IRAQ.
To some its a country going through turmoil. To some, a place of great religious & historical significance. To some, a dangerous location one must stay away from.
But to few others, its a Gold mine. That’s where billion-dollar contracts are going, that’s where the fortunes are to be made and that’s where they should be, nay, they MUST BE if they want to carve a slice of the pie.
Courageous job seekers are already scouring the net and other off-line information sources for information on jobs in Iraq coming up as a result of the reconstruction and cleanup contracts being awarded. The “Jobs in Iraq” section of www.GulfJobSites.com climbed in popularity all of a sudden from obscurity to Second place in the GulfJobSites.com sections. Are these people unaware of the security threats? No way! These are people who know that its a dangerous territory and only the brave-hearts will think of going there.
This article does not go into the ethics and legality of this whole episode: Whether the war was just or unjust and so forth. This is not the forum and I am holding my views.
Responding to the requests received from some adventurous job seekers, I did some research and published the initial findings here: http://www.gulfjobsites.com/jobs/Iraq/Reconstruction_of_Iraq/
Head straight to this page and bookmark it. It includes articles, news items and websites that have information on companies who are getting the contracts or are being mentioned in the related news. Make a list of the companies pitching for these lucrative contracts and approach them for an employment. I will search for and publish more links here in due course. And, dear readers, if YOU find any sites with more suitable information, please do remember to submit the link on this page.
Wondering what sort of jobs will come up? ALL sorts! From medical and paramedical to construction, from oil & gas engineering to fire-fighting, from security services to telecommunication, from professionals to consultants, and a whole lot more. They will range from junior level to top level management with fabulous packages and rewards. After all, high risks have their own rewards.
Employers will include a diverse mix of NGOs, non-profit organizations, relief agencies, government bodies, military and of course, the truly commercial organizations.
While doing my research on this topic I found something interesting: Its not only the obvious countries who are wrestling for a piece of the action. Even countries like India which were not so vocal or obvious have suddenly jumped into hot pursuit for these lucrative deals. So if you are looking for an Iraqi reconstruction job then you need to look beyond the obvious. Follow the news and look at anyone and everyone who may be close to getting a contract, irrespective of where they may be from.
What is needed there? EVERYTHING. From chemicals to pharmaceuticals, from bottled drinking water to electronics, medical equipment to electric transformers, automotive spares to office consumables, I reckon that everything and anything could be sold there. Its a vast country, one of the world’s top oil producer, and about to witness a reconstruction boom backed by mega investors. Trade barriers and embargoes that existed will obviously give way for the foreign manufactured products. After all, GMs and VPs of multinationals are not going to use locally manufactured toiletries or eat locally produced tomato ketchup. Would they? I hope you get the picture!
Alternatively, if you are in a position to influence your company’s decisions, then how about a direct or indirect slice of the action? If you don’t want to open your own offices there, then try selling to the companies who are getting those contracts. These contracts will result in a narrow-width economic upsurge for select companies and contractors. If you are a sub-contractor to one of them, you can share in the boom without taking too much of risk.
This is also a call for action for the recruitment agencies and head-hunters. While Iraq may not be an ideal foreign posting but for the Iraqis themselves its their home land and many of them would prefer to find quality jobs there. Head-hunters, match-makers and HR folks: Its your wake up call too. With the number of enquiries from job seekers increasing every day, I suggest you take advantage of the free Jobs Database at www.GulfJobSites.com to post your vacancies.
High gains never come without high risks. And, here the risks are as high as they can get: Life, Money, the works. After-all, its a war-zone. One can get killed anywhere and no one may actually be held responsible. Insurance companies may not provide cover for the assignments there. I will not make a guess on the quality of medical services there. So be aware of the risks that these assignments hold. Call me weak hearted, but I will prefer the safe, relatively unadventurous job in a distant country.
Shortly after the invasion of Afghanistan began to settle down, a dealer of diesel power generators based in Sharjah rang me to enquire if I could help him find contacts in Pakistan who could help sell his generators in Afghanistan. All I could say: “I wish!”. I admire the fast-thinking, quick-reacting and unemotional minds of such people. These are the people who stay ahead of the game and as the saying goes: “Early bird gets the worm.”
Are you still looking for a job? What’s your agenda?
Raza Jaffri is the founder and editor of www.GulfJobSites.com, the first
ever independent directory and search engine of job and employment related
websites from the Arabian Gulf / Persian Gulf region covering Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq and Iran.
