For most people, it is not easy to find a job in Saudi Arabia. In fact, it can be quite stressful, especially for foreigners. Companies in Saudi Arabia tend to choose the easiest route to find the perfect candidates. Therefore, they prefer Saudi citizens or people already living in the country. If you do not understand the culture of Saudi Arabia, finding a job can be a challenge for you. Below are some tips that can help you land your first kingdom job.

1. Test your local connections

If you know someone who lives in Saudi Arabia, you can ask them to share some job opportunities with you. They can help open the door of opportunity for you. Other than this, you may want to contact your existing network and find out if anyone in the network lives in Saudi Arabia. Alternatively, you can create your Saudi network.

In Saudi Arabia, HR managers rely on word of mouth to find the best candidates for available positions. If someone can vouch for you, chances are you’ll get a job. A good recommendation can have a big impact.

2. Update your CV

Apart from a good recommendation, your CV is very important. So you may want to update your CV before looking for a job in the kingdom. After all, submitting an out-of-date CV is not a good idea, as it will create a bad impression on potential employers.

The thing is that CV creates a first impression on the readers. You may lose a job if your CV does not adequately represent your skills and experience.

3. Contact recruitment agencies

Recruitment agents are always looking for the best candidates on the Internet. Therefore, you may want to register on the websites of the recruiting companies to take advantage of the available opportunities as soon as they arrive. It is not a good idea to underestimate the importance of these agencies.

4. Update your LinkedIn profile

In addition to updating your CV, make sure your LinkedIn profile is also properly updated. Recruiting agents often use LinkedIn to search for potential candidates. Therefore, you can follow these guidelines to update your CV and LinkedIn profile.

5. Be patient during the interview

For Saudi citizens, human connections are really important. During an interview, they will ask you many questions to get to know you better. So what you need to do is engage in the small talk and never try to rush the interview.

Keep in mind that you may want to make eye contact with the interviewer during the interview. However, if you’re a woman, you don’t want to shake the interviewer’s hand as most of the locals are traditional. Therefore, they do not shake hands with women.

In a nutshell, these are just some of the important tips you might want to keep in mind if you’re interested in landing your first job in Saudi Arabia. With these tips in mind, it will be much easier to go ahead and land the job in the kingdom.