By Trina Lagura
abs-cbnNEWS.com

After the fuss and merrymaking over graduation, now comes the hard part. How do you elbow your way past other jobseekers?

Persistence, confidence, and the right qualifications can very well put you ahead in the job seeking race. You must, however, ask yourself this: Is my degree highly in-demand in the labor market?

State-run http://www.phil-job.net/ recorded that from April 9, 2008 to April 16, 2008 call center agents ranked first in its top 20 vacancies, with 10,571 demands.

The "hot" jobs here and abroad, based on phil-job.net’s April 9 to April 16 report, are:

Rank
Position/Title
Total vacancies

1
Call Center Agent
10, 571 (Local)

2
Customer Service Assistant
7, 682 (Local)

3
Technical Support Staff
3, 940 (Local)

4
Information Technology (IT)Specialist
1,012 (Local)

5
Accounting Officer
602 (Local)

6
Professional Nurse (general)
520 (Overseas)

7
Staff Nurse
510 (Overseas)

8
Intensive Care Unit Nurse
300 (Local)

9
Carpenter (general)
260

10
Service Crew
211 (Local/Overseas)

11
Construction Carpenter
190 (Local/Overseas)

12
Mechanical Engineer (general)
169 (Local/Overseas)

13
Promo Salesperson
156 (Local)

14
Steelman
150 (Overseas)

15
Production Machine Operator
136 (Local)

16
Sales Engineer
123 (Local/Overseas)

17
Motorcycle Driver/rider
120 (Local)

18
Marketing Assistant
119 (Local)

19
Accounting Staff
117 (Local)

20

Accounts Manager
114 (Local/Overseas)
Grace Abella-Zata, former president of the People Management Association of the

Philippines, said call center companies do not require specific college degrees to qualify as call center agents but they focus more on the jobseekers’ communication skills, particularly:

• Spontaneity and confidence in speech.
• Ability to listen closely with empathy.
• Vibrant voice quality using syntax and accent that enables easy understanding.
• Clarity of expression; and
• Adapting to the situation or to the customer.

Top jobs abroad

Jay Julian, head of Department of Labor and Employment’s Information and Publication Service, said although the list of job vacancies varies weekly there is no significant change in terms of high demand.

It is also noteworthy that skilled workers are more in-demand abroad.

Employment opportunities for foreign workers are up for grabs in rich nations, particularly in the Middle East region, as foreign governments launch their multi-million-dollar mega projects.

In Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) show that construction, the medical sector, tourism, retail, energy, engineers and planners, telecommunication, operation and maintenance, hotel and restaurant, and information technology sectors will need more foreign laborers this year.

Major companies like Saudi Aramco and Saudi Basic Industries, for example, will need at least 30,000 engineers and 200,000 construction workers up until 2010 to work on their $95-million worth of projects in Saudi Arabia.

Mega projects

POEA said the Saudi government has also announced an estimated demand of 500,000 workers for various professionals and skilled workers for its mega projects.

Construction projects in Kuwait are also booming. Citing reports from the Kuwait Ministry of Housing and Public Works, POEA said the construction of 9,625 residential units in Sabah al Ahmad City will create 11,356 job openings.

Kuwait’s "City of Silk" project, which is expected to be completed in the next five to seven years, will generate additional job opportunities in the hotel, restaurant and cleaning industries.

POEA also sees a big demand for engineers, architects, interior designers, controllers, QA/QC inspectors, mechanical, electrical and plumbing personnel, civil works specialists, fabrication, welding and piping inspectors, hotel and restaurant crew in Qatar.

Expansion of Abu Dhabi’s international airport and construction of five-star hotels offer job opportunities for skilled workers in the tourism services sector.

POEA said nurses and skilled workers in construction and steel production sectors in Jordan are also in demand.

In Libya, meanwhile, POEA noted high employment opportunities in health services, tourism, fisheries, construction and oil exploration sectors.

Sea-based sector

POEA said the Philippines continues to be the leading source of maritime manpower, supplying 20 percent of the 1.2 million of the world’s seafarers, based on information from the International Labor Organization.

Filipino seafarers continue to dominate the crewing industry due largely to their technical competence, fluency in English and natural affinity with the sea. In addition, a highly organized government infrastructure and professional ship crewing sector provide a strong support system.

There is still a high demand for Filipino seafarers especially in Cyprus, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Netherland, Belgium, UK, US, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Japan.

In the next five years, POEA said the employment prospects are bright for both ratings and officer positions, noting that the major players in the industry, such as Norway and Japan, are pushing ahead with their plans to expand their fleets.

The challenge now to the Philippines is to ensure a stable supply of seafarers, according to the agency.

Job prospects in Asia

For 2008, labor prospects abroad are broken down by regions and countries:

Asia

Countries
In-demand jobs abroad

Korea (under the Employment Permit System)

Factory workers
Skilled workers in the construction and ship-building sectors

Taiwan

Factory workers
IT and healthcare workers

Singapore

Managers Supervisors Skilled workers that include croupiers, dealers, chambermaids and waiters/waitresses Architects, engineers and draftsmen
Nurses

Malaysia

Nurses IT and related skills Casino workers
Entertainers

Brunei

Nurses Fabricators RiggersHigh pressure operators Managers
Engineers (civil, structural, electrical and pipe)Source: POEA

POEA noted that the region’s continued economic growth has resulted in the construction of major infrastructure and industrial projects, consequently, inducing a steady increase in the demand for foreign workers such as professionals and skilled workers.

More jobs

Ocenia

Countries
In-demand jobs abroad

Australia

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers in trades Teachers
Hotel and restaurant workers

New Zealand

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers in trades Teachers
Hotel and restaurant workers Source: POEA


Americas and trust territories

Countries
In-demand jobs abroad

Canada (particularly the Western provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia and Saskatchewan)

There is a surge in demand for skilled workers and professional in about 140 occupations for 2006-2016Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers Hotel and restaurant workersTeachers
Oil and gas workers

United States

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers Hotel and restaurant workers Teachers
Oil and gas workers

Guam

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers Hotel and restaurant workers Teachers
Oil and gas workers

Caribbean

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers Hotel and restaurant workers Teachers
Oil and gas workers
Source: POEA
The oil and gas related industries have been booming due to soaring oil prices and strong world demand, POEA said.

Europe

Countries
In-demand jobs abroad

United Kingdom

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers Hotel and restaurant workers
Teachers

Ireland

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers
Hotel and restaurant workers

Spain

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers
Hotel and restaurant workers

France

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers
Hotel and restaurant workers

Germany

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers
Hotel and restaurant workers

Italy

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers
Hotel and restaurant workers * The Italian government increased from 3,000 to 5,000 the annual quota of Filipinos who will be admitted as non-seasonal workers

Norway

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers Hotel and restaurant workers NursesCaregivers
Computer science graduates * An estimated 3,000 health care workers will be needed possibly in the next three years

Finland

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers Hotel and restaurant workers Skilled and semi-skilled workers
Nurses

Belgium

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers
Hotel and restaurant workers

Iceland

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers Hotel and restaurant workers
Highly skilled workers

Romania

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers Hotel and restaurant workers Laborers for bricklaying, security, carpentry, construction and medical services
Workers for packaging, road building sectors

Czech Republic

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers
Hotel and restaurant workers

Azerbaijan

Construction workersHealth workersIT professionalsSkilled workers
Hotel and restaurant workers Source: POEA