A quick guide for Filipinos on how to work and live in Dubai

Dubai is one of the richest, largest, and safe cities in United Arab Emirates including the whole world. It offers hundreds of job opportunities for foreign workers especially for Filipino workers. It is also the most open place in Middle East. Majority of its population are foreigners and only few locals. However, the presence of Arab traditions and Muslim religion remains to be dominant.

Many OFW enjoyed working in Dubai. Here are the major reasons:

1. 1. You can observe and practice your own  religion. Dubai is called the free city in the East, and despite being called a Muslim city, Filipinos can still practice and observe their own belief. If you will go to Dubai, you will see different house of worship for Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs, and Hindus.
2. You can wear comfortable clothes. You are allowed to wear comfortable clothing without following the Muslim traditional attire. However, you are not allowed to wear revealing outfits because it remains offensive and prohibited in their culture.
3. You can eat non-Muslim food in Dubai. Despite of being a Muslim city, you can eat non-halal food. It means that you can eat food like pork. There are several restaurants and markets in Dubai that sell non-Muslim food.
4. You can enjoy and chill-out in Dubai. There are lots of places for enjoyment in Dubai like halls, bars, and amusement parks. Many Filipinos gather and hang-out during day-off and weekends to those places.

DUBAI FACTS AND FIGURES

Area	4.114 km
Population	2 million plus
Foreign Residents	Filipino, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi
Major Language	English, Arabic
Currency	Emirati Dirham
Currency Exchange	1 Dirham = 11 pesos
Area Code	+971 (country of UAE) +4 (area code of Dubai)
Time difference	Philippines is 4 hours ahead of Dubai
Weather	Tropical Climate

National Holidays in Dubai

• International New Years Day – January
• Ascension of the Prophet – June
• Beginning of Ramadan – June
• Eid Al Fitr – End of Ramadan – August
• Al-Hijira – Islamic New Years Day – November
• UAE National Day – December

Major Industries in Dubai
Hotel and Restaurant, Gaming and Amusement, Information and Technology, Construction, Oil, Gas, and Petroleum

Job Opportunities for Filipinos in Dubai
1. Building and Constructions – e.g. engineers, electrician. mason, architect.
2. Hotel and Restaurant – e.g. housekeeper, receptionist, bartender, waiter, waitress, barista, butler.
3. Personal Services – e.g. domestic helper, caregiver, barber, family driver.
4. Education – e.g. university instructor, English teacher, Math teacher, Science teacher
5. Health – e.g. nurse, physical therapist, physician

How to apply for a job in Dubai
Getting a job in Dubai is getting tougher. Many employers in Dubai expect a lot from foreign workers, and it makes Filipinos stand out among the crowd. If you want to work in Dubai, then you must upgrade or improve your skills and education. The best way to get a job is to apply for a legitimate recruitment agency. It must be POEA licensed. You can check the accredited POEA agencies here. You can also register in this site, and find accredited jobs in Dubai.

Working and living in Dubai
You need a work permit or working visa to become a legitimate foreign worker. A working visa is  valid for two years or the total of months indicated in your contract. Once your visa is expired, you are not allowed to extend your stay in Dubai. In some cases, Dubai issues an employment before coming to Dubai. The employer must process your working visa within 30 days or the period stated. If you have a Tourist or Visit Visa, then you are not allowed to work in Dubai. An OFW or a foreign worker can sponsor his / her immediate family, but his/her salary must be AED 3,000 – 10,000.00 monthly. The cost of Visit Visa is AED 120.00 for a year.
You cannot work in Dubai if you have the following diseases:

• HIV/AIDS
• Hepatits B
• leprosy
• tuberculosis
• hypertension
• diabetes
• cancer
• psychiatric disease
• physical disabilities

Many Filipinos do the “sharing” method in Dubai. This is to cut their daily expenses. This city is considered as one of the most expensive city in UAE. It has a high cost of living. Some employers provide allowances for housing, food, and transportation.

Things that you CAN DO and CANNOT DO in Dubai.
Do’s in Dubai

• Bring a copy of marriage certificate if you are with your spouse.
• Always bring your passport and "'Pataka”. You can show this to the authority in case they will ask your identity and residential permit.
• Always apply sunscreen to your skin and wear sunglasses to protect yourself against heat.
• Use your right hand when greeting someone. Left hand is considered dirty to Muslims.
• Respect Muslim religion. Do not make fun of their culture.

Don’ts in Dubai

• Do not eat in public places or in front of Muslim during Ramadan.
• Avoid public display of affection with your partner.
• Do not wear revealing outfits especially for ladies.
• Do not curse or say bad words. If caught you will be detained.
• Do not take pictures of government properties, locals, especially ladies without proper permission.
• Unmarried couples are not allowed to live together in one roof, according to Sharia Law.
• Do not carry prohibited items when you enter Dubai. Example of these objects are pornographic materials, drugs, and alcohol.

Labor Laws in Dubai.
It is very important for you as a foreigner to know the labor laws of the country you will be working. This is to prevent problems as a foreign worker. Here are the following information:

• There is no income tax in Dubai.
• Work days are during Saturday – Wednesday (8 hours a day).Thursday and Friday are weekends for Muslim.
• You are entitled for benefits like health insurance, food and housing allowance.
• The minimum period of employment contract is 2 years.
• A foreign worker is entitled for a 14 day leave with pay a year.
• Contract must be sent and signed before you go to UAE.
• Your contract must be in English version aside from the Arabic version.
• Muslim employees should only work from 9 am to 1 pm only during Ramadan. Non-Muslim are allowed to report but is entitled to receive overtime pay.
• Employer will shoulder your hospitalization bill once you are admitted to the hospital,
• You will still received a full salary during your sickness recovery that will not exceed six months.

Resources:
www.workabroad.ph, www.dubaifaqs.com, www.mol.gov.ae

4 things that you must do before you set-up a business

If you are planning to set-up a new business, then you must realize that it takes time,skill,discipline, and hard work to be successful. Also, there are 4 things that you must consider before you dive into and decide on what business you will set-up.
 
1. Before starting out, you must first know the reasons why do you want to start a business. People have different reasons, but all of them fall into three things:

• Reason # 1 – You want to be your own boss.
• Reason # 2 – You want to use and practice your knowledge and skills.
• Reason # 3 – You want financial independence.

2. Analyze and decide what business is “right for you.” Ask yourself these questions:

• What technical skills have I learned?
• What hobbies or interests do I have which is marketable.
• What do others say I am good at?
• DO I have enough time to run a business?

3. Identify the niche of your business. Do a necessary research. You can use the following questions:

• Who are my competitions?
• Can I deliver a quality service if I build this business?
• Am I fitted or qualified in this business?
• Can I create a demand for this business?

4. You must develop a business checklist. A checklist will be your guide before you make your final decision. Your checklist must answer these questions:

• What will be the name of my business?
• What kind of insurance should I use?
• What products will I sell?
• What services will I provide?
• Where will be my business location?
• Do I need a financing?
• What are the legal structures of my business?
• How many employees do I need?
• What kind of business will operation will I create?
• Do I have a short business plan and long term business plan?
• How much capital start-up do I need?
• etc.

In our country, there are 4 types of business organization that we can choose. The first is sole proprietorship. This is the easiest and doesn’t need lots of capital to start-up. You can start this business even you do not have a partner. As a business owner, you have the sole authority to your business. The second is partnership. There are several types of partnerships. The most common are general partnership and limited partnership. A partnership agreement should include the following:

• type of business
• division of profit or loss
• duration of partnership
• partners compensation
• amount of equity invested by each partner
• dispute settlement clause
• distribution of assets on dissolution
• restrictions of authority and expenditures
• provisions for changes or dissolving the partnership
• settlement in case of death or incapacity
• amount of equity invested by each partner

The last type of business is corporation. This business may be comprised without legal assistance, but it is always recommended to have legal advice. Control is exercised through board meetings and stockholders’ meeting.

