Wednesday 29 June 2011

Media jobs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

We regularly get asked about jobs in the UAE and how to get them. So to throw it out there to readers:

- how did you get your own job?

- what are the best recruitment agencies for media jobs in Dubai? and the worst?

- which job ads sites are most useful?

- is there need to visit the UAE and go doorknocking, or can jobs be picked up remotely?

- what about jobs on the sales side as well as editorial?

69 comments:

Anonymous said...

To me, it's a tight circle of who you know. The other thing is that you have to have worked in a Western paper as a journalist first.

Anonymous said...

I know people who have found it very difficult to get work here. The community is even tighter than in London, for example...and it almost totally depends on who you know. Unfortunately.

But then of course that's no guarantee. At least in London they look at the quality of your experience...here, well, things like just being a girl, helps considerably in one publishing house in Abu Dhabi.

And in fact, because there aren't that many publishing houses in the capital, you're quite limited.

Depending on the desk you're attempting to secure a position on at one (er, the only) Abu Dhabi-based newspaper, some nationalities are given a preference. American over English, for instance.

And attempting to survive as a freelance writer in the UAE is a nightmare. For those who don't know, there's no law here to protect you...and so if you're commissioned to write a 2,000 word piece, and only half is used - that's all you'll be paid for. If it isn't used at all...you don't get paid. At all.

And many magazines here expect you to do the sub-editing yourself - which is a little odd given they should have people in-house that can do that.

Here, you're more likely to get a job if you have a utterly mindless, blinkered, Everything's Brilliant approach to life in the UAE - something like this http://tiny.cc/2zmdo - than you are if you have a healthy dose of cynicism in your approach to investigative writing.

And don't even bother applying to any position that ITP advertises. Really. Chances are it will go internally.

So, to recap, get a pair of tits and flirt with the pervy Commercial Director, completely lie about your experience - 'cause NO ONE here has the ability to recognise transferable skills...and get your friend on the inside to get you a job. And you'll be fine.

Anonymous said...

This is tish and tosh. Having worked on a western paper gives you a degree of wasta, but I know many fine journalists who've progressed through several UAE titles and on to bigger and better things.

You just need to have a "ratlike cunning, a plausible manner and a little literary ability" - and essentially - the bylines to prove it.

If you've little or no journalistic background, start at the Khaleej Times or Gulf Today. Find out the name and address of the news editor from one of the reporters and drop them an email with a CV and some clips.

After a year there, move on to Gulf News or 7Days, then in a similar pattern onto the National. From there, move onto wires. That's the pattern followed by many.

I have no idea about how it works with magazines, I'm sure it must follow a similar manner - email to the boss with CV and clips.

Anonymous said...

Ever worked in a factory? Experience in the craft of sausage making? Do you know the correct order of worth of various national groups? Believe in the infallibility of anything said by wealthy men? Know someone who works here in a senior management position? Do you want to get some words down, get paid and get out?

If you answered yes to any of these questions we want you.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous-30/6/11-11:15...Your rationale suggest that The National is the pinnacle of a news-writing career in the UAE. I have to strongly disagree.

In fact, in terms of being a serious news reporter, at the moment, I consider 7Days to be the best newspaper to aim for.

Ever since the Daily Mail Group took it over and put a new man in charge who came from the Manchester Evening News I believe, it's approach to breaking news has radically improved.

Granted, some of the content might not appeal to some crusty, old Times-or-nothing writer who still thinks that starting features with "I" is not at all self-indulgent...but it has offer the best newsroom experience currently in the UAE.

"If you've little or no journalistic background" or just haven't tried to find work in a foreign country before, it can actually be very difficult. There are no decent agencies here that can find you subbing shifts to help build a contact base.

If you don't anyone, it's extremely difficult to know what to do if there's no one that can offer advice.

I think Anonymous-30/6/11-10:44 actually made some valid points.

And they don't necessarily just apply to entry-level hacks. Chances are if you have some section editor experience any suitable positions that arise will indeed go internally. Everyone shifts up one...then the only position actually opened to new applications is a junior staff writer.

This is the fourth different country I've lived in. And it hasn't got any easier.

Anonymous said...

If you want to be a serious reporter go to 7days.
If you want to be a well paid reporter but with a small readership, go to The National.
If you want to be a poorly paid reporter who's work is well read then go to Gulf News (just remember they wont let you leave to work anywhere else - even if they let you go).
If you have no experience, don't mind a very low salary with a low readership that doesn't understand what you write, then go to Khaleej Times.
If you don't meet the above criteria, work for ITP (for approx 3 months).

