Global talent-hunter Dovile: “All roads in aviation lead to Dubai”

Last year, Dovile Jatkauskaite – a well-travelled personnel recruitment specialist – went to the United Arab Emirates, where she had to train a new colleague. Soon after returning to Lithuania, she started planning to relocate there permanently. As it happened, there was at the time a vacancy at the Dubai office of Dovile’s then-employer Chapman Freeborn – a charter service provider and part of Avia Solutions Group. And with that, she was able to move to her dream city. Dovile now enjoys meeting people from many different cultures every day at work, as well as inspiring co-workers and a breathtaking panorama of high-rise buildings unfolding outside her office window.

A life-changing secondment

“During my secondment, I was in Dubai for a week, but didn’t get to see much of the city. At the time, I didn’t even realise how much I liked it. But once I returned to Lithuania, I started thinking about going back there more and more. Three months later, I learned that an employee I had trained myself was leaving to work in the US – Chapman Freeborn has a branch there. After a few weeks spent looking for a replacement, I simply messaged my manager: ‘What if I filled the position in Dubai myself?’,” Dovile remembered.

Prior to her move to Dubai, she had lived in London for nine years, before returning to Lithuania where she soon found employment in an aviation company. Thanks to her extensive personnel recruitment know-how, Dovile quickly realised that aviation was an industry where specific knowledge and experience were a must.

According to her, Chapman Freeborn is looking for personnel in many different countries. The company operates a wide variety of charter flights, transporting everything from bulky aircraft parts to racehorses.

“For more than fifty years now, our company has been organising not only commercial but also humanitarian flights to deliver aid, e.g., food and pharmaceuticals. My task is to sift through hundreds of applications to each open position and select candidates who have all the competencies and personal qualities we need – they must speak more than one foreign language, understand the process for resolving logistical issues, and be capable of communicating diplomatically, as well as promptly finding whatever unconventional solutions might be required,” Dovile said.

A touch of Lithuanian aviation in the city of high-rises

According to Dovile, Dubai is an international city that equals, and in many ways even rivals, such metropolises as London, which she knows very well. Since almost 90% of its inhabitants are foreign nationals – respect and openness predominate. Despite her extensive social circle, Dovile says she mostly associates with other Lithuanians working in aviation, and even calls her workplace a kind of aviation hub.

“I feel as though we were the emissaries of Lithuanian aviation in Dubai. The foreigners I meet often joke that when they run into a Lithuanian here who works in aviation, the employer is likely Avia Solutions Group,” Dovile shared.

She told us that although there aren’t yet many Lithuanians in Dubai, there’s no shortage of opportunities and events for them all to meet each other. The locals are sometimes even surprised when they see an entire bar “occupied” by fans eagerly supporting their national basketball team.  

Hiring in aviation – a highly responsible and painstaking process

Aviation personnel recruitment specialists often encounter the myth that only pilots and flight crew work in aviation. In reality, however, there’s a place for experts from all spheres in this industry.

“Ironically, it is precisely the hiring of pilots and flight crews that I’m not involved with. We’re mostly looking for air brokers and business development specialists. This line of work requires not only professionalism and punctuality but also the ability to make new connections with extremely different people – from representatives of humanitarian organisations to members of royal families,” Dovile explained.

“In Saudi Arabia, demand for private aviation is growing very fast. In Dubai, we receive a hundred or even more job applications every day, yet most applicants either overestimate their abilities or don’t really understand what the job would entail,” she emphasised.

From Dubai – to any place in the world

Dovile always loved travelling, and her life in Dubai provides ample opportunity to explore other countries. This is due to its excellent international connectivity, as Dubai’s airport is second globally in terms of passenger numbers. Last year alone, the city served 92 million incoming and outgoing passengers.

“Back when I was living in London, I grew used to feeling like I could quickly fly almost anywhere in the world, but the number of options in Dubai is on another level. When looking for a flight to any country, you typically have several if not a dozen choices. And since the city itself is mid-way between Europe and Asia, you can easily plan a weekend trip even to countries that you’d otherwise have to travel half way around the world to reach. Just recently I flew to Thailand for a weekend to see my favourite music artist from the United Kingdom,” Dovile shared.

For Dovile, life in big cities is attractive due to the opportunities they offer, hence she currently has no plans to return to Lithuania.

“People often ask me if I intend to go back to Lithuania. My answer is simple – my home is wherever I’m at. Right now I feel like I’ve finally settled in Dubai, but I’ve yet to exhaust all the amazing opportunities this city has to offer,” she adds.