The process of finding a job for recent graduates

This blog mainly focuses on the process the Qatari government follows to create opportunities for recent Qatari graduates, and I will list websites that can be helpful to find jobs. This blog will shed light on challenges that face Qatari graduates and offer solutions that may be helpful in order to overcome those challenges. 

A recent graduate is applicable for jobs that one shows competence in based on requirements provided by the employer. Competence is determined based on the graduate’s level of education then academic evaluations, physical abilities or other skills acquired. For instance, the minimum requirement for government military services job for Qataris is a high school diploma, thus, according to the level of education of the applicant he/she will have better or higher position in the job. Furthermore, job fairs in universities where students and seniors get the opportunity to know more about the work place and meet the representative of the companies is another way of helping recent graduates and students in general in finding the right job for themselves. 

In order for you to find a job you should follow the following steps:   

1- Search online for jobs and companies that you might be interested in. 

2-  Write your cover letter and resume and tailor it to the company and the job you want. 

3-  Send your resume to the company by email or submit it in person.

4-  Be prepared for an interview.

5-  Even if you do not have enough experience try to show your abilities and soft skills through the cover letter, resume and the interview where you have the ability to show your personality and communication skills.  

Here are some employment websites that you can apply for a job through: 

1-  https://qatar.arabiajobs.net/qatar/

2-  Www.gulfrecruiter.com

3-  Www.jobsinqatar.org

4-  https://www.bayt.com/en/qatar/

If you are looking for jobs in specific fields such as education or banking, you can visit ministries and banks websites like:

1-  http://www.mme.gov.qa/cui/view.dox?id=1318&siteID=1

2-  https://www.mofa.gov.qa/en/home

3-  http://www.edu.gov.qa/Ar/ServicesCenter/Pages/Careers.aspx

4-  http://www.edu.gov.qa/Ar/ServicesCenter/Pages/Careers.aspx

Note that: Some of these websites are in Arabic. They are still working on the English version.  

 Challenges recent graduates encounter. 

Firstly, most companies in Doha ask for at least 3 years of experience which is problematic for most graduates, as a result some recent graduates end up working jobs that are not related to their specialization and with less salary. Secondly, the blockade on Qatar has affected some employments and businesses. For instance, many companies had to either close their business or lay off until further notice which caused many to lose their jobs and for recent graduate to not be able to find one. Finally, some companies would rather work with their Current employees than hiring new ones because the training sessions they offer coast a lot of money. These are the main challenges recent graduate might face in finding a job. 

The ways to improve the process of finding a job.

I think that what needs improvement is the way employers hire recent graduates and I am here referring to both Qataris and non-Qataris graduates. It is harder to find a job in private sectors than in governmental sectors because they insist on having years of experiences, and I think that employers should take into consideration the fact that

recent graduates have no enough experience and to at least offer them training sessions or to try them for a month if they can't afford to train them instead of rejecting them. For instance, one of my relatives three years back, he was a recent graduate of civil engineering and finding a job as an engineer with zero experience is pretty hard. However, he was lucky enough to find a job and work on big projects in Doha such as Qatar Foundation and Lusail City. He was able to do that through a lot of training courses in Jordan and here, and with his great  communication skills. Thus, in order for recent graduates to get hired they need to do many training ahead to be considered qualified and work on building their resumes. This relative is one of few I know who was able to reach this level, most others (the non-Qataris) that I know are always getting rejected. 

Most companies prefer applicants to apply for a job by coming in person and I suggest that in order to facilitate the process of finding a job they should be using more online applications and emails because some companies don't even take a look at the emails sent by applicants or reply back to them.