Photo by Slava Bowman
The global difference In order to help our graduates who want to become expatriates, we asked alumni around the globe to tell us how their workplace culture differs to the UK’s.
In the United Arab Emirates Insight from Stefanie Paterson, MSc Human Resource Management (2015)
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The UAE is a broadly English speaking country, so any applicant would need to have a significant level of English in roles that require a university degree. Arabic is also a huge advantage and can often be seen in job adverts as a required or desirable skill. The recruitment process is similar for both recent graduates and experienced candidates. CVs tend to be submitted or application forms filled out for advertised roles. CVs are generally similar to the UK layout with the main difference being the inclusion of a photo as well as marital status, age and number of children. There is no legal requirement in the UAE that these
questions can’t be asked, so more often than not they’re included. It is widely known in the UAE that the recruitment process can be very slow – some candidates waiting three to nine months from initial application to placement is not unheard of. It’s just the nature of the region, especially with locally owned companies. It’s a very multicultural place to work though. In my team alone there are eight different nationalities working together, and different cultures are respected and celebrated within the region. For more information on living and working in the UAE, please visit Gov.uk online resources.
