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What You Need To Know About Job Searching in Today’s Job Market

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Job search is not easy it takes time, dedication and patience. This is made more difficult by the poor decisions we make as job seekers. In this article see some of the mistakes job seekers make when it comes to job searching in today’s job market.

I had a friend who would not take an unpaid internship because they thought it was a waste of their time and they were too valuable to work for free. Yet, she spent two years searching for a job and complaining about how every job opening she came across required someone with work experience.

Had she taken one of the internships, she would have gained the experience that the employers were always asking for. This was her biggest job search mistake.

Mistakes like these are what make the job search process more difficult for some people. In this article, read advice from a recruiter on what you need to understand about the job market.

1. Qualifications though important are not everything.

Blame our parents or the 8-4-4 system but since we were young we were made to believe that ‘studying’ is a sure ticket to success and riches.

They went a step further to ‘recommend’ courses that we should pursue. So many people were told that Medicine, Teaching, Engineering etc are the best courses.

The end product is you pursuing a profession that has no value in the job market. Some of the courses that are in demand are saturated and graduates don’t get jobs that easily.

Even if the course you were told to take is marketable, if you have no passion for it then you cannot really succeed.

Then you have those already employed and pursuing an MBA to make them ‘competitive’ as opposed to first gaining skills or specializing. Take it from me, today’s employment market is more focused on what you can do more than which school you attended and the certificate you got. Read here on the best time to pursue an MBA

Many of us are fixated on getting certificates rather than taking the time to learn about the job. You become competitive because of the skills you possess or your area of specialization. Bottom line; be open to starting at the bottom and keep learning practical skills.

2. Job Search takes time and dedication.

When I was in campus I was lucky enough to have gotten a part time job. I am saying lucky because the job though not well paying or glamorous was the foundation of my career.

I continued with the same job after graduation and the culture shock of graduating and sending CVs without getting a response did not hit me as hard. At least I could afford bus fare and brown envelopes for making applications.

Job search is a marathon and not a sprint. Unless you are desperate and willing to take anything, getting a new job can take a year if not more. Why? Because it takes proper planning and execution.

Remember this is not the 80s where you could count the number of graduates. Almost all professions in Zambia are saturated. It might mean you taking an odd job here and there. It might mean that your first job will not be in your area of training or you will end up working for an SME instead of a multinational organisation. It might also mean taking unpaid internships.

Do anything you have to do but for God’s sake don’t be idle. Desiring a new or better job is very different from doing something about it every day. From what I now know, you should embrace humble beginnings.

3. What do you want out of your career?

I have done an informal survey on what Zambian professionals trained for vis-à-vis their current jobs and my finding is that majority are working in careers that don’t match what they studied for or trained on.

In the modern job market, nothing prevents a law graduate from becoming an excellent customer service executive and making a good living out of it. I know of engineers who are excelling in sales and marketing.

Today’s job market rewards those who know what they want and are not afraid to go for it. An undergraduate in whichever field should be considered as a starting point to more than one opportunity.

The above list is by no means exhaustive. My goal is to help you have a different mindset when it comes to job search by understanding the current job market. As the good Bible says, my people perish due to lack of knowledge. I hope you are now informed.

The 5 Best Ways To Prepare For An Interview

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Just like anyone who has been looking or a job, you know better that to succeed in your job search, you need to improve your interview skills.

Better still, you need to know how to prepare for an interview

Practice makes perfect and the more you practice the better you will get at it.

I spoke to Ms. Lucy Mutungi, a Professional Interview Coach and she had this to say about how to prepare for any interview.

1. Consider an interview part you are not good at

What is that interview part that has always given you the chills? May be it the “Tell me about yourself” section or “What are your weaknesses?”

Whatever it is, there is always that part that you know has always failed you at any interview. Work on improving that. Go online and look for the answers to the common interview questions or ways to improve on your interview skills.

2. Make a list of your questions

When preparing for an interview, make a list of the common interview questions that you might be asked starting with “Tell us about yourself” to “Do you have any questions for us?”

About eight questions will do but the more you have to practice on the better.

Practice on how to answer these questions with confidence and prepare possible answers.

3. Conduct a mock interview

The best way to prepare for an interview, is to conduct a mock one on yourself. Choose someone you can trust and whose opinion you respect even if it’s something you would hate to hear

This could be a colleague, a friend, a relative or even a mentor. Someone who has experience in interviews, would be a better option though.

In case you don’t find someone to practice with, you could always DIY through your camera phone. It won’t be an easy thing to do but it will be something.

4. Consider the kind of interview you are attending

Chances are, interviews will always inform you ahead of time on the kind of an interview you will be attending.

Whether a phone, skype or a one on one interview.

The reason you need to think about the setting is to know what kind of preparation you are do and what you need.

Read more here on top 9 ways you can ace that skype interview.

5. Rate your self

Practicing thoroughly is the best way to get it right with interviews. After you have conducted your mock interview, rehearsed all the interview questions and answers, now you need to gauge your performance.

If you were the interviewer, how convincing would you say you would be? If you recorded yourself on a video camera, watch it again and see what you can improve.

If you have a friend taking you through the interview, ask them to give you an honest feedback and guide you on what you can improve.

Preparing for an interview should not be something that you only do when you have an interview coming up. Practicing even when you don’t have any interviewed lined up will take the pressure off when that time comes.

