As a university senior myself, there was a time when I was confident about my odds at finding employment following graduation. I knew it was a tough economy and that unemployment was high. But, I also knew that I had good grades, strong references, and the fiery motivation of a 22 year-old. I thought I would own the world. I was wrong. Reading findings from the latest survey by Bayt.com and research partner YouGov published yesterday, I realized that the challenges I faced back in 2007 are exactly what young graduates in the Middle East and North Africa are facing today.

The times are different, but the circumstances are the same. Indeed, only 1 in 5 graduates (20%) claim they are in the job they always wanted to do (why am I not surprised?). With so few graduates in their dream job, and only 45% of them believing that their education has adequately prepared them for the realities of the workplace, it may be that more adaptability is required. Helping fresh graduates adapt to the workplace is a university’s job. Unfortunately, in the MENA region, universities are still focusing on providing quality education (40% of graduates are satisfied with the quality of education they received at university), but are ignoring the technical aspects of a degree (58% say their education has been poor when it comes to teaching technical skills).

Entrepreneurship: A new trend?

On another note, and whether due to the economy or something else, it is clear that entrepreneurship in the MENA region has grown. In terms of future aspirations, 7 out of 10 graduates have entrepreneurial desires, with 43% of these being confident in their business idea. These findings mirror a Bayt.com survey in partnership with Stanford University, which showed that in every Arab country surveyed about 40% of respondents expressed interest in being self-employed, with 50% of them saying that they started a business because they wanted greater independence. So, whether it is by reinforcing the role of universities in preparing fresh graduates for the workplace, or governments and local communities paving the way for entrepreneurial ventures, fresh graduates in the MENA region clearly need all the help they can get to obtain jobs they truly love and value.