Six key skill-sets that you may need to jump UAE job queue

Education is always the big ticket to success but not the only factor that can land you a job or push you up the career ladder.

Besides the fancy college degrees that you may have, there are many other skills that employers look for in the UAE and sometimes these may weigh more than just the qualifications.

Is it your years of experience, good looks, awesome work portfolio, winning charm or the most amazing list of references? Here are some skills, which employers in the UAE are now considering more seriously than ever before.

Do you have local experience?

The recession taught many companies that it’s very important to know how to steer the ship out of difficulty and not everybody can do that. Case studies from other countries cannot be imported without thinking. You may have performed very well in another country or a continent but the same logic and business rules cannot be applied here.

This is why many officials had to leave their jobs in Dubai and the UAE during the rough years and companies now stress the need for local experience. If you have knowledge of the local and the regional market, you will definitely stand out as you will have the ability to solve problems and understand the consumers who are based here and not in another location.

Polish your Arabic skills

As you go through job classifieds one thing that is common in many jobs listed is – the preference for a bilingual candidate. If you know Arabic along with English, you will definitely be a strong candidate for the job. You can still improve your chances by learning the language. It may take a long time and effort to understand Arabic but it is worth the effort.

Some jobs do not require you to be fluent. Even a basic understanding of the language will work in your favour.

Learn to adapt in a new job, a new country

You cannot be rigid in your style of work. Things that were totally acceptable in other markets may not work well here. You have to adapt and should communicate to your potential employer that you are willing to learn the nuances and gel with the policies of the company and the team.

Be culturally aware

In addition to the style of work, you are also expected to be culturally aware in the UAE. You cannot pass remarks or behave in a way that is not accepted at the workplace. As a melting pot of cultures, candidates and employees should refrain from anything that can be deemed as rude to co-workers of many other nationalities that you may be working with.

Lean to think critically

The ability to solve problems and make decisions is very important and employers demand that such skills be brought to the table. You will be assessed for this and if you fail to make an impact it is highly unlikely you will get the job.

Abilities to solve problems and make appropriate decisions are critical in any job and local employers are stressing that you have them as well. Your education degrees can fail to make an impact if you don’t do well on this count.

Strong social and communication skills

Whether online or in the real world, it is important that you are social and that can make you a great asset for your company. Networking can help the business and give you the right exposure.

Whether applying for a new job or looking for a promotion with your current employer, you will need to demonstrate good communication skills as well. This includes both verbally and in writing, good body language and at the same time good listening skills.

And, as your career progresses, this factor becomes more important, so brush these skills now.

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