UAE: Landing a first job is easier after internships, part-time work, say experts

Internships and part-time work play a very important role in deciding the future of a student and landing them their first job, according to education experts. They said students should be looking for internships and part-time opportunities right from their first year of college studies.

“If students go four years without doing any internships, part-time jobs, or any volunteering, once they graduate, the chances of them finding a job are going to be very minimal,” said Mokhammad Mashavipov, student recruitment junior officer at Canadian University Dubai. 

“We have a separate department that helps students build CVs to find jobs and internships but the effort to go the extra mile must come from the student. When students have gone into companies and worked, they have the experience and the knowledge, which makes it much easier for them to find jobs," he added.

Mashavipov was speaking on the sidelines of , which took place at The H Dubai on April 16 and 17, bringing together over 35 universities. Thousands of students and parents attended the event on both days to learn more about and future career prospects.

Real-life working experience

A spokesperson for Emirates Aviation University said that students at the institute also had to complete mandatory internships to get a feel of the real-life working experience. “For each of our four-year, full-time, bachelor's programmes, we offer a full semester’s internship at Emirates Airlines, depending on the field they are specialising in,” said Israa Yousef, admission officer at the university. “It exposes them to the real-life working experience. Even recruiters want real experience, not theoretical knowledge.”

At the Dubai College of Tourism, internships are a mandatory part of training. “We require our students to complete a six-week internship during their first year of studies and four months of internship every subsequent year of the three-year course,” said Olivia Turner, Academic Director of the vocational institute. “This is really crucial because it exposes them to the real world, practice what they have been learning in class and see how they can further prepare themselves.”

She said that instructors usually noticed a significant progression in students after they had completed their 4-month internship. “They begin to take their studies more seriously, their professionalism improves and they begin to understand how the studies fit together with real-world application.”

Preparing for the future

Several universities highlighted that it was important to train students in soft skills for the workplace. A spokesperson for Symbiosis International University Dubai said that it was important for students to learn soft skills right from the first semester. “We make sure they have soft skills in addition to technical skills,” said Shreebha Pillai, Head of Admission and Promotions. “We prepare students to be confident in public speaking, how to build a CV, how to attend interviews, and so on.”

Olivia added that all their students were given volunteering opportunities at some of the biggest events in the city. “We send them to Formula One, Dubai fashion week and Dubai World Cup to name a few,” she said. “This gives them an opportunity to use their hospitality skills in the real world. A lot of our students go directly from internships and volunteers to work for the same employer.”