Fine time to find a career in the UAE

The Life: Job demand is growing in the Mena region, and new online tools can help those seeking employment in the Emirates.

Job seekers eyeing UAE companies might get a head start on their competition by hitting the web in advance.

Despite tumultuous times in the Middle East and North Africa region, job prospects are at their best in at least six months, the results of one new measure show.

Job demand among regional employers was up 4 per cent last month compared with February, and has risen 29 per cent over the past six months, according to an index by the job-search company Monster Gulf.

The data is based on a real-time review of millions of job postings culled from online employment boards and corporate career websites. The data also highlight industries in the UAE with the strongest and weakest growth.

For job seekers looking to capitalise on the demand for their services, a competing website, Bayt.com, is hosting a "virtual job fair" starting on Thursday. The site features 3D booths for employers, which include information about particular companies and a CV drop for specific positions advertised online.

Users can also interact with potential employers online through text-based or video chat.

Students can seek opportunities at more traditional events such as the Al Ain Education and Career Fair, which runs for three days starting next Monday.

Jobs will be targeted at graduates and young Emiratis, whose unemployment level runs at 23 per cent, according to fair organisers.

While students will find companies such as Etihad Airways, Etisalat and du offering career opportunities, they might get a head start on their competition by hitting the web in advance.

Ershaad.ae, an online job portal dedicated to UAE nationals, lists more than a dozen jobs in the oil and petroleum sector - from a procurement analyst to those who can analyse contracts or provide legal assistance.

With the price of oil trading at about US$125 a barrel, employment demand in the oil and gas sector is among the highest increases in the Emirates over the past six months, according to Monster Gulf.

Postings for engineering and production specialists have grown 23 per cent in the same period. Data also show rising demand for marketing and communications professionals, which is up 15 per cent.

"From a job seeker's perspective, [this information] gives you an idea of how employment activity is moving across industry sectors, functions as well as a particular geography you may be interested in," says Sanjay Modi, the managing director for Monster in the Middle East, South East Asia and India.

"Hence, I can prepare myself to capitalise in case the market is improving [and] be sure there will be opportunities for me."

The index also shows fields with the lowest growth opportunities in the Emirates. Occupations involving health care are down 19 per cent over the past six months, while those in software, hardware and telecommunications have declined 20 per cent.

Professionals in the fields of finance and accounting may experience the toughest time finding a new job, as postings for these positions are down 22 per cent.