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The sense of growth and opportunity happening here stands in stark contrast to the stagnation of cities which have been previously regarded as the go-to locations.
Understandably, this is reflected in the amount of talent that is reaching out to us at the moment.
I had a conversation recently with a Talent Lead from Europe who was shocked that our average Job Posting receives north of a thousand applicants.
When she posts for her roles across Europe she’s lucky if she gets more than ten people to apply.
Doha and Dubai were recently ranked as the top two most competitive job markets in the world by Bloomberg.
The conclusion was reached based on the fact these cities had the highest number of applicants per LinkedIn job posting.
While I would argue that those statistics don't necessarily prove things are competitive, it does prove that it is incredibly saturated at the moment.
This makes it incredibly difficult to stand out.
The biggest takeaway from this for job seekers should be the importance of patience.
It’s probably not the answer anyone wanted to hear, especially at a time when frustration is probably the overriding emotion among most job seekers in the region.
However, understanding patience is crucial for job seekers on two levels.
You need to know it as a means of protecting yourself and also managing expectations when pursuing new opportunities.
Everyone wants to be here and they want to be here now. That’s great, but it’s not how it works.
Firstly, see things from a client’s perspective.
They have a right to be particular given the costs associated with hiring in the region.
For a hire that is relocated they have to cover the upfront costs of flights, visa, medical insurance, hotel, onboarding etc.
That’s a big strain on a P&L - one they aren’t likely to see returns on for at least six months.
Given the volume of talent pouring into the region, they are likely to have options for each position and will want to evaluate these accordingly.
They want to make sure they get the right person.
A noticeable trend we have picked up on is that more people are relocating here (including families) without work, in the hope that being on the ground will give them a competitive edge over relocating candidates.
Life in the GCC does not move at lightning pace. An average time to hire for mid-senior roles is probably somewhere around four-six weeks from first interview to offer.
For more senior positions it can take even longer.
This can also vary between locations within the GCC. Abu Dhabi and Riyadh definitely err towards the slower side when it comes to hiring compared to Dubai.
I placed a candidate last year into a role in Riyadh. I sent his CV in February and he signed the Offer Letter in October.
While that’s not normal, it’s not unusual either.
Secondly, patience is important for protecting your own interests as a job seeker.
The ambitions of the nations in the GCC extend far beyond the short-term. Anyone who has spent time on the ground in any of the countries here will know that this is more than a flash in the pan.
I have been fortunate enough to have visited and spent time in most of the major hubs in the region. The scale of projects and construction taking place in all is mind-boggling.
You can afford and would be best placed to bide your time for the right position. The opportunities here aren’t going anywhere.
You definitely shouldn’t take the first role that comes your way if it doesn’t align with your expectations.
Know your worth and stick to that. Salaries are largely similar to most major financial hubs in Europe and Asia - with the added benefit of being tax-free.
Our Salary Survey for 2024 covers most of the MarComms/Creative space and should give a helpful indication of salary ranges.
It’s an unfortunate reality that we have dealt with candidates who have taken roles in a moment of desperation in order to stay or move here, that do not align with their market worth.
The implications of this are quite severe.
We’ve seen some candidates jump back to salaries they were on 4-5 years ago. This is something which can potentially take years to undo.
Equally, if there’s not a job out that matches your profile at the moment, don’t take the square peg, round hole approach.
Just because there aren’t any roles that align with your experience at the moment - doesn’t mean you have to try and adjust your profile to fit what’s out there.
It’s unlikely to work given the level of competition out there and only going to lead to frustration when you don’t see returns. It might also put you at a disadvantage if you’ve just started a new role when your ideal role does come live.
Wait for the right opportunity. The GCC is a busy and growing market. New positions are opening up every week.
The end goal of working in the region isn’t just to get a job, but to get a job somewhere you can feel valued and grow long-term.
Patience is key to making sure that happens.
Job of the Week.
I am looking for a Design Lead to work with one of my clients who are an agency working across a number of industries.
The role is a senior position within the firm and aligns to Director level.
The ideal candidate will be at a senior level and still be hands on in their involvement in the Design process.
They are likely to come from an advertising background and the position probably closest aligns with someone at an ACD level (art).
There is a healthy salary on offer to potential candidates and my client is looking to move quickly on this position.
An up-to-date portfolio is required in order to be considered for this position.
Please reach out to me on LinkedIn and I will be happy to chat if your profile matches the requirements.