Emirati jobseekers must not be too picky about their career path

DUBAI // Young Emiratis must learn to help themselves and their country by taking advantage of the job opportunities presented to them and not turn down careers they think are beneath, or even beyond, their skills.

This was the response from UAE citizens to the recently released Arab Youth Survey that for the fourth year in a row listed unemployment as a key concern.

“Emiratis must take the chances they are given regardless if it is an easy or difficult job,” said Abdulla Al Ghurair, 27, a logistics controller.

“There are two sections or groups – one that has obtained a degree and are not able to find a job and the second do not have a degree and are sitting waiting for a job. Some with a degree have found a job but not in their chosen field.

“The government supports Emiratis 100 per cent but some turn jobs away if they are given a lower grade or there are long hours.”

With more jobs expected to be created following Dubai’s successful bid for Expo 2020, nationals should take advantage of openings in all fields to gain expertise, said Mr Al Ghurair.

“There will be many job opportunities coming up as we get closer to the Expo 2020 but we have to see whether people accept the openings or not.

“Many want to be managers and supervisors but they should actually just try to learn a lot. They should not quit their job without securing a new one. It is important to constantly look for challenges or any job will be routine and boring.”

Anxiety about unemployment rose across the Arab world from 42 per cent in 2011 to 49 per cent this year, according to the annual survey.

There was more concern about unemployment in non-GCC countries, with 55 per cent expressing concern about jobs compared with 39 per cent in the GCC.

The sample polled showed that Egyptian youth were the most worried about joblessness at 62 per cent, followed by Algeria at 59 per cent, and Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, Libya and Lebanon ranging from 56 per cent to 54 per cent.

The percentage of people concerned about unemployment in the UAE fell to 36 per cent, after Oman at 34 per cent.

These numbers were still high for the UAE, said Dr Abdullah Alshamsi, vice chancellor of the British University in Dubai.

“The private sector goes for expatriates because they have more experience and are less expensive and there are no policies to limit that,” he said. “Private-sector jobs are not made attractive for locals and this needs to be addressed. There should be proper training so Emiratis can get good jobs.”