How to find a job in Casablanca
Moving to Casablanca for work might not be an easy step as opportunities are mostly available for entrepreneurs. However, this does not mean that finding a job in Casablanca is mission impossible. Expat.com gives you some tips to get started.
The different types of contracts in Casablanca
As an expatriate in Casablanca, you can be recruited by a company abroad or be transferred to Morocco under a local contract.
The expatriate contract
If you are being offered an expatriate contract in Casablanca, it is up to the employer to carry out the formalities, but there is no specific recruitment procedure to follow. You will be eligible for a residence permit if you can prove that you have an expatriate contract and have been legally recruited. The company's HR departments are normally familiar with the procedure.
The local contract
You can also be hired on a local contract, and this is where things get difficult. If you are not a Moroccan, Mauritanian, Algerian or Tunisian, you will be subject to specific procedures. In fact, you will have to go through national recruitment procedures, which are lengthier and more costly for employers. In short, employers will rarely take this kind of responsibility for low-wage and non-strategic positions. However, this doesn't mean that you won't find a job at all, but if you find one, you will probably not be declared and therefore not be eligible for a resident permit.
The new procedure for employment contracts with foreigners in Morocco
The hiring of a foreign worker in Morocco is now governed by certain formalities and procedures that necessitate a work permit (authorization from the Ministry of Labour). As a matter of fact, Article 516 of the Labour Code stipulates that: "Any employer wishing to recruit a foreign employee is required to get an authorization from the relevant administrative authority in charge of labor. Such authorization is granted in the form of a visa affixed to the employment contract".
The duty to obtain a work permit is a matter of public policy. This new procedure replaces the old one, which required the employer to produce several supporting documents for the employment contract. The former procedure was long and time-consuming, not only for employers but also for foreign employees.
TAECHIR Platform
From now on, and since 01st June 2017, only the visa applications of employment contracts for foreigners filed via the TAECHIR platform are accepted, making it easier to submit your file.
The TAECHIR platform is a unique and practical tool developed by the Moroccan Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs to facilitate the recruitment process by managing applications related to foreigners' employment contracts.
To complete the application, several documents are needed, including a copy of your diploma, a certificate of your former employment and the documents pertaining to the legal existence of your future hiring company. All the documents must be signed and certified and then submitted to the Ministry of Labour. The processing time for the visa varies from ten days to two months.
Finding a job in Casablanca
The procedure involves publishing an advertisement in French and Arabic in newspapers selected by ANAPEC, the public agency responsible for dealing with unemployment. It is the latter who will check, in the light of the selected applications, that there can be no Moroccan competent for the position to be filled. However, you don't have to go through this procedure if you are the foreign spouse of a Moroccan national. In this case, you just need a foreigner's employment contract, which must be stamped by the Ministry of Labour.
Beyond this procedure, looking for a job is similar to anywhere else in the world. You just have to update your resume and draft a cover letter based on the French model, preferably. Be as convincing as possible.
Casablanca is a city of paradoxes where everything is possible and impossible, even when it comes to including employment. When an employer wants to hire you, he will do what it takes to get you on board. However, avoid jumping on this opportunity to ask for an extravagant salary.
What are the best websites to find a job in Casablanca?
The quest to find the right Moroccan job websites is becoming a priority for many Moroccans as technology development has expanded and Internet offers a wide range of websites that provide such opportunities. The presence of such websites reduces the stress caused by physically looking for a job on the ground.
These days, the pandemic of COVID-19 has aggravated the situation regarding the labor market in Morocco. However, there are numerous remote work opportunities available on job search sites providing an alternative solution for many of those who lost their jobs during the current crisis.
No one can deny that foreigners have a better chance of finding a job in Morocco, especially in Casablanca. This is due to the great demand for speaking languages other than Arabic. For instance, the City Centre (i.e., Maârif, Gauthier, Racine and Palmiers) has numerous companies offering great opportunities for foreigners. If you are still outside Morocco, you can opt for job search sites, the best of which are as follows:
Private sector
- Linkedin.com
LinkedIn brings together professionals worldwide to create a more productive and successful workplace. This powerful professional network provides job listings and contact information for employers who post jobs. You can follow the companies you are interested in to get a first look at the jobs they offer.
- Rekrute.com
Rekrute is among the leading job search websites in Morocco. It has been active on the Moroccan online recruitment network since 2006. In addition, Rekrute gathers the latest innovations in the field of e-human resources management, high-quality standards, and an impressive network of leading international and national partners in their field. It has a professional team of nearly forty people in Morocco and Tunisia and thirteen countries in French-speaking Africa.
