Are there really any job availabilities in the UAE
Question from Job Seeker I have been working for the same hotel in France for the past 4 years- as an IT Manager – and I’m risking a potential layoff soon due to restructuring. I am very keen on relocating to the Middle East region, the UAE more precisely, as the only 2 family members I have in the Middle East live and work there. My question is: are there really any job availabilities in the UAE? Need I invest my time and efforts in looking for a job in IT?
Answer from Bayt HR Guru The fact that you are contemplating moving to a new country that embraces a different culture and lifestyle than yours is quite impressive! Allow me to applaud your courage and assure you it will be an experience of a lifetime! You have got it right! IT is one of the hottest industries in the UAE today – 31% of job seekers in the UAE are looking for jobs in this field according to Bayt.com’s Top Industries in the Middle East Study. Read more
Networking: Ashraf Chaudhry, Pakistan’s Number 1 Sales Trainer and Author of “The Craft of Selling Yourself”
Life works like a boomerang. What goes around comes around. When you practice the boomerang effect, you may actually notice a sense of relief because you don’t have to control things and keep score anymore. When you concentrate on supporting other people in your network, you’ll receive an abundance of ideas, support and referrals.
The heartbeat of networking is people caring about people. Even if you learn all the skills, say all the right things, networking is only truly powerful when genuine human caring exists.
Networking is an aptitude; it’s a way of life. It’s not just a ritualistic list of things to be done in a specific timeframe. Even though there are some specific rules and tools that you can learn about networking by reading books, but unless you have a networking aptitude, unless you develop a mind-set about networking, the impact will be short-lived and results will be below potential. Read more
Personal Attitudes of Middle East Professionals Towards Work Fluctuate
Bayt.com’s recently released “Employee Motivation Study 2009” has shown that 45% of all participating respondents across all countries of the Middle East and North Africa are motivated at work- to varying extents- and has identified the triggers employees deem fundamental for this motivation: opportunities for long term career growth at 36%, company’s brand and reputation at 33%, relationship with line manager at 32%, training & development opportunities at 32% and relationship with colleagues at 31%. All these factors play a vital role in shaping a working professional’s attitude towards his organization in general and his job role in particular.
Highlights:
- 94% of total respondents feel the work they do is significant and quite important to their company: All countries surveyed showed positive signs: most positive were professionals in KSA & Bahrain at 95%, followed by Jordan, Egypt, Algeria at 94% each, compared to 91% of votes in Lebanon and the UAE.
- 90% of Total Respondents feel their job activities are personally meaningful to them: Most positive were professionals in Egypt & Tunisia at 92%, followed by Syria& Algeria at 91%, compared to 86% in the UAE.
- 87% of Total respondents state their job gives them a sense of personal and professional achievement: Most positive were professionals in Tunisia at 94%, followed by Syria & Algeria at 91%, compared to 83% in Bahrain and 82% in the UAE. Read more
Interview with Hana Nimr, HR Manager at EMC², UAE
Biography Hana was born & raised in Dubai. She Holds a BA in Accounting and a CPA from the states. She worked as a senior auditor in PricewaterhouseCoopers for 2 years then joined IBM Middle East in 1999 where she held several positions in finance, latest as business controls program manager. She was appointed HR manager at IBM in 2005, then IBM Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa recruitment operations manager. Hana Joined EMC as Senior HR manager for Middle East, Pakistan & NW Africa in June 2009.
How do you like living and working in Dubai? I was born in Dubai, so its home for me
What is your average day at work like? Meetings, calls, emails, and some travel around the region, since our office covers the whole of Middle East & North West Africa. There is no typical standard day, and I thank God for that J
What is your biggest professional challenge? Balancing the resources of the organization and the needs of employees. Knowing when to fight for something and when to say no, and both are difficult.
What is the condition of working women in the Gulf.
Question from the Job Seeker I was laid off from my former job as an advertising senior account executive in Canada 6 months back, and I have just received a quite tempting offer from one of Qatar’s Advertising giants. The only thing am concerned about is the condition of working women in the Gulf. Any thoughts?
Answer From Bayt.com HR Guru Sally, first off, Congratulations! Professional working women in the Middle East have been making remarkable progress in competing with men for equal job opportunities. According to Bayt.com’s annual ”Women in the Middle Eastern Workplace” Research Report, 60% of professional women respondents working in the region (by far the largest group of respondents) have stated in 2008 that they are treated fairly as compared to their male counterparts. That figure jumped up to 73% amongst Western working women (the highest percentage amongst all other respondents). Furthermore, almost half of the Western women respondents (at 44%) stated they feel they have equal promotion opportunities as their male counterparts as opposed to 33% who feel their regional male counterparts have a larger chance of being promoted. Read more
