Please discuss the Startup Career Fair and how you see it helping startups and students.
The Startup Career Fair at BITS Pilani, Dubai, on 20 February, serves as a vital platform for startups to connect with aspiring engineers, technologists, and business leaders. This event fosters meaningful collaborations, enabling fresh graduates to explore career opportunities in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. By bridging the gap between innovation and emerging talent, the fair empowers students to launch their careers while providing startups with skilled professionals eager to make an impact in the startup world.

The UAE’s startup ecosystem has been growing at an unprecedented pace, becoming a key driver of economic growth and innovation. Startups now play a crucial role in job creation, complementing the SME sector, which has long been the backbone of the UAE’s economy. In recent years, students who join startups have gained exceptional work experience and exposure across diverse domains, often matching or surpassing the learning opportunities provided by multinational corporations and local conglomerates. This trend highlights the immense potential of startups as dynamic environments for professional development and skill-building.

Recognizing this, we saw a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between startups and talented students by organizing a career fair dedicated exclusively to startups. This initiative is designed to give startups direct access to a pool of highly motivated and skilled students, not only for full-time roles and internships but also for part-time and remote opportunities. By fostering these connections, the event enables startups to tap into fresh talent while offering students an unparalleled entry into the fast-paced and innovative world of startups. The Startup Career Fair represents a strategic step toward strengthening the startup ecosystem, fostering meaningful collaborations, and creating valuable opportunities for both startups and students to grow and thrive.

What criteria do you use to select startups for participation in the career fair?
The selection of startups for participation in the career fair is guided by a set of three criteria to ensure a meaningful and impactful experience for both the startups and the students. These criteria include:

1. Innovation and Growth Potential: We prioritize startups that demonstrate a strong commitment to innovation, disruptive ideas, and scalable business models. Startups with a clear vision for growth and a track record of progress are given preference.
2. Alignment with Student Interests: Startups offering roles and opportunities that align with the skills, interests, and career aspirations of students are prioritized. This includes startups in diverse domains such as technology, sustainability, healthcare, fintech, and creative industries.
3. Commitment to Talent Development: We look for startups that are genuinely invested in nurturing talent, providing mentorship, and offering meaningful learning experiences. Startups that emphasize skill development and career growth for their team members are highly valued.

What steps are taken to ensure that internships provide meaningful learning experiences for students?
In order to ensure that internships provide meaningful learning experiences for students,here are the key steps taken:

• Pre-Internship Planning and Alignment
  We work closely with startups to define clear job descriptions and objectives for each internship role, ensuring alignment with the student’s skills and career goals.
• Hands-On Projects and Responsibilities
  Interns are assigned meaningful projects and tasks that contribute to the startup’s operations, allowing them to apply their knowledge and gain practical experience. Startups are encouraged to expose interns to diverse functions and challenges, fostering cross-functional learning and adaptability.
• Feedback and Continuous Improvement
  We collect feedback from both interns and startups after the internship to evaluate the experience and identify areas for improvement.

Are the internships primarily focused on specific sectors or industries? If so, which ones are most represented?
The internships offered through this initiative are designed to cater to a wide range of sectors and industries, reflecting the diverse and dynamic nature of the startup ecosystem in the UAE. While we aim to provide opportunities across various fields, certain sectors are more prominently represented due to their growth potential, alignment with national priorities, and student interest. The most represented sectors include Technology (AI, Cybersecurity), EdTech, Robotics, Fintech, E-Commerce and Retail, Logistics and Supply Chain.

Do participating startups offer pathways to full-time employment after the internship period?
Yes, many participating startups view internships as a valuable pipeline for identifying and nurturing talent, they often offer pathways to full time offers who demonstrate exceptional performance, alignment with the company’s culture, and a strong commitment to their roles..

How does the career fair support students in preparing for the application and interview process?
The career fair plays a pivotal role in equipping students with the tools and confidence needed to excel in the application and interview process. It serves as a comprehensive platform for students to network with a diverse array of industry professionals, all under one roof, enabling them to explore a wide range of opportunities and present themselves effectively to prospective recruiters.

