MANAMA: More than 70 per cent of graduates work outside of the fields they have majored in and most of them have achieved success in their new careers, an interactive workshop heard.
Experts suggest an open mind, expanding horizons, grabbing training opportunities and using contacts are vital ingredients for finding opportunities and the road to workplace fulfilment.
The Zoom event, entitled ‘How do I search for a job?’ was hosted by the University of Bahrain and organised by the Department of Management and Marketing, in co-operation with the educational platform Tumuh (Ambition).
The workshop shed light on the methods of employment in institutions, employment platforms and offered useful tips for those searching for work.
The founder of the non-profit educational platform, Mohamed Ali, advised the participants that they should start with lists containing:
• The names of the institutions they want to work for
• The institutions for which they feel would be impossible to work for
• And, institutions that they do not mind working for
“A total of 73pc of graduates work in jobs that are outside of what they have majored in,” said Mr Ali.
“However, it’s necessary that the tasks of the job be close to your majors and specialisations, in addition to taking the appropriate training opportunities in order to excel in the jobs,” he said.
He went on to clarify that 80pc of the time institutions hire people through recommendations from people close to them, or through internal recruitment.
“It’s important to develop long-term relationships when searching for jobs. Many institutions are moving towards internal employment, and if they do not find the right employee, they will often employ people based on the recommendations of those around them,” said Mr Ali.
“After that they will see employees through employment fairs and platforms, such as the Labour and Social Development Ministry and the Civil Service Bureau, as it has lists of the names of job seekers and their CVs.”
The least common way that institutions hire people is through random resumes that are sent to them, which are often the last things to be seen.
The GDN reported last month that a total of 5,000 Bahrainis have been employed in the private sector since the start of the year. The jobs were found in 2,465 companies under the second edition of the National Employment Programme 2.0. In addition, 1,874 nationals were trained in various skills compatible with labour market requirements.
The three-year programme running from 2021 to 2023, approved by the Cabinet in January, aims to find jobs for 25,000 Bahrainis this year and train 10,000.
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