- Marocannonces.com
Marocannonces is an ad space in Morocco that is free of charge. It includes a job section where you can check out job offers in different sectors of activity. Although it is not limited to employment, the site has for each section a search engine that helps you narrow down the ads and find those that interest you. You can also use the "Advanced search" feature to access the more in-depth search engine with various options that will help you find what you are looking for.
Public sector
- Emploi-public.ma
This is an employment portal that lists all job positions available in the public sector and gives access to all competitions and recruitments in public institutions and companies. You will also find the results of competitions together with any relevant changes, cancellations or extensions.
- Alwadifa-Maroc.com
Alwadifa Maroc is the official website for recruitment in the public sector in Morocco. It has been operating since 2009 and gives the latest public sector job competitions and postings in Arabic. Alwadifa Maroc is extremely popular in the country and is one of the top fifty most-visited websites as per Alexa Ranking.
- Dreamjob.ma
With nearly three million monthly visitors and more than 500,000 subscribers on LinkedIn, Dreamjob has quickly become a key player in the field of employment and recruitment in Morocco. Every day, the site publishes the most recent job offers in all sectors of activity and enables a search by profession, industry, and city, which simplifies the process for the potential candidate.
The site also gives recruiters, coaches and all other organizations the opportunity to publish job offers and assists them in attracting the most qualified profiles by means of geographically targeted service and continuous advice. Companies can fill out a request to post an ad and get more details via the recruiter's space. The site goes further by providing internship, public employment, and job coaching sections, which deliver job tips and templates for resumes and cover letters.
Recruitment in Casablanca
Recruitment is carried out in various ways in Casablanca, regardless of the procedure described above. It can go very fast or very slow. You may have an appointment with a recruiter who doesn't even know if a position is open for hiring or even if it will be soon. The decision-making process in Morocco is generally slow, and this also applies to recruitment. But once the decision is made, everything can go fast, very fast. Be patient, but be ready.
The importance of soft and hard skills in Casablanca
Have you ever wondered how you should present your skills in an interview to stand out from the rest? When you are looking for a job in Casablanca, it is important to know exactly what your strong points are in order to put them forward effectively. Determining your skills means listing all your knowledge, aptitudes and interpersonal skills acquired during your previous professional and other experiences.
On the one hand, Soft skills represent a set of occupational qualities that mirror the way you conduct yourself in a professional environment. For instance, when you share an office with co-workers or are in contact with clients, being polite, respectful and friendly are desirable assets for employers. It should be noted that you can be absent-minded in your private life, yet meticulous at work. Your ability to adapt is a sign of your professional ability. It is also known as behavioral intelligence or soft skills.
On the other hand, Hard skills refer to your practical knowledge and expertise in a specific job, market or product. In other words, it is your ability to work with specific work-related tools, methods and/or software. It entails being able to achieve a task in a particular way, as proven by actual practice.
Wages in Casablanca
Morocco is said to have the highest minimum wage in North Africa, as reported by the International Labour Organisation. It is also considered to be one of the most expensive countries in the region, based on a study conducted by the collaborative database Numbeo.
With regard to the structure of the monthly average net salary by scale groups, it should be noted that workers in the lower or equal scales of 6 receive about 4,900 Dhs per month, compared to 5,400 Dhs per month for supervisory staff on scales 7 to 9. For managers and senior managers (on a scale of 10 and above), the average net monthly salary ranges from 9 600 Dhs upwards.
Language requirements to work in Casablanca
Depending on the position you are applying for, the Arabic language (so-called but most often aimed at Darija) will be more or less necessary. A management or executive position in a multinational company will generally require French, English or Arabic. On the other hand, a position that requires contact with local clients, in human resources, or in a multinational company from the Gulf region will require Arabic. These are mere examples, but it is good to know.
Tips to better brand yourself in Casablanca
Prepare your Curriculum Vitae carefully: you need to make sure that your CV gives accurate information about your personality, academic background, spoken languages, skills, interests and achievements. Do not forget that your CV also reflects your willingness to learn and your potential to contribute to the future development of the company, and you should aim at accentuating briefly your strengths and visions for the future.
Apply for the right job opportunities: one of the mistakes to avoid when seeking a job that does not require any previous experience is to apply for jobs that do not match your academic qualifications, as you may waste your time submitting numerous applications, but in the end, companies will choose the candidate that matches their expectations.
Make a favorable impression at your job interviews: during a job interview, you should aim at impressing, speaking confidently and honestly and demonstrating your strengths and what you can really bring to the company.
Ask for help from experienced people: when you are applying for a job with no prior experience, opt for getting advice and tips from people who are experienced in the field you want to work in.
Look and feel decent: you need to make sure that you appear at your job interview in clothes that make you feel confident without making you look out of place. When speaking to recruiters, try to avoid vulgar language or complex sentences and use natural language.
