Finding a job.....

[rednikki17]

Hi all, Feeling very frustrated at the moment!!! Have applied for loads of jobs for Hubbie...even re-written his CV twice...but NO replies..sigh.... I've heard its better to be in Dubai when looking for work, is this really true? Also, Hubbie has nearly 15 yrs worth of IT experience to Specialist/Consultant level but no Degree as such only 'A' level standard education. Is this going to be a problem do you think? Any ideas/advice really appreciated....Thanks.

[Maz25]

Do not despair. Most of us have found ourselves in the same situation at some point or another. The trick is to persevere and to try and keep in touch with recruitment agencies in Dubai. I'm based in the Uk and found UK recruitment agents to be absolutely useless. They were better at making promises than anything else and half of the time, they were advertising positions that they knew absolutely nothing about, other than what they had put on their website.

I would advise you to get in contact with some agencies based in Dubai. A lot of employers in Dubai use them due to practicality, amongst other reasons. Google is a great way to find them. Undersatandably, as you have said, it would be easier to find a job if you were based in Dubai. I believe that this however is due to the fact that you can target employers directly and are available for interview straight away and the fact that you can consult local newspapers for vacancies that are only being advertised in Dubai. It is still possible however to find a job from abroad. I got my job from abroad and the same is true for a lot of other people.

Degrees are very important in Dubai, particularly for expat positions. Saying that however, experience is a lot more valuable than formal qualifications and there are employers out there who will employ you without a degree. It might only become a problem if your husband is required to have a degree for visa purposes. I will be working in the free zone and I aware that there is a list of occupations where attested degrees are required before a visa is issued.

I personally feel that your husband is the one who should be writing his CV and doing all the legwork. Being in the industry, he would know better what he would be looking for in a prospective employee and hence ensure that his CV is clearly portraying the skills that are vital in his field. The fact that he doesn't have a degree makes it even more vital for him to sell his skills and experience to prospective employers through his CV. Once he starts getting interviews, then things will move a lot faster. It is up to him to make his CV stand out amongst the rest.

Best of luck. I'm sure that with a bit of patience and hard work, your hubby will soon land his dream job.

[rednikki17]

Thanks for that Maz, much appreciated. Yes, lol...Hubbie should be doing the legwork but is in the middle of a very hectic contract at the mo.....and he had written his own CV and thats why i had to re-write it...technically minded but cant spell...bless. I will look into the visa situation as that could be a prob for us then...thankyou.

[Maz25]

Originally Posted by rednikki17

Thanks for that Maz, much appreciated. Yes, lol...Hubbie should be doing the legwork but is in the middle of a very hectic contract at the mo.....and he had written his own CV and thats why i had to re-write it...technically minded but cant spell...bless. I will look into the visa situation as that could be a prob for us then...thankyou.

Don't worry about the visa. Just concentrate on getting the interview. I have heard of employers employing you as for e.g. a consultant but then putting your job title down as something else on your visa just to get around this issue (amongst a lot of other reasons). The important thing is for your hubby to find his dream job. His employer would be aware of the fact that he doesn't have a degree in any case from his cv and getting an interview would be proof enough that his experience is more important and that they would be willing to work around his lack of formal qualifications.

Good luck!

[Ogri750]

A lack of a degree doesn't have to be a problem. As others have said, getting the interview is the crux of it.

Just make sure the CV is written to put real emphasis on experience and ability

[rednikki17]

Thanks guys. Good advice. Is it worth following up job applications, do you think? We dont want to be a pain but a bit of feedback would be helpful!

[Maz25]

Originally Posted by rednikki17

Thanks guys. Good advice. Is it worth following up job applications, do you think? We dont want to be a pain but a bit of feedback would be helpful!

I would say that this is the best way of finding out where you are going wrong and finding out what is happening with your application. Sometimes you have to be a bit pushy to get what you want, especially when there are so many candidates going after the same job. It will get you noticed for sure and hopefully, it will get someone to pick up your CV and find out about you, your skills, experience, etc! Feedback will help your husband address the problems that are holding him back. One thing I found about from my current employer is that if you do not put down your hobbies, they will not employ you as you immediately come across as boring and anti-social! At times, being persistent can even land you a job! I've met someone who gave a candidate a job just because they bothered to follow-up and called back after the interview to thank him and ask for a feedback. In his words, it was obvious that this person really wanted to work for him and was enthusiatic about the company and his business.

Fingers crossed, your husband will find something soon.

[dxbcamper]

I had the same problem with getting 0 replies to about 20 applications.....have you tried charterhouse.ae yet? I got lucky with them and had an interview last week. I hope I'll get the job though. All the other sites have been completely unresponsive, which drove me nuts!

GOOD LUCK!

[rednikki17]

Thanks DXB, I've tried EVERYONE!!! Not giving up yet though...will still keep trying....as obviously your persisitence has paid off...so hopefully will ours! I hope and pray that you get the job!!

[dxbcamper]

Rednikki,

there's a lady at Charterhouse (Helen Walker)....she helped me, so perhaps you should try going through her as well. Anyhow, it's summer at the moment, so finding a job is difficult, because lots of decision makers are on leave.

good luck and thanks for praying for me