Engineering/design (28 per cent), advertising/marketing/public relations (25 per cent) and business consultancy (21 per cent) emerge as the most appealing industries from a career point of view in the UAE, followed by banking/finance (17 per cent) and IT (12 per cent) said a report from top online jobs site Bayt.com and YouGov.

Meanwhile, the majority of fresh graduates (80 per cent) believe that their educational background had prepared them for finding a job in their industry of choice, added the survey entitled “Fresh Graduates in the Mena”.

When looking for a job, nearly 7 in 10 UAE respondents (69 per cent) used or planned to use leading online job sites, followed by direct applications to target companies (49 per cent) and family and friends network (49 per cent). The nature of the job/being passionate about the job emerges as the single most important factor for respondents when selecting a job. The same is true across all countries in the Mena.

The industries that are hiring the highest proportions of fresh graduates according to respondents include advertising/marketing/public relations (28 per cent), banking/finance (17 per cent) and real estate/construction/property development (15 per cent).

Lower expectations on salary (57 per cent) is the main reasons why respondents believe that some industries hire more fresh graduates than others, followed by more willingness to follow instructions (37 per cent). Conversely, 72 per cent of fresh graduates claim that the lack of needed experience is the main reason why some industries are more hesitant to hire them.

Finding a Job in the UAE

Across Mena, one in three respondents feel optimistic about the career and educational opportunities for their generation, as compared to their parents’ generation.UAE residents are the most optimistic about their career and educational opportunities for their generation.

Sixty per cent of UAE graduates claim they acquired work experience during or before their time in college and university, and almost half (43 per cent) had one to six month’s experience. When asked which skills they believe are required to excel in the workplace, respondents mentioned computer and communication skills at 53 per cent as most important respectively, followed by flexibility/adaptability to change (38 per cent). When it comes to personal skills, respondents rate themselves highly across all skills.

Still, finding a job (74 per cent), discovering what to do in life (44 per cent), and saving money (43 per cent) are the top challenges for fresh graduates in the UAE.

Across the region, taking a long time to find a job in chosen field (50 per cent) and insufficient job openings in field (46 per cent) are the most common reasons why respondents are not employed in their field of study. When asked what they will do if they do not find a job in their exact target job role/industry, almost half(47 per cent) of the fresh graduates said they will keep looking until they do, while one-third (36 per cent) said they will start looking into another role/industry of their choice.


“The job market is highly competitive today, and at entry level, due to the high numbers of young people across the region, competition is especially rife. To stand out, fresh graduates need to focus on fine-tuning both their transferable skills and leadership potential, via hands-on internship experiences or specialized courses,” said Suhail Masri, VP Employer Solutions, Bayt.com.

“Ultimately, our goal at Bayt.com is to arm these graduates with the right tools needed to thrive in today’s ever-evolving employment sector. In fact, our job site features thousands of employment opportunities especially catered to fresh graduates. Entry-level candidates can also tap into different tools on Bayt.com that are designed to improve their skills and increase their professional knowledge.”

The role of higher education

While UAE graduates are generally satisfied with the education they receive, many are finding it difficult to find their first job. The main reasons for these challenges are lack of previous work experience (59 per cent), and not knowing how to approach the job search effectively (41 per cent).

Seven in 10 respondents from the UAE considered the availability of jobs in their field of study before deciding on their degree. However, for 63 per cent of UAE respondents, their college did not help them identify or apply for a suitable job. For the remaining 37 per cent, their college helped in a number of ways including career days (46 per cent) job announcements (38 per cent), and open days where companies visit campus to discuss job opportunities with students (35 per cent).

Across the region, engineering was the most popular subject amongst fresh graduates (22 per cent), followed by accounting/finance (15 per cent) and business/commerce/economics (14 per cent). Similarly, in the UAE, one in every three respondents studied engineering in their bachelor/master/PhD degree. Other popular areas of study included business/commerce/economics (22 per cent), accounting/finance (14 per cent), and information technology/computer sciences (12 per cent).

“The recent survey suggests that, while graduates are getting a good and satisfactory education, they are facing serious challenges in their first job hunt. While academic performance is key, fresh graduates also need to rely on extrinsic skills development, work placement and search tools to connect with employers of choice and break into their industry. Even if these tools aren’t offered by the educational institution, job seekers have plenty of online job sites and tools that prepare them for their career journey,” said Kerry McLaren, head of Omnibus Mena, YouGov. – TradeArabia News Service