Planning to relocation and Job-Hunt in the UAE? See these tips for you.
Nota Bene: This was originally written 17 January 2018, but never published.
Again, first a disclaimer. I would like to put it out there that I am in no way encouraging anyone to go to the UAE on a visit visa, and then start your job-hunting process, as it is, technically, frowned upon by the Philippine Governement, and by some extent, the UAE Government.
Having said the above and you, as the reader have already made up your mind, by no inducement or persuasion by this blogpost, just so you and I are clear, to relocate to the UAE and try and join the job market, I may have some tips to make your lives a little easier.
To be clear, I do not pretend to be some sort of an expert. I would just like to share my experience to you. I have also been coaching my sister-in-law for these tips and I think someone else out there might benefit from the tips.
So below are some of the tips I have:
The best time to go:
First Quarter of the Year. Always.
The best time to go is always the first quarter of the year. Bear in mind that most companies have just closed their financial year the month before, and have a clear idea of the budget they have for the succeeding year, the job openings they might need and these things. So the best time to go is early in the year.
I went on a one-month visit visa to Dubai on a February and promptly got a job 3 weeks later.
Length of initial visa:
It is advisable to get 3 months as companies nowadays take a while to reach out after receiving your CV and then again takes a while to process your employment visa. So to be on the safe side, it’s best to get a three-month visa.
Cost of Visa
it depends on the travel agent you use, but i have tried and tested one and they charge around 600AED for the 30-day visa, and around 1750 for the 90-day visa.
Airfare
For me, i would always choose Emirates Airlines as their economy section is reasonably priced yet very comfortable. The service is also better, compared to the budget airlines out there (looking at you CebPac!). However, if you are on a tight budget, my advise is to get the cheapest possible ticket available. The more you save on airfare, the more pocket money you will have.
Now that you’ve gotten a visa and booked your flight, what’s next?!
Here are the real tips now:
Before flying:
1. Fix your CV and cover letter. Have it ready. Make sure that you have a superb one that will stand out in a sea of CVs. Put yourself in the shoes of the person who will review your CV. Make sure that yours is worth reading. Or at least, make it a pleasant read. Ensure that there are no typographical, spelling, or grammatical errors. Make sure that the formatting is uniform and pleasant to the eyes. I always incorporate a picture, but hey, that’s just me.
2. Have your professional photo at the ready. Make sure that you are wearing the appropriate office attire for it. Most companies in the UAE request for hard and soft copies of your photo for various governmental requirements, as well as for file.
3. Create an account under the following job boards:
A. LinkedIn.com
B. Indeed.ae
C. Bayt.com
D. Gulftalent.com
E. Naukrigulf.com
F. Monstergulf.com
4. About two to three weeks before your flight, start your application to the job openings posted in the above websites. It is better to start early.
5. Documents to prepare: always have a scanned/soft copy and a print out of the following:
A. Passport/Visa
B. Credentials (Diploma, Transcript of Records, Professional Certificates). Make sure that you also had these documents attested or “red-ribboned” from the proper authorities and make sure you have a professional-grade scanned copy of these files.
C. Professional Photograph
D. Resume or Curriculum Vitae with Cover Letter
E. Itinerary (flight tickets, bookings, hotel, etc)
6. What to pack:
A. Corporate wardrobe. Lean in on the conservative side. Dubai, despite being an open city, is still a conservative market, and majority of the offices have a strict dress code. For ladies, sleeveless tops and dresses, as well as shorts and above the knee dresses are a big no-no, unless paired with dark tights and blazers. The best rule of thumb is to ensure, shoulders, décolletage and knees are well hidden.
B. Personal items. Items not readily available in other destinations that you absolutely cannot live without. For me, those are my contact lens, eye glasses and medication.
C. Laptop. If you have it already. A laptop is your essential job-hunting device. Also, you will need it to edit your CV, skype your family, and stream filipino movies and shows for those days when you are feeling particularly homesick. You can also use a tablet for this, but it’s a bit harder to use word-processor apps for formatting in a tablet. Computer shops in the UAE are few and far between.
7. What not to pack:
A. Shoes. save yourself the trouble and do not pack shoes, especially corporate or leather shoes. In my experience, the extreme heat in the gulf will render it useless, no matter what brand it is. Shoes here are sold specifically for the region. the heat in the asphalt will melt whatever glue is in your shoe. Believe me. I have learned this lesson the hard way. shoes and bags are relatively cheap here in Dubai anyway.
