Careers in engineering and design, and advertising, marketing and public relations, are the most appealing for fresh graduates in the UAE, according to the latest survey from Bayt.com and YouGov.
Twenty one percent of respondents to the 2020 ‘Fresh Graduates in the Middle East and North Africa’ survey opted for engineering and design, while 18 percent admitted they were keen to pursue employment in advertising, marketing and public relations.
This was followed by education/academia (16 percent) and banking/finance (15 percent).
In terms of industries hiring the highest number of fresh graduates, UAE respondents listed advertising/marketing/public relations (21 percent), banking/finance (18 percent) and hospitality/recreation/entertainment (15 percent).
According to 43 percent of those who took part, some industries employ fresh graduates because they have lower salary expectations; 38 percent believe that the reason behind that is the fact that young graduates are compliant and willing to follow instructions.
In terms of skills required to excel in the workplace, respondents mentioned computer skills (49 percent) as most important, followed by communication skills (44 percent) and interpersonal/team skills (37 percent).
As far as their own personal skills, it was felt that their interpersonal/team playing skills (95 percent), communication skills (90 percent), flexibility/adaptability to change (88 percent), computer (88 percent), and analytical/problem-solving skills (86 percent), to be ‘good’ or ‘very good’.
Significant shift
Zafar Shah, research director, data services at YouGov said: “The 2020 Bayt.com Fresh Graduates in the MENA survey shows that more and more employers are opening their doors to fresh graduates, presenting a significant shift in what employers need in this increasingly digital world.
“Our research reflects the preference of employers in hiring candidates who have already developed interpersonal and technological proficiencies despite being new to the workforce. And this can, in turn, help shape the future of employment across the MENA region.”
The survey revealed that almost a quarter of those graduating in the UAE did so with a qualification in engineering.
The results also showed that 20 percent completed studies in business/commerce/economics, while graduates in accounting/finance made up 14 percent and information technology/computer sciences 11 percent.
Most UAE graduates (49 percent) feel that the biggest challenge they face when searching for a job is lack of previous work experience. Not knowing how to approach the job search effectively (49 percent) is also considered an obstacle.
