The first thought that often crosses students' minds as they leave academic life behind is: ‘Where do I go from here?' And while it may take days, weeks or months for that question to be answered, universities are taking an active role in providing a clearer insight to life after college.
More than 100 companies participated in the American University of Sharjah's annual Career Fair.
The event, organised by the university's Career Advising and Placement Services (CAPS), brought together local, regional and international companies with 22 corporate sponsors and 108 private, semi-government and government organisations keen to recruit students as full-time employees or interns during the fair.
The event provided students with numerous benefits, including direct interaction with employers and a chance to expand their network of contacts, allowing them to investigate positions, occupations and career fields.
Students respond
Students, sophisticatedly dressed to impress, flocked by the dozens towards the Sports Complex, where the fair was held. They knew that this was a rare opportunity to secure their future after university.
"You don't always get the chance to speak to the human resources reps of big-time employers," said Ammar Ali, business student at AUS. "The work culture here actually makes it difficult to reach them." Ahmad Rustom, civil engineering student at AUS, shared this view.
"Today is an opportunity for every student to apply to the right companies," he said. "It eliminates the middleman, which is usually the computer from which you send the CVs, and takes you straight to the company."
Students said that by interacting with employers, not only do they increase their chances of landing an interview, but they also gain a perspective into existing job opportunities, what they require, and what students truly want.
As for the companies, they are provided with educated candidates, and direct interaction with applicants helps narrow down the selection process.
Does it work?
Yes, it's clear this is a great opportunity for students to land that dream job. But the question is, does it really work?
While some students agreed that the fair helped them in networking with the right people, others said it took them right back to square one.
"Most companies would go on and on about the benefits and the kind of experience we would receive working with their companies, but when it came to the real deal they'd hand us the brochure and ask us to apply online," said Danielle Sha'alan, business student.
Sha'alan wasn't alone in expressing her frustration. Recent AUS graduate Ahmad Oneissi shared the same experience.
"You walk in expecting one thing, and you leave with something else," he said. "Some companies do actually take your CVs, but many also tell you straight away to log on to their website."
While many companies offered students a chance at internships, several companies reportedly declined students with little or no previous experience.
"We're fresh graduates," said Sha'alan. "How much experience can they expect?"
Nevertheless, Mouza Al Shehi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, said that companies were well aware of the fact that they were participating in a university career fair to recruit students - meaning that students' professional experience would be limited.
"When planning for the Career Fair, CAPS staff made sure to pass the information to all companies participating that our students don't have professional experience in their field of study however they are talented, outgoing, highly educated and well-prepared for work environment challenges and that they fit in and will excel in jobs related to their field of study," she said.
Al Shehi also emphasised that the university provides students every opportunity to gain practical experience in their field that will prepare students for the real world.
"The career centre is keen to seek internship opportunities during the summer vacation and emphasises that the job must provide a learning experience by giving students the opportunity to work on assignments or projects which relate to their fields of study," she said.
Success stories do exist. Feras Yashou, a recent AUS business graduate is currently marketing director at L'Oreal, a job he obtained through the university's career fair.
"They took my CV, asked me a few questions and a few days later, they gave me a call," he said.
So to answer the question, do career fairs work? Yes they do. But according to students and officials you have to be willing to put yourself out there and keep trying.
Students suggest
The two main areas of improvement students suggested were organisation and variety. As you enter the Sports Complex, you find booth after booth of companies. Students walked from one aisle to the next, searching for their companies of interest.
"The fair should be organised by field," said Rustom. "For example, all the engineering companies in one area, all the finance and accounting companies in another, etc. This would be more efficient and would help students directly locate the companies that are relevant to what they're studying."
Another suggestion was to have a larger number of companies. "Most companies here either relate to business, engineering or property," said Noora Al Shamees from AUS. "Only a few major media companies participated in the fair. That leaves out a whole school of students."
However according to AUS officials, the fair provided students with numerous career opportunities from every industry. In fact, students don't have to limit themselves to major media corporations as many companies contain a media department. It could be that students just needed to look more carefully.
"We had 108 companies taking part in the event where they came seeking AUS graduates from all majors," said Al Shehi. "From them we had quite a few companies seeking media graduates such TBWA/RAAD, a leading advertising agency, MBC, Dubai Media Incorporated, Sala Student magazine, in addition to many other companies that have media-related positions for their media department."
What other options exist?
Among the many stands at the fair was one for Bayt, a recruitment company that acts as a portal between employers and job seekers. However unlike other recruitment agencies, Bayt does not charge applicants a certain percentage of their salary should they secure a job through their gateway.
"The main benefit of these portals is that it exposes your CV to over 30,000 companies who are always searching for candidates to hire, across the region," said Omar Madi, e-commerce analyst at Bayt. "It matches the interests of the applicant to the needs of the employer."
Madi is yet another AUS graduate who found his job through the AUS career fair.
What are employers looking for? One common element characterised all the 106 companies at the fair – a search for an individual with exceptional soft skills.
"We have now entered a global era where communication skills are a must," said Fatima Al Sayed, exploration portfolio analyst at Shell. "Students need to demonstrate social involvement and be able to present themselves."
Communication skills, teamwork skills and positive self-representation are three important traits companies look for regardless of the industry they are in.
"When you look at a candidate's academic background you only get an overview of their technical skills," said Jawad Rehman, recruitment manager at the MBC Group. "Soft skills, on the other hand, are the most important factors when recruiting new candidates."
Whether it's the media or engineering, companies want to ensure that their employees can work and cope in today's progressively globalised environment.
Recruitments
Online recruitment agencies are an excellent way to expose your CV to thousands of companies searching for the perfect candidate. Some of them include:
Bayt.com
MonsterGulf.com
JobsinDubai.com
RecruitGulf.com
TimesJobs.com
Your CV should….
Show the reader what you can do. Keep it simple and easy to read.
Clearly identify your functional expertise, sector experience and qualifications.
Demonstrate an excellent track record of achievement.