B. Bags. Again, faux leather bags sold in other regions are generally not built for the weather here in Dubai. Although I suppose non-faux leather goods will fare a lot better. I suggest just bring a backpack and a purse.
C. Philippine food. Whatever it is, I guarantee you will find it here, In the supermarkets, no less. Unless, of course, it’s your mom’s home made atchara or things like that. We also have a lot of Filipino restaurants here. Most of the big franchise are here as well.
8. What needs to be ready when you arrive.
1. Bed – a standard double deck bed will set you back around 180-200 AED. This was very convenient as I was able to use the top bunk as storage space.
9. Initial Living Costs. Since you are moving to dubai initially, there are some items that you need to buy, depending on the accommodation that you will have. Most accommodation will not be furnished, hence the need to buy your own furnishings. I have made an initial list of the things I have bought for myself on my initial stay here, considering that I stayed with my cousin until I found a job.
A. Bed – a standard double deck bed will set you back around 180-200 AED. This was very convenient as I was able to use the top bunk as storage space.
B. Foam/mattress – foam or mattress can easily cost anywhere from 75AED-200 AED, depending on the thickness and firmness.
C. Pillows can cost anywhere from 10AED to 50AED or more depending on the quality and firmness of the pillow.
D. Cheapo beddings, pillowcases and duvet can cost you anywhere from 25-75 AED. (Beddings+1 pillow case can cost 10aed-25aed, additional pillowcase at around 2 for 5aed, and a cheap synthetic comforter or duvet at around 25-50AED from the grocery stores).
E. Hangers – cheap. Anywhere from 5AED-20AED for a pack of 12, depending on the quality.
F. Wardrobe/cabinet – i bought mine at ikea for 245AED, but I believe you can buy cheaper ones for around 100-150AED. This is optional, if you don’t mind living out of your suitcase, or if your accommodation has built in things.
G. Sim card. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a free sim card from one of the carriers. Otherwise a pre-paid sim cards cost around 25aed. I’m not familiar with the data and call packages now, but I suppose they are relatively cheap. I used to spend around 50aed per month for data and calls
H. Basic kitchen utilities (plate, spoon and fork, drinking glass and/or mug). Anywhere from 25-75AED
10. Dubai Cost of Living. More disclaimer, these are just estimates and costs can easily balloon up depending on usage.
A. Accommodation – a bedspace can set you back 750AED – 1500AED depending on location. A private partition with sharing bathroom can cost around 1500 to 2300 depending on location. A private room with attached bath can cost around 2500 – 6000AED, depending on size of the room and location of the flat or apartment. A studio unit can set you back anyawhere from AED 2,000 to AED 10,000 depending on the building and the location.
B. Water, Electricity and Internet. Some sharing apartments include water, electricity and internet costs in the monthly accommodation fee. if not, the costs of these utilities in a sharing apartment can be anywhere from 100-300AED per month depending on the number of people in an apartment. Monthly water and electricity for a standard studio apartment can cost anywhere from 200AED to 500AED on average. The cheapest home internet subscription costs about 300AED.
C. Transportation – a monthly unlimited bus and metro pass to all zones costs 360AED. 1 zone in the UAE for bus and metro is 3AED. The flat rate for taxis or cabs is 5AED, and the minimum fare is 12AED
D. Food and toiletries costs – around 500AED for a month. This is more than enough, or not nearly enough depending on your spending and eating habits.
E. Mobile phone credits – for prepaid, around 50dhs for monthly cellphone credit is more than enough,
11. Practicality over position. When i first moved to Dubai, I was ready to take on whatever job came my way. My goal was to find any position at all so that I can stop spending my allowance and start earning my keep. Further, I needed the visa as I was on a 1-month visa. I need to find a job ASAP so that I could legally work and stay in Dubai. That was my goal. Not everyone will agree with me, but the sad reality is that I was a filipina with no prior UAE experience. Because of this, it was very difficult and expensive for me to be choosy when it came to positions and salaries.
12. Dubai Weather. Dubai has two seasons, the extremely hot summers and the somewhat cold winters. I wouldn’t call it really cold, as it is nothihng compared to the snowy winters some countries experience. Think of it as Baguio weather. Having said that, be prepared. Have light clothes for the sweltering hot summers. Winter clothes here in dubai are very cheap and it is weather appropriate (not as heavy as those jackets sold for snowy winters).
I hope I have given you some helpful tips, and should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know. Drop me a comment below and I will be more than happy to help. Til then,
Stay Wild, Moon Child!
XXOO, The Gypsy
EllaLand 