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What are the dos and don'ts of finding a job in Mauritius?

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Priscilla

Hello everyone,

Where is the best place to start when looking for a job in Mauritius? Is it better to job-hunt by directly contacting the company of your interest, or should job-seekers rely on a recruitment agency, for example?

Are there any unique aspects that job-seekers should consider when preparing their CV/résumé and cover letter? Should a photo be included?

Do you have any tips on interview conduct in Mauritius? Are there any particulars, such as greetings or behavioural customs?

In you opinion, is knowledge of the local language or a regional language necessary to successfully apply for a job? What level of the language should job-seekers have mastered?

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Priscilla

jkev

Job hunting in Mauritius is the same as most other countries.  It is a "campaign" and needs to be worked at. 

Some thoughts.

The first thing is to have a decent CV.  Most I see are awful and it is very time-wasting having to interview people unnecessarily or not inviting someone for interview that could have been a good candidate. 

For some good hints and tips about writing a cv look at some of the international job websites - they usually have some templates.  Photos are optional.  Do keep it to 2-3 pages - be concise, yet informative  (many people waste space and give details of exams from years ago - ugh) and don't bother attaching copies of certificates.  Avoid just listing job responsibilities and include achievements, skills and competences.

Have 2 or 3 different CVs that are tailored to different types of jobs/companies/industry sectors and be prepared to customise it anyway. 

Draft a good accompanying letter that is tailored to the vacancy.  Have a different letter for "a cold call", perhaps relate it to something you read about the company or other jobs they have advertised.

Use a variety of approaches - on line and direct.  Some of the larger companies have job websites and take applications that way.

For interviews - do your research.  Find out about the company.  Make sure you look at the company website.  If you know someone that works there, talk to them about what it's like - culture, strategy, products and services.

Make sure you know your skills (and weaknesses).  Don't over-egg it and avoid being too modest.

You may be asked to do a "parcours" - a work/life history.  Be succinct.  When talking about previous jobs -emphasise the parts that relate to the job you are applying for.
Some companies use a competence based interview approach,  If you are not familiar with that type of interviewing, google it and do some preparation.

With regards to language, it will depend on the company and the job.

Good luck with your job search.

Priscilla

@ jkev > Thanks a lot for these detailed information, very much appreciated.  :cool::top:

Priscilla

vlad_k

I never searched for a job here, I got an invitation from European company that has an office in Mauritius.
But my wife did.

And it is the most horrible experience we had with employment process (and we have our share of job hunting experience in different countries). Most local companies just seem not to care about feature employees. Our experience is mostly with (but not limited to)  IT/Software Engineering/Education sectors.

When cv is sent, or even representative of a company contacted directly there can be months of wait with no response. Even if most of the HRs promise to "call you next week".

Then some of them eventually called us when we already forgot that we ever contacted them or were contacted by them before, and asked something like: "we are in urgent need to find someone for this position, can we meet tomorrow?". The answer is obviously  "No."

However this is not limited to HR here in Mauritius. Almost everywhere I go I get a promise of something getting resolved or done tomorrow/ next week/ really soon and we will be contacted. Including, car sale companies, security companies, business partners, etc, etc...

To summarise, my general advice not limited to job hunt, would be:
If you are confident, just call them back as soon as possible. If you currently don't have a job and need one urgently, you might be in trouble here. Normally employers notify candidates as soon as they have any information, so if your cv get declined, you can continue your search and push other opportunities.
So if you really need a job fast, contact as many people as you can, possibly also outside Mauritius. Because if you want to work here but leave abroad you need to add the time needed to acquire occupation permit including collecting all documents for that.

I'm not saying you can't get lucky and find really decent person here. But that's that: luck.

Wolfweim

Thank You...I have found this very helpful...Peter

Leslie Jarrett

Also be prepared for the usual range of tricky interview questions that often get asked such as -:

Why do yo want to leave your current job ? .  You need to have truthful answer to this as often companies will contact your current employer for a reference.

What are your salary expectations ?  research this as much as possible and form a figure in your mind from good research and don't be frightened to stick to this figure. If you are qualified and are worth 35,000 rs per month salary then why would you join a company that is only going to pay you 20,000  per month . Ascertain from them what salary scales they are paying and seek also what else is in the package as they often put in things like free healthcare.

Arya2017

I echo jkev's advice and would also add that one thing I found frustrating was the difficulty in finding work that was commensurate with my skills and experience due to not having any 'backing'! I am unwilling to get involved in the quagmire that is the political landscape here in order to find a good job.. When I have found work in some organisations it has been frustrating to find people in positions they are not qualified for who simply got the  job because of who they know!!

Also it's true having a good CV is important for some employers, I know when I have been part of the recruitment process recently, only 1 in 20 could be called well-written. In actual fact when I couldn't find work here when I first moved here I started a CV writing service, but found Mauritians reluctant to pay and ended up working online mainly for foreign clients. Unfortunately most recruiters are used to the low quality of CVs here and seem to accept them...

So all in all.. I would encourage any expats looking for work to target foreigner owned SMEs who may be less influenced by outside sources and recruit based on merit.

SueNami

As a current job seeker in Mauritius, I would have to say that you cannot negate the power of LinkedIn!
Make sure that you have a strong profile set up, do your research on reputable companies in your field and start following following them. I've found many post job vacancies on their LinkedIn pages. I have also been rather brazen by inviting many HR co-ordinators or managers to connect with me and am happy to say that most have accepted. LinkedIn allows you to send attachments with inbox messages, so if companies don't have career pages or you're worried that your CV will just end up on a pile with many others in a general HR email inbox, then being able to attach it to an inmail directly to a connection is very useful.
Attend every interview you're invited to, even if you're not really sure about the role - the island is small and many people in HR know each other and are happy to pass on your CV if you make a good impression. A lot of companies are also owned by the same holding company, so it is good to get on the books.
I would also suggest going on as a lot of companies advertise directly on there.
Do not do a direct conversion of your SA salary to MUR. It generally will not be the same. That is the reality for any expat. All you need to worry about is if they will ensure that they pay you sufficiently for you to obtain an occupational permit and this should ALWAYS be a question that you raise in your interviews when the salary discussion comes up.
All the best :)

evans.nawu

Hi all , i am from zimbabwe and i am a software developer with 10 years experience, any leads?

Tampoe

Hi i m interested in coming to work in Mauritius, how much would be the net budget for a family of three? also could you let me know what are the rentals for 1 BR apt - the minimum.  Thank you.  Eugene

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