Well, February is already at our doors, and part of me thinks that it’s still 2021 (is it really 2022?) Looks like old folks aren’t saying it just for show – life does seem to go by fast. That said, this is (partly) good news because February presents a golden opportunity for job seekers – a very particular kind, I might add.
If by any chance you’ve had your eyes fixed on Dubai for a job, then you’re very much in luck. Below I’m going to be outlining why (just about) right now is the best time to apply for a job in the ultra-modern and sprawling desert metropolis the internet says is nicknamed The City of Gold.
(Speaking of Dubai and jobs, check out our blog post on finding a job in Dubai! Make sure to finish reading this one, though.)
January and February are your best bet. But why them out of all months?
A couple of reasons, actually:
First, the start of the new year signals the end of the holiday season. This means hiring managers will be returning to the office to find a hulking backlog of vacant roles (which have been building up during the holiday period, of course) staring them down. This also means recruitment teams will be working in full force by mid-January. After all, hiring activities always experience a strong reboot when the year-end “breaktime” is over, so to speak.
Employment in Dubai has a very transient nature
Second, Dubai has a… uh, “fleeting” workforce. That is to say, most workers do not stay in Dubai for the long term and so find themselves on a one-way flight back to their home countries. This means that after New Year’s, or the summer holidays, or whichever holiday period it is – new vacancies are popping up everywhere, with companies scrambling to fill them.
(Wondering how to retain loyalty from your employees? Can’t go wrong here.)
Bonuses are paid off at the year’s end
Third, employees get compensated with annual bonuses. This newfound financial cushion grants them the privilege of packing up and going elsewhere to find a better job. And like I said, it’s peak recruitment time. People are filling up roles. But people don’t just fill up roles, they leave them. And those old jobs they leave? Those automatically become vacancies.
Hint, hint.
Oh, and speaking of financial cushions (not that they’re necessarily used as such, but still)... hiring budgets also get approved in the months of Jan and Feb. This matters for one reason: during this period, hiring managers are actively foraging the corporate world for new talent. Consider it as a race, if you will, where the hiring budget is the racing flag to signal that the race has begun (which it already has, like… a month ago… Best get around to finding that job quickly then, no?)
Dubai has great weather year-round!
No. Dubai has great weather only in January and February (and March. And maybe April. Any other time of the year is “great” only if you’re indoors and every nook and cranny is embraced by the sweet and extraordinary cooling powers of an A.C.)
Anyways. In Jan and Feb, you have the liberty of traveling around the city and taking as many in-person interviews as you like, without having to worry about overheating. Sadly, you won’t find that privilege in other months. So I’d suggest you jump on a plane and enjoy that climate freedom.
While you still can.
… I sure do like rushing you, don’t I?
(Want to avoid the weather issue altogether and work from home instead? I’ve got you covered. Check out this blog post to see if your profession makes it on Bayt’s list of the top 15 work-from-home opportunities!)
Well, what about March, April, and May?
While Jan and Feb will (probably) always be peak recruitment months, you will still find opportunities aplenty in the months following them, which are also the last good months to find candidates before summer (before the hiring cycle begins anew). This is good news in case you haven’t yet found a good opportunity by the time it’s already March. As one article puts it, recruitment teams will still be looking to fill as many roles as possible before “the mass exodus of summer begins.”
On a final note, don’t go to Dubai in the summer
Dubai turns into this hiring ghost town in the summer. Seriously. It gets really hot. People don’t like it when it’s hot. Hiring managers travel many miles in order to escape the merciless 40 °C weather (and see their families, of course). Besides, no one’s going to be bothered to hire people when it’s too hot to see straight.
That said, if you want to give your Dubai-located and opportunity-driven job hunt a much-needed boost before summer rolls around, you can check out other job-hunting advice right here.
