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Copywriting jobs in the UAE January 31, 2006

Posted by Farrukh Naeem at copywriterjournalist.com in : Advertising, Advertising in Dubai, Advertising in the UAE, Copywriter Job in UAE, Copywriter job, Copywriter job in Dubai, Copywriting, Copywriting Job in UAE, Jobs in advertising, Marketing, advertising jobs in uae, copywriting job in dubai , 92 comments

If you’re looking for a job in advertising in the UAE, these are the usual routes:
1. Spot the vacancies in the local newspapers
Gulf News and Khaleej Times are good places to start. The print editions have supplements dedicated to ‘Appointments’, while the usual classified ads can be browsed online.

2. Look for your dream job in an advertising/marketing community website

My friend Zeid Nasser’s mediame.com is a good place to begin.

3. Go through recruitment agencies and headhunters
Most advertising vacancies are posted in the papers through recruitment agencies. Many advertise the jobs available on their own sites and you can apply online.

SOS and Kershaw Leonard are currently looking for copywriters. You can visit them online and apply.

4. Contact your dream agency directly
Sometimes, the best thing to land a good job in advertising is to meet the Creative Director of your dream agency directly. Even if a CD does not have a copywriting position waiting to be filled, a few minutes with a good one can get you valuable feedback on your portfolio.

Visiting an agency and meeting its creative head helps you understand the agency and its expectations better.

But be warned: CDs are very busy souls and you must not be pushy in trying to arrange a meeting with them. Most will be happy to give you a few minutes of their time, when they have a few to spare. Which is rare. It rhymes, eh?

5. If you apply everywhere and nothing seems to work, don’t get mad…

Get even. Start your own agency. Or freelance copywriting business.

Dubai Media City and RAK Free Zone can help you establish your own advertising/copywriting operation with minimum red tape.

There are many other ways to stay in touch with the advertising world.

Networking helps. Knowing people in the industry will keep you updated on the trends: who’s moving, who’s scouting for talent, etc.

In a multicultural place like Dubai, a few advertising decision makers have a tendency to try and pull in their ex-colleagues from back home, whichever country they are from. Unfortunately, I have seen this sometimes leads to groupism in the agency, so this is an option I do not personally admire or encourage.

Even though I usually have a friend or two in most top agencies but I don’t use friends to pull any strings. Because if one is good at what one does, getting spotted in a crowd of applicants isn’t usually a problem.

Of course, there are Murphy’s laws. And luck too.