Choosing a career is now increasingly complicated as the age-old options of engineering, medicine or law give way to a market full of new choices. But with advancements in technology come a crop of new professions. Today's students are opting to pursue careers in psychology, event management and social media, a trend supported by the rising number of institutions offering a plethora of new-age career courses. Here's a look at five sought-after careers today:
Event management
The UAE has established itself as a tourism haven and destination for large-scale events such as the Formula One, Dubai International Film Festival, Rugby Sevens and the FIFA Club World Cup, so the need to have specialists in this field is evident.
"With visions of hosting the Olympics here, event management and its relevant divisions will have massive recruitment and staffing requirements — especially amongst the UAE nationals themselves," says Nowshir Engineer, Founder, Executive Director-EMDI Institute of Media & Communication.
Renewable energy
The growing demand for new energy resources will require specialists who help a company find and develop these resources. Not only in the Middle East but across the world there is an immediate environmental concern over the current and future consequences of climate change and the depletion of resources.
Dr James Mackin, Provost, Abu Dhabi University, says, "Engineering and Natural science careers will be in demand in the next couple of years in the region, especially in Abu Dhabi, because there are so many advanced technology, infrastructure, industrial and construction management projects coming up to meet the goals of Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030."
Abu Dhabi is the home of Masdar Institute, which is the world's first graduate research institution dedicated to alternative energy and sustainable technologies. It has been selected as the lead research institution to represent the GCC in the European Union-GCC Clean Energy Network. There are many other universities in the region that offer various undergraduate and graduate programmes in electric power engineering, water and environment engineering to name a few.
Communications
The rise of social media has also led to an increased awareness and interest in communication studies. As companies rush to make themselves seen and heard in cyberspace — @Etisalat, @RitzCarltonME and @Jumeirah are just some of the local companies already on Twitter, for example — we're seeing an increased demand for communication and media strategists. Businesses now need specialists who aren't fazed by terms such as SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and vertical search.
"Be it fresh graduates or experienced professionals, local employers are seeking for more enthusiasm, creativity and innovation in the way they communicate with their target audience," says Dr. Mackin. "This is because the UAE has got its hands on the most inspiring initiatives and innovative ideas for the future," he adds.
Business analysis
Many young people aspire to become entrepreneurs while others hope to diversify and contribute to their family businesses. With government and financial institutions offering to support small and medium enterprises, it is now easier than ever for students to start something of their own.
Rema Menon, Director of Counselling Point, an education and social services institution says, "Not so long ago, students from the region had very few higher education institutions that offered such specialisations. With more institutions opening up, our students have more choices but we are still lagging behind in several areas."
"These days there are various competitions like The Young Enterprise and The Big Start, that are being promoted locally. Students find the prospect of setting up something or contributing to an already set up venture an opportunity to make a difference."
She adds that youngsters today are willing to take risks unlike their forefathers who aspired for stability and a regular income.
Psychology
A degree in psychology, opens up a variety of new career opportunities — several that fit into various roles in an organization — where you need to handle behavioral management job roles.
Menon believes there are many areas one can specialise in within this topic — social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, biological psychology, and individual differences.
"Psychology graduates progress to a wide variety of careers, including business, teaching, counselling/therapy, and market research. Psychology graduates may also train as clinical, educational, forensic, health or sports psychologists," she adds. n
