If you are from Kerala and looking for work in the UAE, you have probably heard this more than once: you won’t get a job there without a recommendation.
I heard it too. I don’t believe it any more, because it doesn’t match what happened to me.
What happened to me
I have had two jobs in the UAE, and both were fresher roles. The first was as a 3D designer at an advertising company in Abu Dhabi. The second was as a digital marketer, the field I had moved into. Neither came through a recommendation. At both, there wasn’t a single person on the team who spoke my mother tongue.
So where does the belief come from? Partly from real cases: referrals do help, and plenty of people are hired through someone they know. But “referrals help” and “you can’t get hired without one” are very different statements.
What a recommendation actually does
Think about it from the employer’s side. Two people walk into an interview. One arrives with a recommendation. The other arrives with skills and can explain clearly what they have done. If the recommended candidate struggles to explain their work, or simply doesn’t have the skills, who would you hire?
A recommendation can open a door. Skills and communication decide who stays inside.
How to compete without one
1. Get past the software first
Most UAE employers screen CVs with an Applicant Tracking System before a recruiter reads them. A beautifully designed CV can be filtered out if the system can’t read it or it doesn’t match the keywords in the job ad. Use a clean single-column layout, standard section headings and the words the job ad itself uses. I made an ATS resume template for exactly this, and I also write CVs if you would rather have it done for you.
2. Show proof, not adjectives
“Hard-working” and “passionate” mean very little to a recruiter. A portfolio link, a project you finished, numbers from a campaign or a course you actually completed says far more. When I moved into marketing, the diploma mattered, but being able to talk through real campaigns I had run mattered more.
3. Practise explaining your work in one minute
Many interviews are decided in the first few minutes. Prepare a clear one-minute answer to “tell me about yourself” that covers what you do, one thing you have done well, and why you want this role. Say it out loud until it sounds natural.
4. Apply consistently and track everything
Job hunting has a feedback loop. Keep a simple record of where you applied, when, and what happened, and follow up. If you have applied to fifty roles and heard nothing, the problem is usually the CV, not the market. My job application tracker gives you a ready structure for this.
5. Be where the jobs are shared
New openings appear every day, and early applicants have an advantage. That is why I share vacancies daily in the UAE Job Hunters WhatsApp groups and Telegram community.
The honest part
None of this is fast. Your first salary may be lower than you hoped, and you will spend weekends learning rather than resting. But the belief that you need a “connection” stops a lot of capable people from even trying. Skills and clear communication are enough to get hired. They got me hired twice.
If you are job hunting in the UAE right now, join the free job groups and start with your CV. If you would rather have it done for you, see my ATS CV writing service, or use the templates and guides in the shop.
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The ATS resume template, cover letter template and application tracker I built while landing my own UAE role - plus the free job groups.
