Waiting after applying for a job

[bath]

Hi everyone,

I'm guessing this may have been discussed before (although I haven't been able to find any threads on this subject), but since each case can be quite different I decided to go ahead and seek some advise from you guys.

I was wondering how long one should expect to be kept waiting after applying for a job. In my case it's a senior managers job in a somewhat specialized field, which has been available for over half a year. I have other option available which I have to consider, so I need to decide when to give up on this job to pursue those options.

After google'ing it a bit, it's seems the general consensus is that if you haven't heard anything within a couple of weeks you're most likely out of the running. Do you guys feel the same applies to Dubai employers as well, or should I give it more time? (It's been two weeks now). Do these things generally take even more time during the summer months?

Thank you in advance!

[TallyHo]

There's no concrete answer to your question.

But, yes, it's generally accepted that if you don't hear back within a week or two they're not interested in you.

Bigger companies do tend to have longer time frames and the closing date may be a month after the initial job posting and may not bother contacting prospective recruits till after the closing date.

Really big companies such as IBM with 400,000 employees may take months to recruit someone due to internal bureaucratic delays.

But in your case if the job has been advertised for more than six months that tells me the company isn't fully serious about filling the role. The exception might be that it's a very specialised role and there's few people who can fill it, but if they still haven't contacted you that probably tells you they don't find you a suitable candidate.

Still, have you tried following up? Call the company, try to speak directly with the hiring manager and not some minor flunkey. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Hiring is a byzantine process anywhere but especially so in Dubai. Lots of companies are blatant in only wanting a certain gender or nationality. The Lebanese mafia is alive and well. Favoritism is always a factor - hiring someone's nephew over a better qualified candidate. There's no laws regulating the recruitment process which is why looking for work in the UAE is often a frustrating and mysterious experience.

Originally Posted by bath

Hi everyone,

I'm guessing this may have been discussed before (although I haven't been able to find any threads on this subject), but since each case can be quite different I decided to go ahead and seek some advise from you guys.

I was wondering how long one should expect to be kept waiting after applying for a job. In my case it's a senior managers job in a somewhat specialized field, which has been available for over half a year. I have other option available which I have to consider, so I need to decide when to give up on this job to pursue those options.

After google'ing it a bit, it's seems the general consensus is that if you haven't heard anything within a couple of weeks you're most likely out of the running. Do you guys feel the same applies to Dubai employers as well, or should I give it more time? (It's been two weeks now). Do these things generally take even more time during the summer months?

Thank you in advance!

[XDoodlebugger]

Originally Posted by TallyHo

There's no concrete answer to your question.

But, yes, it's generally accepted that if you don't hear back within a week or two they're not interested in you.

Bigger companies do tend to have longer time frames and the closing date may be a month after the initial job posting and may not bother contacting prospective recruits till after the closing date.

Really big companies such as IBM with 400,000 employees may take months to recruit someone due to internal bureaucratic delays.

But in your case if the job has been advertised for more than six months that tells me the company isn't fully serious about filling the role. The exception might be that it's a very specialised role and there's few people who can fill it, but if they still haven't contacted you that probably tells you they don't find you a suitable candidate.

Still, have you tried following up? Call the company, try to speak directly with the hiring manager and not some minor flunkey. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Hiring is a byzantine process anywhere but especially so in Dubai. Lots of companies are blatant in only wanting a certain gender or nationality. The Lebanese mafia is alive and well. Favoritism is always a factor - hiring someone's nephew over a better qualified candidate. There's no laws regulating the recruitment process which is why looking for work in the UAE is often a frustrating and mysterious experience.

I would agree with this, doesn't hurt to reach out.

I was in a similar position, management role in a highly specialized field that had been open for months. The process took about 10 weeks to get an offer from initial phone interview with several periods of over a week without contact from the company. I had a headhunter involved that was contacting me and pushing them but if he hadn't been involved it could have taken even longer.

Have you been flown in for an interview or only phone?

[Sevenoaks1]

My husbands offer too 6 months from initial contact to concrete offer. Also a head hunter pushing so could have gone on even longer. He had 2 face to face interviews in this time, they just seemed in no rush at all.

[Mr Rossi]

I know some that's high up at one of the main department stores here, took her 18 months in all due to the farcical practises here. I've also heard of people being phoned up and offered jobs when they've long given up and gone back home. Ramadan starts in a few weeks so there is another month you can write off and presume you won't hear anything.

I'd chase the existing position with the odd email to HR while exploring the other options. If they original people get back to you and it's the job you actually want, consider it a bonus.

[KHHK88]

It seems to vary depending on which sector you are involved in. For example, I applied for a job over two months ago and have just been called up for interview. Best option is to send a quick email, show you are still interested, yet don't bet on it and keep all your options open.

[bath]

Thanks for the answers everyone, I guess I'll try hearing from them in a week or so to reiterate my interest - without holding my breath over it.

[wazza2222]

Mate, I wouldn't give up, my wife applied for a job with the worlds biggest hotel management chain. She got no acknowledgement of her application (management postition too!) and took a job with another company. I kid you not, two months later, she gets an email inviting her to an interview!

Add Ramadan into the equation and you could be facing another two months delay (one month for Ramadan itself and then another month for the beauracracy to catch up)

This place is like no other I have ever been involved in

[fcjb1970]

You cannot expect that anyone will follow up after answering an ad here. It is all up to you. You need to be finding the contacts at the company and getting them on the phone or sending emails direct to the right people. And doing it over and over once you find the right contact

I cannot tell you how many emails and phone calls it took me to get interviews for jobs that when I got in the door received offers pretty much before the end of the interview (i.e., jobs I was uniquely qualified for). Like @wazza says this place is like no other I have ever been involved in.

Then they will tell you they need you immediately

[bath]

Thanks for the advice I just sent a follow up email to the head of HR (it's a small company, so I suppose that's the right person to contact) and we'll just see how it goes from there.