Dubai is still hiring, but you need to stand out in the crowd

Having lived and worked in Dubai for 12 years, and run a recruitment firm in the region for 10 years, I’ve seen the good times and the bad, namely the global financial crisis of 2008, the oil price crash in 2016 and the coronavirus pandemic of 2020.

The good news is that the UAE has always shown great resilience and a strong ability to bounce back.

Our business focuses on hiring in the marketing, communications, creative and the digital space. Here are some statistics from our Dubai office which show the landscape currently:

• Overall there has been a 24 percent increase in orders compared to March
• Communications have been consistent all year, there has been a five percent increase in new job orders in corporate and public affairs. However, consumer PR hiring is down.
• In the digital space, social, performance and UX/UI creative are strong with 10 percent growth compared to March
• Advertising is suffering, with media and creative 30 percent down since March
• One point to note is that work in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi is up by 23 percent

The market is increasingly competitive. Aside from a spike in available candidates due to retrenchments, the UAE still has an open border policy with new people arriving in country and many actively looking to relocate.

I see many CVs and to help make yours stand out in such a competitive market here are my do’s and don’ts:

• Format – font size, type, spacing, headings all the same. Never use the italic font
• Have a one paragraph intro summary about yourself at the top
• Structure – three sub headlines for each job. Role, Responsibilities and Achievements
• Dates – make sure they all make sense. If a role is contract or full time, make that clear
• Grammar – write in full, never in slang or any form of text speak
• Spelling – proofread, ask someone to read your CV
• No gimmicks, no pictures, no colours, no pie charts etc…never
• Let’s not read a novel – two pages, three maximum
• Photos – In 2020 photos should not be required on a CV
• Contact information – address, phone and email – avoid a quirky email that draws the wrong conclusions
• Save your CV with your name and surname as the file name
• Tailor your CV to the job opportunity. Do so every time
• List interests and hobbies – Make it interesting. Things like socialising, football and swimming don’t really help. Saying something like: team sports and keeping fit shows a healthy mind and competitive edge. Travelling and experiencing new cultures shows your adaptability and hunger to learn.

Your CV tells a story, don’t make it dull. You need to get this right and stand out.

Justin McGuire, Co-Founder of international recruitment firm – DMCG Global.