Emiratis caught on jobs treadmill

Many in the north struggle to get on the employment ladder, despite being well qualified and willing to take on any post.

A graduate registers his details at the Sharjah Job Fair recently. Victor Besa for The National

A law degree from Ajman University has not been enough to secure a job for Emirati Ayesha Al Noaymi – even when applying for jobs such as a secretary or telephone operator.

The 30-year-old graduate has been applying for jobs since 2013 and all she has been offered is Dh3,000 a month for a position in her home emirate of Fujairah.

She and many other young Emiratis, mainly in the Northern Emirates, were speaking out after Federal National Council members on Tuesday called for private companies to hire more Emiratis.

“I applied to almost all the public and private companies and institutions, online and in person, but until now I have not had any good offer,” said Ms Al Noaymi, who is from Merbeh.

“Most of them requested previous experience and once I received an offer for Dh3,000.

“I really don’t ask for much but Dh3,000 is definitely not enough. I don’t mind moving to Abu Dhabi or Dubai for a salary not less than Dh15,000, or stay in Fujairah and take at least Dh9,000.”

Ms Al Noaymi studied general law but is willing to fill just about any position, if the money and conditions are right.

“I applied for all the positions, such as customer services, secretary, telephone operator, an associate at any legal firm but most of them required experience, which I can’t have unless someone hires me,” she said.

“I didn’t give up hope. I worked on improving myself and I obtained many certificates in computers, secretarial work and English, along with my law degree.”

The catch-22 issue of experience is one that cropped up with many young Emiratis.

Halima Al Tamimi, 25, from Ras Al Khaimah, studied education at RAK Higher Colleges of Technology but has struggled to get on the employment ladder.

“It is hard to get a job in RAK because most of them have a sufficient number of employees and they all ask for experience, especially schools,” said Ms Al Tamimi, who has volunteered in various government sectors such as courts, schools, medical centres and customs, to get experience.

“I have been looking for a job to get a salary and experience since last year when I dropped out of college with one semester left because the university’s law was changed.

“I applied at many government sectors but I received no calls except from one bank, where I did an interview, and they told me that they would call me back but they did not.”

Ms Al Tamimi said she dreamt of working in the capital, where many of her peers from RAK end up.

“I want to go and work in Abu Dhabi where I can get a better salary and experience, even though it will be fatiguing and far away from my family. But I love to improve my work skills and future career,” she said.

The Government is addressing the problem and last month teams of recruiters were set up in all of the emirates in an attempt to speed up the recruitment process for 9,200 jobless Emiratis.

Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation said at the most recent Federal National Council session that action was being taken at federal and emirate level.

But the search goes on for Khaled Al Tunaiji, an Emirati high school graduate who wants to work to raise funds to go to a private university.

He has applied for many jobs since leaving school in 2015 but has had no success.

“I want to work to earn a salary and be able to study mechanical engineering, the major I love at university,” said Mr Al Tunaiji, 19. “I applied for all kinds of jobs in RAK, especially at careers fairs and I applied for jobs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

“Sometimes they do call me and when I agree on their offers, they do not call me back, so I re-call to check with them and they say, ‘we will call you back’.”

Mr Al Tunaiji said that they never did.

“If I get a job in Abu Dhabi, I have no problem with staying there and visiting my family on the weekend but I think the main cause of not getting a job is the lack of a bachelor’s degree and experience.”

One Fujairah jobseeker said that peculiar reasons were given for not offering a job.

“They sometimes give illogical reasons for not hiring us,” said M A, 28.

“Two years ago I applied for a job at a government institution and they refused me because of my height because they don’t hire anyone below 160 centimetres and I’m 158.

“I graduated with a business degree in 2011 and I’m still unemployed.

“I don’t know what I should do to get a job.

“My CV is everywhere and I wouldn’t mind working in another emirate, if I was given a good offer.”