sal_187

Hi all,

I have been trawling the forums for a couple of months now and felt it's time to sign up and get some advice from the experts. I have already searched forum and whilst I found similar threads, I couldn't find any advice relevant to my situation.

Firstly, I am looking for a job in the Middle East and would consider any country within the GCC. I am born, bred and currently residing in the UK but I am of Pakistani ethnicity. I currently have 2+ years working as a Financial Crime Analyst but also have 2 years experience in HR and 5 years as an Automotive Technician where I earned a BTEC in Automotive Engineering during my apprenticeship in my early working years.

I have applied to jobs in all my fields of experience and of the very little response I've had has been rejection to pursue my application any further. I know it can be a slow process but I have been applying since February this year, is this normal? Does the fact that I lack a degree hold me back? I am married and my wife has a degree in Pharmacology and Immunology as well as having completed a TEFL course anticipating a move.

Is it worthwhile going out there for 2-3 weeks to try and meet people face to face? I'm hopeful my wife will be able to find a job somewhat easier than me given her educational background so the push is really for me to secure a job first.

Sorry for the the really long post but I wanted to make sure I was giving out enough information in exchange for sound advice from experienced expats like yourselves.

mikewot

The advice often given on the bored is this:
Network
Linkedin
Find target companies - Link with them on Linkedin and network
Network some more
Gulftalent
Network more
Monstergulf
Network more
Naukri Gulf
Network more
Careerstructure
Network

sal_187

Haha, yeah I gathered as much. I am actively applying for jobs on all of those sites and more. Also phoned a couple of recruitment agencies who have offices out there but again, no response.

Guess I will just have to be patient some more. I am currently trying to network through friends or relatives that work out there but again I don't expect anything to happen overnight, especially during Ramadan.

Thank you for your reply, feeling hopeful something will come along soon...

weasel decentral

I think you will struggle because of you don't seem to have a defined career or qualifications. Your resume is divided between HR, financial crime analyst and I assume some kind of mechanic, with only a couple years experience in each sector. You seem to be falling into the gap between highly qualified ex-pats with a lot of experience in their field and junior administration staff hired from poorer nations.
I don't know what a financial crime analyst is and I am sure that would mean most recruiters would not know it either.
It would seem like your wife has the better chance of employment and you might fare better as a local hire if you moved with her. Otherwise from your side I would suggest that you need more experience and some qualifications.

That sounds harsh on re-reading but imo it's a realistic assessment.

Millhouse

Just one more thing...

Irishbeekeeper

x 2
1. yeah, a potential employer would look at the difference in job directions and not feel highly confident
2. despite it having been a few months for you looking for a job, in all honesty, summers and ramzan time are not peak hiring time, or so I have been told by a recruiter. So wait it out maybe till the end of the year.
3. face to face doesnt work unless you have the network like mike said so that money will be wasted in all honesty
4. better to let the mrs. apply for a job and get a decent enough package so you can move with her and once you are here then start looking for a job, makes more sense that way

hope that helped
cheers

sal_187

Weasel decentral, not harsh at all. I know this counts against me but a few years ago I never anticipated to be looking for jobs abroad. As a Financial Crime Analyst I work for a bank where my duties include Fraud Prevention, Fraud Investigation, Transaction Monitoring, Data Analytics etc.

Irishbeekeeper, I appreciate the advice. We might end up doing this as it was our expectation from the beginning but thought I'd try my luck first.