How to get a job in Saudi Arabia: practical steps

To get a job in Saudi Arabia, prepare a clear CV and apply to many companies at the same time: on the companies' own hiring sites, on Jadarat, on LinkedIn, and by emailing HR. Then follow up on every application and every email, and repeat every week, because replies come from a small share of the companies you apply to.

Step 1: Decide exactly what you want

Before you apply, write down three things:

• Job title: two or three close titles (for example: accountant, general accountant, accounts specialist).
• City: where you can work, and whether you would relocate.
• Industry: the sectors you want (banking, energy, retail, health, tech...).

This makes it easier to choose jobs and companies, and keeps your CV and emails focused.

Step 2: Prepare your CV

• A clear PDF, one or two pages.
• Normal headings: experience, education, skills, languages.
• No complex tables and no text inside images, because hiring systems read the text from the file.
• An English version if the jobs you want ask for English.

Details in the ATS CV guide.

Step 3: Where are the jobs?

Jobs in Saudi Arabia are spread over three main places:

1. The companies' own hiring sites. Most large companies take applications in their own hiring system, such as Workday, Oracle or SuccessFactors. Each company asks for a new account and a new form. See how to apply on Workday, Oracle and SuccessFactors.
2. Jadarat. The Human Resources Development Fund platform for Saudi citizens; you log in with Nafath and apply yourself. See the step by step Jadarat guide.
3. LinkedIn. You apply inside it, or it sends you to the company site to finish there. See the LinkedIn Easy Apply guide.

Step 4: Apply to many companies, not one

If you apply to one company and wait, your whole chance hangs on one company's decision. Apply to every job that really fits you, at many companies, every week.

The problem is that each application on a company's system means a new account, an email verification code and a long form. This is where Badali helps: you choose the jobs, and Badali fills in the application and submits it on the company's own hiring system (Oracle, Workday, SuccessFactors, Workable, Manatal, Zoho Recruit, Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Recruitee, Teamtailor, Breezy and Pinpoint), and receives the verification codes these systems send so it can finish the application.

Step 5: Email HR

Many companies hire through the HR email, especially mid-sized ones. Send a short email: a subject with the job title, three lines about you, and your CV attached. Steps and templates in how to email HR and job email templates.

On Badali you choose companies by industry, Badali sends the emails for you, and you see the status of each email: delivered, bounced, or replied.

Step 6: Follow up

• Record every company you applied to and the date.
• If there is no reply, follow up once with a short email after one or two weeks.
• If the email bounced, find another official address or apply on the hiring site.
• Check your application status on the company's system. See Workday status meanings.

On Badali you see every application and every email in your account, without keeping your own spreadsheet.

Step 7: Repeat every week

A job rarely comes from one application. Set time each week for new jobs and new companies, and adjust your CV if replies are low in a particular field. Read how many applications you need to get an interview.

I want a job fast: where do I start today?

1. Prepare your CV as a PDF today.
2. Register on Jadarat with Nafath and apply to the jobs that fit.
3. Sign up on Badali for free: you get 3 applications and 5 emails, no card. Choose jobs and companies and see the result.
4. Like it? Subscribe for SAR 59 (100 applications + 300 emails), SAR 99 (200 + 600) or SAR 219 (500 + 1,200) a month. Don't like it? You pay nothing.