Anonymous said...

New thread: Gavin out at The National?

The latest news from Captain Fattah's sinking ship of fools:

Dear Colleagues,

Please be informed that ADM has accepted the resignation of Mr. Gavin Dickinson from his post as Executive Director, Publishing, effective today 7th July 2011.

In the interim, Mr. Martin Newland, Editorial Director, will assume the responsibilities of the Executive Director, Publishing. The Sales team at the Publishing Division, however, will be reporting directly to Mr. Raja Halabi, Executive Director (Commercial). These interim measures will take place with immediate effect until further notice.

We thank Mr. Dickinson for his services and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

We appreciate your co-operation and support in ensuring a smooth transitional period.

Regards,


For\ Abu Dhabi Media

Anonymous said...

People keep coming and going. It doesn't mean the ship is sinking.

Anonymous said...

In reference to: People keep coming and going. It doesn't mean the ship is sinking.

08 July, 2011 23:10


No, people don't keep simply coming and going, and the ship is sinking, though it has never been and never will be "Captain" Fattah's ship. Fattah is a private at best, a laughable and amateur never-was. The best thing that can happen to the paper is for Fattah and his sidekick in the glass office to follow Dickinson out the door. Robert Cowan should take over as EIC, and Tion Kwa should be made ME. Clear out the laughingstocks, impose some reality and kicks some arse.

Anonymous said...

"it doesn't mean the ship is sinking"

It was never afloat.

Anonymous said...

on the subject of ships that might be sinking or maybe never got afloat, about a year ago there was debate about launch of Sport 360. Nearly a year after launch it has about 2,600 likes on FB and 460 followers on Twitter. Any idea how many people are buying it (not picking up free or free subscription)? Were cynics who said it could not survive right?

Anonymous said...

@ 10 July
It is remarkable that it is still being published, but that is a reflection of how much money its owner can stand to lose. One year on and it is still lacking any noticeable advertising revenue and it is still sampling in many areas.

FB likes and Twitter followers are not a great indicator of success - look at Gulf News v The National, they both have similar social media followings but GN has 10 times the number of subscriptions than TN. Although it is good to have a digital presence, at the moment all the money goes to print.

Anonymous said...

Doubt it will close yet but likely to be changes made now it is apparent current format hasn't worked and unlikely to do so in future ... $64000 question is what the changes should be ...

Anonymous said...

Anyone else remember Johann Hari's 'Dark side of Dubai'?

Remember that section about a woman living in her car? I was sure that was bollocks, and now I know:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/12/johann-hari-suspended-independent

Anonymous said...

Yes indeed. Hari's Dubai piece was a classic hatchet job by someone with a firm view of what it's like in Dubai without any basis in reality or research. The woman living in the car story was clearly false to anyone who has spent anytime in Dubai and so were all the deep and meaningful quotes from workers. He's more than just a plagiarist, he's a fabricator in the style of Stephen Glass.

Anonymous said...

What's more amusing is that when this article went out, there was a fair amount of debate on the blog.

Including several posts from non-UAE journalists. I quote:

"J said...
Time for all the Dubai apologists to get up on their hind legs and start whining about unfair reporting, factual inaccuracies, etc!"


And the following posts from an anonymous blogger:

"As for the journos on here - well I detect jealousy more than anything. It must be hard seeing somebody coming over for a few weeks and putting together a headline grabbing doc. After all living in the little Dubai bubble most journos there somehow think what they are doing is "important". 

No, sorry. It isn't. It will take an outsider coming in for you to realise that.

You're just part of the Dubai PR machine - expendable just like the Indian labourers. All of you know what happens to journalists who don't toe the Dubai-line - they get shafted by management and staff.

So, I sincerely hope most of you end up with nothing. Sounds harsh but you've lived off the sweat of people who have nothing. You've played your part in some very nasty exploitation.

Finally the argument that it happened before so it's kind of ok for it to happen now. What utter and complete immoral garbage. Just because someone exploited someone in the past it makes it ok now?

You bunch of utter moral cripples."


"I can understand point made by 10.49 - honest mistake made etc - but for those who know better you're nothing but a bunch of moral pygmies who don't have a leg to stand on.

And plenty of unionised journalists fight injustice in their own countries - you lot are just a huge PR machine for some particularly nasty stuff. Some realise this and laugh at it. Others try desperately to pretend it ain't so and attack any journalist from the west who gets the story published in the kind of publication that most Dubai-based journos could only dream about.

Be warned - you'll be considered toxic by anything above Toilet Roll monthly when your Dubai wet dream collapses and you rush back to UK (or where ever) and sign off, sponging off UK (or where ever) tax payers. 

The word is out on Dubai. You can rail against that all you want but you've lost and you're now fucked.
You're the hired help - a nouveau riche version of a Bengali labourer who thinks, cos they work in the medja they are somehow important."

Looking back at it now, it would be interesting if all of these comments came from the same IP address. Whether they were all from the same person - J.

DMO administrator, please help.

Anonymous said...

Talking of plagiarism...

http://www.thenational.ae/featured-content/channel-page/lifestyle/middle-article-list/jurassic-park-4-the-possibilities

or as The Guardian put it...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/jun/17/jurassic-park-4-steven-spielberg?INTCMP=SRCH

Anonymous said...

*** NEW THREAD PLEASE ***

There is a job going at ADMC, Gavin Dickinson (Executive Director of Publishing) has resigned..

What now for the man that was once (self) credited for the launch of Time Out Dubai ?

Why did he resign?

Anonymous said...

Two problems with your accusations of plagiarism, Anonymous 10:00. One, apart from the fact that they're both talking about the same film, the National's piece and the Guardian's are completely different, and share nothing in common. And two, the records show the National's article was put up on its site at 4:13pm UAE time on the 17th, which is 1:13 UK time, or 39 minutes before the Guardian piece went up. So unless you're suggesting that the National's writer had a crystal ball attached to his computer, or the Guardian turned round a rip-off article in half an hour, you're talking sh!te.

Anonymous said...

Talking of plagiarism...Check this one out:
The Guardian, June 21

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/21/how-good-dr-oetkers-pizza

The National, June 29
http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/food/a-pizza-nonsense

It's idea theft at its finest.

Maybe you should start a post on plag'ing.

Anonymous said...

@29 June, 2011 21:34

It is not necessary to work in a Western newspaper. The Gulf News will employ any European, even from East Europe, American and South African,irrespective of their professional background. The essential requirements are:
1.You should be a pretty female, preferably White or Arab.
2.Your chances are higher if you had worked as a waitress, teacher, sales girl or even as a nanny.

Anonymous said...

No, Anonymous 17:47, that's not plagiarism either, that's two journalists inspired by the same press rtelease riffing on the same subject. Are you going to accuse newspapers of plagiarism because they report on the same football matches as rivals, or review the same books? Do try harder.

Anonymous said...

Plagiarism at the National has been tolerated in the past - the business section, which I worked on, is edited by craven fools who kiss the arises of the EIC and the ME and then tell everyone else how much they think the EIC and ME are idiots, and worse. The entire organisation is rotten, and has driven away many many good people. When the story is fully told, it will be a sad yet satisfying tale.

Anonymous said...

@13.33 You would have to admit it's a bit strange that two journalists would be "inspired" by a frozen food manufacturer's press release on sales to run out and run personal taste tests on the products. It may not be plagiarism in the sense of copying text but it looks a bit like a case of taking an idea and using it, which is not plagiarism but a bit lazy, perhaps.

I don't think there is much doubt that journalists working here read the international press and sometimes work up stories from what they see. Why not? It's not like they have an opportunity to change the world.

Anonymous said...

Dickinson has a very sick wife. He is returning to South Africa to be with his wife and children.

Anonymous said...

@13.33 my guess is that you wrote that piece. or your friend did. it's idea theft - i don't think the pizza company instructed journalists to cover their news in that style. it was creative. it was the guardian's idea.

Anonymous said...

Declining standards indeed! Forget the rampant ineptitude of the editor in chief and the managing editor, or the low morale, or the revolving door. Let's discuss the utter lack of ethics and professionalism exhibited by M, the paper's magazine, under the editorships of Powell and Arthur: running "essays", with photos, of Powell's son, with no editor's note letting readers know that he is her son (there was no other youth available for the piece?). Her children have been in the magazine before - this reeks of amateur journalism. Maureen Gannon allows this to happen, and in turn Koot and Fattah. How about 2-3 pages of valuable space, mainly taken up by photos of vapid "stars" telling readers where they like to holiday? And Powell and Arthur and team actually give themselves credit for the text: "compiled by" -- god, how low can they sink. The magazine costs a lot of money - is there no better way to spend it.

All of the above and more must be laid squarely at the feet of Fattah: these reasons, and more, are further evidence that the paper is being run poorly, and many people are being let down.

Anonymous said...

Sad.
I think it's more painful reading this from afar, now that I've left The National.
That zing on the mobile phone each month, signifying another lucrative salary transfer, tended to dull the pain.
Without the medication, you realize how much it hurts.

sean said...

M is getting worse each issue. Vapid fashion spreads (minus narrative), PR-driven editorial and the occasional acid burns victim in Pakistan. Strange brew. And not in the least bit interesting. A good weekly should appeal to both sexes, M ignores one sex and barely caters to the other.

Anonymous said...

Nothing sad about it at all - it is a sham of a paper, run by people who have no business in journalism. (We said "run"....the good people there will find other jobs, at better places, when the rag closes. The EIC and ME, and a few of the old men clinging on to dead careers, know this is as good as it gets for them. Would anyone hire the ME at a newspaper or any other publication? How about the EIC? The sooner the place closes, the better.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 14:11 - wrong, both guesses. There's plenty that's not right at the National - you don't have to allege bad faith where there isn't any.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 11:31 - yes but NOBODY CARES - do you not get it?

Anonymous said...

Correctomundo - no one cares, but they should. Sham artists playing at being journalists and screwing up people's careers should not be tolerated. The paper is a laughingstock now, and that it all it will ever be. When I leave next month I will not look back for one second.

Anonymous said...

What percentage of the current staff are original and joined before or around the time of the launch?

I would estimate 30% or less.

After just three years, and despite having some of the highest salaries for journalists in the world, that simply reeks poor leadership.

Anonymous said...

Poor leadership is an understatement - I am surprised Fattah and Koot still have jobs in Abu Dhabi. But, as others here have written, no one cares about the National, except the poor souls and charlatans and jokers and poseurs working there, sucking the last dirham while they can. So long, Hassan - you will never work in journalism again.

Anonymous said...

I resigned from the National as soon as I found out Fattah was going to be given the EIC position - I knew what he would do, and he has done exactly that. Anyone with any experience and integrity could never work for a clown like him.

Anonymous said...

The criticism of Fattah implies it was somehow better under Newland. Whether you like it now or not, it wasn't any different.

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, Fattah is the biggest idiot in journalism, anywhere, especially in today's meagre times - most of the clowns have been weeded out ... I love the reports that former NoTW employees have been offered jobs in Dubai and Siberia:

http://www.adweek.com/news/press/ex-notw-staffers-offered-jobs-siberia-dubai-133732

As for Newland, yes, he left Fattah and Koot in charge, knowing how inept they are - like the early hires over there at the "top" of the chain, he is happy just collecting his dirhams, ethics and fairness be damned - and the paper has paid the price.

Anonymous said...

@13:53

The circumstances under Newland weren't radically better -- but the editor wasn't a complete moron who lied to your face about why he was spiking your piece or feared his own shadow. Newland's paper wasn't world class, but it wasn't a total fucking embarrassment, and most people weren't ashamed to work there.

Anonymous said...

Even the people who were golden, who either kissed the arses of the (faux) EIC and the (fake) ME left -- both of those f*ckers must be quaking in their cheap shoes --- they should know the axe will soon fall on their necks, leaving them with unsafe harbours. You square above good people and pull open your cheeks for only so many times ... karma comes calling, and it slaps your face like a bitch, to put it in they way the EIC would say it.

Roast in Purgatory.

Anonymous said...

A quick scan of this thread is all that is required to ascertain that Fattah is despised by many, and that he has failed and should be dismissed - I left the paper last year, along with many others, and had no respect for him or his lackeys. I keep in touch with several current staffers, and the situation, according to them, has worsened, which is easy to believe, knowing Fattah.

Anonymous said...

Poor little guy

Anonymous said...

Why do you all care so much? What expectations did you have? If you're a decent journalist it takes a few seconds to understand the landscape and context for publishing you're operating in. The system of government here is a monarchy. It's not like that's a secret.

Anonymous said...

Why do they all care? They care because they are professionals (not British hacks full of cynicism and overblown senses of ability) who have not sold their souls to hypocrisy. Contrary to what many in the desert seem to think, standards and integrity and acumen really do matter in journalism - the "New York Times of the Middle East" is devoid of all of those qualities.

If you don't care, get the hell out of journalism.

Anonymous said...

I think people just expected more. Not miracles, but more.

It was a wasted opportunity.

Anonymous said...

I don't see what more anyone could expect. I doubt any experienced journalist who signed on thought it could be any different. Perhaps some babies came here with an idea about how they can change the world but it's a government owned newspaper.

Anonymous said...

You're right. Nobody expected the paper to upset the established order.

But in the early going there was a desire to challenge, prod and introduce new ideas.how can we slip something through their nets.

I think most feel that spirit is waning, or lost.

Anonymous said...

Talking of Media jobs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, does anyone know what happened to David Westley and Dylan Bowman, the star-team that created Maktoob, which was sold to Yahoo!. Seems like they have left their editorial roles at YahooMaktoob. What happened to them?

Anonymous said...

RE The National and professionalism and failure -

Experienced, serious journalists who signed on did not expect the paper to operate in a Western style, but they did expect those at the top of the masthead to be professional and qualified and credible, not inexperienced and inept. They were disappointed, and most of them have left. When I look around the newsroom today I see an EIC who is ridiculed by everyone, an ME who is great at kissing arse and smiling and organizing silent auctions, and two or three older men on high salaries who disdain the EIC and the ME but whose out-sized salaries influence them to keep quiet while the ship sinks. What they fail to understand, it seems, is that integrity, once lost, never returns.

The National is a failure, in many ways, and is an expensive charade/illusion. Its editors are shallow, craven, boorish, unethical (constantly looking for handouts and free crap), and poor role models/mentors for the many inexperienced and mainly talentless younger 'journalists' at the paper. What they do well is lie and gossip. It is a sad state.

Anonymous said...

I left the paper after only a year - it was going nowhere.

Can someone tell me - is Fattah respected by the powers that be? Do they think he's done a good job?

What do his reporters think?

Anonymous said...

Hats off to that anonymous masked man. I think you've encapsulated it perfectly.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone want to talk about the fact that ITP has raped another title into oblivion - RIP Car Middle East Magazine?

TopMan said...

Car Middle East was an awful advertising-driven piece of drivel anyway. Surprising that the ads ran out, given how ITP's ad aales people controlled the editorial.

Anonymous said...

How did they mess up Car Middle East Magazine?

Was it because of them actually messing up, or just from people moving to online sources instead?

Anonymous said...

I suppose nobody does. The National clearly is the hottest topic on this forum to bitch about.

Anonymous said...

As is to be expected, the "New York Times of the Middle East" has taken at least one more step in its clumsy dance towards mediocrity, a pathetic, stumbling dance that rewards mediocrity and Milquetoastian behaviour, and bestowed the editorship of the Arts and Life section on A. Marie McQueen, an expert on all things dieting, a woman whose main qualifications are unknown even to those who worked around her daily under the man they call "Jabbers". We can expect more Hollywood drivel, perhaps some dieting columns, more puzzles ... what a laugh. Fattah, fairly soon all of your dreams will be reality, and there will be no one left at the paper to bother you with those pesky questions to do with integrity and honesty and quality.

Anonymous said...

You assume there's an audience for something other than Hollywood drivel and dieting columns. You can publish a paper with highbrow literary and film reviews, cultural analysis and whatever else passes as New York Times like but no one will read it.

Anonymous said...

An open letter:
Dear P******* Media Group,

Finally, I have been paid, a full 100 days after it should have been. This late payment of over Dh1,600 to my account was quite unacceptable. I was almost unable to pay my rent. When you set us a deadline of getting our invoices over to you by the 25th of each month, to then be supposedly paid on the 7th, that gives you two whole weeks to pay them. I can't understand why my payment was so late. Especially when you confirmed to me, previous to the 7th, that all the invoices had been received. I worked in Accounts Payable for a company of over 500 people; it really is not that difficult. I know this. I suggest you let your accountant go if he claims otherwise.

I went two months without payment which was rightfully due to me; firstly, through incompetence on your side by not informing me of your address change (you seem to move around quite a lot!). Changing office address is rather crucial piece of information, since you insist on the antiquated way of posting by mail the invoices (are we back in the 90s?). I find it completely absurd that when I got my invoices to the correct address two days late, I was denied payment for another month because it was merely two days late. And your company had the audacity to withhold payment from me two weeks?

Given that I wrote restaurant reviews for your website without payment for my time or writing, I would have thought you would reimburse me in a timely fashion for the cost of the meals. You were getting the reviews effectively written for you for free. Do you have over Dh1,600 that you can bandy about, to sit around waiting for? I certainly don't and now I've been charged interest on my credit card because your company couldn't keep up their side of the bargain. I was, effectively, paying to write for you and that's not right.

