ISLAMABAD:
A large number of enthusiastic fresh graduates flocked a career fair with the hope of finding jobs. At the same time, they criticised the experience conditions set by some companies and their reluctance to hire fresh blood, while companies criticised the unrealistic salary demands of young applicants.
The career fair was organised by the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) on Wednesday at its Islamabad campus.
The fair provided job seekers with a platform to directly interact with hiring managers from telecom, media, research, marketing, advertising, science and technology, academia, information technology, banking and several others sectors.
Some of the job seekers gave on-the-spot interviews while some of them dropped off their CVs at the more than 40 stalls.
Aleena Masood, who graduated from SZABIST earlier this year, was among the many young job-seekers, said, “Wherever I go for an interview, I am simply refused because they are looking for a person with five or more years of experience.”
She found it strange to ask for experience from fresh graduates without giving them the opportunity to showcase their talent.
“The hirers should first go through our CVs and only then call fresh graduates for interviews, rather than telling us during interviews that we lack experience,” she said.
Sana Abid, another young job seeker, said, “ Though I am trying my luck everywhere to get a decent job, considering the current trends in the job market, I am not very optimistic.”
Sharing her experience in trying to find a job, she said that there was a major perception among the hirers that a fresh graduate lacks the capabilities to work diligently and they were hesitant to hire them.
“I do not understand why they think like this. Why don’t they consider candidates’ education level, achievements and the hard work they had put into their studies?” she asked.
Jarri Abbas, who is currently completing a degree in computer sciences, said, “We have the skills, the potential and the capabilities, but we lack the opportunities.”
Meanwhile, VIGO Business Consulting Company CEO Samra Azam told The Express Tribune that Pakistan is blessed with talented young minds, and the main reason behind rejections during interviews or the lack of job opportunities was that many applicants were unaware of market trends.
“The majority lose job opportunities because they come in with high expectations,” she said.
Azam said that fresh graduates often believe they should be paid over Rs30,000 and refuse to work for salary packages below Rs20,000.
Besides having a degree, one must also possess good communication skills and leadership qualities, she added.
SZABIST Head of Campus RK Malik said that universities’ tend to focus on the theoretical side at the cost of “character building of students”.
“Educational institutes are just preparing students with employability skills and not focusing on imparting education to make them good human beings and citizens,” she said.
She said though it was a fact that the culture of favouritism and violation of merit was depriving brilliant youngsters of their right, it was not impossible for a well-groomed graduate to get a job.
Malik said that such job fairs not only help youngsters learn about current market trends, but also help university managements update curriculums
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