Abdullah Al Mansoori, Executive Director, Qatar Career Fair, answers frequently asked questions about the annual recruitment event.
How many visitors have you received?
In three days, almost 30,000 visited the fair.
There is good improvement in the number of visitors this year. At the same time, the number of people visiting the booths has become less, because this year we posted all offers on our website almost a month before the career fair. Everyone who was planning to visit the event has chosen the best for them by visiting our website, so, instead of visiting 40 to 50 stands, they visit five to six.
Statistics say there are around 3,000 Qataris looking for jobs?
Yes, records say that they are searching for jobs, which doesn’t mean that they are unemployed. They are searching for jobs and looking for better opportunities. Some do not have jobs at the moment because of certain reasons. For example, may be they don’t want to work in a mixed environment; some have very specific requirements, others are not qualified enough or they are not accepting the jobs being offered to them.
What type of jobs do the majority of Qataris prefer?
According to the information we have on our website, companies have more of technical jobs, such as for engineers. Most Qataris are seeking administrative jobs; they study management, administration and marketing.
Why do Qataris prefer administrative jobs?
They have not got proper career advice, guidance or counselling. They think if you need to have a good life, you should be a manager. After career counselling, many change their minds.
Unlike in the West, we don’t have career counsellors at schools. Here you will find an academic advisor, and they are not well equipped with information about the labour market. At the career fair we have counsellors, and some companies give self-assessment tests to high school students. Based on that, they can go back, think and decide about a career.
What do you say about the allegation that lot of money is pumped into QCF yet it doesn’t produce results?
It is expensive to participate in Qatar Career Fair. If it’s not rewarding enough, why does the number of participants increase every year? Every year we add conditions for participating in the fair. On average, participation increases by 20 to 25 percent every year. If it is not really worth it, the companies won’t participate.
Do you allow expatriate visitors to the QCF?
Qatar Career Fair is for Qatari youth between the ages of 16 and 26 years; it is not even for all Qataris, although you can see other Qataris and even expatriates.
A strategic decision was to allow everyone. As for the expatriates, the companies will advise them how to apply for jobs.
THE PENINSULA
