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
Interview with Dina Mehanna, HR Director at Genius Computer Technology, UAE
Biography Dina was born and raised in Dubai, U.A.E. She completed her B.A degree in Elementary Education at the American University of Beirut and further pursued her M.A degree in School Administration and Supervision through the University of Phoenix-Arizona. She loves working in HR - it’s a different world that needs her constant attention and passion. Dina still misses her students and being part of their growth, success and life!
How do you like living and working in UAE? I was born and raised in the U.A.E. (my second home after Lebanon) therefore, living and working in Sharjah/Dubai was never a problem to me. On the contrary, I still love and learn a lot from both emirates, despite the short distance drive between each other, they are far apart in almost everything! That’s exactly why I respect and admire their differences, in terms of diversity, culture, and above all daily life style.
What is your biggest professional challenge? I have many, but I’m specifically interested in being a pioneer in building an authentic, credible and sustainable training/development industry in the Middle East (especially in Lebanon and the U.A.E). I feel that the mind-set of the Middle East (especially GCC) countries is depending heavily on foreign and exported resources (trainers, programs, materials, etc.) and falsely believe that through them, success is guaranteed. That’s the mind-set we should all struggle to change and replace, how? With candidates, GCC Nationals or Arabs, who show commitment, devotion, have successful professional, educational backgrounds and experiences and have the ability to develop and improve our industries.
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Lebanon: Destination for Bayt.com’s Virtual Job Fair this September
Following the unprecedented success of Bayt.com’s series of Virtual Job Fairs across the Middle East Region throughout the past year, the great minds behind these series have, once again, come together to decide that Lebanon will be Bayt.com’s next VJF destination, in a bid to boost the Lebanese employment market and get Lebanese job seekers and employers seeking top Lebanese talent together under one roof: Bayt’s revolutionary and unique virtual roof, part of a platform that will enable them to share knowledge, thoughts, concerns , “CVs” and “job vacancies” real-time and in inimitable style.
What exactly is a Virtual Job Fair? The Virtual Job Fair is an innovative online recruitment environment that goes live and stays live for a limited period of time. It is designed to effectively connect qualified job seekers and top employers on-line in order to exchange valuable information for recruitment purposes.
How exactly does it work? Bayt.com’s Virtual Job fair takes place completely online. Throughout the whole period of the VJF, job seekers will be able to apply to jobs 24/7 while employers will be present online in their “Virtual Booths” to answer and ask questions and offer details about employment opportunities in their companies.
What are the participation costs for Job Seekers? Job Seeker participation is absolutely FREE of charge. Professionals simply log on, register and start interacting with their employers of choice at http://virtualjobfair.bayt.com
What are the participation costs for Employers? Employer Participation fees are extremely low compared to the costs of the traditional physical job fair: no travel costs are incurred (it all takes place online), no branding material or physical booths are required (these also take place online), thus, all costs are reduced dramatically and the recruitment ROI at these fairs is exemplary. Interested employers can request a call from Bayt.com and can learn more about VJF from this URL http://virtualjobfair.bayt.com/en_CA/guest/employers
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Interview With George Kavala, Recruitment & HR Outsourcing at Dulsco, UAE
Biography George Kavala comes with several years of experience in Business Development and Full Cycle Support for Recruitment and Staffing. His interaction with clients at various levels of CXO’s,prospective, job seekers & other stakeholders has enriched his understanding of the HR domain. He nurtures the desire to pursue and acquire relevant knowledge and lives with a passion, culture and discipline that could precede success.
How do you like living and working in UAE?
Working in the UAE is a very lively and charming experience. We get to meet people from different nationalities and cultures. The country itself has such fantastic infrastructure and facilities that it makes living and working here an enjoyable experience. Almost anything and everything is available at an affordable cost and at best quality. I definitely enjoy living and working in the UAE.
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What should I do to ace an interview with a leading Pharmaceuticals firm
Question from the Job Seeker
I finally have an interview lined up for next Tuesday with a leading Pharmaceuticals firm in Dubai. What should I do to ace the interview?
Answer From Bayt.com HR Guru
Good for you! The pharmaceuticals industry as per Bayt.com’s recent HR research and surveys and based on Bayt.com Job postings and search figures has been one of the lesser industries affected by the economic downturn and many top pharmaceutical companies in Dubai and elsewhere in the GCC and Middle East continue to hire top qualified professionals with experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Make sure you do the following before the interview:
Career UnCovered: Ahmed El Zeftawy, HR Director of Al Jaber Group, UAE
Biography HR Professional with more than 18 years of HR regional and international experience. worked for a Management consultancy firm (in Cairo) an Oil & Gas Multinational for 7 years (in both Egypt and Italy) and in Bechtel as an HR Country Manager for 1 year- Also worked for 10 years in Borouge, a semi governmental Petrochemical Company in the UAE before moving to Al Jaber Group - one of the largest private groups in the UAE and the Middle East- as HR Director.
Best career advice I ever got Sometimes people are surprised to realize what an inside game career management is. In fact, if you are not sure about what major to choose or what career to pursue or what job to look for next, a great first step would be to start envisioning what your ideal career or job looks like. This can only come from the inside! Only you know what you prefer and how you would like to live. Stick to your career beliefs throughout your work journey and do not get drifted by the money only.
