DOHA: Majority of graduates in Qatar consider setting up their own business, a recent research has found.
The ‘Fresh Graduates in the Middle East and North Africa’ survey, recently conducted by job site and research agency Bayt.com, has revealed that despite the majority of respondents in Qatar saying that finding a job is a challenge faced by fresh graduates, 67 percent are considering entrepreneurship as a viable career option.
Two in 10 graduates completed their most recent qualification in Qatar, with 36 percent having studied engineering as part of their highest degree. Seventy-seven percent were satisfied with the quality of higher education they received, considering the preparation it gave them for the workplace to be mostly ‘good’ (46 percent).
According to Qatar graduates, the most appealing industries from a career point of view are engineering and design (26 percent), oil, gas and petrochemicals (22 percent), and banking and finance (19 percent). Four in 10 respondents (39 percent) state that their education prepared them to target the industry of their choice only to ‘some extent’.
For four in 10 Qatar respondents, the most important attribute when selecting a job is experience in the field they want to work in, followed by a well-known company. When seeking their first job, 73 percent of Qatar graduates used or plan to use leading online job sites. Direct applications to target companies and finding a job through their network of family and friends are also highly used.
Most graduates (71 percent) feel that the biggest challenge they face in finding a job is that employers are looking for candidates with previous experience, though knowing how to develop good interview skills is also considered to be a challenge by 32 percent. It took less than three months for 21 percent of working respondents to find their first job. About a quarter of respondents (23 percent) stayed or anticipate staying in their first job for one to two years, or less than one year (23 percent). Salary expectations for Qatar fresh graduates are high; 18 percent expect to receive between $1001-1500, while 12 percent anticipate $2,001-3000.
According to 68 percent of respondents, their college or university did not help them to identify job opportunities. For those whose colleges assisted them, job announcements (48 percent) and assistance in writing a CV and cover letter (43 percent) helped them. Six in 10 (63 percent) respondents acquired work experience either before or during their time at university, with 32 percent having spent one to six months in a work placement.
Sixty-five percent of Qatar graduates are planning to pursue higher education, with the UK being the most popular destination to do so outside of their country of residence. Graduates are also keen to travel abroad for employment purposes, with 75 percent stating they will consider relocating for a job. They would prefer to move to the UAE (52 percent), UK (31 percent), or Canada (27 percent).
The Peninsula
