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Job hunting
One-day career fair attracts graduating students searching for work opportunities. Maysam Ali reports.
- By Maysam Ali
- Published: 00:11 May 4, 2008
- Hind Al Shehi, Amena Al Hosani, Maryam Ameer Huda Al Jhari.
- Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News
One-day career fair attracts graduating students searching for work opportunities. Maysam Ali reports.
With approaching graduation, senior students are eagerly searching for work placement. The Dubai International Academic City's (DIAC) Department of Student Services and Programmes last week organised Career Fair 2008, a one-day event that allowed students and graduates to interact with 27 companies in various industries. The fair, which was held at the Dubai Knowledge Village, was organised for the second year in a row. Dr Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director of the Dubai Knowledge Village and DIAC, inaugurated the exhibition. He told Notes that the organisers were expecting more than 3,000 students to visit.
Mixed reviews
Whereas some students said that the fair was good enough in that it brought several reputed recruiting companies under one roof, others said that the number of exhibitors was not sufficient.
Fatima Saeed, business student at Sharjah Women's College (SWC), is looking for a job in accounting, finance or customer care. She said the fair was smaller than those she had visited earlier this year.
Aziza Ali, business technology student at SWC, said the fair was good but limited in scope. Looking for a job that does not require meeting clients, Ali said: "I did not visit the booths related to hospitality and tourism because I prefer a more conservative job."
Aisha Al Echtibi, applied business student at SWC, said the fair was useful because it brought several companies together at one venue. This, she said, makes the task of looking for jobs easier for students.
Her classmate, Laila Al Saeed, agreed. "They have companies here that we really consider when looking for jobs."
According to Dr Ayoub Kazim, the fair is unique in that it is open to all students. This is the second year that it is being held in Dubai Knowledge Village.
Limitations of space curbed the size of the exhibition and the number of participating companies. This will change next year, Kazim said. "This fair was limited by space but we are planning to expand it and move it to Academic City next year," he said.
Opportunities
Nisha Patel, from the National Institute of Technology, India, is looking for an internship during her summer break. "Some companies said they were interested in my CV. I just have to wait for their replies," she said.
Abhishek Singh, graduating student at the Institute of Management and Technology, said he was visiting the exhibition because of the reputation of the companies represented. "I am distributing my CVs and believe there are broad prospects here," he said.
What do you look for in a job fair?
Laila Al Saeed said that the topmost factor for her and her classmates is that their major should suit the job description. "It is important that it matches our character, too," she added. "For example, some of us hate routine while others don't mind it."
In addition, she listed work hours, benefits, company location and the way employees are treated by the company as major factors contributing to their final decision.
How effective are job fairs?
Organisers have not yet compiled statistics on the number of students employed through their job fairs, but intend to do so in the future. According to Kazim, most companies recruited at least three students at the fair. However, there are no exact figures.
"The purpose of the job fair is to enhance our support and relationship with our academic partners. By the same token, we would like to expose industries and match-make between them and the students," Kazim told Notes.
All that is left for students therefore is to do their research and impress employers in order to start off their careers on the right track.
Vacancies to be filled
At the Career Fair, students were invited to visit company booths to learn more about what was on offer; some were asked to post their CVs online rather than hand them over in print.
Procter and Gamble (P&G ) was one of the companies that invited students to apply online. Mian Singh, HR Coordinator for the company, said they were keen to recruit young talent. "It's good to have experience, but it's not necessary because we provide them with adequate training," she said.
The company has been successful in recruiting students from career fairs, Singh said, and had come back for more students this time.
Marketing, finance and accounting, sales, logistics, manufacturing, engineering, management information services, human resources and external relations are the majors that P&G is targeting.
TECOM Investments was using two recruiting strategies at the fair. One was targeted at UAE nationals for the company's UAE Nationals Graduate Development Programme; the other sought to recruit people from various nationalities. With 12 vacancies to fill, the company was eagerly waiting for students to apply.
"We welcome students in media, sales, engineering, pharmacy, business administration, graphic design, management, healthcare and other majors," said Latifa Mohammad, senior coordinator at the Human Capital Department.
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