Thousands of jobs seekers flocked to the Careers UAE Exhibition 2013 as it came to a close today, motivated by positive feedback on companies’ strong recruitment drives.

Productive interactions and networking have resulted in Emiratis forging career-defining links with over 150 recruiting companies in addition to exploring training and education opportunities, a statement from the organisers said.

Thousands of applications have continued to pour in for employment and enrolment opportunities prompting some companies to go further and conduct same-day language testing, in preparation for interviews that will pave the way for the imminent recruitment of Emiratis in the near future.

Employers report that CVs have been increasing not only in quantity but quality, with candidates eager to put into practice the lessons learned from Bayt.com’s heavily-attended CV Clinic, the statement said.   

Zuhair Al Hajj, group director of HR and localisation in the Mena region for Al Futtaim, said: "Our belief in the ambition and talent of young Emiratis has never been greater. All they need are opportunities to transform them into leaders. The confidence we have in them is reciprocated because so far we have attracted more than 460 job applications at Careers UAE Exhibition. We have set aside 450 positions exclusively for Emiratis in 2013."

Obaid Al Shamsi, chief of human resources, Dubai Islamic Bank, said: "DIB’s participation at Careers UAE has become a key component of our larger Emiratisation strategy, giving us an opportunity to meet and select the best Emirati job candidates from across the country. DIB has achieved 100 per cent Emiratisation at branch manager’s level and, across the organisation the figure stands at 46 per cent".

“We aspire to expand our Emirati workforce by more than 10 per cent, and Careers UAE Exhibition is very effective vantage point from which to discover exceptional candidates,” Rashed Ali Al Ansari, general manager, Al Ansari Exchange, said. “We have noticed a progressive shift as the types of questions asked by visitors have become more insightful and in-depth. For instance they are interested in knowing the types of corporate clients they would be dealing with, and opportunities for professional development - as opposed to simply asking about the remuneration or working hours. This shows that their grasp of the job market is becoming more advanced”.

Asma Al Sharif, exhibition manager at Dubai World Trade Centre, said: “As Emirati job seekers return home, Careers UAE Exhibition will leave its mark on their future careers due to the valuable contacts they have made and the lessons learned from inspirational leaders who hail from a range of sectors.”

“Exhibitors are extremely encouraged by the quality of candidates they are seeing as well as the high levels of commitment, drive and ambition demonstrated by these up-and-coming young professionals,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service