The UAE continues to offer many employment opportunities, with several established companies looking to grow and a number of international companies entering the market.
But with many other candidates to compete with, some of who may have been recently made redundant and available immediately, how can you stand out and put yourself in the best position for a job offer?
The first thing to do when you are asked to interview for a role is obvious to most people, but it is an area where I have seen many candidates fall at the first hurdle.
Researching the organisation (as well as the job description) is a very important step. What does the company do, what is their mission statement, how many employees do they have?
You can find answers to these basic questions on their website, but some simple research on the internet will bring up some more detailed information that will help you ask questions later.
Finding out more about the ownership structure, company growth and competition will help you prepare for an interview and showing that you have done your homework will reflect positively on you.
If you attend a first interview with a hiring manager and know little or nothing about the company, it will not leave a good impression.
Before the interview takes place, it is also a good idea to fully understand the role you are applying for.
If you do not have a full job description or the one you have seems generic (which is quite common), it is perfectly acceptable to ask the person who has arranged the interview for more information.
Questions such as “is there any other information not on the job description that I need to know” or “is there anything I need to do to prepare beforehand” are perfectly reasonable and acceptable.
Arriving on time for the interview is another obvious, but sometimes overlooked, part of the process. Blaming bad traffic is not a good reason to arrive late.
Be prepared by knowing where to park and giving yourself a spare 15 to 20 minutes — arriving early is better than rushing and/or being late.
If being late is unavoidable, call or email ahead of time to let the person know. They may also be running behind schedule.
If the interview is online, make sure that your camera and mic are working — and you are in a quiet place where you can concentrate and not be disturbed.
When you are introduced at the interview, first impressions are very important. A positive, friendly demeanour and eye contact will be a good starting point.
Dressing appropriately is a must. Wearing smart business attire such as trousers and a shirt should be fine. Suits and ties (for men) are less popular than they used to be but it is better to be overdressed than underdressed.
Prepare a couple of questions to ask the person you are meeting and take notes. Not only will this help you understand the role, but it will also make it clear that you have a genuine interest to work them.
“What do you need from a person to be successful in this role?” or “How do you see this role developing in the next one to three years?” are good examples.
You should also try to find out more about the organisation, with questions such as, “What challenges are the business facing right now?”
Be prepared to be asked questions that you may not have expected — and always answer honestly.
If you do not understand something, you should always say so and offer to investigate it further and get back to them.
You can expect questions on your strengths and weaknesses, or how you have overcome a challenge in the past, so have some answers prepared for these.
In closing the interview, it is a good idea to ask for feedback, without being pushy.
A good way to find out is to ask something like: “How do you see me fitting into this role?” or “Is there anything that you feel I am lacking to be successful in this position?”
Finally, it is always best practice to follow up with an email (ideally within 24 hours) to thank the person you met for the opportunity and offer to answer any questions they may have that have not been covered.
By following all these steps, you will give yourself the best possible chance of being hired. Good luck!
John Armstrong is founder and managing director of JCA Associates
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
WISH
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
Price: From Dh122,900
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How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
