51% graduates in Oman get first jobs within six months

Muscat: While many students dream of their first ideal job, some fail to think about the time it takes for them to obtain their first job opportunity.
Some Omani graduates have become employees within a couple of months, while others should wait for more than a year.
The Graduate Survey 2015 issued by the Ministry of Higher Education indicates that 51 per cent of students get their first job opportunity within six months or less from among 12,551 students, who completed the survey.
Meanwhile, 22.9 per cent find their first jobs within six to 12 months and 26.1 per cent find jobs in more than a year.
According to the survey, 32.1 per cent were able to find jobs between one to three months followed by 26.1 per cent, who had to wait for more than a year. 18.9 per cent found jobs within four to six months.
The survey revealed that those who were employed in the private sector had to wait far less than those in the government sector.
However, those unemployed had their reasons. 25.2 per cent of them said there weren’t any vacancies according to their major, while 17.4 per cent said they do not have enough experience for the job. Around 15.6 per cent said that they had applied for a job, but never got an interview call and 11.1 per cent said they did not pass the exams concerning the job.
Among other reasons were the work environment not being suitable, lack of the English language skills, failed interviews and not following up after applying.
According to the recent Bayt.com “Skills Gap in the Middle East and North Africa” survey, 70 per cent of companies in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region said finding candidates for senior positions with the required skills is difficult and 49 per cent said finding candidates for junior positions with the required skills is also difficult.
There are some who refused the jobs offered and most males agreed that the salary offered was unacceptable.
Females on the other hand were affected by their social status, the area of work, environment and work timings not complimenting their family life, such as taking care of their children and dropping them to school.