Looking for Work Through Kairos Merit? Here’s How to Register and Apply

Looking for work takes time, effort and patience. That is why I want to explain how Kairos Merit works and what you need to do so we can understand your experience and connect you with relevant opportunities.

One thing matters from the start: sending us your CV through a private LinkedIn message does not register you on our platform or submit an application for a vacancy. To take part in our recruitment processes, you need to complete your profile and apply through Kairos Merit.

Let me explain why, and walk you through the steps.

Kairos Merit is a hospitality talent platform connecting professionals with opportunities offered by our client companies. We look at how closely a person’s experience, skills and preferences align with the requirements of a role.

Our work includes organising candidate information, reviewing profiles and searching for professionals within our own platform. The employer offering the position makes the final selection and hiring decision. Registering, applying or progressing through a process does not guarantee an interview or a job offer.

And one principle remains unchanged: candidates never pay Kairos Merit to register, access opportunities or secure a job through us.

To get started, visit www.kairosmerit.ae and go to the candidate area. Create your account and take the time to complete your profile carefully.

Uploading your CV is part of the process, but it does not replace the information requested in the profile fields. Your experience, skills and preferences need to be recorded clearly so they can be compared with what employers are looking for.

Pay particular attention to:

• Your experience: job titles, dates, duties and the responsibilities you actually held.
• Your languages: which languages you speak and your level in each.
• Your skills and specialisms: what you can do and demonstrate.
• Your location and the destinations where you would like to work.
• Your availability: when you could start and any notice period you need to serve.
• Your contact details: make sure they are accurate and up to date.
• Your CV: upload a current version that is consistent with your profile.

Complete all the requested fields honestly. If a field does not apply to your situation, select the relevant option where one is available. Do not invent an answer simply to finish the form.

An incomplete profile may leave out the very detail that would help identify your suitability for a vacancy. If you speak a language, have a specialist skill or have held particular responsibilities but do not include them, that information cannot support your match.

When we talk about matching, we mean the fit between your profile and a role’s requirements. Having the same job title as the vacancy is not enough on its own.

Two waiter positions can involve very different requirements. The same applies to reception, culinary, supervisory and management roles.

These are illustrative examples, rather than current vacancies:

• A restaurant needs a waiter with a very high level of English and Arabic as an essential requirement. You may have strong experience as a waiter, but if you do not speak Arabic, you do not meet one of that role’s essential requirements.
• A hotel needs a receptionist with experience using a particular property management system. If that knowledge is essential and you have not used the system, the position may not be a suitable match.
• A restaurant is looking for a chef who specialises in a particular cuisine. General kitchen experience does not necessarily provide the specific expertise that team needs.
• An employer needs someone to start within two weeks. If you have a two-month notice period, your availability may not align, even if your experience is relevant.

Not matching one of these opportunities does not make you a poor professional. It means that particular position has specific needs.

Your candidate account will show vacancies that are a strong match for your profile. It is not a general list of every position we are handling.

You may therefore see a Kairos Merit vacancy on social media that does not appear in your account. A social media post reaches a broad audience; the opportunities shown within the platform are matched to the information in your profile.

If no vacancies appear, first check that you have completed your profile correctly. If your information is complete and up to date, it means there are currently no available vacancies that are a strong match for your profile.

I understand that this can be frustrating, especially when you urgently need work. It does not mean your experience has no value or that a suitable opportunity will never arise. Vacancies and employers’ needs can change.

What I do recommend is keeping your information current. If you improve a language, gain a new skill, move location or become available sooner, update your profile. Do not overstate your language level or add experience you do not have to try to access more vacancies. You will need to demonstrate those abilities during the selection process and in the job itself.

When a vacancy appears that interests you, read its duties, requirements and conditions carefully. If you would like to be considered, submit your application through the platform.

This step is essential: having a registered profile does not mean you have applied for every matching vacancy. Your application tells us that a particular opportunity interests you. We cannot assume you want to take part simply because your experience is relevant.

I also want to clarify the role of private messages. Kairos Merit uses an ATS, an applicant tracking system built into the platform. This is where we organise profiles and applications so we can manage them consistently.

A CV sent through LinkedIn sits outside that process. It does not replace registration, complete your profile or count as an application. It also does not give you priority over candidates who have followed the process.

Our direct candidate searches, sometimes called headhunting, take place within the Kairos Merit platform. If you want us to be able to find you in those searches, the most useful step is to have a complete, accurate and current profile there.

You can send a message to ask a question, but writing “I’m interested” in a private message does not record your interest in a vacancy within our system. To do that, you need to apply through your account.

After applying, keep an eye on communications about the process. If your availability changes, you accept another job or you are no longer interested, let us know when we contact you and update the relevant information in your profile.

I want the time you spend looking for work to count. A clear profile helps us understand what you can bring to an employer. An application through the platform tells us which opportunity you would like to pursue.

Register, complete your information honestly and apply for the vacancies that genuinely interest you. That gives us the information we need to consider your application through the right channel.

Lissandra

Kairos Merit