Top Companies and Biggest Employers in Baghdad: A Budget Student’s Breakdown

i woke up today thinking about how freaking expensive it is to live in baghdad. like, seriously, my roommate and i share a fridge that’s half spoiled hummus and half regrets. but while we’re ranting about rent (and yes, i’ll blow up a data table later because numbers are the only thing keeping us from madness), let’s talk about jobs. specifically, the top companies and biggest employers here. because if you’re a budget student like me, you either need to land one of these gigs or start a hustle that involves selling kebabs and crypto at the same time.

so, first off, let me just say this: baghdad’s job market is a dumpster fire. i mean, not literally, but hear me out. you could walk into a random office and offer to fix their printer for $5, and they’d thank you. no joke. but that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities. especially if you’re desperate or clever. or both. which i am. kind of.

one company that stands out? al-futtaim. yeah, that suv dealership everyone hates. i heard whispers at the damn coffee shop that they’re hiring tech support people. not because they need innovation, but because their old systems are breaking down faster than aladdin’s magic carpet on a taco night. but the catch? you have to speak english and survive their 9am-7pm office hours in a place called merchant street. which is 30 minutes away from my place. which is in a part of town that smells like old wheels and ambition.

then there’s the banks. all the banks. national bank of iraq, global bank, whatever. they’re all based in this giant building with a clock that stopped working in 2019. i overheard two guys arguing yesterday about whether they should hire an intern to organize paperwork. the answer, according to the senior accountant, is absolutely not. but they took my resume anyway. probably because i cried during a PowerPoint presentation about my future. which is a skill, honestly.

let’s not forget about the tech scene. or lack thereof. baghdad’s got startups? sure. but most of them are just folks in basements selling instagram filters for dinars. one of them hit me up after i rambled about job hunting while they were sipping mate in a park. his app is called something like ‘fortune cookie dreams’ and it’s crime statistics in baghdad. genius. but he said if i want real tech jobs, i need to target foreign companies. like, oil rigs or construction firms that need english speakers. which makes sense. oil still pays here, right?

here’s where the data table comes in. i promise it’s not because i’m a nerd. i just want to scream these numbers into the void while someone else plugs in their power bank.

ok, that’s ugly, but hey, it’s data. now, if you’re a student, the cost of living here is like being trapped in a blender with greed and poor life choices. let’s say you’re paying $200/month for a room? no, a moon. or is that a one-bedroom? i lost track after week three. but rent is real. and so is the pressure to find a job that doesn’t involve begging shareholders for tips.

now, about safety. i’m not gonna sugarcoat it. baghdad’s not london at 3am. last week, a friend of mine got robbed at a street art spot near al-hakmia park. the thief took his headphones and left. or maybe he just left because the artist was wearing a hat. who knows. but the point is, some companies are located in safer areas. like the tech ones in mabel street? i think. i’m not sure if that’s real or if i’m hallucinating from too many energy drinks.

but here’s the kicker: some of the biggest employers? they’re not even in baghdad. like the oil companies. sure, they have offices here, but their actual HQs are in london or dubai. which means they move people around like chess pieces. so if you want stability, maybe apply to one of those multinationals. but if you want adventure, work at a local startup and hope their emotional support faux-leather couch doesn’t bite you.

the weather here? let’s just say it’s a silent scream. 40 degrees celsius in july, and in december, it’s like the city forgot how to breathe. my neighbor’s ac broke last month, and for two weeks, we all took turns suffering in his apartment. which was next to a pizza place that plays opera music at 2am. which is a vibe, honestly. speaking of neighbors, you can drive 15 minutes to seman and find a park. or take a bus to usersa and pretend you’re in a different country. not really, but it’s fun to try.

here’s some ‘drunk advice’ i got last night from a guy who claims to be a professional at failing at job interviews. he said, ‘don’t trust the companies that ask for your id and* your family tree. that’s a red flag. also, never work at a place that serves food from a cart unless they have a menu. last time, someone served me йогурт with a side of existential dread.’

and that’s why i’m still single. but hey, at least i know which companies to avoid.

if you want to dive deeper, check out the TripAdvisor Business Page for Baghdad to see which hotels are owned by the same people who run the banks. or maybe don’t. i don’t know. my last vacation there ended with me hiding in a soup kitchen. don’t ask how.

Yelp Baghdad Guide is another goldmine. don’t trust the reviews, though. last night, someone posted, ‘best coffee in town! i also had a mystical experience with the barista. he’s a prophet.’ i took that as a warning.

lastly, if you’re feeling spicy, join the Baghdad Subreddit on Reddit. they’ve got job postings, rants about traffic, and a weekly thread about whether kabobs are better than grilled cheese. it’s like a digital version of that old guy in the alley who sells you expired bread and tells stories. unreliable, but thrilling.

so yeah, baghdad’s job scene is a mess. dive in, break a leg, or just survive. either way, you’ll have stories. which is what i came here to tell you. mostly. i think i fell asleep mid-paragraph while writing this. but hey, that’s the human touch, right?

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