28/07/2016 05:25 AST
At around 23%, the soaring rates of youth unemployment across the Middle East and North Africa region are almost twice the global average of 13%. These figures have led to discontent among fresh graduates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), who claim –
According to the Bayt.com ‘Fresh Graduates in the Middle East and North Africa Survey’, fresh graduates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said the greatest challenge standing between them and a successful career is the fact that candidates with work experience are preferred (52%).
According to the recently-released survey by the Middle East’s leading jobsite, and YouGov, an international research organization, the majority of fresh graduates in KSA claimed it was challenging or will be challenging to secure their first job, with 28% of them rating it ‘very difficult’. In addition to employers preferring candidates with work experience, respondents cited lack of knowledge as to where to find relevant jobs (35%) and lack of understanding regarding how to effectively search for jobs (34%) as the main challenges they face when trying to secure their first job.
When asked to rank the most important attributes for them when selecting a job, ‘doing a job I feel passionate about’ emerged as the most important attribute for fresh graduates (40%) in KSA. This was followed by ‘competitive salaries’ (15%), working for a ‘well-known organization’ (8%), and ‘opportunities for career progression’ (8%).
While finding a job may be challenging, fresh graduates in KSA are not giving in. Despite what many perceive as a ‘negative outlook’, the largest proportion (43%) claim they will keep looking until they find a job in their industry of choice. Nevertheless, results also point to a pragmatic youth, with one in every five (20%) fresh Saudi graduates surveyed claiming they will start looking for a job in another industry, and a further 16% claiming they will look for any job no matter the industry.
Unfortunately, the majority (63%) of fresh graduates surveyed in KSA feel they would have fared better in the job market had they selected either a different major (34%), the same major from a different school (12%), or both a different major and a different school (17%).
While a small proportion of fresh graduates in KSA were unaware of what salary they should expect for their first job, 44% received or expected to receive between $750 and $2,000 per month. As may have been expected, results reveal very different salary expectations across the region, with 53% of fresh graduates in Egypt, for example, expecting a monthly salary of $500 or less, while 39% of fresh graduates in the United Arab Emirates saying they would expect a first salary between $1,000 and $3,000 per month.
As for the perceived barriers to getting their first job, those surveyed in KSA believe the primary barriers for hiring fresh graduates in many industries are their ‘lack of experience’ and ‘lack of necessary skills’ (55% and 35%, respectively). However, for the industries which do hire fresh graduates, their lower salary expectations (45%), compliance and willingness to follow instructions (36%) emerged as the key motivations for hiring fresh graduates
“In today’s economic climate, it is important for both prospective employees and employers to be aware of the solutions to finding and creating jobs. When it comes to securing their first job, it would be pertinent for those still in university and fresh graduates to take advantage of internships to gain at least some experience before entering the workforce,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “According to the survey, online job sites were a popular tool for fresh graduates looking to find their first job. Since its launch, Bayt.com has always strived to provide a realistic overview of the opportunities available within the wide variety of industries across the MENA region. Our website
Saudi Gazette
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