For many job seekers, a walk-in interview is the first step for making an impression of their desired position of employment. Dubai’s job market has lately become heavily reliant on walk-in interviews but for many Pakistanis showing up at such promising job opportunities becomes difficult in the face of visa restrictions slaped against multiple Pakistani regions.

A walk-in interview is an open event that can be attended by anyone. Hiring managers, from third-party companies, conduct it to evaluate candidates when they need to hire many new employees. Leading companies in Pakistan, like Ibex, also follow this practice.

Recruiters managers post updates about walk-ins on LinkedIn or other social media platforms. Candidates need to turn up at the required date and time.

Dubai has been one of the most common destinations for skilled persons. The property boom in the Gulf city attracted many labourers from the South Asian countries in the past.

While opportunities for construction workers dwindle, the trend Pakistanis continue to be drawn to UAE, as evidenced by the amount of remittances sent from the Middle East. But now people with technical skills are also moving there.

Why Dubai based companies prefer walk-in interviews

“Walk-in interviews show the seriousness of a candidate whether he/she is willing for the job or not,” Shahzad Aziz, the head of HR and Operation of Teleport Manpower Consultant, told Aaj News.

Managers believe a Pakistani buying ticket to Dubai after getting a visa stamped on their passport would be damn serious for a job if they show up at a walk-in event.

Why not hold virtual interviews in this era of global connectivity, you may ask.

Aziz said his company conducts virtual sessions where recruiters explain job details to potential candidates. “Most of the time candidates agree to appear at the interview. Let’s say one or two candidates out of 10 are mobilised successfully. But the rest of the candidates change their mind. They make different excuses. They waste agency and interviewer’s time.”

For this reason, Teleport’s HR head said, Dubai-based walk-in interviews are held where original documents and passports of the candidates are checked.

“They are physically verified and on the spot, they are informed about the result,” Aziz said and added that in case of selection, successful candidates hand over their passports.

According to Teleport, there are five steps in the recruitment process: role, search, selection process, cross-check, and placement and trial.

Aziz went on to add that if a person appears for an interview in Dubai, they show their seriousness as they have spent money to be there. “This is seen as an indication by recruitment companies that the candidate is serious.”

Anyone on a Dubai visit visa can attend the walk-in interview and most of the time people take this route. But people can also visit the city on a job seeker visa, allowing them to apply for employment opportunities.

“If a person did not have a visa, he would not attend the interview, neither he would be invited by a company. There might be some pre-selection virtual interviews for a highly qualified candidate. But some things are discussed physically with them,” he said.

Dubai visa restriction for Pakistanis

Aziz lamented that the United Arab Emirates government has banned the labour category visa for Pakistanis due to “illegal activities” of some nationals. “But those who have a degree are getting employment visas.”

When asked about the illegal activities, he said that begging and selling food on streets is considered illegal in the UAE. Some of the Pakistan nationals run away from UAE after not paying bank loans, Aziz added.

‘Your story’

But passports, required documents and a modern-looking resume would not land you a job in Dubai. You need a story that you could tell the recruiters during a walk-in interview.

“Your story is everything. How interesting it is and the amount of time you have taken to hone and craft it,” Syed Mansoor Hussain, a corporate expert, said in a Junaid Akram vlog which was uploaded on YouTube on November 28.

Hussain is associated with International Flavors and Fragrances in Dubai. He has extensive experience in the food and beverage industry.

Hussain, who started his journey from Karachi, was of the view that coming up with a story can take weeks or months. “But once it’s created and it is like that when you tell someone and they consider it interesting you are half through your goal. You need to have an interesting story to tell.”