How to get a job in Dubai: 7 steps

Millions of people from all over the world want to get a job in Dubai. In 2023, Dubai is still one of the top international destinations for job seekers. This isn't surprising considering all that the UAE has to offer. Landing a job in Dubai means tax free earnings, year round sun and access to a booming economy.

But many people don't know how to find work in Dubai. Make no mistake, the Dubai job market is competitive and challenging. But with the right guidance you can succeed in landing your dream Dubai job.

As a former Dubai recruiter, I know what it takes to get a good job in Dubai. In this article I'm going to share with you the top 10 Dubai job search secrets that are essential to success. By following these 10 steps, you'll be much more likely to land a job in Dubai in 2023! Disclosure: We are affiliates for some of these products and services. Learn more.

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How to get a job in Dubai - 9 secrets to success

Many people find their Dubai career blocked by long searches, dead ends and false starts. This doesn't have to be your experience. Tap into the 10 secrets below to ensure that your Dubai job search is successful in 2023.

1. Don't over apply

2. Apply at the right time of year

3. Use Dubai job boards

4. Adapt your Dubai CV for every application

5. Optimise your LinkedIn profile for Dubai

6. Build your network

7. Get a local Dubai number

Let's get started!

1. Don’t apply for too many roles

This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s very important. You may think the more jobs you apply for the better your chances will be. This isn't the case, applying for too many jobs in Dubai can actually work against you.

You are not a good fit for every role out there. Even if you're a sales person, you won't be a great fit for every sales job in Dubai. Dubai recruiters have very specific requirements for the roles they fill.

Companies in Dubai like to hire people who have the exact skillset and experience that they need. So don't bother applying for roles that you are not a great match for, you'll be wasting your time. So what should you do instead?

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A targeted approach

Begin your Dubai job search by deciding on your target industry and roles. This will help you apply only to the roles that you are at least 80% qualified for.

Pay attention to language requirements, professional qualifications, educational requirements and specific regional experience. Don't apply for a role requiring an Arabic speaker if you only speak English.

When you apply for roles which are not a good fit, you will get frustrated at the lack of positive response. You'll also signal to Dubai recruiters that you're going to waste their time.

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Develop a list of target companies

As you'll see below, networking is one of the best ways to find a job in Dubai. Do some research and identify your top 10-20 companies. These should be the companies that operate in your industry and hire people with your experience. Create your list based on your priority companies and begin to target them one by one.

2. Apply for jobs in Dubai at the right time of year

There is nothing stopping you getting a job in Dubai at any time of the year. But, in Dubai there are months where recruitment slows almost to a standstill. There are also months where recruitment activity is high.

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What's the best time of year to apply for jobs in Dubai?

January and February are the two of the best months for finding work in Dubai. March, April and May are also months where recruitment activity is high. These are the months where you should focus most of your Dubai job search efforts.

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What are the worst months for finding a job in Dubai?

June, July and August are the worst months for getting a job in Dubai. The summer months see a big drop off in recruitment activity. You should plan your Dubai job search in line with Dubai's recruitment cycle and be aware of religious holidays and other annual events that influence recruitment activity.

Read This Article: The Best Time to Search for a Job in Dubai

3. Use Dubai job boards

Yes, you should use Dubai job boards, but you must learn how to use them well. Don't sit and apply for every job that comes up. This might be tempting but remember rule number one, don't apply for too many jobs!

Dubai job boards can be very useful for conducting research. You can gather a lot of helpful information from job boards in Dubai.

Read This Article: How to Use Job Boards to Apply for Jobs in Duba

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4. Adapt your Dubai CV for every application

Before you decide this sounds like too much work, remember rule number one. You’re not going to be applying for hundreds of roles. You’re only going to be applying for the roles that are a great fit for you.

So, this means you can take a little more time on each job application. The best way to get a job in Dubai is through adopting a quality over quantity approach. Believe me, it works.

Instead of hitting apply 10-20 times a day on Dubai job boards and LinkedIn, you’re going to find 1-2 great roles. Now take the time to adapt your CV for each of these applications. When a Dubai recruiter opens up your CV, they should immediately see that you are a great fit for the role.

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4 sections of your CV that you can adapt for each application

You don't need to create a new CV for every single job application. Instead adapt these four key sections to make your CV a better match for the role. You should use job descriptions to identify the top keywords that should be included. This will also help you decide which of your skills, experience and successes should be highlighted.

1. Target job title and keywords

2. Professional profile

3. Key skills

4. Selected accomplishments

Read This Article: Write an Amazing CV for Dubai That Gets Your Interviews

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5. Optimise your LinkedIn profile for Dubai

Want to know one of the best ways to find a job in Dubai? Opimise your LinkedIn profile and get active on the platform. A majority of HR professionals and recruiters in Dubai use LinkedIn. Plus 50% of the population of the UAE are on LinkedIn! If a company or a recruiter wants to find talent in Dubai, they look on LinkedIn.

To land a job in Dubai, you need to make sure your LinkedIn profile is 100% complete and up to date. Bear in mind that recruiters and HR teams will be searching by keywords to find you.

I recommend using a tool called Jobscan (ad) when updating your LinkedIn for Dubai. Jobscan will scan your LinkedIn and compare it to your target job descriptions. It will then tell you what keywords to add and where to add them.

Use This Tool: Try Jobscan Today

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Make sure these 7 sections of your LinkedIn profile are complete:

1. Profile Picture

2. LinkedIn Banner

3. Headline

4. About Section

5. Experience Section

6. Skills Section

7. Contact Details

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6. Build your Dubai network

In Dubai it's all about who you know. Networking is key to long term career success in the UAE. You can begin developing your network right now by using LinkedIn.

Start to connect and reach out to professionals in Dubai who work in your industry. Send them a connection request or InMail and suggest a conversation.

It will surprise you how open people are to a networking opportunity. Spend an hour a day finding the emails or numbers of potential networking targets. Many of the best career opportunities come about as the result of networking in Dubai.

Use these tools to help your networking efforts

1. Sales QL (ad) will find the contact details of anyone in your LinkedIn network. Allowing you to send a simple email asking for a coffee chat.

2. Hunter.io (ad) will find the contact information of people within your target organisations. Bypass the gatekeepers and go straight to the decision makers!

7. Get a local Dubai number

As soon as I got a local Dubai number I began to receive calls from recruiters. I learned later that recruiters in Dubai prefer candidates who are already on the ground. If a company can recruit a candidate who's already in the country, it saves them paying for relocation costs.

It’s also less of a risk. A local candidate is much less likely to back out of a hiring process and get cold feet about relocating. A Dubai number on your CV and LinkedIn profile sends a clear message that you are here and ready to interview.

This is a great tip if you are planning to search for jobs in Dubai whilst on a visit visa. You can visit a local DU or Etisalat store in any of Dubai’s many shopping malls, and get yourself a local pre-paid sim. Remember to take your passport with you, as you’ll need to present ID to get your local number. Then update your LinkedIn, CV and online profiles with your new number.

Read This Article: How to Find a Job in Dubai on a Visit Visa

Conclusion

Getting a job in Dubai does not have to be a frustrating and complicated process. Many thousands of people do it every year! Here at The English Meeting Room, we continue helping people to land great jobs in Dubai every day. I hope you find this article helpful. Please share it with your network if you have!