63% of fresh Lebanese graduates face challenges in finding their first job

A study by the Pan Arab recruitment portal, Bayt.Com has revealed that nearly 63% of fresh university graduates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region face difficulties in finding their first job, with 30% describing the task as extremely arduous. According to the survey, conducted in cooperation with the long established Market Research Organization, 59% of Lebanese respondents maintained that the biggest challenge blocking the way to a successful professional journey is blamed on employers who mostly opt for appointing skilled candidates. Moreover, while 34% of those interviewed have admitted a lack of knowledge of job surfing methods, 25% confirmed that now they will seek jobs outside their professional expertise, and 11% said they will search for any opportunity, regardless of the sector. When asked about the key factors or criteria they consider when choosing a certain job, 53% of Lebanese graduates mentioned that first they follow their passion. Other factors included career promotion (10%), international job opportunities (8%), and working at a prestigious company (8%). On salary expectations, while only a few of the respondents (5%) stated that they have no predetermined notion of the salary they should expect for their first job, the majority of the respondents (60%) said they expect between USD750 and USD 2000 on average. It should be noted, that the assessment study targeted some 4247 young men and women who graduated during the past three years in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. (L’Orient Le Jour, Al Mustaqbal, July 27 and 31, 2016)