Are you looking for work in Dubai? As we've told you before, if you're studying you can work 20 hours a week to pay for your stay in Dubai. If you plan to stay in the city for the long term, we recommend you to start your job search as soon as possible because previous experience here is very important for other job offers.
While you're studying, you'll want tond find a job that will allow you to cover some of your expenses. So, when looking for a job in Dubai, there are a few factors you should be aware of, especially if you want to avoid the famous scams.
Depending on the modality under which you want to work, there are details that will be key to your search. The first thing to think about is whether you want to get a skilled or professional job or whether you are going to go for non-professional work. Right now, for example, there are many possibilities to get an internship with multinationals.
What skilled jobs can you apply for?
One of the great advantages of working in Dubai in a skilled job is that your income will be considerably higher than with other types of offers. While many of our students prefer to start with so-called survival jobs, it is worth applying for skilled jobs at the same time; you may be able to get a better job from the moment you arrive.
There is a wide range of professional job offers, not least because employers in Dubai are used to hiring foreigners. You may be surprised to learn that most of the city's inhabitants are from other countries, which means that large companies are often looking for profiles like yours.
Today, large multinational companies are moving their headquarters to Dubai; even today you will find some of them in Dubai. internships in companies like Chanel or Procter & Gamble that offer alternatives where you can link yourself and gain experience to continue growing. Always make sure that the platforms are trustworthy or apply directly to the companies' official websites.
In Dubai it is quite common to find jobs in the IT sector. If you are a developer, software engineer or similar, you will probably find a variety of options according to your level of education and experience. Of course, you will need a good level of English, so we suggest you start studying the language to improve your chances.
Some of our students say that Improving the language has been key to finding better job opportunities in Dubai. There are also jobs in human resources, marketing and finance. If you have skills in these sectors, don't hesitate to register on job boards. One of Dubai's plus points is that there are many events where you can even network.
How to be competitive in unskilled jobs?
If your initial goal is to get an unskilled job, for whatever reason, you must first make sure you have the skills to compete with other candidates. Jobs in Dubai are easy to come by if you have a good profile and showcase your skills. While there are many vacancies, these types of jobs are most often sought after by foreigners from Asian or even European countries who may have a more competitive profile.
We recommend that you prepare your CV very well and that you use your personal presentation to look for your first job. We suggest that you include your non-professional experience and if possible remove your professional qualifications from your profile. Make sure that the employer understands that you want to work in Dubai for as long as possible.
Dubai will have open doors for you in the hotel and restaurant sector, although it will be crucial that you visit the places and hand in your CV in physical form. If you are interested in looking for both professional and unskilled work, you can have two separate profiles and focus on different offers in each one.
Whether you are looking for a skilled or unskilled job, we want to help you prevent scams, also known as scams.
Tips on how to avoid scams when looking for work in Dubai
We want your study and work experience in Dubai to be a real success. In this city it is quite common to find fake platforms with offers that can put your savings at risk. That's why we have prepared some points to keep in mind in your job search:
1. The look and feel of your job vacancy website
At a glance you can identify a real website. The truth is that every day companies or job platforms invest more and more time and money in the usability of their digital media.
Dubai is a city that relies on technological advances, even in the field of employment. If the website has images that don't load or look unprofessional, you may be looking at a fake job site.
Check that the platform is well managed, that it has quality images and text, and that it does not have redirects to sites that you do not trust.
2. If they ask you for money to give you a job, run away!
Under no terms should a company ask you to pay money to process your application or schedule an interview for a job in Dubai. This is the biggest network flag you can find.
Some of our Boom students have told us that they have seen websites that explicitly tell you that you have to pay a fee to look for a job in Dubai.
There are even some offers where you are not asked for money at the beginning, but you may receive an email inviting you to an interview where you will first be asked to make a payment in order to enable the interview process. We suggest you never pay for this type of service because it is almost certainly a scam.
3. Do you know who the job in Dubai is for?
Even on well-known and real job platforms in Dubai, you are exposed to fake job offers. If you are browsing on one of them, you will find that the real offers include the name of your potential employer and some official contact details.
In a fake offer, you will usually see that the name of the company is not published and you will be asked to send your CV through informal channels such as WhatsApp or emails with non-corporate domains. If you see any of these signs, be alert!
4. The offer is too good to be true
Dubai has many job offers, however, according to each profile there are patterns that the searches follow. If you see that an offer is too good to be real, it is probably not real.
If your goal is to work in Dubai on a long-term basis, you have to take into account that the offer will allow you to have the lifestyle you are looking for, but beware of an offer where the salary is much higher than average, the tasks are too basic for the pay or the hourly intensity and the conditions to get the job are minimal.
If you have read all the recommendations, you are now prepared for your job search and are 99% less likely to fall for a scam. However, if an offer doesn't 'ring a bell', you can always ask your Boom Studies advisors to help you check the quality of the job offer you want to apply for.
How do I start my process to study and live in Dubai?
At Boom Studies we offer you 360° advice on this destination and help you choose the programme that fits your needs and budget. ¡Contact us and discover more reasons to start the best experience of your life in Dubai!
