Cham128

Ok I've been looking at various job sites etc... and i've seen a number of freelance/temp positions and they won't accept applications from people who do not already have a visa to work.

i would have thought your sponsorship from a company would be linked to your employment with them... so when you leave your visa becomes null and void and therefore they would have to sponsor you again anyway... I know that these posts aren't open to just UAE nationals so how does it work out there? can you actually get residency after a few years etc?

Blue Cat

you can never get permanent residency, and yes you are right it is your employer that supplies you with a residency visa

Cham128

oh well i can forget freelancing then...

I didn't think you could get permenant residency... guess that advert was a "UAE nationals only" but in a more PC way

Blue Cat

what sort of freelancing??? are you a journalist?

Cham128

heh nope I'm a marketing professional, I was considering freelancing here as it looks like a great way of getting a lot of experience from different companies. I was just thinking if I could do that out there for a couple of months to help pay the bills whilst I was looking for a permenant job then it would be a lot easier... but I can't see that being possible with the visa restrictions... i suppose I'll just have to use the public beach and eat in mcdonalds instead

jvr20

There's no political correctness here - Littlejohn and Clarkson would love it!

If a job is reserved for a national under Emiratisation, they will say so quite openly. Ditto I've heard that in recruitment agencies the client will tell the agent exactly what they want - WM (Western male), IF (Indian female) etc.

Given that you have up to nine months visa fee now (based on two visa runs of 60 days each and two extensions of 30 days each) and many Westerners just work on those without bothering with a resident visa, could that be an option for you? Of course i know nothing of marketing or of freelance work but just a thought.

Cham128

I did think about that and it would be ideal but I just thought it was illegal to work on that type of visa? if not then i'm all for it lol...

I have noticed how there's a lot of marketing jobs out there that state "Young western good-looking female required" lol... well at least they're honest about it!

saying that though I don't think marketing freelance is huge out there anyway from what i've seen...

Blue Cat

I am in marketing, well was! I do a bit of freelance stuff every so often but it aint a great money earner. I am often approached by different companies but to be honest with you I don't have the time. The majority of the companies out here can't even spell marketing trust me! I have seen some dreadful marketing campaigns. Most of the PR Agencies are Lebanese run and they are basically just a bunch of good looking wasters who are more interested in their appearance than anything else. I organise a few events out here and trying to convince some of the companies that it is worth their while sponsoring them is a nightmare!!! Take Boots for example - approached them for raffle prizes and asked them to come along and do a demonstration of their make up range. They declined!!! jesus! I got a database of 600 expat women (mainly brits) and they declined. I wasn't even charging them!!

Madam Medusa

yeah, i agree, PR and Marketing here is a joke...but a huge opportunity if you wanted to start a business i reckon...

MM, xx

Blue Cat

Definately! I have been thinking about it for a while, never enough hours in the day though MM. And getting a license etc is a nightmare! I have got a sponsor though who is more than willing to help. I will have to speak to my 'partner' about it

Cham128

That's part of the reason why I didn't go out there a couple of years ago when i was first looking into it. For some reason Marketing and Sales had no differentiation... granted I have had interviews here in the uk where the companies seemed to have no idea what a marketing actually is. I guess I thought that it had changed a little as i'm seeing more jobs now that the job description actually matches marketing rather than sales.

Declining that would have got me shot at my current place if the MD found out. I suppose it's more lethargy than actually not wanting to do it... I think that it's a reason why I've been thinking about going out there though... so much potential and companies are doing well without anyone doing any work... so what would they be capable of if i got people actually doing some marketing?

and don't even get me started on the photos that some companies have on their website lol

Cham128

just think about it, you could market your company as a consultancy that actually does some work and knows what they're doing... talk about differentiation lol

Blue Cat

I am sure I saw an advert for a Marketing Manager for one the Malls, can't remember if it was IBN or Mall of the Emirates. I enjoyed working at Wafi City - it was a cushy number being based in a Mall!

Cham128

I saw that too, it was for IBN... if I was working at mall of the emirates i'd just be on the ski slope all day lol

Blue Cat

apply for it, Wafi currently sponsor my events but aren't being to generous at the moment! Then I can switch camps to IBN!