You found the right company.

You found someone working there.

You sent them a message:

“Hi, can you refer me?”

And… no reply.

If this keeps happening, the problem may not be networking itself. It may be how you are networking.

A referral is not something a stranger automatically owes you because you sent them your CV.

You need to make it easy for someone to understand who you are, what you do, and why you could be relevant to a specific vacancy.

Here’s a better approach for UAE job seekers.

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Before asking anyone for a referral, identify companies that are actually relevant to your profile.

If you are targeting Customer Service roles, build a list of companies hiring customer-facing professionals.

If you are targeting Accounting, focus on companies hiring accountants, finance executives, AP/AR professionals or similar roles.

Your networking should follow your target role, not your LinkedIn feed.

Once you identify a target company, search LinkedIn for people such as:

Recruiter → Talent Acquisition → HR → Hiring Manager → Department Manager → Employees in your target department

Don't immediately send your CV to everyone.

First understand who is most relevant to the vacancy.

Imagine receiving this message from someone you have never spoken to:

“Sir, please refer me. I need a job urgently.”

What information does the person have about you?

Almost nothing.

Instead, introduce yourself briefly and connect your experience to a specific opportunity.

For example:

“Hi Ahmed, I noticed your company is hiring for a Customer Service Executive. I have 4 years of customer service experience, including 2 years in the UAE. My experience appears closely aligned with the role. If you feel my background is relevant, I’d appreciate any guidance on the best way to apply.”

You are not demanding a referral.

You are giving the person enough context to decide whether they can help.

Before contacting recruiters or employees, check your LinkedIn profile.

Someone considering referring you may visit your profile first.

Within a few seconds, they should understand:

What role you do
Your strongest skills
Your relevant experience
Your location
What type of opportunity you are targeting

If your headline simply says:

“Looking for Job | Urgently Seeking Opportunity”

you are wasting valuable LinkedIn space.

A stronger headline would be:

Customer Service Executive | 4 Years’ Experience | CRM | Complaint Resolution | UAE Experience

Your professional identity should come before your employment status.

A referral carries some level of professional reputation.

That means your message needs evidence.

Instead of:

“I have good experience.”

Show something concrete:

“Managed 60+ customer interactions daily while maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction score.”

Or:

“Reduced monthly reporting time by 30% through Excel automation.”

Specific evidence makes your profile easier to evaluate.

Copy-paste networking is easy to recognise.

Instead of contacting 100 random people, contact a smaller number of highly relevant professionals.

Before messaging someone, spend two minutes checking:

What company do they work for?
What function are they in?
Is there a relevant vacancy?
Does your experience actually match it?

Ten targeted conversations can be more useful than hundreds of random connection requests.

Networking should not start only when you become unemployed.

Follow professionals in your industry.

Comment intelligently on relevant posts.

Connect with people doing similar work.

Share useful insights from your own experience.

Over time, your name becomes familiar.

Then when you ask for guidance about a relevant vacancy, you are no longer a completely random profile appearing in someone's inbox.

No response does not automatically mean rejection.

People are busy.

If someone doesn't respond, send one polite follow-up after several days.

If there is still no response, move on.

Sending:

“Hi”

“Hello sir”

“Any update?”

“Please reply”

every day will not improve your chances.

It can do the opposite.

For every relevant vacancy:

Step 1: Read the job description carefully.

Step 2: Check whether you genuinely meet the main requirements.

Step 3: Tailor your CV to the position.

Step 4: Apply through the official application channel.

Step 5: Find relevant recruiters, hiring managers or employees on LinkedIn.

Step 6: Send a short, personalised message.

Step 7: Follow up once if appropriate.

Step 8: Track the application and continue searching.

Don't stop applying because someone said, “I will check.”

Until you have an interview or written offer, keep moving.

Many job seekers think:

Referral = someone gets me the job.

That's the wrong expectation.

A referral may help your profile get visibility or reach the right person.

It does not guarantee an interview.

And an interview does not guarantee a job.

Your experience, skills, CV, interview performance, salary expectations, availability and the employer's requirements still matter.

Use networking to increase access, not to replace qualification.

Choose 5 UAE companies where you genuinely want to work.

Find 2 relevant people from each company.

That gives you 10 targeted networking opportunities.

Don't ask all 10 people:

“Do you have any vacancy?”

Research first.

Then start a professional conversation.

Tomorrow, when you see a vacancy matching your profile, you will already know who may be relevant to contact.

Written by Shahrukh Islam
Founder, Daily UAE Jobs & Nishu4shaku
Career Consultant | ATS Resume Writer | LinkedIn Optimization Specialist

Through Daily UAE Jobs, I share UAE job opportunities, practical job-search strategies, CV guidance, LinkedIn tips and career resources to help job seekers approach their search more strategically.

📩 Watch your inbox at 10:00 AM UAE time for the next Daily UAE Jobs edition.

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