Five ways to take advantage of the summer lull and get your job-search going

If you’re searching for a new job in the Middle East right now, it’s a frustrating time. We’ve just come out of Ramadan, this is followed by Eid and both key decision-makers and recruiters take the opportunity to go on holiday. However, to write-off your search would be a mistake.

This year is generally quiet, but this doesn’t change the fact that immediately after the summer lull, there’s a mini-surge in activity as roles that had been on the back-burner suddenly start to emerge. How can you make sure you’re well-positioned for this?

1. Identify which recruiters can help you, and develop your relationship with them:

A quiet period is a good time for reflection, and when a recruiter is unlikely to be able to put you forward for a job, it’s a good time to assess their quality. Get in touch, develop a rapport and find out whether they’re tapped into the market for when opportunities start to emerge.

“It’s easy to get disheartened when there are fewer job opportunities, but taking a proactive approach and developing a relationship with your recruiter is integral for when the market picks up,” says James Collin, business manager at Reed Banking UAE.

2. Gather a picture of the market:

Ramadan is a great time for networking opportunities, which means that banking executives and headhunters often discuss what the outlook is like for the rest of the year. What this means for you is a chance to map the market for the coming months by discussing the outlook with recruiters and headhunters.

“This year has been particularly good for gaining a picture of what jobs will emerge in the final quarter,” says Magdy El Zein, managing director of headhunters Boyden Middle East. “We can outline this to good candidates before the mandate is formally awarded. This means we get a good idea of their mobility, availability and skills, while they can decide what options are available.”

3. Find out who IS there and target your application:

Someone is manning the ship during the summer in the recruitment team of the larger banks. While you might have thought this means they’re over-burdened with work, the reality is that they have more time now than at any point of the year.

“We might not be able to process their application and put them forward for jobs during the summer, but with more time available, it’s more likely that I’ll receive a good CV more favourably, because I have more time to properly assess it,” says one recruitment manager in an international bank in the DIFC.

4. Find out whether you should stay or go:

In an ideal world, you may wish to stay in Dubai. Failing that, going to Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi or Qatar could be a viable option. If nothing much is available there, you might have to look further afield. The summer lull gives you a chance to consider your options and run them by your nearest and dearest.

“In some cases, we’re advising people to target their application towards Asia, because there’s nothing happening in their sector in the Middle East,” says El Zein. “It’s better that candidates know this now, rather than making a snap decision when they realise how tough the job market is later in the year.”

5. Based on what you’ve learned, adapt your CV:

Is there some secret sauce that employers are looking for that you’ve failed to highlight on your CV? Is there something that would put you in better stead in the job market that you could pull out and expand on? Your relationship with recruiters should extend to them offering advice on what hiring managers are looking for. The summer lull gives you time to get your CV in shape.