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Mena firms looking for entry-level professionals

Dubai, May 25, 2014

If you’re graduating soon then you should rejoice as the majority of employers in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region are looking for entry-level professionals, says a Bayt.com report.

Indeed, the latest Bayt.com Middle East Job Index Survey shows that hiring trends in the next 12 months will be mostly toward the younger generation who are looking for entry-level positions.

According to the survey, almost 60 per cent of companies across the GCC, North Africa and Levant expect to hire new candidates in the next three months, with the highest expectancy in the GCC countries. Most of these hires will be made by private sector companies. For the most part, 69pc of companies who are looking to hire in the next three months will create up to 10 job openings.
The majority of these jobs will be for junior executives (36pc), executives (28pc), and coordinators (28pc). As for the next 12 months, a whopping 68pc of companies in the region anticipate that they will hire.

More organizations in the power, hospitality/ recreation/ entertainment, and retail industries are definitely hiring within the next three months.

If you’re about to complete a degree in business, engineering or IT, then you’re among the lucky ones. The most desirable qualifications to have in the Mena region according to the survey are business management (23pc), commerce (22pc), administration (21pc), computer science (21pc), and engineering (20pc).

Data obtained from the survey further strengthens the view that being bilingual in the Mena region is a big plus, as 56pc of Mena employers prefer professionals with good communication skills in Arabic and English.

Other skills rated high among young professionals include team-player skills (47pc), good personality (43pc) and leadership skills (41pc).

Most Attractive Industries
In terms of attracting and retaining top talent in the Mena region, both the banking/finance industry and the construction sectors are rated highly by 33pc of the surveyed employers. The telecommunication industry is also perceived as popular, with 30pc of Mena employers rating it high for attracting and retaining talent.

Top Work Destinations
Across the Mena region, 41pc of jobseekers consider their country to be more attractive, career-wise, than other countries. This is especially true in the GCC, where six in 10 would prefer to stay in their own country rather than move elsewhere. In North Africa and the Levant, the majority would prefer to look beyond their own country to find employment.

How to Get Started
To benefit from this favourable job market and to be more visible, a good piece of advice for fresh graduates would be to create an online personal brand. According to the Bayt.com ‘Personal Branding in the Middle East and North Africa’ poll, September 2013, 92pc of professionals in the Mena region feel that a good personal brand can help you get more interviews. The Bayt.com People platform (people.bayt.com) allows you to create one easily.




Tags: Jobs | Bayt |

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