DUBAI // University graduates are likely to be familiar with the concept of speed dating, but are less likely to have tried it with potential employers.
However, that was the concept behind a recruitment fair on Monday and it seemed to be a hit as organisers had to extend the event to cope with demand.
The interviewing event was initially open to only a select group of 200 graduates, but word quickly spread on social media and many had to be turned away when they arrived after the 9.30am deadline.
The Talent Hunt event was held at the Capital Club in Dubai International Financial Centre and was organised by InternsME, which aims to connect graduates with employers.
“We had initially planned for about 240 people, including any extra graduates who came on the day,” said Jean-Michel Gauthier, the company’s chief executive, who was overwhelmed by the response.
“However, I think the people we invited told their friends about it, so we had many more people turn up, probably close to 400.”
The thinking behind the event was to give an opportunity to graduates and employers alike to meet face-to-face rather than graduates anonymously sending out CVs, he said.
“You can see that there is talent in the UAE but that it is a tremendously competitive environment and you need to stand out from the crowd if you want companies to notice you,” Mr Gauthier said.
Eager candidates, some of whom had arrived an hour early, stood around desks waiting their turn to have a speed interview with prospective employers.
Stephanie Al Khoury, 25, from Lebanon, who graduated from the Lebanese University in Beirut with a BA in banking and finance, was hunting for a job in marketing or sales.
Although there are more opportunities in Dubai, she said, it was a much more competitive environment here compared with Lebanon.
Ms Al Khoury had interviews with Kcal, Aramex and Sephora and was hopeful of a positive outcome.
“Some of them said that they needed interns but I’m looking for a permanent job so we’ll see,” she said. “I just went into the interviews and tried to be myself and I think that came through.”
Yoana Doycheva, 24, from Bulgaria, completed a degree in applied imagination in the creative industries, from Central Saint Martins college of arts and design in London, and had been in Dubai on and off for the past year.
“I really like the way it’s been designed because you can talk to the companies directly and that way you can make an impact on people,” she said.
Ms Doycheva is looking for a job in advertising and was hopeful about at least one of her interviews.
Palestinian Abdullah Barakji, 22, graduates next year with an e-business degree from the Canadian University of Dubai.
He spoke with Intel and Digitas LBI but faced a problem common to many new graduates.
“Employers ideally want someone with experience but you can’t get experience unless someone gives you a job.
“So it’s a bit of a catch-22 situation,” he said.
Yousef Ahmad Hamza, a partner at Envestors investment company, interviewed more than 100 people during the three-hour event.
“Although it is time consuming, it is probably the best way to interview people because I can tell within the first hello and handshake if that person is the right one for us,” he said.
He was impressed by a handful of people but did have a few whom he asked to leave after they had made a poor first impression.
“I had three people tap me on the shoulder and put their CVs on my arm,” he said.
He urged candidates to prepare well and have knowledge of the company they want to work for, have good English and be confident.
Roland Daher, from Wamda, a company that supports entrepreneurs, believes more should be done by universities to prepare graduates for the world of work.
“We do find that many candidates are unprepared for when they join the workforce.”
He advised graduates to improve their communication skills because that is what would give them an edge when looking for work.
With the success of the inaugural event, InternsME plans to host regular speed interview events in future.
For more details visit www.internsme.com.
nhanif@thenational.ae
The Dictionary of Animal Languages
Heidi Sopinka
Scribe
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3
Danilo (16'), Bernardo Silva (34'), Fernandinho (72')
Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Ulloa (20')
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')
Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')
Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Specs
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Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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Transmission: nine-speed automatic
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Race results:
1. Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi: 46.44 min
2. Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team: 0.91sec
3. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team: 31.43sec
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
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Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
