Bridge the Gap

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• The Cover Letter is dead. Replace it with this. Click here.
• Do this and let jobs come to you. Click here.
• Why you should go all in on LinkedIn. Click here.
• Nail your next interview with these 5 tips. Click here.
• Make sure these three things are not on your CV. Click here.

If you need regional experience to get a job... but can't get a job without regional experience... what do you do?

It's a pretty big Catch 22 that exists within the market here at the moment and one of the biggest shifts we've seen over the past few years.

A few years ago, in the post-covid boom, companies in the UAE were focussed with bringing in talent from overseas.

There was a lack of recognisable talent on the ground and it felt like the only to way to plug this gap was to look abroad.

As the market has tightened up (globally, not just here) over the past couple of years, we’re seeing:

• More talent available on the ground - whether that be people who have experienced lay-offs or people moving to the region without a job.?
• Companies gravitating towards people with regional experience over those looking to enter the market.?

I think the reason for this shift is two fold.?

Firstly, the markets here each have their own nuances and the priority is usually someone who can hit the ground running - particularly when it comes to the slightly less international markets of Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh.?

Secondly, it’s very expensive and time-consuming for a client to bring someone in from abroad - especially when there is so much talent available on the ground here already.

You can see why these?barriers might be awkward for people looking to enter the market from overseas.

It's a tricky one - but thankfully, not impossible.

We've facilitated tons of relocations this year from people outside of the GCC.?

In fact over the past three years, the only continent we haven’t relocated someone from is Antarctica. That puts us in a pretty good position to be able to comment on this.

If I had to compile the advice into one takeaway it would be this:

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While this advice as a whole caters to more of a problem people are likely to face at a junior-mid level as opposed to C-level profiles, I think there’s still some points of relevance.

If you are truly great at what you do then a company would be foolish to not recognise this.?

As a job-seeker you should be conscious of how you are approaching the market.

Ultimately, you want your outreach to be value-led.

Instead of making your desire to move lead of your outreach or applications - go in with your achievements instead.

Too often, I know of candidates reaching out to senior figures at big multinationals and putting themselves in the right position - but leading with their desire to move abroad.?

Where’s the appeal here for the employer??

You’re not looking to convince them of your desire to move, instead you want to convince them of your ability to perform the role to a higher standard than they are able to find locally.

While you can't fake regional experience there might be relatable experience in your background (if you've worked on international projects etc) or had overlap on projects which are international.

Leverage this as best as you can to help bridge the gap.

I'd also add, as a closing note - be patient. A move doesn't happen overnight, it can take months or even years.

Take comfort in the fact that close to 9/10 people here in Dubai are expats.

You can make it happen, it just might take some time.?

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