The Name

Is there anything in particular (in broad general terms) that you should have in mind when applying for jobs in the GCC area as opposed to finding a job in the western world?

I'm a fresh LLM graduate (well, at least within a month) and I'm interested to work in the GCC area. I'm particularly interested to find a job in Dubai. My degree is from a good western university but not from a common law jurisdiction.

I know that it will be tough to find a job with 0 PQE and no arabic language skills, but how tough are we talking about? How many days and hours a week are you normally expected to work?

Millhouse

As a junior lawyer in any jurisdiction will be expected to work at least 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. this will increase to 18 hours a day, 6-7 days a week when you are busy . It is no different here.

I know many partners here still working those hours.

I'd say you don't have a chance in coming here with 0 PQE (and nor should you want to). Get a couple of years under your belt in the UK/US first - it will be better for you in the longer term.

The Name

Why do you think it's better in the longer term to have experience before starting in the GCC region - assuming you can find a job?

If I find a job I like I plan to stay for years but what is the job culture like as to how long you need to stay at a job without having the employer to think that he shouldn't have hired you because you leave so soon? Can you leave after 1 year and the employer still think it's ok if you have done a good job? 6 months is too short I suppose? I ask because this seems to differ quite much between different countries.

Thanks.

Millhouse

Hard for me to say as I'm not a lawyer. However, I see lawyers as much more 'sticky' than, say, accountants. Accountants tend to move every couple of years (at least initially) but lawyers normally have a good 3-4 year run.

This isn't just a middle east thing.

As a newbie in a law firm after 6 months you are still boiling the kettle, after 1 year you might, just might, be given enough responsibility to decide when to take the tea-bags out. Responsibility for adding the milk (an act that incurs substantial third party costs) would take another 6 months.

The Name

Haha, ok.

I hope to stay for a while as a lawyer. I just need a change of scenery at the moment so it might be easier for me to find a job in the it sector where I have a few years of experience. In the IT sector I want to be able to leave the job after let's say 1 year and the employer still thinks that it was good to recruit me. I guess I just need to be upfront with my plan with the risk of not getting the job.

But I'm still very curious as to why you think that it's a bad idea to start your career in the ME if you happen to land a job there?

Millhouse

I wouldn't worry about what the previous employer thinks about you... it's more what the next employer will think.... and people talk

Watch news 24x7 for a couple of weeks. You will soon learn that things here ain't normal.