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Feb 03, 2019

By Sohaib Hasan

The 5 most common reasons of why UAE job seekers don't hear back from employers

If you have been a job seeker in the United Arab Emirates, you probably have encountered the same problem that so many other candidates are facing as well: you are sending countless applications, even solicited ones through applying for posted jobs, but you never hear back from employers.

Naturally, this is a frustrating experience – to the increasing pressure of finding a new role now comes the fact that employers seem to be unresponsive, leading to some job seekers even going as far as claiming that the roles posted are faked. But, are they? Or are there other reasons why applicants struggle to get feedback on their applications?
As you have probably already guessed from the title of this article, the latter is usually the case. And while there are many explanations of why one could possibly not hear back from an employer, I compiled the 5 most common reasons why job seekers in the UAE don’t hear back from employers:
 
  1. There is tremendous competition through hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants vying for the same job. The UAE is a destination favored by many, and the number of applicants far exceeds the number of jobs posted. On average, job postings on larger portals attract several hundreds of CVs, with job postings that are actively promoted often resulting in several thousand applications. With so much competition, it is naturally difficult to even get one’s CV opened in the first place!
 
  1. Applicants don’t network. This, again, leads back to the very first point I have made here – with so much competition and so many applicants, standing out from the crowd is a real problem. And while everyone can agree that applying for a job is somewhat a full-time job in itself, ‘just’ sending one’s CV is often not enough to really leave a mark. Reaching out, getting in touch and building meaningful relationships with employers is often not only an important but the only way forward.
 
  1. There is no 100% match of qualification and requirements. Guess what – also my third point is closely related to the first one! Ask any recruiter, and many will complain that a lot of the many CVs they receive are not matching the criteria they are looking for. Often, the easier it is to apply to a job (for instance by just clicking on ‘Apply’ or sending a standardized email), the more candidates will think of just ‘trying their luck’ and going forward – in the end, the thought process is that their time investment is minimal, but in all honesty: the cost of botching future opportunities is the largest gamble there is!
 
  1. Their application is not customized. My fourth point is related to the third one – especially the ‘standardized’ approach to applications that many applicants have. Yes, it is a hassle and takes time to customize every application and especially one’s CV to each role, but it is required. Remember (and, after all, we’re back at my first point!) the employer has a lot of choices, but still wants to feel flattered by the candidate – the moment they notice that they are not one’s first choice, or that one could not care less about where you work, as long as one does, they will surely sort the profile out. The first instance of them verifying true interest is by checking whether the CV is customized to them and their job posting – so do go the extra mile.
 
  1. Their CV is not up to the mark. This point goes hand-in-hand with the first one. When spoiled for choice, the likelihood of an employer moving on to the next candidate’s profile even for minor hiccups in one’s CV is a real, tangible threat. Especially when considering that UAE CVs are quite different in their requirements to the ones many candidates use in their home countries, it is often the CV that is simply not convincing the recruiter – CV courses like cvsample.ae can easily remedy this problem in an efficient way that doesn’t break the bank.
 
While applying, keep these five points in mind. All of them need to be addressed as best as you can: while nothing can be done about the vast number of applicants, you can ensure your CV is top-notch, that you start building meaningful relationships with decision makers, you can ensure to only apply for roles that are a 100% match and you can invest the time of customizing each application.

And, regardless of whether you are actively looking for employment or just considering moving to a better role: never give up hope. The next best thing is just around the corner!

 
Sohaib Hasan is an initiative-driven and internationally seasoned HR Consultant with close to a decade of success in infusing efficiency into the HR Operations, Ideation and Development of HR based software programs to performing the core HR functions of Recruitment, Selection, Training, Development and Performance Evaluation to imparting expert counselling to the candidates. He is a motivational speaker at heart and a trainer who is primarily branded for outstanding creative solutions to enhance organizational efficiency and as well developing and unleashing human behavioral potential. Strongly knitted with HR professionals globally, his career tips and advice on LinkedIn are queued every day to be engaged in and learn from. Job seekers significantly get benefited from Mr. Hasan’s exclusive thoughts and strategies to transform your passion in to a career. He loves to socialize, meets his network and is very much accessible for guidance and mentoring.

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