ADU's one-of-a-kind Career Development Dept. defies the tough job market to achieve 90% employability

Pre- and post-graduation services mentor students to smoothlytransition from classrooms to boardrooms

UAE, Abu Dhabi, 15th September 2013: In an innovative approach that is the first of its kind in the region, Abu Dhabi University's Career Development Department has put together an end-to-end package encompassing career guidance interviews, job searches, workshops, career fairs, aptitude assessments, data resources, advisory services, internships, employer networking and numerous other services designed to give university students and graduates a head start in the race for rewarding jobs.

The employment services are a result of ADU's collaboration with Summit Career Management Services, a market leader in career guidance activities. This is set to further enhance ADU's employability rate which is already one of the highest in the region, with 90% of students finding employment within a year of graduation.

According to Hanadi Khalil, Manager of ADU's Career Development Department, what gives ADU students the edge is the institution's unparalleled relationships with top employers and recruitment agencies, which enables ADU to stay a step ahead of employment trends.

She added: “Worldwide, the biggest mistake students make is to search for the wrong jobs, in the wrong places, through the wrong methods. Therefore we give students aptitude assessments so they can match their talents with their careers. We also give them exposure to real world challenges through our 100% internship placement rateand enlightening talks by prominent employers.”

Ms. Khalil added that another common mistake is for students to assume that employment only starts after graduation.ADU's on-campus employment program - which fulfills all the requirements of the Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Higher Education -helps students to enter the job market as seasoned veterans who have already amassed a wealth of experience, putting them in the fast lane for promotion ahead of other candidates. 

Faced with the most competitive job market in the UAE's history, ADU's Career Development Department has intensified its efforts to equip students by arranging one-on-one Career Guidance Interviews with professionally qualified Career Advisers, whoformulate individual career action plans pinpointing the students' skills, strengths and areasfor development. This is supplemented by Career Management Workshops giving students the skills to ensure the best CV writing, interviews, networking, job searches, decision-making, time management and leadership skills.

Hanadi Khalil pointed out: “The biggest handicap in job hunting is often a lack of information, and ADU bridges this information gap by giving students a wealth of resources and research for job searches. We also registerthem with recruitment consultants, promote their CVs to the most compatible employers and offer “mock interviews” to take the anxiety out of the process. The icing on this career cake is our Career Fairs, where students network face-to-face with influential industry heavyweights; because it's not just what you know, but who you know.”

Ms. Khalil also emphasized that entrepreneurship is becoming a more viable career pathway.

Another unique aspect of ADU's career services is that they are available to students for a full year after graduation, completely free of charge. Students are guaranteed a careers interview within a week of their enquiry. In return, students are encouraged to undertake career research prior to the interview, stay patient and committed to the goals agreed with Career Advisers, and notify the institution of any change of plan. The institution hopes to use the data from successful recruitments to help future graduates learn from these success stories.