The Ultimate Guide To Job Hunting And Relocation

by Barbara Yakimchuk

The Ultimate Guide To Job Hunting And Relocation

19 Feb 2025

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

It is no secret that Dubai is an expat hub. That is probably why questions about relocation and job hunting are always among the hottest topics. Even if you are not considering it now, chances are you did a year or two ago — or you will in the future. Taking this into account, we decided to speak with a professional HR Lead whose job is to help people relocate and find their dream jobs. What is happening in the job market right now? What are the biggest red flags in CVs? How can we deal with job-hunting frustration? Everything is below.

Before we dive into professional insights, let us take a moment to look at the current job market. This will be particularly relevant for those who are actively job hunting (and perhaps feeling frustrated from time to time). If that sounds like you, know that you are not alone — according to a survey by iHire, around 47% of job seekers believe the process negatively impacts their mental health.

If you are facing frequent rejections, do not be discouraged — TopResume reports that 75% of applications are rejected before they even reach the hiring manager’s desk. And, most importantly, remember that networking is key — statistics show that 60% of jobs are secured through connections rather than online applications.

Daria Lukina is a Global HR Lead, advising businesses on marketing and HR-related matters and individuals on career development issues. For several years, she has been helping people worldwide find their dream jobs, improve their CVs, and succeed in interviews. And now, she is ready to share her key insights.

— Hello, Daria! Thank you for your willingness to share your experience with us. I know you provide consultations on job searching during relocation. How do you feel about this: is it easier or harder to find a job in another country now compared to previous years?

— The funny thing is, in theory, it should be much easier now. Here is why:

The world is becoming increasingly global and interconnected.
There are now various digital nomad options for remote workers, meaning you don not necessarily need a company to sponsor your relocation — you can simply move with your existing remote job.
More companies are expanding internationally, which creates a growing demand for global talent. For example, if a company based in Europe is expanding into Latin America, it is quite usual for them to seek marketing and sales professionals from that region — not just for language skills but also for cultural insight and a better understanding of the local audience.

But is it actually easier? Absolutely not. The job market is currently really chaotic — people are being laid off with no warning on an ordinary Tuesday morning call, entire departments are being restructured, and employees are losing their jobs overnight. Now, imagine this happening to someone on a work visa. Most work visas are tied to a specific employer, so if you lose your job, you either have to leave the country immediately or secure another job with visa sponsorship quickly (which is usually hardly possible). On top of that, all the people being laid off right now are also on the job market, so competition is insane.

Additionally, due to the rise of remote work, many companies simply don't want the hassle anymore. It is easier for them to hire remote contractors for specific roles rather than deal with visa sponsorships and paperwork.

Anyway, large corporations are still quite open to relocating talents. Many offer relocation support by default, and internal transfers allow employees to move between offices. This is largely driven by globalisation — big companies need a vast workforce across multiple locations, often more than any single country can provide.

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

— Based on your experience, which countries are currently the most popular for relocation?

— From what I have seen, I would say Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. There are a few key reasons for this:

Their immigration laws are relatively manageable. I would not call them easy — nothing involving paperwork ever is — but they are at least doable. Salaries there are also quite competitive.
They are international — English is widely spoken in all of above-mentioned countries, and locals tend to be more accepting of foreigners.
The rest of Europe is trickier. The Nordic countries are largely closed to foreigners and often require proficiency in the local language, much like France. Eastern Europe generally offers lower salaries, while many Southern European countries simply have fewer job opportunities.

— Job hunting often comes with a lot of frustration. How can someone avoid feeling discouraged during this process?

