Most UAE residents feel it's time for a job change

Dubai - Mena professionals have their goals set high for the year ahead.

More than 90 per cent of respondents to a survey in the UAE have revealed that they are looking for a new job in 2017, with a large majority saying that they have already set their career goal for the new year.
Bayt.com's 'Career Prospects in the Middle East' poll showed that 98.26 per cent, out of 230 respondents in the UAE, will be looking for new employment in 2017. The sentiment is shared across the Mena region, where 98 per cent of respondents plan on looking for a new job in the new year.
"It is evident that job seekers in the UAE are determined and inspired to seek more career opportunities and better professional development strategies," said Suhail Masri, vice-president of employer solutions at Bayt.com.
Overall, the majority of respondents in the Mena region are feeling good about the year ahead. Around 68.2 per cent of respondents claim that they have their career goals ready for 2017. What's more, 88.5 per cent said they are likely to achieve their career goals in 2017, with 61.9 per cent stating that they are very likely to do so.
In addition, 95.1 per cent feel more prepared and qualified to apply for jobs this year than in 2016.
For those looking for new employment opportunities, 53.2 per cent say they will look for career opportunities in 2017 using online job sites and other methods, while 29.8 per cent will exclusively use online job sites. Less than one in 10 respondents will use companies' websites, personal networks or social media for finding jobs.
However, Sanjay Modi, managing director at Monster.com for APAC and the Middle East, noted that while online hiring activity in the UAE currently remains low, the movement of employees and employee talent gaps would create more opportunities but higher competition for job seekers. This, he noted, would make it important for job seekers to find ways to stand out.
Reflecting on their careers in 2016, 40.9 per cent of Mena respondents feel satisfied with their career growth during the past year, and more than half say that they stuck to the career resolutions they made last year.
Mena professionals also have their goals set high for the year ahead, with nine in 10 saying they'll have more job responsibilities in 2017, and almost the same amount claiming that they will start taking more initiative at work.
When it comes to location preferences, 87.2 per cent respondents said they want to work in the Gulf region in 2017.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE