Japanese trade officials in the region are worried their nation's disaster will hit the country's exports to the Middle East this year.
But they say its too early to say how many fewer cars and electronic goods will be shipped because of interruptions to industrial output in the country.
"We were expecting better trade results for this year but now I'm not so sure that will be the case," said Hiroki Matsumoto, managing director of Japan External Trade Organisation in the Mena region.
The disaster is the second disruption to the country's regional trade this year. Unrest in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and other economies is also expected to impact exports this year.
Japan is the world's fourth largest exporter and relies heavily on trade revenues to drive its economy.
Middle East consumers are big buyers of Japanese cars like Toyota, Nissan and Honda. Japan was the top exporter of used cars to Dubai in 2009.
Regional demand is also high for TVs, computers and other electronics goods made by companies such as Sony and Toshiba.
tarnold@thenational.ae
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz