Finding a job can be a full-time job in itself. While the internet has made it easier than ever for individuals to connect with potential employers, there is also a downside. With so many job search tools available online, finding the right one for your needs can be confusing. Bayt.com is one of the largest job search sites on the internet. Does bigger mean better? I took a look at Bayt.com both from the perspective of a job seeker and an employer. My full review is below.

About Bayt.com

Bayt.com claims they’re the number one job site in the Middle East. While that claim might be a bit too vague to really confirm, Bayt is certainly one of the largest and most comprehensive job sites I’ve ever seen. Over 20 million professionals and 40,000 organizations use Bayt on a regular basis. Beyond job listings, they offer a wide variety of additional services including custom job searches, professional CV creation and networking.

Top Features of Bayt.com

Impressive search options. Bayt is designed to be used how you want to use it. Job seekers can search by Job Role, Job Location, Recent Postings, Employers and more. You can also search by nationality. There are options for UAE Nationals, Saudi Nationals, Qatari Nationals, Omani Nationals, Kuwaiti Nationals and Bahraini Nationals. A person’s nationality can be a major factor in where they’re allowed to work, so this was a very useful feature for the region.

Language accessibility. The entire site functions in English, French and Arabic, making them the only trilingual platform in the region. Their area of operations includes the Middle East and North Africa. One thing I really like about Bayt is that they’re more than just a virtual company. They have regional offices in Abu Dhabi, Al Kuwait, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Casablanca, Doha, Dubai, Eastern Province, Jeddah, Manan and Riyadh. Their familiarity with the region really helps them stand out from the competition.

Salary Search. Knowing what you’re worth can be difficult. You don’t want to accept a salary far below your market value. At the same time, you don’t want to turn down jobs while waiting for a high salary which will never be offered. Bayt offers a Salary Search section. You can see the average salary range for a wide variety of job types throughout Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The database is easily searchable by job role and location.

CV Support. Studies show employers only spend 20 to 30 seconds looking at your CV – you need to make every second count. Bayt offers custom CV writing services. Prices are based on your years of experience. For zero to two years of experience, a custom CV costs $99. Three to five years costs $129. Six to eight costs $159. Nine to 15 years runs $199. Over 15 years is $249.

Tests. Bayt.com offers over 100 tests. You take tests relevant to the job you wish to have, and you can post the scores to show potential employers. Some examples of the types of tests available include Accounting Skills, Business Plans and the like.

Job Search Course. For $99, you can gain access to Bayt’s 90 minute video course “Master Job Hunting: Winning Job Search Strategies.” This course presents a series of clear, actionable steps on how to find a new career.

Bayt.com Prices

There are three different accounts available

Basic

This account is free. You register to create your personal profile on Bayt. Your profile lets you search for jobs, apply for jobs and build your personal CV.

Premium

This account is $19.95 a month. If you purchase three months at a time, the price drops to $17.95 a month. A six-month subscription is $15.95 a month.

The premium account includes all the features on the basic account plus some extra features. Account holders also get three “application promotion credits” each month. This allows you to promote your job application to the top of the list.

You also get unlimited use of a feature where you can view whoever has viewed your profile. You also get one week of access each month to a salary search tool. Finally, you get five contact credits which allow you to get in touch with recruiters and managers.

Elite

This plan is $60 a month. A three month subscription lowers the price to $55 a month, while a six month subscription brings it down to $50.

The Elite plan has everything found in the Premium plan and more. The Elite plan gives you 10 application promotion credits and 10 contact credits. Each month, you also get one professionally written cover letter, access to one Bayt skills test and one featured keyword for your CV.

Criticism of Bayt.com

There is criticism online where people have complained about having to pay to post their resumes online. This isn’t actually the case, so I’m not sure what these complaints are referring to. Posting your resume online is free — and Bayt makes it very clear that it will always be free.

There are ways to buy a more prominent placement of your resume. This is included in the Premium and Elite plans. Still, you can still get a lot out of the site without spending anything.

Another criticism I found online centered around people unable to find jobs. To be honest, I’m not sure how this is Bayt’s responsibility. As one of the largest job sites in the world, know that you’re going to be competing for each job against a lot of people. This is why I liked their extra services, such as the CV creation and the Bayt Tests. While these services are an additional cost, they can really help you stand out from the crowd.

Customer Support

Bayt has an extensive database of help information right on their site. This includes help with creating an account and using the service, as well as tips and tricks for finding jobs. To be honest, the help section of the site should be enough for the majority of users.

For personalized assistance, you can email support staff directly. You can also call. There’s a contact list with the phone number, fax number and working hours of Bayt satellite offices in 14 different countries throughout the Middle East. In most cases, you’ll be able to speak to someone in the same country as you. Considering how much of the site is free, I was surprised to see this level of commitment to customer service.

Final Thoughts

If you’re searching for a job in the Middle East, I absolutely recommend Bayt. Posting your resume and contact information is free, as is searching through the job postings. Since Bayt is the biggest job site in the Middle East, at the very least I’d recommend taking advantage of all their free services.

Their paid services are a pretty good value as well. Not everybody knows how to write a CV, and Bayt CV writing services are right in line with what you’d expect to pay any other professional writer. The Bayt tests are also a great way to show technical proficiency in a subject.

As far as employers go, Bayt is a good choice because your job will be seen by thousands – even tens of thousands – of potential employees. Plus, the Bayt profiles of each user let you learn more about them than you could through just a resume.

Overall, I was very impressed with Bayt. The site is easy to understand and use – quite a feat for a site of this size. There were plenty of ways to use the site for free, while the paid services were a good value. Don’t go searching for a job on your own. Bayt is a trusted, effective way to find your next career. Happy job hunting!