How and Where to Find Jobs in Dubai, UAE | A Simple Guide

Finding job opportunities in a new country can be a daunting experience. Here is a simple guide on where to find jobs in the UAE

Finding a job can be a daunting experience especially if you don't know where to look. If you are looking for job opportunities in Dubai or UAE then you have come to the right place! If you have recently moved to Dubai or possibly thinking of relocating to Dubai then it is important for you to understand how the job market works to increase your chances of landing a job.

Where are the jobs?

LinkedIn:

While LinkedIn is technically a social media company, it has become an increasing popular medium for employers to post their jobs. If you are a senior candidate you will find LinkedIn especially useful for finding jobs. If you don't have a LinkedIn, I would suggest creating a LinkedIn Profile as soon as possible. It is a good idea to connect with and follow decision makers, hiring managers, HR professionals and Recruitment Consultants within your industry so that you are aware of any hiring posts on their LinkedIn accounts.

Leading UAE / GCC Job Portal Sites:

Whether you are an intern or a manager, or you want a job in Banking or Construction, the following job portals are widely used by employers in all sectors across the UAE:

- Bayt

- Naukri Gulf

- Gulf Talent

- Monster Gulf

While you can find plenty of jobs on these portals, it is also a great idea to update and upload  your candidate profile and CV on these portals. There are recruiters sourcing candidates from these portals daily and there could be a chance that they might stumble upon your CV and contact you for an opportunity with their company.

Other Niche Job Portals:

There are several other job portals that cater to different niches of the UAE job market. If you are in one of these niches, these job sites are worth checking out!

- DubaiCareers.ae (government jobs)

- Oliv (internship and entry level jobs)

- Caterer Global (hospitality and entertainment jobs)

- Dubizzle Jobs (junior level jobs posted by SMEs)

- Edarabia (primarily teaching and education jobs)

- TES (teaching and education jobs)

Job Aggregators:

- Google for Jobs is becoming more and more prevalent in the region for finding aggregated jobs posted by large corporations as well as SMEs.

- Indeed is a well established job aggregator and continues to reliably aggregate jobs posted by established employers here in the UAE.

Jobs posted by Recruitment Agencies:

There are several recruitment agencies in Dubai from Multinationals to Regional Boutique agencies. Some recruitment agencies like Lobo Management  recruit for Mid and Senior Management roles across sectors and functions, while others are more specialized and focus on only one particular sector or function. Most recruitment agencies have a jobs section of their website where you can find jobs and apply to the ones that are relevant to you. For example, you can check out the jobs section of Lobo Management.

Are you still struggling to find more jobs to apply to in Dubai?

You are not alone! 

A recent article published by Gulf News suggested that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for 99.2% of businesses in the UAE.

SMEs may be actively hiring but most probably do not have the resources to post job advertisements or have a dedicated careers section of their website to hire candidates. This is where you need to make the most use of your research skills to identify relevant companies that could be benefit from your experience. 

1. Identify the sector / sectors you want to work in.
2. Research companies on google or other directories like Zawya to find companies in different sectors in the UAE.
3. Identify the main emails or phone numbers of companies.
4. Reach out to the reception and ask who would be right person to speak to for hiring.
5. Send your CV and follow up.

Good luck with your job search!