Employers Seek Out Top Talent at CUD Career Fair

March 19th, 2015: Employers from leading international and local firms were on campus at Canadian University Dubai (CUD) to seek out talented students and graduates for a range of employment and internship opportunities at the recent annual Career Fair. This year's turnout was a clear indication of the UAE's buoyant employment market, particularly for graduate-level positions.

The Fair saw leading UAE corporations, including AST Telecom, join international names, such as Bosch and Thomson Reuters, to tap into CUD's student and graduate talent pool, in search of new recruits for a range of professional disciplines. With five undergraduate schools offering a diverse range of degree programs, the Fair attracted companies across the whole business spectrum, from banking, recruitment and real estate, to architecture, engineering and technology.

Among this year's recruiters was former CUD student Imad Haddad, who attended the Fair to represent his now-employer, Dubai-based Architects and Engineering Consultancy, LaCasa. As a graduate of CUD's Bachelor of Architecture program, Imad knows all about what it takes to find the perfect job.

He said, "Employers are looking for something that sets you apart and I found that LaCasa were interested in my range of technical and software skills in particular. The projects I undertook as part of my degree helped me to develop and apply these skills, so my studies at CUD ultimately proved vital in securing this job."

Ayman Jaber, Brand & Marketing Communications Manager at LaCasa, said that the company wasn't just looking for talented architects, but with its growing office team, the organization was also seeking candidates in business disciplines, as well as engineering and design.

Also searching for motivated students to join their business were Emiratization recruitment specialists, Iris Executives. Managing Director Hamza Zaouali said, "We're looking for students from any discipline, but the most important aspect for us is the right mindset. Candidates need to be motivated self-starters. We have a comprehensive training program that teaches new hires everything they need to know, but the right attitude is key."

Organized by the Student Affairs team, the Career Fair coincided with the launch of CUD's new online Job Portal, established in partnership with the University's strategic jobs partner, Bayt.com. The Job Portal provides a one-stop-shop for students and graduates of CUD to access information on part-time work, graduate jobs and internship opportunities, and represents an important strategic development in CUD's commitment to facilitating and accelerating graduates' journey into the world of work.

The Fair proved to be a highly successful event for Mostafa Nassar, Business Development Manager of WMS Metal Industries, who said, "This is the second consecutive year that WMS has participated in the Canadian University Career Fair. I recommend all companies, especially SMEs, to take part in this initiative. The level of enthusiasm and commitment of the students is fantastic and we look forward to participating once again next year."

Mr. Michael Todd, Work Placement and Career Services Manager at CUD concluded, "The Career Fair is an invaluable opportunity for our students to meet potential employers and showcase their knowledge and skillsets.

"I am very proud of our students as I received a lot of positive feedback from the employers who are now faced with the challenge of how to narrow down their candidate lists. The success of the career fair was also in large part a result of the student volunteers who kept things moving and helped to guide and prepare the students during the event."

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