— I completely understand, and I really admire everyone searching for a job right now — it can sometimes feel like a full-time job in itself. What usually helps is:

Surrounding yourself with people in the same situation. Whether it is through offline friends or online communities, seeing that others are also finding the job search tough helps you realise the issue is not with your skills — it is just a challenging market.
Turning your job search into a game. Give yourself a point for every 10 applications. Once you reach five points, reward yourself with something you enjoy.
Learning from every application. If you didn't get an interview, ask yourself: What went wrong? What could I have done better? Focusing on the learning process rather than the rejections will help you improve faster. Additionally, if you are facing constant rejection, it is worth analysing why. You might be applying for the wrong jobs or companies, not positioning yourself correctly, failing to showcase your key skills, or simply applying too little. If you are only sending out one or two applications per week, your chances are naturally lower.

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

— Is it better to search for a job remotely before moving, or is it more effective to do it once you are already there (assuming you have some savings and can afford to stay in another country while searching)?

— It really depends on the situation. If you do not need a special work permit for the country or you are already there, then job hunting on-site is definitely easier — you will be treated like a local.

That said, I don't think being outside the country will not significantly affect your chances. These days, most interviews are done remotely, so whether you apply from abroad or on-site does not make much of a difference. If a company still needs to sponsor your visa, your location will not be a major factor either way.

If you are searching for a job abroad, I would highlight two key pieces of advice:

Before applying, check whether your target country offers work visas for citizens of your country.
If you are applying to a smaller company, a useful trick is to handle the visa process yourself. You can hire an immigration lawyer, cover the costs, and simply have the company provide the necessary documents. This makes things much easier for them and can improve your chances of landing the job.

— Do you have any tips for those who are searching for a job right now? Perhaps some useful websites?

— When it comes to websites, LinkedIn and Glassdoor are widely used, but sometimes they can be flooded with odd job listings — something that we call “ghost job openings,” when companies are not actually hiring anyone but just collecting data for internal analytics and CVs for the future. So, while these platforms can give you a general sense of the job market, they are not always the best for finding active opportunities.

As for recommendations, I highly suggest Jungle.com (formerly Otta). It is an excellent tool for finding highly targeted job openings that align with your experience and requirements.

In terms of overall advice, I would suggest this:

Narrow down the size of the company you are interested in. For example, you could decide that you are targeting startups in their seed stage.
Search on Google for “seed stage startups in [your location].” You will likely find plenty of options.
Check out their websites directly, as many of them do not post the job openings on large platforms. This is actually how I landed a job with relocation in just 28 working days.

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

— Are there any red flags in a CV that we should definitely avoid to catch an employer’s attention?

— I would highlight three key points:

Make sure you highlight the results of your work. Unfortunately, many people often focus on the process (e.g. “I was running paid ads”), while it is much better to focus on the results (e.g. “Launched 8 paid ads in one month, resulting in a X% increase in website traffic”).
Instead of telling the employer how great you are, focus on what problems you can solve for them. For instance, you are not just a recruiter — you can supply the company with top-tier talent faster than any recruitment agency.
Do not list every job you have ever had, and try to mention just the relevant ones. For example, if you worked at Zara when you were 16 and you are now 32, only include that experience if it is relevant to the role (e.g. for Sales or Customer Support). Otherwise, save your potential employer some time and leave it out.

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

— What has been the most challenging relocation case you have evet had, and how did it end up?

— We had to find a job for one person within a month, due to his personal reasons. Let me tell you, securing a job with relocation and visa sponsorship, a higher salary in USD, within a month, while maintaining the person's seniority level (he was determined to stay in a senior role), and targeting a very specific location (just one country), was not an easy task.

We had to manage multiple processes at once — being crystal clear on the type of company and role we wanted, crafting the perfect CV and interview positioning, preparing for interviews, and constantly chasing referrals. But we made it! The individual landed a fantastic job opportunity, has already relocated, and even received a promotion!

I think the key factors that helped were:

Laser focus. The person knew failure was not an option, so he kept his eyes firmly on the prize.
Planting opportunities. The person was not shy about networking or asking for referrals.
Constantly refining his pitch. The person acted quickly on all the advice I gave and followed through immediately.

by Barbara Yakimchuk