Dubai’s 10 Biggest Employers – and 3 Tips To Impress Them

In a recent report in Arabian.business.com, they outlined Dubai’s 50 biggest companies, and below we have outlined the top 10.

1. DP World (Transport Sector), Market cap (AED ‘000): 31, 548, 818

2. Emaar (Real Estate), Market cap (AED ‘000): 21,075,687

3. Emirates NBD (Banking) Market cap (AED ‘000): 16,784,481

4. Du (Telecoms), Market cap (AED ‘000): 16, 320, 000

5. Mashreq Bank (Banking), Market cap (AED ‘000): 8,901,000

6. Dubai Financial Market Company (Investments) Market cap (AED ‘000): 7,906,034

7. Dubai Islamic Bank (Banking),Market cap (AED ‘000): 7, 444, 000

8. Commercial Bank of Dubai (banking), Market cap (AED ‘000): 5,552,000

9. Arabtec (Real Estate) Market cap (AED ‘000): 4,473,788

10. Oman Insurance Company (Insurance), Market cap (AED ‘000): 3, 279, 000

As you can see Dubai has a large selection of blue chip corporate employers to choose from, but because they are the largest most well known employers there can be great competition for jobs. Employers from these companies may receive 100 or more applicants per position. Therefore, larger companies set the bar extremely high and have sophisticated selection processes to enable them to effectively choose the elite candidates from a massive pool of applicants.

If candidates want to get a job in one of Dubai’s big companies they will need to know how to navigate the complicated and unique hiring processes of larger employers – and below I have set out 3 tips on how to do this.

1. SEO Optimize your resume/CV; most large employers use automated CV sifting systems to short-list resumes. These systems work much like a google, that is, the most relevant CVs which have the most relevant keywords in are ranked most highly. Therefore, when writing your CV for large companies you must optimize your CV for the recruiter search engine by placing/repeating relevant keywords throughout your CV and including a keyword section at the start of your CV which contains a list of the relevant keywords. This way your CV will rank more highly in the recruiter search.
2. Prepare for psychometric tests; larger companies are much more likely to use aptitude tests, with research suggesting that over 70% of large companies use psychometric tests. The good news is that if you practice these aptitude tests in advance you can improve your subsequent performance at interview. We therefore strongly recommend that if you are selected for a big company interview that you go on-line and practice several free aptitude tests. This will help you to maximize your interview performance and increase your chance of getting the big company job you desire.
3. Place an emphasis on your social and collaboration skills; large companies are often complicated matrix structures with a very complex political and structural hierarchy. In order to get things done in such environments you need to have excellent skills in influencing, negotiation, collaboration and relationship building. Most big employers realize this and therefore prefer candidates who have these softer social skills in addition to their functional skills. Therefore, to maximize your chances of interview success make sure that you highlight your social skills in your CV, cover letter and during the interview process.

About the author

Kazim Ladimeji is the Director of thecareercafe.co.uk—a resource for start-ups, small business and job seekers. It includes a blog with career and small business advice articles. Kazim is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and has been a practising HR professional for 14 years.

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