UAE jobs: Don't waste your time during Covid-19, graduates warned


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

Employment experts have urged graduates in the UAE not to waste their time during the pandemic.

Despite one of the toughest job markets in generations, they said how youngsters handled the uncertainty was crucial to a successful interview.

It follows a recent survey that revealed half of Emirati students expect a starting salary of Dh15,000 to Dh30,000 a month, while 58 per cent of expatriate students expect a starting pay of Dh2,500 to Dh7,500 per month.

This tallies with what UAE-based consultants were seeing with graduates drawing salaries around Dh7,500 to Dh8,000 a month.

We don't want to hear about someone who drifted. We would be looking for people who kept themselves busy in a meaningful way

"The student’s expectations are spot-on," said Marketa Simkova, partner at global professional services firm KPMG. “For an expat, earning around Dh10,000 for a first job is realistic, while for an Emirati, a starting salary of Dh15,000 is expected," she said. "If they go for an internship, their salaries are below Dh5,000."

It comes as recruiters say the job market is slowly picking up speed again. But the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated a gulf between generations with people aged under 25 far more likely to be unemployed, a recent global report by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development revealed.

Global unemployment rates have surged by 4.9 per cent since February - from 11.7 per cent to 16.6 per cent - for those aged 15 to 24, more than double the rise for those aged 25 and over.

"We don't want to hear about someone who drifted," said Sally Jeffery, Middle East education leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the global consulting firm.

"We would be looking for the mature ones who have a sense of purpose ... people who would have kept themselves busy in a meaningful way.

"When you get that job interview and the employer asks about how you coped in the pandemic, you should have a story to tell."

An example would be a project such as helping to paint one's grandparent's house, which could be used as a character-forming experience that shows one as a self-starter.

She advised students to keep busy and stay open to options, even unpaid ones.

Employers said they preferred to hire people who had some experience - even if it was volunteering or working for a charity where they could show they helped the community.

Marketa Simkova, partner at KPMG, advised students to do internships and gain work experience. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Marketa Simkova, partner at KPMG, advised students to do internships and gain work experience. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ignore titles while job-hunting amid pandemic

Experts also encouraged graduates to ignore job titles and look at responsibilities within the role.

“With the level of disruption from technology re-inventing roles every couple of years or possibly less, a title now is but a temporary thing," said Ms Jeffery.

She warned graduates about being in a role where they may be overpaid for the value they were contributing to the organisation.

This may be the case with fresh graduates with sought after skills.

She advised graduates to ensure their contribution caught up with their cost and stayed in check, otherwise they could get trapped in increasingly stale roles.

Internships

Other employment experts said internships - even virtual ones - can help them get a foot on the employment ladder.

Ms Simkova said students needed to start with internships to learn about a job's true role.

“Internships get students to try different types of careers and they can see what suits their personality and preferences best," she said.

"We do not like to hire people who just have academic knowledge."

She advised students to seek assessments on which career suited them best.

Radhika Punshi, managing director of psychometric testing firm, Talent Enterprise, called on students to get a reality check through work experience early in their careers.

"This year there are not as many full-time jobs as companies are recovering from the pandemic," she said.

She advised students to build their social media profiles, stay active on networking platforms and attend virtual webinars and conferences.

Use social media to seek opportunities

Ms Simkova advised graduates against just applying for jobs through websites or job postings as many people followed the same course of action.

She said her organisation received hundreds of CVs every day and job-hunters needed to stand out from the crowd.

Graduates could try approaching people directly within the company and in the department that they wished to work in.

“Everyone applies through a website," said Ms Simkova. "I would tell jobseekers to be proactive and use social media to get jobs."

FFP EXPLAINED

What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.

What the rules dictate? 
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.

What are the penalties? 
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.

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THREE
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Saturday  (UAE kick-off times)

Leganes v Getafe (12am)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Levante v Alaves (4pm)

Real Madrid v Sevilla (7pm)

Osasuna v Valladolid (9.30pm)

Sunday

Eibar v Atletico Madrid (12am)

Mallorca v Valencia (3pm)

Real Betis v Real Sociedad (5pm)

Villarreal v Espanyol (7pm)

Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)

Monday

Barcelona v Granada (12am)

Match info

Athletic Bilbao 0

Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)

The Florida Project

Director: Sean Baker

Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe

Four stars

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Spec%20sheet
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PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS

Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

UAE squad

Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Harry%20%26%20Meghan
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Stormy seas

Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.

We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice. 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Fixtures and results:

Wed, Aug 29:

  • Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
  • Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
  • UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs

Thu, Aug 30: 

  • UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
  • Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
  • Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets

Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal

Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore

Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu, Sep 6: Final

Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)

Nancy Ajram

(In2Musica)

What is a Ponzi scheme?

A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.

The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman

Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870

Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder

Transmission Seven-speed PDK

Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm

Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km

MATCH INFO

What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae

How to help

Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.

Account name: Dar Al Ber Society

Account Number: 11 530 734

IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734

Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae

%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA

First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam

Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra

Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000