Passion trumps money for fresh Middle East graduates

dubai - Lack of work experience and knowledge on where to find jobs are biggest challenges

Fresh graduates in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries find it challenging to land their first job as employers ask for work experience, according to a latest survey.

The survey findings revealed: "It's not about the salary, fresh graduates in the UAE want a job they feel passionate about."

The greatest challenge standing between fresh graduates and a successful career is the fact that candidates with work experience are preferred (52 per cent), according to the Bayt.com 'Fresh Graduates in the Middle East and North Africa Survey'.

According to the survey, conducted by Bayt.com and research company YouGov, the majority of fresh graduates in the UAE claimed it was challenging or would be challenging to secure their first job, with 26 per cent rating it 'very difficult'.

Respondents also cited lack of understanding on how to effectively search for jobs (36 per cent) and lack of knowledge on where to find relevant jobs (31 per cent) as other main challenges when trying to secure their first job.

When asked to rank the most important attributes when selecting a job, 'doing a job I feel passionate about' emerged as the most important attribute for fresh graduates (40 per cent) in the UAE. This was followed by competitive salaries (14 per cent), opportunities for career progression (nine per cent), and a well-known organisation (nine per cent).

While finding a job may be challenging, fresh graduates in the UAE are not giving up. Despite what many perceive as a 'negative outlook', the largest proportion (40 per cent) claim they will keep looking until they find a job in their industry of choice.

Nevertheless, results also point to pragmatic youth, with more than a quarter (27 per cent) of fresh UAE graduates claiming they will start looking for a job in another industry, and a further 16 per cent claiming they will look for any job, irrespective of the industry.

Unfortunately, the majority (68 per cent) of fresh graduates surveyed in the UAE feel they would have fared better in the job market had they selected either a different major (28 per cent), the same major from a different school (14 per cent), or both a different major and a different school (26 per cent).

While one in every 10 (nine per cent) fresh graduates surveyed in the UAE were unaware of what salary they should expect for their first job, 43 per cent received or expected to receive between $750 and $2,000 per month.

Results reveal very different salary expectations across the region, with 53 per cent of fresh graduates in Egypt, for example, expecting a monthly salary of $500 or less, while 46 per cent of fresh graduates in Saudi Arabia saying they would expect a first salary between $1,000 and $3,000 per month.

As for the perceived barriers to getting their first job, those surveyed in the UAE believe the primary barriers for hiring fresh graduates in many industries are their 'lack of experience' and 'lack of necessary skills' (57 per cent and 32 per cent, respectively).

"In today's economic climate, it is important for both prospective employees and employers to be aware of the solutions to finding and creating jobs. When it comes to securing their first job, it would be pertinent for those still in university and fresh graduates to take advantage of internships to gain at least some experience before entering the workforce," said Suhail Masri, vice-president of employer solutions, Bayt.com.

- abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com