It’s been 10 months now since I’ve lived in Dubai. Yet I haven’t claimed it as a home. But I’m starting to love it. I guess it hasn’t fully sunk in that I’m actually a Filipino expat living in this desert city. I came here for personal reasons and I found work as a retail sales executive inside a mall.
in retrospect about Dubai
My walls have gotten smaller compared to having the world as my workspace. I have limited space to wander and I am bound by my limited contract in a private company. My only choice of finding a better opportunity would be looking for a Freezone company or a government-owned business.
But I’ve stopped nagging about it for months after I realized that I should be here for a period of time before I can demand for better compensation in my next company. Other people even of other nationalities have undergone the same experience. You cannot demand for better salary unless the company really wants you. Most of the time, you’re just a space to fill in the employee workforce. Your degree will not matter as much especially when you have a job in the sales/service industry — at least in my case.
inside a mall in Dubai
So this lesson that I need to gain Dubai experience first before getting a better salary was a tough one to learn. You can only be so lucky if you have the qualifications and the achievements in your resume. Either that or you have to have a First-World passport. In any case, I’m not giving up. I know someday, I’ll land a job that has better benefits. I’m just enjoying the fleeting experience by doing other things to keep me afloat.
Building this Pinoy Dubai blog helps me share my thoughts about ongoing issues while living and working here. I am still not satisfied with my present state, but I’m getting by and I’m complaining less. To a better tomorrow! I’m turning one here and I’m making progress! 🙂