4 Ways to Boost Your Confidence

Do you have confidence in yourself? Don’t you know that one of the reasons why people do not succeed in life is because of lack of self confidence? If you are not that confident and unsure of yourself, then this short article will give you ideas to boost your self confidence. (This article was taken from the newsletter that I received from JobsDb – the #1 site in Asia-Pacific)
1. Look Good, Feel Good
“Dress up for success” is what they say. It is very true because job interviewers will rate you by the way you dress up yourself; your officemates or schoolmates will respect you by the way you dress up yourself; others will judge you by the way you dress up yourself. In short, what you wear is the reflection of who you are. So the next time you will buy and wear a dress, make it sure that it will give a good impression of yourself.
2. Learn how to give a smile.
Your proper outfit cannot be complete without  your smile. You will notice that it can change the way you feel and how you relate with others.Every time you give a smile and when people smile back to you, then it  will give you an instant boost of confidence. So learn how to give a smile.
3. Always think of your strength. 
Do not think that you are not a valuable person. For sure you have your own strength and skills. Whatever it is, try to develop it, and use it for you to be successful. You can develop your skills, talent, and strength by joining professional clubs, advancing your career, etc. It will also give you confidence that you can stand out in the crowd, and be recognize.
4. Always be prepared.
There are some situations that you do not expect will might happen, and for sure you will caught by surprise. The best way to avoid this is for you to PREPARE ALWAYS. Before going for an interview, do some research about the company and the job that you are applying. It will give you added confidence that you can answer the interviewer questions.

4 Resume Tips for Summer Job for College Student

Are you planning to work this summer, or are you looking for an internship job? Before you do it, you will need to write a resume. Many college students were rejected because of inappropriate resumes that were submitted to prospective employers. When I was in college, I learned how to write a general resume, but it did not help me to find the job that I wanted. If you are a college student and you are planning to work this summer, then you must consider the following things before you write a resume:
1. Your resume must only include relevant information that will be useful to the job that you are applying.
2. You must prepare more than one resume. This will help you to save time in making a new one if you will not be accepted in your first application.
3. You can use different templates, but these four elements must be found in your resume:

• Objective – You must tell what kind of job you are looking for.
• Education – You must list down your high school education including your college level.
• Experience – Write down your related past experiences. Include your volunteer work. List down the clubs or associations that you are a member, and specify your responsibilities, training programs that you participated.
• Skills – You list down your computer or language skills. Knowledge of computers is an advantage because majority of companies nowadays require basic computer knowledge like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, etc.

4. You must consider your writing style . Keep all description short. Use strong action words. (You can find the list of action words here. ) Words must be spelled correctly. Sentences must be grammar error free.
Summer job is a great learning experience. Find a job that suits you, and do not forget these 4 tips if writing a student resume.

Should You Hire Based on Accomplishments, or Potential?

Let me share this informative information for those who are looking for a job. This article was written by Don Charlton. Read it and know whats the importance of accomplishments and potentials in applying for a job.

“Potential” is a word recruiting analysts use to describe job candidates who have the talent to become top performers but who aren’t guaranteed to make full use of their abilities.

So what does a company do?

Hire an unproven talent who might be the next Steve Jobs, or select an impressive candidate whose potential is fulfilled and who is essentially risk-free? Surely a company would make the safest of hiring decisions and choose a proven performer. Or would it?

Will an investment in potential pay off?

According to a 2012 study by researchers at Stanford University and the Harvard Business School,companies favor candidates who have potential over applicants who have translated their potential into accomplishments.

In the study, a panel of evaluators was asked to predict who would perform better in a leadership role: a candidate with two years of relevant experience who scored well on a leadership achievement test, or a candidate with no experience who scored well on a leadership potential exam. Most evaluators chose the second candidate.

The perception that potential is more valuable than accomplishment leads companies to hire candidates whose greatest attribute is an air of promise instead of candidates whose resumes read like a hiring and staffing manager’s wish list.

For employers, it’s a bit like investing in lottery tickets instead of municipal bonds. The only question is whether the investment pays off.

For a company named Fishbowl, it certainly has.

The story of Fishbowl

Recently featured in Forbes, Fishbowl – a provider of software solutions for manufacturing, distribution and asset tracking since 2001 – is a prime example of how basing hiring decisions on potential can pay off big time.

Initially, the goal of Fishbowl’s recruiting team was to attract top talent, but they soon found that it wasn’t easy to lure the best performers away from established companies. So, instead of wasting time fishing for big catches, they began targeting candidates whose potential could make them the top performers of tomorrow. Essentially, they believed that compelling personal qualities could make up for imperfect resumes.

Their success isn’t the result of lucky hiring decisions. Instead, the company went prospecting for certain traits. The recruiters believed that a star candidate would display qualities such as loyalty, commitment, trust, respect, courage and gratitude, among others.

Today, rather than targeting people whose accomplishments make them perfect for the job, Fishbowl continues to look for candidates who possess high potential and attractive intangibles. In a way, employees are created, not hired.

Considering that Fishbowl has grown by 70 percent over the last three years and has won awards for project and management quality, it’s safe to say that this hiring solution turned out to be a winning strategy.

