2018: a Year of Perpetual Optimism and Opportunities

The New Year is symbolic of new beginnings. Around that time of year, people undergo a process of reflection. They assess where they currently stand in terms of personal and career growth, think back to their successes and failures, identify their positives and shortcomings and, most importantly, identify the changes they want to see in the coming year. The resolutions formed at the beginning of the year go beyond trend and tradition and reflect the attitudes and priorities of individuals across a region. For instance, the aspirations and desires of job seekers help in predicting the aims and long-term plans of professionals in the Middle East and North Africa as well as discern their outlook toward the year in general.

In order to identify the priorities, goals and feelings of professionals in the region, Lebanese Jobs conducted a poll titled ‘ New Years’ Resolutions in the Middle East and North Africa ’ that was published in January 2018. An optimistic, high morale outlook can already be observed from the findings with more than four in five respondents (83.9%) saying that they feel ‘positive’ about the coming year. On the other hand, less than one in ten (8.7%) say that they are ‘neutral’ and only 7.4% of respondents have a negative outlook regarding 2018.

Furthermore, insights gained from the poll show that the majority (84%) of professionals in the Middle East intend on setting New Year’s resolutions aimed towards their careers, relationships and personal goals. Additionally, nearly nine in ten (89.2%) MENA professionals claim that they set New Year’s resolutions at least some of the time, with 72.2% of them saying that they ‘always’ do. The high level of motivation and determination expressed through these findings already set a positive tone for the start of the year, and further findings continue to echo the optimism of the MENA workforce.

Career Growth

Career resolutions emerge as the primary objective for professionals in the MENA region. When asked about their resolutions for 2018, a considerable majority of respondents (82.5%) said that they were pursuing a ‘career change’ this year. And a further 74.6% of respondents said that ‘finding a new job’ is their main career resolution for the year.

However, finding a job is not the only career resolution held by MENA professionals this year. Nearly one in ten (9.6%) of respondents said that learning new skills and pursuing higher education is their primary career resolution, followed by 5.3% of professionals targeting a salary raise or promotion, 4.1% aiming to be more productive, 3.1% looking to start their own business and 1.7% seeking to form better relationships at work. What can be observed here is that even those not prioritizing the acquisition of a new job this year are seeking positive improvements in the careers.

Of those seeking new employment, a majority have a refreshingly optimistic outlook on their job hunt for the year, with more than nine in 10 of current job seekers believing that they will be able to find their ideal job this year. If you were feeling on the negative side for the coming year, then these numbers should inspire some hope. Despite the ups and downs of the past year, a majority of professionals are able to find the silver lining and so can you. Job seekers looking to find their ideal job should waste no time in searching and applying for any jobs that match their interest. On Lebanese Jobs alone, job seekers are privy to a database of over 10,000 jobs daily.

While the last year was challenging, there is plenty to be positive about. Lebanese Jobs closed the year with over 1.7 million CV searches by employers head hunting talent and over 1.5 million contacts between employers and job seekers throughout the year. That is an average of roughly 142,000 CV searches and 125,000 cases of contact between job seekers and employers a month. These numbers can only be expected to improve in coming years as the technology and tools Lebanese Jobs provides employers and job seekers grow and are accessed by more professional’s region-wide and world-wide.

Personal Growth

Job-related resolutions are not the only thing on the to-do lists of MENA professionals. The majority of respondents is also ambitious and determined when it comes to their personal goals for 2018. Improving friendships and relationships emerges as the top personal resolution with 56.1% of respondents reporting that this will be their focus. Another quarter of respondents (25.3%) are looking to improve their finances and spending habits over the coming year, and 6.6% aspire to improve their hobbies and personal interests.

Other personal aspirations include improving spiritual and religious life (6.5%) and health and wellness (5.5%). Furthermore, when taking a closer look at ‘health and wellness’, more than eight in ten respondents (80.6%) intend on eating healthy food and/or joining a gym in 2018. As for the remainder, nearly a fifth (19.4%) reported that they are already satisfied with their health. These personal priorities express that professionals are indeed looking for positive change both outward and inward.

Additionally, it can be observed from the data that the majority of professionals are likely to fulfil their resolutions. This is evidenced by the fact more than three quarters (78.3%) of respondents claimed to have completed at least some of their 2017 New Year’s resolutions. Of those respondents, 35.9% report that they completed all or most of them.

Professionals have different plans of execution when it comes to the fulfillment of their resolutions. The majority cite ‘careful planning and hard work’ (80.6%) as their mode of operation. On the other hand, most of the remainder (15.9%) achieves their resolutions by ‘going with the flow and trying different options’ to achieve their goals. Either way, the completion rate makes it apparent that these approaches have been largely successful for professionals in the past.

Have you set any New Year resolutions for 2018? Share your resolutions in the comments below and discuss how you intend on achieving them. Share your New Year resolution success stories. You never know who you might inspire to achieve their own aspirations and goals. We believe that any goal can become a reality with the right amount of positivity and determination, characteristics that MENA professionals are already displaying just one month into the year.