UAE jobs: Don't waste your time during Covid-19, graduates warned

Graduates told to keep themselves busy during a tough period for the job market

TEACHER/LECTURER: The average salary in UAE is Dh9,000 with lows of Dh4,000 and highs of Dh21,000. Headteachers earn an average of Dh46,000 with highs of Dh75,000. University staff are typically well paid, with assistant professors and full lecturers earning between Dh20,000 and Dh40,000. AFP

FLIGHT CREW: Salaries for cabin crew and aircraft technicians range from Dh6,000 to Dh23,000. Pilots can usually secure between Dh20,000 to Dh60,000, depending on experience. EPA

FOOD AND DRINK: The average salary for a bartender, waiter or supervisor is Dh4,000 to Dh5,000, rising to Dh7,500 to Dh8,500 for managers. Chefs and head chefs can expect to take home between Dh6,000 to Dh38,000. Hotels often provide staff accommodation. Hollie Adams / Getty Images

ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING: A flooded market with basic accountants often earning Dh5,000 to Dh10,000. Senior auditors can earn Dh30,000 or more. Accountants who move into finance and management can expect significantly higher salaries. Getty Images

CONSTRUCTION: Engineering jobs have been hit hard by a downturn in the sector, but it remains a skilled and respected profession. Junior salaries for site inspectors and engineers begin at a few thousand dirhams, rising to Dh45,000 or more for construction managers. Gulf Talent says salaries in Saudi are higher than the UAE in some roles. Sammy Dallal / The National

NURSES: The true heroes of the pandemic, these professionals worked around the clock to treat patients and save lives. Salaries range between Dh4,000 to Dh14,500 and can be higher for senior nurses in higher-end private hospitals. AFP

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Health and safety has become a key priority. Junior roles in this sector can take home, on average, about Dh5,500 a month. That rises to Dh22,500 for managerial positions. Victor Besa / The National

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR: Non-medical staff are currently in demand as the role of managing patients, their documents, payment and test results is increasingly crucial. Salaries vary but can be in the same region as nurses. Reem Mohammed / The National

CYBERSECURITY: The threat posed by cybercrime has never been more real, with the sale of financial assets, documents and medical records a lucrative business. Systems analysts and software engineers can earn Dh25,000 or more, rising significantly for those with high-end cybersecurity experience. Unsplash

HR, MARKETING AND FINANCE: Senior roles in these managerial classes vary significantly, but are generally well paid and often come with performance-related bonuses. Gulf Talent lists HR manager and HR business partner salaries at up to Dh42,500. An HR director of a major firm can earn twice that. Getty Images

SALES AND MERCHANDISING: As the economy slowly picks up, the retail sector will be looking to fill key roles again soon. Gulf Talent lists sales staff salaries from Dh1,500 to Dh3,500. A sales merchandiser can take home twice that each month. Paulo Vecina / The National

HOTELS: A duty manager at a hotel can earn anywhere from Dh6,000 to Dh26,000 per month. Front of house staff, including concierge, can take take home between Dh1,500 to Dh9,000. Staff accommodation is typically provided. Sarah Dea / The National

LEGAL: Lawyers and legal advisors can earn between Dh7,500 to Dh37,500. That rises to more than Dh53,000 for legal counsel positions, though the average sits at about Dh20,500. Jeff Topping / The National

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION: Jobseekers for secretarial and receptionist roles can expect salaries ranging from Dh2,500 to Dh8,000. Personal assistants and office managers fare better, from Dh4,500 up to Dh22,500 for higher-end firms. Getty Images

Employment experts have urged graduates in the UAE not to waste their time during the pandemic.

Despite one of the toughest job markets in generations, they said how youngsters handled the uncertainty was crucial to a successful interview.

It follows a recent survey that revealed half of Emirati students expect a starting salary of Dh15,000 to Dh30,000 a month, while 58 per cent of expatriate students expect a starting pay of Dh2,500 to Dh7,500 per month.

This tallies with what UAE-based consultants were seeing with graduates drawing salaries around Dh7,500 to Dh8,000 a month.

"The student’s expectations are spot-on," said Marketa Simkova, partner at global professional services firm KPMG. “For an expat, earning around Dh10,000 for a first job is realistic, while for an Emirati, a starting salary of Dh15,000 is expected," she said. "If they go for an internship, their salaries are below Dh5,000."

It comes as recruiters say the job market is slowly picking up speed again. But the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated a gulf between generations with people aged under 25 far more likely to be unemployed, a recent global report by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development revealed.

Global unemployment rates have surged by 4.9 per cent since February - from 11.7 per cent to 16.6 per cent - for those aged 15 to 24, more than double the rise for those aged 25 and over.

"We don't want to hear about someone who drifted," said Sally Jeffery, Middle East education leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the global consulting firm.

"We would be looking for the mature ones who have a sense of purpose ... people who would have kept themselves busy in a meaningful way.

"When you get that job interview and the employer asks about how you coped in the pandemic, you should have a story to tell."

An example would be a project such as helping to paint one's grandparent's house, which could be used as a character-forming experience that shows one as a self-starter.

She advised students to keep busy and stay open to options, even unpaid ones.

Employers said they preferred to hire people who had some experience - even if it was volunteering or working for a charity where they could show they helped the community.

Ignore titles while job-hunting amid pandemic

Experts also encouraged graduates to ignore job titles and look at responsibilities within the role.

“With the level of disruption from technology re-inventing roles every couple of years or possibly less, a title now is but a temporary thing," said Ms Jeffery.

She warned graduates about being in a role where they may be overpaid for the value they were contributing to the organisation.

This may be the case with fresh graduates with sought after skills.

She advised graduates to ensure their contribution caught up with their cost and stayed in check, otherwise they could get trapped in increasingly stale roles.

Internships

Other employment experts said internships - even virtual ones - can help them get a foot on the employment ladder.

Ms Simkova said students needed to start with internships to learn about a job's true role.

“Internships get students to try different types of careers and they can see what suits their personality and preferences best," she said.

"We do not like to hire people who just have academic knowledge."

She advised students to seek assessments on which career suited them best.

Radhika Punshi, managing director of psychometric testing firm, Talent Enterprise, called on students to get a reality check through work experience early in their careers.

"This year there are not as many full-time jobs as companies are recovering from the pandemic," she said.

She advised students to build their social media profiles, stay active on networking platforms and attend virtual webinars and conferences.

Use social media to seek opportunities

Ms Simkova advised graduates against just applying for jobs through websites or job postings as many people followed the same course of action.

She said her organisation received hundreds of CVs every day and job-hunters needed to stand out from the crowd.

Graduates could try approaching people directly within the company and in the department that they wished to work in.

“Everyone applies through a website," said Ms Simkova. "I would tell jobseekers to be proactive and use social media to get jobs."