As you might have gathered from my name, I’m not exactly your stereotypical Anglo-Saxon. I’m actually descended from communities in Rural Pakistan. I’ve only been over there once when I was young to see my Great Uncle, and aside from holidays I’ve never really left the rainy corner of England that I call ‘home’.

And yet, now the economic tides are closing in all around me. I’ve heard a few friends remark that they think that the job market is turning against them. Obviously, it is for everyone right now, but it’s hardly news that there is anti-immigrant sentiment out there and some of that must be feeding into hiring choices. I’m not saying that I’ve been denied a job because of my background, but I am wondering whether I should start to think about looking elsewhere…

With my background in technical matters, I was thinking about a taking a temporary job in Dubai or something. I see lots of positions which match my areas of expertise.

Oddly, I think the thing that might stop me would be the weather! Having grown up in the cold and sleet (and it is bloody cold today, I might add) I’m not sure how I feel about working in the stifling heat of the Middle East. I know you might be thinking that us Asians are somehow naturally impervious to extremes of heat, but that’s not right. Even if it was true, my family come from Northern Pakistan and by my dad’s telling the winters there make UK winters look like nothing.

So what do you think? Should I take a short-term job abroad in order to escape the economic climate over here. I’d miss my friends, family and Gregg’s pasties but it would definitely look good on my CV….