A leading HR expert based in the UAE has explained why most companies require two years’ worth of experience, and who are the applicants who are expected to have it.
In The Filipino Times’ live streaming on Facebook titled ‘TFT Usapang OFW: Oplan Hanap Trabaho sa UAE,’ Cristina Calaguian—the founder of Dagaz HR Consultancy and Recruitment Company that helps match employees with potential employers in the region, and The Filipino Times Awards 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year finalist—said that this requirement is usually looked for in applicants who are high-school graduates and are currently based abroad.
“We accept high school graduates but with a minimum of two years work experience. Most companies usually prioritize applicants who have this requirement,” said Calaguian, who also guides both employers and employees in enhancing their personal branding skills to achieve their career objectives.
She added that the work experience encompasses all nations, and that it need not come from the UAE, a reason she advises Filipino high-school graduates currently in the Philippines to gain experience first before setting off to the Gulf state.
“Inuuna nain lagi ang mga resume kung saan nakalagay na mayroon silang two years na work experience. Nasa ilalim ang mga may one year work experience,” added Calaguian.
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The HR expert said that this is because they are in competition not only with experienced professionals, but also with college graduates, especially those who came from colleges or universities in the UAE.
“Mayroong kasing market dito for newly graduates, and inuuna din sila in most companies,” she stressed.
For F&B sector, however, Nina Carpio—the Human Resources Director for Jollibee Foods Corporation in the UAE, and The Filipino Times New Media Personality of the Year 2018—said that they accept high school graduates regardless of work experience. “Being a high school graduate is okay with us in the F&B sector,” she said.
Dr. Rex Bacarra, the Dean of General Education at the American College of Dubai and The Filipino Times Educator of the Year 2019, meanwhile, advises fresh graduates to get more internships and look for more voluntary works so they can have competitive features to showcase in their resume.
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