So you’re in Dubai on visit, looking for work

 

Your visa is going to expire soon. You’re desperate to find work before that happens. You write in your cover letter the following statement “Currently in UAE on visit visa. Visa expires on X-X-2014. Please give me any job before that,” and send it along with your CV to every job opening you see.

 

Will this approach help you get work fast?! No. seriously, no one cares. Hiring managers are busy people and they only have their own organization’s concerns in mind.  They don’t care that your visa is going to expire soon and then you won’t be available for interview. Even if they are sympathetic people, remember, you aren’t alone. They must get thousands of CVs from people who are in the same situation as you.

 

So what should you do? The important thing to remember is professionalism. You should be professional in your approach. You know your visa is going to expire soon and you are desperate to find work and you want to impart this information to the hiring company. You can do this professionally and in a manner that doesn’t show desperation. There is no need for desperation at all. After all, it’s not the end of the world. Even if you aren’t able to get work this time, you can come back another time. You can also attend some interviews and then communicate with those companies even after you return to your home country. If they are interested in hiring you, they can easily provide you not only a visa (visit or work) but a one-way plane ticket, which they will provide if they are hiring you.

 

So it’s important to impress the hiring team with your professionalism and confidence, not desperation.

 

To make this happen, go through the job search process in a systematic manner. Here’s how:

• Have a professional CV and cover letter prepared. This should be prepared in a responsible manner by professional writers and should not contain any grammatical or detail errors.
• Indicate in your cover letter and CV that you are available in UAE for interview up to a particular date. Your CV should also state that you are on visit visa. (Visa Status: Visit Visa, expires X-X-2014)
• Write also in your cover letter that should your departure date pass, you can be reached at your home country phone number, email, or Skype. All three contacts should be included in your CV and cover letter.
• After your CV and cover letters are prepared, start sending them to job openings in your profession / industry, indicating in clear terms which job you are looking for, what salary you are expecting (which should fully cover the cost of living), and what skills you have that are relevant to the post. It’s important to do this and not send in a general letter, applying for any job. You can be more specific by applying for particular jobs and indicating how your skills meet the needs of that job.
• In addition to applying for jobs in this manner, try to go to as many walk-in interviews as possible. During any interview, tell the hiring manager that you will be in the country up till a particular date, after which you will return to your home country and that they can contact you there via phone, email, or Skype if they are interested in hiring you. In a professional manner, tell them that you look forward to a positive response. Don’t show any desperation. If they want to hire you, they will contact you even if you’ve returned to your country.
• After the interview, send an email to the hiring message thanking him or her for the interview. Include your contact details where you can be reached. This should consist of your home country phone number, email address, and Skype details.

 

Hopefully, using the above tips, you’ll make an impression on the hiring manager and get a job soon. If not, all is not lost. Continue to apply for work even after you return to your home country, indicating that you are available for interview via Skype. If you are scheduled to return to UAE at some future date, include this information in your cover letter.

 

Good luck on your job search.

Contact Radeya Professional Services for CV and cover letter preparation and career Advice. http://www.radeya.biz