It’s Not About the Salary: Fresh Graduates in the UAE Want a Job They Feel Passionate About

It’s Not About the Salary: Fresh Graduates in the UAE Want a Job They Feel Passionate About

At around23%, the soaring rates of youth unemployment across the Middle East and North Africa region, are almost twice the global average of13%. These figures have led to discontent among fresh graduates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who claim – according to the Bayt.com ‘Fresh Graduates in the Middle East and North Africa Survey’ – that the greatest challenge standing between them and a successful career is the fact that candidates with work experience are preferred (52%).

According to the recently-released survey by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s leading jobsite, and YouGov, an international research organization, the majority of fresh graduates in the UAE claimed it was challenging or will be challenging to secure their first job, with26% of them rating it ‘very difficult’. In addition to employers preferring candidates with work experience, respondents cited lack of understanding regarding how to effectively search for jobs (36%) and lack of knowledge as to where to find relevant jobs (31%) as the main challenges they face when trying to secure their first job.

When asked to rank the most important attributes for them when selecting a job, ‘doing a job I feel passionate about’ emerged as the most important attribute for fresh graduates (40%) in the UAE. This was followed by ‘competitive salaries’ (14%), ‘opportunities for career progression’ (9%), and a ‘well-known organization’ (9%).

While finding a job may be challenging, fresh graduates in the UAE are not giving in. Despite what many perceive as a ‘negative outlook’, the largest proportion (40%) claim they will keep looking until they find a job in their industry of choice. Nevertheless, results also point to a pragmatic youth, with more than a quarter (27%) fresh UAE graduates surveyed claiming they will start looking for a job in another industry, and a further16% claiming they will look for any job no matter the industry.

Unfortunately, the majority (68%) 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%), the same major from a different school (14%), or both a different major and a different school (26%).

While one in every ten (9%) fresh graduates surveyed in the UAE were unaware of what salary they should expect for their first job,43% received or expected to receive between USD750 and USD2,000 per month. As may have been expected, results reveal very different salary expectations across the region, with53% of fresh graduates in Egypt, for example, expecting a monthly salary of USD500 or less, while46% of fresh graduates in Saudi Arabia saying they would expect a first salary between USD1,000 and USD3,000 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% and32%, respectively). However, for the industries which do hire fresh graduates, their lower salary expectations (49%), compliance and willingness to follow instructions (36%) emerged as the key motivations for hiring fresh graduates.

“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, VP of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “According to the survey, online job sites were a popular tool for fresh graduates looking to find their first job. Since its launch, Bayt.com has always strived to provide a realistic overview of the opportunities available within the wide variety of industries across the MENA region. Our website offers numerous entry-level jobs and internships, as well as information about the job market, with an aim to empower the youth and ensure that they are making sound decisions when it comes to their future career paths. We also recommend that fresh graduates bolster their CVs with tests, courses, and conversations that could also take place on Bayt.com, in order to illustrate a better picture to employers.”

“The results suggest that while fresh graduates across the region expect it to be challenging to find a job, many are resilient and unwilling to compromise on their dreams and ambitions. Indeed, the largest proportion of fresh graduates surveyed claimed they would keep looking until their found a job in their industry of choice and a ‘job they feel passionate about’. Unfortunately, aside from the necessary work experience many graduates also lack an understanding of how or where to look for jobs”, commented Joao Neves, Senior Research Director at YouGov. “Ultimately, results suggest much benefit could be gained by having employers collaborate closely with educational institutions not only to provide internships to students but also to educate them on effective job searching techniques.“

Research was done with4,247 fresh graduates, who had completed their most recent qualification in the last three years, and was conducted between May8 and May22,2016, from the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. All responses were collected online.

  • Date Posted: 25/07/2016
  • Last updated: 25/07/2016
  • Date Posted: 25/07/2016
  • Last updated: 25/07/2016
Comments
(0)