Psychology in perspective

According to Heidi Grant Halvorson – a motivational psychologist and author of the book Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals – individuals who possess potential are more attractive than individuals whose potential is already fulfilled. “The potential for success, as opposed to actual success,” she says, “is more interesting because it is less certain.”

In other words, as illogical as it may seem, uncertainty has a hidden value – and our brains recognize it. Still, as Halvorson says, candidates who possess potential must have positive traits to go along with it, otherwise their attractiveness to hiring and staffing managers diminishes.

Values-based recruitment helps companies target candidates who possess positive traits that predict success. Considering that 50 percent of U.S. companies struggle to find qualified candidates (ManpowerGroup, 2012), using values-based recruiting to target workers who have high potential makes perfect sense. If a company has difficulty finding ideal candidates, it should reevaluate its hiring decisions and consider targeting those who have the potential to become ideal.

Has your company had success hiring candidates based on potential instead of accomplishments? Leave a comment and let us know.

This article originally appeared on The Resumator Blog.

Don Charlton is a Web entrepreneur, developer and speaker. His company, TheResumator.com,, helps employers hire with confidence. Contact him at don@theresumator.com.

Know the 4 traits of a successful person

I was reading an article written by Bud Bilanich. It was a very informative article and a straightforward advise if you want to succeed in your career. According to him, there are 5 traits that successful people have in common:

• Successful people are self confident.
• Successful people have positive personal impact.
• Successful people are outstanding performers.
• Successful people are interpersonally competent.

(He based these ideas on his studies as an experienced coach and consultant. You can learn more about his works and writings by visiting his website.)
BE CONFIDENT. So what does it mean to be self-confident? A confident person is bold, optimist, and is not discourage to pursue his goals whatever it takes to accomplish it. You can be a confident person if you will always look on the positive side. If you have doubts and fears, then face it, accept it, and find ways to solve it. You can also find a person who can guide and help you.
HAVE POSITIVE PERSONAL IMPACT. How about creating positive personal impact? If you want to be different and be unique among others, then you must create your own personal brand. You can do this by developing the skills that you have, and use it in helping others. Also, your actions must make your peers or officemates comfortable with you.
BE AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMER. There are lots of ways to be a top performer in your career.

• You can join and participate in professional societies.
• Read books that is related to your career.
• Attend seminars and workshops to be competent.
• Apply yourself the Pareto principle.
• Prioritize what is important and stick to it until you accomplish it.

BE AN EXCELLENT COMMUNICATOR. Watch yourself every time you speak. Think before you speak. Listen appropriately to others. Develop your writing skills. If you will be ask to give an oral presentation, then do the following:

• Study who will be your audience.
• Give appropriate message to your listeners.
• Make an organize presentation.
• Use visual aids.
• Be confident.

BE AN INTERPERSONALLY COMPETENT. Build good relationship with others. Do not cheat. Do not be boastful. Be responsible of yourself and your action. Be a mature person in resolving conflicts.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/1000544

Why does the fire stay a simple diameter?

Puerto Princesa Underground River: Pride of the Philippines

After Puerto Princesa underground river was proclaimed as the world’s new 7 wonders of nature last November, it became one of  the top tourist destinations in our country.

“The Puerto Princesa underground river has earned its rightful place as a source of national pride and a top drawer for tourists,” Paje said.

“Meanwhile Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn is optimistic that Palawan could surpass Boracay as the top tourist destination in the Philippines.”

“He also expects 1.2 million tourists to visit Puerto Princesa by 2015. He said tourism will reach 9.7 billion this year. He said that after it was declared one of the seven new wonders of Nature; 515,000 tourists visited the underground river more than triple the annual average of 164,000 – Source taken from Malaya Online News

As I was reading on the internet this online news, there were three things that came up to my mind:

• First, it will create more jobs and more income to our tourism industry, especially to our local Palawenos.
• Second, it will help boost our national and local economy like what Mayor Edward Hagedorn told the press.
• Third, Philippines will be more exposed to international tourism, and can compete to other top tourist destinations in the world.

However, it bothers me that the increase of tourist arrivals in the city will also affect the environment and natural resources of the river. But according to the press, the city government of Puerto Princesa will limit the visit to the river of 900 persons per day, which I believe will help protecting the river.

I have never been to Palawan, but according to my wife who is from Palawan said, that the river sanctuary and its surrounding is indeed beautiful and amazing. Aside from the river trek activity, visitors can also see various plants and living creatures around it.

