Jobs in the telecoms, Information Technology (I.T.) and media sectors are in increasing demand among job-seeking Emiratis, according to findings by Careers UAE, the leading recruitment and training fair for UAE nationals, which returns to Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from March 19-21.
Trends identified in post-event reports and visitor feedback from last year’s show put opportunities in the telecoms, I.T. and media sectors among candidates’ top 10 most sought-after industries, alongside the conventional mainstay segments of finance, governmental, engineering, and oil and gas.
“This developing trend reflects increasing recognition amongst Emirati job seekers of the wealth of opportunities and career progression that exists in these new age industries, and particularly how they are playing a major role in the development of Dubai’s Smart City ambitions and the UAE’s strategy of emerging as a credible knowledge-based economy,” explained Asma Al Sharif, Show Director – Careers UAE 2019.
“The sheer scale of opportunities opening up from UAE-wide adoption of strategies to advance technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation and blockchain, appeal to Emirati’s nation-building ambitions and enable them to play an active role in reshaping business and the economy.”
UAE telecommunications giant, Etisalat, which is back at Careers UAE for the 19th consecutive year, is aiming to capitalise on the sector’s popularity by filling numerous roles at the show.
“The telecoms industry is constantly evolving and we are seeking to hire the best talent for roles within our Technology, IT, Sales and marketing departments,” said Younis Al Nimr, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, Etisalat. “Platforms such as Careers UAE provide us with a perfect opportunity to engage with the right people to help build a smart future for Etisalat as we continue to set the trend in telecoms.”
Cisco, the worldwide leader in IT and networking, is another major name looking to capitalise on Emirati recruits’ penchant for technology-related roles.
“Our objective is to find talented local graduates for various employment opportunities. We want to showcase our cutting-edge technologies, give attendees an insight into Cisco’s amazing culture, what we are doing, and how they can be part of our innovative global organization” said Maya Javeed, Cisco’s University Recruitment Lead - UK and Middle East.
The IT and media trend is also being leveraged by online internship placement agency Oliv, a Careers UAE 2019 exhibitor, which sees new era sectors such as Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and their evolving sub-sectors more in demand than conventional career opportunities.
“We've seen high demand for engineering and business majors across various specialisations including civil engineering and data scientists. From a candidate's perspective, the two most common backgrounds we see from recent graduates are engineering and mass communications backgrounds, which breakdown further into various sub-specialisations such as bio-chemical engineering for would-be engineers. The country’s creative or digital savvy youth are also pursuing careers in mass communications, an acknowledgement of how the evolving social and digital media landscape is impacting the next generation,” explained Mieray Arotine, Director - Business Execution at Oliv.
Demand for media industry posts follows the outstanding success of many pioneering Emiratis who are carving out careers in design, or as social media bloggers, influencers and digital campaign developers.
Latifa Al Shamsi, one of the first Emirati fashion, food and travel bloggers, will use a speaking spot at this year’s show to outline her experiences in the media sector since launching her platform in 2010, as well as further opportunities waiting to be seized.
“I think social media has opened doors and shown people there are many new careers that have become hugely popular. One of the top occupations at present is that of a motivational speaker. This would never have come to anyone’s mind a decade ago. I think young Emiratis are very interested in digital platforms because social media has opened doors to unlimited knowledge. People love that – the amount of information you get in a few seconds is amazing and beyond our imagination.”
The UAE is recognised for its high adoption of new technology and Al Sharif believes that today’s Emirati youth increasingly want to be involved in the creation of consumer-facing digital content.
“Digital is now being integrated into all facets of local life, including business and government,” added Al Sharif. “All business and governmental sectors at the show appear to be searching for Emiratis with the talent, skills and desire to succeed in careers where technology and communications have a transformative role to play.”
Huge prospects can be unearthed at Careers UAE given the show’s results pedigree. Last year exhibitors amassed over 41,250 CVs when they prioritised fresh school leavers and graduates looking for their first jobs and more senior Emiratis with three-to-five years’ experience.
“For their part, the visitors told us that securing job opportunities was their highest priority, followed by meeting potential employers, networking, securing training and attending workshops and seminars,” explained Al Sharif. “This year we have boosted the show’s value-added features to boost the visitor experience.”
In addition to inspirational talks and interactive activities, Careers UAE 2019 will roll-out the OlivTalent Hunt in partnership with Oliv, where visitors get face-to-face time and meet hiring managers from major exhibitors in a speed interview format.
Careers UAE 2019, which is open daily from 10am to 6pm between March 19-21, is exclusively for UAE nationals and HR practitioners.
