Wright Way Consulting

 

Grown out of desert into a bustling metropolis in less than a couple of decades, Dubai has seen an astounding multidimensional growth and is now the world’s financial and trade capital. The city offers a no-trade-barriers business environment so businesses from around the globe, regardless of their type and size, are not dallying in moving to this trade heaven. The architectural development in Dubai is unstoppably going on at a pace faster than any other developed city of the world. The population of the city continues to grow boundlessly and a big segment of Dubai’s populace consists of expats doing or looking for a job in Dubai.

 

All these factors have collectively laid Dubai job market open wide for people from virtually all fields of profession. As the boom in Dubai’s architectural development continues, construction jobs in Dubai are abound and civil engineers are always in demand. There’s also a vast job market for professionals in related fields such as CAD experts, electrical engineers, lighting engineers, interior designers/decorators, experts in public health etc. The continuous and matchless urbanization and commercialization of Dubai is set to open new avenues in careers for professionals of all domains.

 

Flourishing tourism in Dubai and the city’s status of a business hub attracts hundreds of thousands of regular and occasional visitors, triggering a boom in the city’s hotel industry. There are hundreds of hotel jobs in Dubai available for professionals in the related sector. IT and marketing jobs in Dubai are also springing up with the city’s expansion in new dimensions. Other top ranking Dubai jobs include banking jobs and accounting jobs besides jobs in business operations that deal with trade, tourism, hospitality, transportation and consulting.

 

As a result of increase in Dubai’s populations, newer demands are emerging to meet which, Dubai requires a huge human resource. There are new academic institutions springing up in Dubai and many international institutions are also moving to Dubai to meet the city’s demand for education. So teaching jobs in Dubai are also plentiful and the city welcomes expert academics from around the world.

 

In so much vast a job market like Dubai’s, it’s not hard to find a job in Dubai. One easy way to find the right job for you is through Dubai classifieds both online and in print. Yet easier is to visit online Dubai job portals which give you complete details of the job along with job description, requirements and packages etc.

Almost one in five small businesses are now tweeting regularly, according to research released recently by O2, the mobile phone provider. (“Small Businesses are Catching Twitter Bug,” Richard Tyler, The Telegraph, 16 March 2009) Although the larger, multinational firms were the first to jump on the Twitter bandwagon, increasing numbers of small to medium sized businesses are catching up. In many ways Twitter is an even more useful tool for the mom-and-pop operators than for the big businesses with deep financial pockets and large advertising budgets. Twitter is free, simple and easy to use and is the newest, most useful tool for small businesses looking to increase sales and profits.

Cost savings

Small businesses that use Twitter save on marketing and recruitment costs. A substantial amount has been saved by firms who use Twitter instead of traditional marketing methods, an impressive cost reduction from the small business perspective. (“UK Small Businesses Flock to Twitter,” News Desk, smallbizpod.co.uk, 17 March 2009) Small businesses often have little, if any, advertising budget. Having a Twitter account is much cheaper than maintaining a web page or an email distribution list.  For smaller enterprises, the immediate intimacy of tweets suit their business philosophy and approach better than impersonal, sweeping advertising campaigns.

Spread the word

A Crème Brulee cart operating in San Francisco grew by word of mouth via Twitter and within a few months the proprietor had quit his day job to keep up with demand. (“Mom-and-Pop Operators Turn to Social Media,” Claire Cain Miller, New York Times, 23 July 2009) Such a success story illustrates that direct marketing, especially the word of mouth kind of Twitter, is a powerful tool for small businesses looking to expand their customer base. Business owners can also tweet about discounts or new, just-in products, reeling in new customers and enticing regular ones.

Relationship management

Twitter is useful for small businesses wanting to keep in touch with suppliers. The micro blogging tool allows small businesses to connect to other small companies, promoting a sense of community that goes beyond traditional geographical borders. An antique store in Texas connects with customers in New Jersey and orders supplies from out of town – all transactions were made through Twitter-based relationships. (“Mom-and-Pop Operators Turn to Social Media”) Twitter enables businesses to increase the range of contacts, whether with suppliers, potential customers or support services like accounting and consulting firms.



Feedback loop

Small businesses rarely conduct market surveys as these are too expensive and time consuming for the average small to medium enterprise. But what about grass root surveys? Twitter allows the small business to monitor what people are saying about their business and their products. You can ask for active feedback and criticism, respond to questions and deal with any disgruntled tweets through Twitter. Listening to what’s happening on the ground can also help small businesses decide on a strategic direction.

Keep your enemies closer

Competition is fierce for the small to medium enterprise. Twitter lets small businesses monitor their competition. What new initiatives are on the horizon and what can you do to keep ahead? If your competitors are not on Twitter, you can search for tweets that mention them so you can see what others are saying about them. Competitive intelligence is a good reason for small businesses to use Twitter and stay a step ahead of the crowd.

Differentiation

Being able to build a presence can make or break a small business. How do you differentiate your shop or enterprise from everyone else’s? Twitter allows a dash of creativity, humor and humanity in marketing your business. Tweets are personable and twitter accounts can be as funny or outstanding as you want them to be – the better for your customers to remember you by. A car dealer in Albany, New York, has the attention grabbing twitter profile “iamhuge”, a silly and memorable profile name that fits in with the business’s general marketing pitch and attracts curious customers to his website, Twitter account and dealership. (“Being HUGE on Twitter: A Small Business Case Study,” Rebecca Kelley, website: 10er20.com/blog, 4 August 2009)

In summary Twitter is not just for the big guys. Small businesses are signing up for Twitter accounts in droves. There are a lot of benefits of using Twitter to the small business, including cutting marketing costs and keeping tabs on competitors.