If you have never been to Palawan underground river, I encourage you to visit it. This is also included in my list of places that I am planning to visit next year. Below are useful sites about Palawan Underground river. I also included pictures and a link of informative video about PPUR.

Useful sites about Puerto Princesa Underground River:

www.visitpuertoprincesa.com

www.puerto-undergroundriver.com

www.puertoprincesa.ph

www.puertoprincesaresorts.com

Video link that shows information about Palawan Underground River -

The Beautiful Underground Palawan River

8 Health Tips so You Can Work Effectively in Your Office- Part 1

Do you feel tired,stressful, and sick? Then you must check your health condition. According to a study that was done to a group of office workers, almost half of the respondents experience health problems. It clearly shows that many who are working in offices are prone to sickness, and if not detected early will lead to  serious problems.
We know that health is very important for a person to work productively and efficiently. However, if you always feel sick, tired, and stressful, then you cannot have a pleasant working condition.In this article, I will list down health tips that will help you to become productive and healthy as well. Read and follow it. I guarantee that you will be happy for its result.
1. Give your body 6-7 hours of sleeping time. Getting enough sleep is very important for your health and productivity. Our body needs 6 – 7 hours or more of sleep per day. If you lose sleep for one day, or several days in a row, then there is a risk for developing diseases. Also, people who lacked sleep experience stress,burnout, moodiness, poor judgment, impatient, irritating behavior, etc.
According to Dr.Mark Stibich, there are 1o reasons why we need to sleep.

• Sleep keeps your heart healthy.
• Sleep may prevent cancer.
• Sleep reduces stress.
• Sleep makes you more alert.
• Sleep boosters your memory.
• Sleep may help you lose weight.
• Sleep may reduce your risk of depression.
• Sleep helps the body makes repair.
• He also suggested to take naps because it makes you smarter.

2. Take a vacation at least once or twice a year. Karen Matthews of the University of Pittsburgh’s Mind-Body Center said-

It is important to engage in multiple leisure activities, both as a way to enjoy life more, but also to potentially have a benefit on health and be a stress reliever.

We Filipinos are well known as hardworking people. We usually spend more than 8 hours every day because we want to earn more money. But have you ever think for a while during your busy schedule of spending time with your family away from a hustle and bustle city life? How about going in a beach or a countryside just to unwind and do leisure activities for a week?
Jessica de Bloom of Radboud University of Netherlands conducted a studies about the benefits of vacation for everybody. She says -

People felt healthier during vacation. They had a better mood. They were less tense. And they had a higher level of energy, and they were more satisfied with their life

If you have been busy working in 6 months or a year long, then one of the best thing that you can do is to give yourself a break. Use your ‘vacation leave’ and enjoy yourself for a week or more.
3. Eat breakfast before going to work. I believed that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It helps you set the tone of your body for the whole day. However, I have seen many people who usually start their day by drinking a cup of coffee without having a breakfast. We must remember that coffee stimulates acid in our stomach that will lead to ulcer of gastritis. It is better to eat first in the morning before doing your morning coffee.
In my experience, there are 3 reasons why you should not skip your breakfast:

• Breakfast will give you the right mood. If you will start your day with an empty stomach, then you cannot concentrate on what you are doing. You feel hungry,crabby, fussy, or grumpy.
• Breakfast helps you wake up. Studies shows that people who eat breakfast are more alert and do better task.
• Breakfast makes your body do better. Our body is composed of different organs. These organs are helping us to become strong and do our daily task. If you skip breakfast, then you will be weak.

4. Move your body by exercising regularly. An office worker who exercise on a regular basis is more productive and suffer less stress. If you are planning to exercise, then choose the time of the day that suits you. Some people exercise before going to work or after office hours. Both of these are beneficial. Just choose which time will you be available, and the most convenient to you.
People who exercise before going to work experience these benefits:

• Exercise in the morning wakes them up help their minds to organize the things for the day.
• Exercise in the morning encourage them to eat breakfast.
• Exercise in the morning gives them the opportunity to meditate alone because its usually quiet and peaceful.

People who exercise after working hours experience these benefits:

• It helps them to sleep soundly and calmly.
• It helps them to relieve the stress and pressure they experienced after office work.
• It tones their bodies to get ready for the following day.

So this is the first part of the article. I hope that you learned something from what you read.
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