Working In Cairo

Jobs in Cairo attract a lot of expatriates. This huge and vibrant city offers many exciting career opportunities to qualified and trained professionals in various verticals. It can be said that Cairo represents the contemporary Middle East. It is a lively city with resident count anywhere between 16 to 18 million people. There is a huge population of foreign nationals from Europe, North America and other countries who are working in Cairo. The city offers a comfortable and warm environment to foreign workers who take up work here. There are also many lifestyle activities that the city offers to those who want to pursue their interests after work hours.

Expatriates who are doing jobs in gulf or Cairo include teachers, lawyers, web designers, consultants, journalists and editors. Those who know how to write and speak Arabic have an added advantage over others. Also, in Cairo, there is a demand for language experts to teach English to the local population. There are ample jobs for expatriates in Cairo but not many in other cities of Egypt outside Cairo. The economy of Egypt is mainly dependent on Cairo. The jobs are mainly categorized into two categories- those paid in the Egyptian Pound and those paid in foreign currencies. Most of the jobs that are paid in US dollars are not available on an ad-hoc basis. One has to line up and arrange for these jobs before arriving in the city.

The best way to find a job in Cairo is networking. The job market thrives on word of mouth and reference is the key tool to land a job. That is also one of the reasons to learn Arabic as it helps to socialize with other Egyptians. Most expatriates and Egyptians would have their business cards printed in both English and Arabic. Handing out business cards to anyone you meet for business or networking events helps one get a job fast. One can also form a bigger network and make new contacts by meeting people at local churches, cultural organizations, and clubs. Sometimes, expatriates also go for volunteering at relief camps.

The major sectors that offer employment in Cairo include education, development (NGOs), publishing, and for-profit businesses. In the education sector, there are ample teaching jobs for expatriates in Cairo. Teachers with experience are hired for teaching various subjects in Cairo schools. These jobs have to be arranged and applied for before arriving in Cairo. One could also register as a tutor at these schools. Then, there is also requirement for English teachers at private schools in Cairo.

Other than the education sector, the social sector also offers good career opportunities to expatriates. There are many NGOs based in Cairo offering relief work to expatriates. There are contract based as well as project based jobs available in these NGOs. There are jobs in various capacities available in Cairo.

There are good jobs in the writing and publishing industry too in Cairo. There are many English newspapers and magazines being published in Cairo that need full-time English writers. There are many other jobs in the publishing industry too in Cairo. One can work as a part-timer, freelancer or full time staff writer with these publications. To be a full-time worker, one needs to have a lot of experience. Besides writing, there are copy-editing jobs too.

There many jobs in Cairo in the areas of public relations, marketing and advertising. In fact, these are hot employment areas in Cairo. Then, there are many out of the box career options that one can pursue too. There are jobs in the healthcare and wellness industry too. There are jobs advertised on job portals though most jobs can be found through networking, as mentioned earlier. There are other industries such as IT, banking and finance, hospitality etc too that have jobs for expatriates. One can route through job consultants too but it is advisable to check the credentials of the consultant before taking up any job offer as many bogus players also operate in this field that lure the jobseekers with fake offers of lucrative jobs.

While living and working in Cairo, one gets a great opportunity to learn more about the Arabic culture and the richness and history of Egypt. With a little determination and open-mindedness, one can enjoy an experience of a lifetime while working in Cairo.

Useful links:
http://www.naukrigulf.com/
http://www.naukrigulf.com/jobs-in-cairo