Dubai: Just finished university and looking for a job, you have better prospects now as most companies are looking for fresh graduates to hire in UAE and other countries in the MENA region.
The job market in this region is more attractive for those looking forward to join marketing, healthcare, and finance sectors.
Bayt.com has recently conducted the Fresh Graduates in the MENA Survey to help identify which industries are most appealing to fresh graduates in the MENA region and to describe some of the challenges young job seekers face when looking for a job. Many industries are thriving with new career opportunities for fresh graduates, and companies in the public relations, advertising and marketing have emerged as top recruiters.
According to the survey, healthcare and medical services (14 per cent), military/ defence and police (13 per cent), and banking/ finance (13 per cent) have also emerged as the top hiring sectors.
Appealing industry
In the region, advertising, marketing and PR (22 per cent) emerged as the most appealing industry to fresh graduates from a career point of view, followed by IT, internet, and e-commerce (19 per cent), and business consultancy (17 per cent).
Bayt.com conducted the survey in partnership with market research agency YouGov to identify which industries most appeal to fresh graduates in the MENA region. Results are based on a sample composed of respondents from the following countries: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, and several other MENA countries.
What are companies looking for
The survey also said respondents believe some industries hire more fresh graduates than others because of lower salary expectations (42 per cent), while (37 per cent) believe that certain sectors hire more young graduates because they can handle more challenges.
Ola Haddad, General Manager at Bayt.com, said: “Our Fresh Graduates Survey reveals how young job seekers and recent graduates view the job market and identify the most attractive industries from their perspective.”
When asked about the top skills required to excel in the workplace, respondents said computer skills (53 per cent) are the most important, followed by interpersonal/ team skills and communication skills (both at 39 per cent). Respondents across MENA consider their interpersonal/ team playing skills (89 per cent), communication skills (86 per cent), and flexibility/ adaptability to change (85 per cent) to be ‘good’ or ‘very good.’
Challenges faced by fresh graduates
Most MENA graduates (43 per cent) feel that the biggest challenge they face when searching for a job is not knowing how to approach the job search effectively. The survey said that not knowing how to find relevant jobs (43 per cent) is also an obstacle. Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of graduates said they acquired work experience during or before college.
Being passionate about the job (46 per cent) emerges as the most critical factor for MENA respondents when selecting a job. Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of fresh graduates expect to be offered a basic salary for their first job, and 45 per cent expect to get personal medical insurance.
- Key Findings:
- Marketing (24%), Military (17%) and Banking (15%) emerged as the top industries hiring MENA fresh graduates in 2022.
Over 8 in 10 fresh graduates are satisfied with the quality of higher education they received.
When asked about the top skills required to excel in the workplace, respondents mentioned computer skills (61%) as most important, followed by interpersonal/ team playing skills (46%).
Most MENA graduates (43%) feel that the biggest challenge they face when searching for a job is not knowing how to approach the job search effectively.
The nature of the job/ being passionate about the job (40%) emerges as the single most important factor for MENA respondents when selecting a job.