The following is an excerpt from my new book, “MORPHING INTO THE REAL WORLD – A Handbook for Entering the Work Force” which is a survival guide for young people as they transition into adult life. The book offers considerable advice regarding how to manage our personal and professional lives. As a part of this, I found it necessary to discuss the legal ramifications of employment.

Over the last two weeks we discussed such things as terms of employment, working hours, Moonlighting, Salaries, Job Titles, and Employment Contracts. This week we will consider performance reviews, reprimands and firings, and handling stress.

Do’s and Don’ts in the Workpace (Part III)

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS, REPRIMANDS & FIRINGS

Reviews

An Employee Performance Evaluation (or “Review”) is quite normal and routine, particularly for new employees in the first 90 days of their employment. The evaluation is normally prepared using a standard form and denotes their strengths and weaknesses. If there is a problem, the manager should warn the employee accordingly and give him/her sufficient time to correct the problem, such as 30 days. This also gives the boss an opportunity to offer advice to the employee on how to better him/herself. Do not be offended by the review, listen carefully, and take heed to what the reviewer is telling you. Whether the review is accurate or not, it represents how you are perceived for which you should take corrective action.

As part of the review you will be asked to sign it, thereby testifying you understand what was said. The review will then be filed in your employment jacket for future reference.

If you are struggling with a job, you may be put “on notice” (either improve or face termination), which should be written into the review as well. Now is the time to do some soul-searching; either improve yourself or start looking for a new job.

Firings

There is a big difference between firing a person and letting a person go. Whereas the latter could be the result of work stoppages, the former is due to the performance of the individual. As such, this tutorial is primarily concerned with firings. From the outset understand this, keeping a poor performer employed is a disservice to the company, the coworkers, as well as the individual. A poor performer causes coworkers and/or the boss to work overtime to cover for the employee. Consider this though, it hurts the individual who is either unskilled for the job or has risen above his level of competency. This type of person has hit a “dead-end” in his career and it is unfair to keep him in a position where you know he will undoubtedly fail. He should be allowed to get on with his life in another capacity where he might succeed.

If you are being fired, you may be inclined to get upset as you may not have seen it coming, but if you were warned during your last review, and made no effort to improve, do not be surprised and take it professionally.

More people are fired on late Friday afternoons than any other time or day of the week. Why? Simple; it is the end of the workweek and people are more interested in going home than listening to someone being fired. Psychologists might suggest Monday mornings are a better time for terminations as opposed to Fridays, simply because the employee won’t have time to think about it over the weekend and become despondent or irrational. Regardless, a firing can occur at any time and can be performed either badly of professionally.

A professional firing will be conducted rather calmly and privately. You will be told you are being let go, and maybe you will be told the reason and maybe you will not. Nonetheless, keep calm and collected and pay attention to what is being told you. Endeavor to find out the cause of your firing but do not be surprised if it is not explained to you. You may be given the option to resign as opposed to being fired. If you resign, it will look better on your resume; but if you accept the firing, you will probably be entitled to unemployment compensation from the government (it is your call on this).

A witness may be present during the meeting who is there to monitor the proceedings, not to referee. If possible, take plenty of notes, particularly afterwards when you should write a report to yourself describing what transpired and what was said. You will be asked to surrender any company keys, badges, or other materials in your possession. You may also be asked to sign paperwork relating to your termination; be sure to read it carefully before signing it if you are so inclined (and get a copy of it). Do not try to access your computer as the passwords have probably already been changed. You will likely be asked to clean out your desk promptly and be escorted off the premises. Avoid the temptation to openly complain to your coworkers as it may put their jobs in jeopardy and possibly be used against you in a court of law. Go out with your dignity intact, and do not look like a sore loser.

Handling Stress

There are several different variables for developing stress on the job, such as pressure to accomplish a specific task, frustration resulting from failure, job insecurities, or simply the tedium of the job itself. Further, personal problems may compound stress, such as debt, a pending divorce, a death of a loved one, etc. People handle stress differently, some just cope with it, others turn to food, alcohol or drugs to relieve it. But perhaps the best two ways are to either talk about it, or through physical exercise. If you need to talk to someone, obviously it must be someone you can trust, such as a family member or a close personal friend. I do not recommend you confide in a coworker as this may be misinterpreted and open you up to rumors and ridicule. Quite often, some basic physical exercise can distract you from your problems, be it a workout in the gym, jogging or walking, or perhaps a game of softball, golf or tennis. Group activities are probably better as it allows you to socialize on non-work related matters, thus allowing you to clear your head. However, if stress becomes too unbearable for you, seek professional advice. Perhaps it will be necessary for you to take a vacation or sabbatical from your work, or maybe a change in job altogether.

NEXT WEEK: I’ll wrap up my “Do’s and Don’ts” with discussions on Air Travel, Moving/Transfers, and Office Romances.

If you would like to discuss this with me in more depth, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail.