Indian man shares reality of Dubai job hunt after 500 applications: ‘Some offered a quarter of my previous salary’

An Indian man applied for nearly 500 jobs in Dubai but received offers paying far below his previous salary.

An Indian man in Dubai has opened up about the emotional and financial strain of searching for work for four months, despite submitting as many as 500 applications. His experience has included low-paying offers, performance-based salaries and roles requiring employees to work up to 10 hours a day, six days a week.

An Indian man spent four months job hunting in Dubai and faced low salaries, long hours and financial stress.

Speaking to HT.com, 28-year-old Shriram Chackolangara from Kozhikode, Kerala, said he began searching for a new position in April after leaving his previous role. He had initially considered leaving Dubai if he could not find suitable work, but later reconsidered after receiving support from his Instagram followers.

Born and raised in Dubai

Shriram was born and brought up in Dubai before moving to Kerala to study Chemical Engineering at the National Institute of Technology Calicut. After completing his B.Tech, he worked in Bangalore for three years and returned to the UAE in 2023.

“I was born and brought up in Dubai. I went to NIT Calicut for my education and worked for three years in Bangalore. I came back to the UAE and have been working here since 2023. Dubai, at that time, promised a significantly better lifestyle. What motivated me was the opportunity to earn better and spend time with my family while all of us are in good health,” he said.

Although trained as an engineer, he built his career in marketing and communications across banking, media and education technology. His previous roles have included Internal Communications Specialist, Creative Strategist, Content Creator, Assistant Director and Editing Team Lead.

“I am a creative generalist,” he said.

Applied to nearly 500 jobs

Before becoming unemployed, Shriram worked as an Internal Communications Specialist at RAKBANK, linking the marketing department with the digital transformation, human resources, and learning and development teams.

“Simply put, my role involved communicating changes in work culture, architecture and digital transformation to all employees through content, internal events and roadshows,” he said.

Between April and July, he submitted around 400 to 500 applications. He has mainly been looking for communications or creative strategy positions in public relations, branding and internal communications teams within banking, healthcare, real estate and education.

He attended interviews with several companies, but said some employers were offering salaries far below his previous earnings.

“I have attended interviews with several companies, but some were willing to pay only one-fourth of my previous salary. Others offered performance-based incentives, but after calculating the expected monthly earnings, they were still lower than what I was earning before,” he said.

Long hours and low fixed salaries

Shriram believes one of the biggest challenges for job seekers in Dubai is receiving interview calls from reputed companies. Even after securing an interview, negotiating a salary that covers the city’s cost of living while allowing a person to meet financial goals can be difficult.

He said some sales positions offered little or no fixed salary, with applicants expected to earn primarily through incentives. The working conditions discussed during several interviews also concerned him.

“Finding a company that offers a healthy work-life balance. Most companies I interviewed with required employees to work 9–10 hours a day, six days a week,” he said.

His residency visa was cancelled after his previous employment ended, a decision he said was made by the employer and was beyond his control. He then moved to a visit visa on his own initiative. After renewing it for the second time, his current visa is due to expire at the end of October.

He had earlier set himself a deadline of 10 days to find a job before leaving Dubai, but later changed his mind.

“I made that decision because I wasn't receiving calls from quality companies that could offer the salary or working conditions I was looking for. However, I later changed my mind after receiving a great deal of support from my Instagram followers,” he said.

Family stress and shrinking savings

For Shriram, the hardest part of unemployment has been seeing his parents worry. Since the family lives together in the UAE, his job search regularly becomes part of conversations at home.

“The constant stress my parents go through because I am unemployed. Almost every conversation at home or with friends eventually turns into questions like, ‘Did you get any calls?’, ‘Try this opportunity,’ or ‘Why don't you move to another country?’” he said.

The prolonged search has also changed his lifestyle. As an outgoing person who enjoys travelling, exploring new places and eating out, he said staying home without leisure activities can create stress. Watching his savings decline has affected his routine and his ability to attend plans made by friends.

His parents have supported him financially throughout this period. He still meets friends but now prepares a fixed budget and itinerary for every outing.

“My father has been the sole financial supporter during this period, although my family is understandably stressed about my situation. We all live together in the UAE, so my unemployment is a frequent topic of discussion at home. My father is 61 and approaching the end of his career, so my goal is to become financially independent as soon as possible,” he said.

Content creation brings hope

One unexpected result of having more time has been the growth of Shriram’s content creation journey. His reels have gained traction because many viewers relate to his experiences with unemployment and job hunting.

“My dream is to work independently as a paid content creator. Although my reels are receiving good traction, I cannot rely on them yet as my primary source of income or for visa purposes,” he said.

Friends have helped by sharing job openings and offering advice, though he has never asked them for financial assistance.

Plans beyond Dubai

Should he leave Dubai without securing a suitable role, Shriram plans to move to Bangalore, Mumbai or Hyderabad and search for a stable position in the same field with a reputed company.

He would still consider returning to Dubai, describing it as a major hub for creators and business owners. He believes the job market could improve by winter, though he said hiring had been limited since April and some companies had reduced salaries.

“I believe the market will stabilise by winter, and better job opportunities in Dubai will begin to return,” he said.