Work culture in Dundee
Known as ‘the city of discovery' thanks to science activities that have greatly developed over the years, Dundee is the 4th biggest city in Scotland. Initially a small medieval town, Dundee started expanding in the 19th century thanks to the jute industry — in fact, it used to be referred to as ‘the land of jute, jam and journalism'. Nowadays, Dundee is predominant in fields such as biomedical industries and technology, has been designated as the 1st British city for design by the UNESCO (thanks to its significant contribution in various fields, namely medical research, comics and video game) and recently added a new, prestigious V&A Museum into its significant list of cultural offerings. However, the city still struggles with a high unemployment rate.
Economy and labour market
Dundee is a regional employment and education hub. Among the 27 major employers in Dundee, you have NHS Tayside, Dundee City Council, the University of Dundee, Tesco, DC Thomson & Co and British Telecom for the public sector. In the private sector, companies such as National Cash Register (NCR), Michelin, Alliance, Trust, Aviva, Asda, Xplore Dundee, etc, are quite promising in terms of employment. Of course, this is a non-exhaustive list as you will find many more companies in the city.
The biomedical sector, along with biotechnology, count thousands of employees as their own. Career prospects are also available in other sectors such as information and communication technology, video games, trade and retail, etc.
Of course, finding work in Dundee will not be without its challenges. The situation is difficult for both expats and locals alike, as the city still holds the highest rate of unemployment in the whole country: in 2017, one out of three adults were found to be without a job in Dundee. This decrease of employment, along with relatively low wages, has plagued Dundee for over a decade ' but looks like things might be changing for the better. In the first three months of 2018, the number of people who claimed a Jobseeker's Allowance decreased drastically. The city is actively trying to create jobs and attract talent as per its reputation for highly-skilled workers in engineering, and the renovation of its waterfront has certainly helped generate jobs. Moreover, its new V&A Museum is thought to have a big impact in propelling Dundee forward.
Job hunting
You are probably likely to start your job search on the Internet if you are not yet in Scotland. Feel free to browse job websites as well as professional social networks such as LinkedIn. Networking and word of mouth may also help if you have relatives, friends or contacts on the spot. If you have already moved to Dundee, consider registering with a recruitment agency which can help you find a job according to your profile more rapidly. You can as well visit a few companies that you have selected and drop your resume, even if these are not officially hiring.
Dundee also hosts two universities, namely the University of Dundee and Abertay University, which welcome foreign students in large numbers every year. These universities also offer help in finding suitable jobs ' regardless of whether you're their alumnus or not.
Good to know:
The universities are part of a bigger city initiative to help jobless people finding work: there are several organisations offering many different types of assistance in job hunting, from talent assessing and advice to accredited training programmes, and help with placement in suitable jobs. Find out more about this programme here.
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