Everjobs releases career report

By Silvia Nyambura

A positive attitude towards life and work, coupled with basic skills can give employees an edge even when they do not have the required experience. This is according to online job portal Everjobs’ Country Manager Julian Schulz who also notes employers need to give a chance to outsiders vis a vis doing internal recruitment. He believes there is a lot of talent outside of organizations than there is within them and advises job seekers to invest in their careers from day 1 of school.

Speaking to the media at the launch of the company’s September 2015 career report, Schulz said, “There are many ways to improve one’s skills and CV during school, on the job or when looking for a job. Start with volunteer work, church work, internships, side projects, research programs. One needs to prove to potential employers that they work hard. It is also important to build networks who can refer you in the right direction. While skills gap is still a big problem in the country, job seekers can use the internet to access an unlimited pool of knowledge should the education system fail them.”

The aim of the new report is to provide important data that sheds light on the latest developments in Uganda’s job market. It details several booming industries and career opportunities in the country.

“Whenever we get into a discussion about what we as Everjobs can do about the skills shortage in Uganda,the matter of raising awareness constantly comes up. We therefore have to notify professionals in Uganda about the industries with the highest demand, existing opportunities skills needed and the locations with largest demand for jobs,” he explains.

The report shows vacancies in accounting and financial services jobs are growing at a fast pace  followed by sales, management and administration jobs. The most searched jobs include engineers, Information Technology (IT), Accountants,research and sales. The report further reveals Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Distribution/Logistics, Manufacturing, Recruitment Agencies and Consultancies are the top hiring industries.

“Kampala has the most vacancies of between 80% and 90% followed by Mbarara, Gulu, Arua and Kiryandongo,” Schulz observed.

Everjobs hopes to grow awareness to fields that weren’t necessarily considered before as it is important to know the job-rich paths available.

“As a fast growing online career platform we have access to the appropriate data. Consequently we see it as our duty to share this information. We feel our report is real time and local. You have to redirect your educational efforts towards something that is going to be productive and lead to a career opportunity you know will be there,” he concluded.