Education in the UAE

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One of the UAE’s highest priorities has always been education. As President His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, noted, “The greatest use that can be made of wealth is to invest it in creating generations of educated and trained people.”

The UAE has focused on educating both men and women. In 1975, the rate of adult literacy was 54 percent among men and 31 percent among women. Today, literacy rates for both genders are close to 95 percent.

New initiatives are being launched at all educational levels. A key area of focus has been to transform K to 12 programs, to ensure that UAE students are fully prepared to attend universities around the world and compete in the global marketplace. In addition, some of the world’s best universities are creating programs in the UAE, attracting talented students in the Arab world and globally.

The UAE’s commitment to education has helped the nation diversify its economy and prepared a new generation of young people ready to compete in the global marketplace. In 2019, young people surveyed throughout the Arab world identified the UAE(link is external) as the top country to live in and to emulate for the eighth year running, reflecting the opportunities available to youth entering the workforce.

K-12 Programs

The education system of the UAE is relatively new. In 1952, there were few formal schools in the country. In the 1960s and 1970s a school building program expanded the education system. Now, education at the primary and secondary level is universal. In the 2013-2014 academic year, approximately 910,000 students were enrolled at 1,174 public and private schools.

Education reform focuses on better preparation, greater accountability, higher standards and improved professionalism. In addition, rote instruction is being replaced with more interactive forms of learning, and English-language education is being integrated into other subjects, such as math and science. While general strategy is determined by the Ministry of Education, education councils set up in individual Emirates assist in implementing government policy. The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), the Dubai Education Council (DEC), the Sharjah Education Council and the UAE Ministry of Education are each tasked with reforming the educational program in the UAE while still preserving local traditions, principles and the cultural identity of the country.

Higher Education

The UAE is home to a wide range of universities, both public and private. UAE citizens can attend government institutions free of charge, and the UAE has one of the highest application participation rates in the world. Ninety-five percent of all girls and 80 percent of boys enrolled in the final year of secondary school apply for admission to a higher education institution. UAE public universities include:

  • UAE University, where enrollment was 502 in its founding year and has increased nearly 30-fold over the years. Women represent a majority of the student body. UAE University awards 70 undergraduate degrees in addition to graduate degrees with many programs that are internationally accredited. (www.uaeu.ac.ae(link is external))
  • Zayed University (ZU), established in 1998 as an all-women’s institution, and recently opened a men’s campus.  It is organized into five colleges—Arts and Sciences, Business Sciences, Communication and Media Sciences, Education and Information Systems—and the primary language of instruction is English. Zayed University has US accreditation, attesting to its high standards. (www.zu.ac.ae(link is external))
  • Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), the largest higher educational institution in the UAE with an enrollment of 16,000 students. Founded in 1988 with four campuses, HCT now includes 16 men’s and women’s colleges in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Madinat Zayed, Dubai, Ra’s al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah. The colleges offer more than 80 technical and professional degrees and certifications. More than 10,000 of the current students are female. (www.hct.ac.ae(link is external))

Private Institutions

Some of the key private institutions include:

  • American Universities of Sharjah and Dubai, both of which are US accredited
  • Sharjah University
  • Ajman University of Science and Technology
  • Abu Dhabi University, with campuses in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain
  • Al Hosn University
  • Khalifa University of Science and Technology

In addition to these institutions, the Masdar Institute for Science and Technology (MIST) began accepting students in 2009. MIST is the Middle East’s first graduate education and research university focused on clean energy and developing the next generation of solutions to the world’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Global Partnerships

A number of international universities have campuses and/or programs in the UAE.  Some are housed in special zones, including Dubai Knowledge Village and Academic City.

Other special programs include:

  • The Sorbonne opened its Abu Dhabi campus in 2006 and awards qualifications under French regulations and standards set by the Sorbonne in Paris.
  • New York University is the first comprehensive liberal arts and sciences campus with a robust research component to be operated abroad by a major US university. NYU Abu Dhabi graduated its first class in Spring 2014 with 150 students from 39 countries. The campus has a permanent home on Saadiyat Island to house 2,000 students.
  • Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health is helping establish a public health doctoral program in the Emirates.
  • Other US institutions include the University of Washington, Boston University and Rochester Institute of Technology.

Technical Education

Founded in 1997, the Center of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) is the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology and provides education, training and applied technology instruction. The company is the largest private education provider in the Middle East and is developing projects throughout the MENA region.

Other vocational and technical educational centers are sponsored by the:

  • Emirates Institute for Banking and Finance
  • Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Career Development Center
  • Petroleum Institute
  • Dubai School of Government
  • Emirates Aviation College for Aerospace and Academic Studies

Special Education

The government of the UAE strongly supports education and learning services for students with special needs. The UAE signed the optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and passed Federal Law 29/2006 guaranteeing rights for people with special needs.

Vocational and rehabilitation centers have been developed throughout the country. In addition, efforts are made to include special needs students in mainstream educational settings. The government of Abu Dhabi has partnered with the New England Center for Children, a Massachusetts school serving children with autism. The partnership has allowed the UAE to establish a comprehensive education program as well a training course for UAE nationals to provide services to students with special needs in Arabic. The UAE also participates in the Special Olympics.