How I started working in Dubai

Dubai is a popular location for Pinoy OFWs. Aside from a tax free salary, Pinoys have more liberty to practice their religion, wear their usual clothes and communicate with the opposite sex compare to other Middle East countries. Perhaps these are few of the reason why many Filipinos are attempting to work in Dubai. And I am one of them.

I was offered with a job as a Marketing Assistant in an Amusement Park in Sharjah, UAE last 2013. I was still working in Manila that time; however I declined the job offer because the salary being offered is just the same as my present job salary. The recruitment officer even told me that working in Dubai will be more beneficial since the salary is tax free and they’ll be providing accommodation and transportation. But I decline, I believe I’ll get better offers in the future (sometimes I am so optimistic that I forget to be realistic). 

Getting a visa

Still considering to work in Dubai to help my family (as we all do), I was able to get a visit visa with the help of my cousin who sponsors me. The sponsorship is like a guarantee letter from your immediate relative in UAE that s/he will sponsor your stay (accommodation, food, etc.) in the emirate. The original copy of this sponsorship letter was sent to me. This is required in order to pass through immigration. 

Getting pass the immigration

The day of my flight came, I felt really nervous for I have read a lot of stories on how difficult to get through the immigration. My flight is around 1am, so there are less people in the airport. I was attended by a young female immigration officer; she doesn’t look scary nor strict. I smile, gave her my visa, passport and sponsorship letter. She asks the birth certificate of my father, my aunt, and by grandfather as proof that me and my cousin are really related (make sure that all your documents are authentic to avoid problems, better to attached receipt from NSO too). She examines the papers, she seems please and ask me questions like; where do you work? How long will you stay in Dubai? When will you return? What will you do there. Do you have a credit card? How much cash do you have? Some question seems irrelevant but I answered confidently even I know for myself that I will not visit Dubai for pleasure but to look for a job. She also ask for my company ID. I gave her a fake ID for I already resigned from my job (sorry for lying). She then ask me about my job, what do I do, etc., she seem like giving me a job interview (so if you’re faking your ID, make sure that you can answer any question that can arise from the ID infos.) Finally, the Q&A is over, I was relieved. Fear, excitement, sadness, I can’t explain how I really feel. I just know that I am embarking to a new journey.

Job hunting

What welcomed me in Dubai is not what I had hoped for. Job hunting is not as easy as ABC, despite that I already had an experience in the  Philippines in PR/Marketing field for 4 years, they still considered me a fresher, can’t blame the employers because I know nothing in Dubai. Interview after interview, my visa got expired so I need to renew for another month. This means I have to pay another 900 AED. My funds are getting over, and I’m afraid I end up going back to Philippines as a failure. There are many Filipinos in the UAE, aside from that there are other nationalities like Indians, Russians, Europeans etc. This means, competition is tough, and the salary offer is too low (for Asians, I don’t know why) some only offers 2000 AED a month, or worse 1800 AED. I heard some receive even less. With this kind of salary, it will be difficult to start living in Dubai where a bedspace may cost 700-1200AED/month depending on location. As desperate as I am, I even applied for jobs irrelevant from my experience, I applied as a hotel receptionist (I was offered a very low salary that the interviewer, which is a Filipino advised me to look other options elsewhere), secretary (which I decline a day after I accept the offer because I’ll be working with all male employees with different nationalities), office girl (like a tea boy, even includes cleaning the owners home). I am not against with any of these jobs, I’ll be happy to work even as cleaner, but this is not the reason why I am here. I want to build a career and save, and in order to do that I have to focus on the path I want to take. Gratefully, before my extended visa end, I got an offer as an Event Coordinator in an Events Company, the salary is mediocre, very low that I can’t event send money regularly and had left me without decent savings. Sometimes I even think that it might had been better if I accepted the job offer I had in the Philippine where I get to have a free accommodation.  But I trust God that wherever I am now, it will lead me to where I had dreamed to go. 

A dream without action is just a wish.