To ensure students are well-prepared, career services organize targeted pre-event workshops, including resume-building sessions and elevator pitch exercises. These sessions are designed to help students craft compelling resumes and develop concise, impactful pitches that highlight their skills and experiences. By participating in these preparatory activities, students gain valuable insights and practical skills that not only enhance their performance at the career fair but also prepare them for future networking events and professional interactions.

This holistic approach ensures that students are not only ready to seize opportunities at the career fair but are also equipped with the confidence and competence to navigate the broader job market successfully.

What has been the success rate of interns transitioning to impactful roles within these startups?
Networking events like career fairs serve as a catalyst for building meaningful professional relationships and unlocking future opportunities. While immediate job offers may be limited, the connections made during these events often lead to sustained engagement between students and startups.

What has been the success rate of interns transitioning to impactful roles within these startups?
Networking events like career fairs serve as powerful catalysts for building meaningful professional relationships and unlocking future opportunities. While immediate job offers may not always materialize, the connections formed during these events often lead to sustained engagement between students and startups. These interactions provide students with direct access to industry professionals, founders, and recruiters, allowing them to establish relationships that can evolve over time. By engaging with startups, students have the chance to showcase their skills, enthusiasm, and cultural fit, leaving a lasting impression that could translate into future roles as startups grow or new opportunities arise.

Beyond the initial interactions, career fairs also serve as a launching pad for follow-up meetings, interviews, or project collaborations. Many startups use these events to identify promising talent, often reconnecting with students in the weeks or months that follow. Additionally, students gain valuable insights into unadvertised roles and upcoming projects, giving them a competitive edge in accessing opportunities that may not be publicly available. Even if an immediate job offer does not emerge, these connections can lead to mentorship, referrals, or collaborations that contribute to long-term career growth.

Ultimately, while the immediate hiring impact of networking events may be modest, their true value lies in the foundation they create for future opportunities. They empower students to build their careers strategically, ensuring that the benefits of participation extend well beyond the event itself.

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The Fair brought together over 500 enthusiastic students seeking internships and job opportunities and was held at Sheraa Hub at AUS, featured interactive booths and fireside chats alongside leading innovators and entrepreneurs in the UAE and beyond.

Attendees had the opportunity to network and build connections with 27 Sheraa-supported startups, which advertised 100+ key positions in sales & business development, product strategy, product development, marketing, IT and software, graphic design, finance, engineering, data management, customer relationship management, filming, editing, and content creation.

Founders of startups such as OptimizeApp, Zidyia, Made for You Global, Cycled Technologies, Yspot, exhale, AR Engineering, HoloFair, Kyma, Foloosi Technologies Ltd, Savii, jalebi.io, Lune Technologies, EYouth, FortyGuard, Esaal solutions, and Ludus Films shared their experiences and insights at the fair, offering valuable advice to students looking to enter the startup world. With a focus on providing students with firsthand insights into working at a startup, they discussed topics such as the challenges and benefits of working at a startup, company culture, career growth, and more.Najla Al-Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said “Nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs is at the heart of what we do at Sheraa. The Startup Career Fair served as a platform for startups and students to connect on a personal level and discover opportunities for collaboration and growth. The fair’s success is a testament to the thriving startup ecosystem in Sharjah and the region, and we look forward to continuing to support and encourage students as they consider careers in our homegrown companies or venture off on their own.”

Rania Morsi, AUS Interim Executive Director of Advancement and Alumni Affairs, said: “We are proud to have partnered with Sheraa and Crescent Enterprises to organize the first-ever Startup Career Fair at AUS. This outstanding event brought together students and startups in a dynamic and interactive environment, fostering connections and facilitating networking. We are committed to providing our students with valuable opportunities that enable them to pursue their aspirations and realize their potential. We also strive to create a platform where startups can tap into a pool of exceptional talent.”

At the interactive booths, students had the opportunity to engage directly with participating startups to explore potential internship or full-time positions. Startups such as OptimizeApp, which enables SMEs to organize social media campaigns through a single app, and Zidyia, the world’s first modern subscription-based learning management system built natively on the cloud, showcased their offerings and connected with talented students.

The fair’s success was a testament to the strong startup ecosystem in Sharjah, as Sheraa and AUS facilitated connections between students and startups. The event provided students with a platform to discover their passions and interests and paved the way for a bright future in innovative companies.

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