach. With so many CVs and letters to send out, I would imagine they will all be more or less cookie-cutter format, and not tailored much to the particular situation. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. I edited out your full CV, if anyone's interested they can PM you.

2nd April 2007, 20:53	#3 (permalink)
senthil03 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Dubai Posts: 355	I don't mean to discourage you, but my opinion of Dubai is that it is still a small market compared to US, Europe and Far East. As Emirates Mac pointed out, I guess the first thing you need to do is to short list the kind of organisations/companies you want to work with and then go and meet them directly. Another observation is that there is a huge shortage of talent in UAE and if you are good there is no reason why you won't be grabbed at a premium. Targetting the right place is the key..

3rd April 2007, 09:56	#4 (permalink)
hyder Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 27	First off, thanks for the reply guys. I really do appreciate it. I spend over 6 hours each day sending out CVs. I attempt to attune CVs for a particular group of companies rather than custom-cut CVs for each and every company. This way, I was able to cover a larger market. But I guess both of you are right; i'm gonna have to short list the kind of companies I need to apply to and tailor my CVs to their requirements. Thanks again guys!

3rd April 2007, 12:25	#5 (permalink)
Magnus Administrator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Dubai Posts: 8,410	Consider this: most likely you only have a few seconds to impress someone looking at your resume, so it should be spot on for a particular position. Also, your CV may very well just automatically be scanned for keywords and phrases by a computer before even getting to a human eye. I would think a personalized approach, with more custom-made CVs and cover letters is better than a cookie-cutter approach. Not all your education and experience is equally valid for every position you apply for, nor is your personal statement, and what you write in the cover letter.