What do human resource directors, market risk managers and paralegals have in common? They are listed among the most promising and high-potential jobs this year by Robert Half UAE, a specialised recruitment consultancy. James Sayer, the company's director, describes some hotspots in the local job market.
Some surveys this year have shown optimism on the job-hiring front in the UAE. Do you think that sentiment will last?
What we are seeing with the trends in the market here is there is a solid demand for specific professions. It's not across all areas.
What is the most in-demand job right now?
Within industry and commerce we're finding that there's a significant demand for qualified finance and accounting professionals. That's at varying levels. Within financial services, we're seeing a solid demand in the risk and compliance area. We associate this due to the downturn; that is, there is a lot more corporate governance regulatory [positions]. They are increasing their headcount.
Market risk managers are among your company's list of high-potential jobs this year. What exactly do they do?
They are based in financial services organisations. They're assessing all the different types of market risks associated with many investments an organisation may be looking to invest into. They would look at different types of market risk associated to a country or an economy, and provide that feedback to the investment professional so they can make a more informed decision.
What is the average salary for their role?
US$40,000 to (Dh146,923) $70,000 US. That was someone with two years' experience, but this can rise to over $150,000 with 10 years of experience.
What other positions are companies hiring for right now?
We're seeing there has been an increase in demand for human resource professionals, the reason being that during the downturn human resources was an area that did receive quite a lot of retrenchment ... and [professionals in that area are] being rehired again.
There is also in-house demand for more paralegals, those with legal experience who can handle a wide range of administrative tasks. What is driving this need?
Due to the simple reason that the economy is picking up, firms are having to pick up their workload and are needing more support for their legal teams. As a result, paralegals are in hot demand.
How much is their salary?
$65,000 to $98,000. That's fixed compensation, not inclusive of benefits on top.
How many respondents was your survey based on?
Our survey was based on 2,500 CFOs [chief financial officers] worldwide, mainly in the finance and accounting area, and 75 in Dubai. The salary guide that we've done is based on the market intelligence [from] HR managers and line managers in the market.
* Neil Parmar