I really think you should review the way you are paying people contributing to your website, but I won't be anymore.

I wish you the best in your endeavor.

Anonymous said...

Pinpoint Media is run by the sales guy who was one of Rehan Merchant's characters at ENG . BEWARE.

Anonymous said...

I went away on hols last month and did not even bother to put my home delivery of the National in hold, so that my subscription would expire earlier - we never read the paper anymore, because the coverage has become abysmal.

Anonymous said...

"TopMan said...

Car Middle East was an awful advertising-driven piece of drivel anyway. Surprising that the ads ran out, given how ITP's ad sales people controlled the editorial."


How have sales controlled the editorial? I know people who work, (and have worked), on the magazine and sales have no say. In fact, some of the car reviews come from the UK edition, so how are sales going to dictate to journalists in the UK and tell them what to write?

Can you back up your claim? Seriously, I'd be very interested to know.

Anonymous said...

Because most magazines are sales driven. That's what magazines are. They create editorial content to carry advertising and make money. The number of editorial pages is determined by the number of ad pages. If they sell more ads they add more editorial, if they sell fewer ads they cut editorial pages. If it was information they just had to get out to their loyal readers they wouldn't do that. They might start the month saying they need a certain number of ads for a certain number of planned editorial pages but they close the month saying we have to add or take out editorial pages to balance the ad page sales.

Anonymous said...

I see "TopMan" can't back up his claim about Car Magazine.

Have any journalists tried to get an interview with Maradona yet?

Official PR firm say no one-on-one interviews but Maradona's own PR person is apparently saying it could be done for around Dhs25,000

Has any other journalist been told this figure? IS anyone going to pay that to speak to him?

Anonymous said...

Of course mags rely on ads, that’s how they make money, but it’s generally a 60/40 split in favour of editorial. To go up pages costs money so you only do so if there are enough ads to cover that.

But the person here said: “Car Middle East was an awful advertising-driven piece of drivel anyway. Surprising that the ads ran out, given how ITP's ad sales people controlled the editorial."

They were saying that the sales people controlled the editorial, which I suspect is a lie, given that a lot of the car reviews came from the UK edition as has already been pointed out.

Anonymous said...

So Car Middle East was just a copy of the UK version? That's hilarious. No wonder it shut down. Typical of the crap magazines found here.

Anonymous said...

After a month’s job hunt, realization struck me hard – finding a job in the UAE media industry is all about references. Experience, qualifications, and everything else in the resume is blindly ignored. It is a disappointing sign. I moved to Abu Dhabi from another GCC following my spouse. I was pretty confident in the beginning of finding a job as the capital has a handful of publications. I started my ordeal by contacting the Editors of the publications via Linkedin, which gave me another realization --- don’t expect any kind of replies from Linkedin, especially if you are sending it to the Editors of the magazines and newspapers.
I fetched the email IDs and send mails, only to receive no response. Btw, when I landed I had an interview appointment with a publication in Abu Dhabi. I attend the interview, instead of exploring my talents the Editor begins by complaining about the pathetic management, the meager salary, the designers and what not. The editor tells me that the people are resigning, hence the recruitment. In four days those who have given resignation will end their service to the company, hence the company is in bad need of writers. By the time I finished the “interview” I felt like an agony aunt!
I was informed that the Editor would get in touch with me in a day or two. Four days passed, yet no response. I call up the Editor and gets this reply – “I have no idea about the selected candidates.”
My hunt is still on. I was so positive when I landed in the country, now I am afraid that I am losing my hope.

Anonymous said...

@13:19

Car Middle East was a licensed title from a UK Magazine so of course it used some of the UK content.

It generated a lot of it's own too, but ALL licensed titles use bits from the parent edition.

For this to come as a surprise, you must be the most clueless journalist in the region, or you work in PR.

(if you do work in PR, please stop sending out emails that are not relevant to that title. We journalists are getting really pissed off with the scattergun approach of PRs)

Anonymous said...

So, any insight as to why Rupert Wright, perhaps The National's most entertaining writer (a rare highlight in an otherwise humorless newspaper), has left the paper? Rumor has it that EIC overlord Hassan Fattah fired him for some reason or another.

Anonymous said...

Was just curious to know if any of you have got into freelancing by getting a visa through a small media firm, doing occasional work for them from time to time? (Anyone looking to hire a writer?)
I've been looking into freelancing permits but they are just so expensive when you take in all the hidden costs - even Fujairah.