Ramadan is set to begin in a few weeks. But what does that mean if you are looking for a new role?
As companies reduce their working hours to six per day and encourage employees to take annual leave – you may notice that hiring activity such as interviews and feedback slow down until after Eid al-Fitr due to staff availability. But the good news is that it will never cease completely! As a job seeker, Ramadan is also a time you can use to your advantage.
Aside from applying for roles or following up on applications, here are some other things you can do to help in your search:
- Establish and narrow down your career goals – where do you want to be in 12 months? Are the roles you’ve been applying for going to get you there?
- Update your CV: Read over your CV and see if there is anything you can update, you can also double check for any spelling or grammar mistakes –
- Have you made any significant achievements or managed new projects since you last updated it?
- Is it ATS-friendly? Find out here.
- Are your contact details correct?
- Now your CV is up to date – identify a list of companies that you’d like to work for and recruiters who specialise in your area. Next, register on the careers section of their website.
- Network on LinkedIn: Once you have the above list, connect with key people within their HR and Talent Aquisition teams – send them a friendly message to let them know you are looking a new opportunity and why you would like to work for them, highlighting your experience/fit. Remember, don’t be disheartened if you don’t get a quick response – they will be working reduced hours or could be on annual leave.
- Clean up your social media: Delete anything you wouldn’t want a future employer to see and make sure your LinkedIn is up to date and matches your CV.
- Practice your interview skills: Make sure you’re confident and prepared for anything a hiring manager may ask – consider asking a friend to participate in interview role play so you can rehearse your responses.
- Reconnect: It’s worth touching base with existing contacts, people won’t stop hiring completely during Ramadan. Then, when hiring activity increases, you’ll be front of mind.
Check out more of our job search advice here.
About Flow Talent
Flow Talent have been sourcing the best Banking, Technology, Financial Services, Legal & Compliance professionals locally and internationally for leading organisations across the Middle East region since 2018.
To view our latest vacancies in the Middle East, click here.