Pakistan: Turkish event helps young people find careers

LAHORE, Pakistan

Fifteen Turkish multinationals on Friday opened their doors for Pakistani young people to help them accelerate their careers.

Turkey’s Consulate in the northeastern city of Lahore organized a one-day career hunt with the support of talentforbiz, a group helping young people from around the world network for jobs at Turkish firms.

The purpose of the event was to help students explore job opportunities in Turkey.

"We are thrilled to be in Pakistan and especially in Lahore. The city speaks for itself. We are witnessing so much talent here," Yasin Bostanci from the consulate’s Turkish Presidential Office for Human Resources told Anadolu Agency.

“Each company is offering information sessions, direct face-to-face group interviews, and literature about the company.”

The event had a setup of stalls where varied companies, from the engineering sector to social sciences, offered guidance.

"We’re talking to each guest individually and guiding them according to their expertise and interest. This program has been expanding beyond borders. Because young people need jobs and we’re here to accommodate them," said Bostanci.

"We’ve lined up eight countries where we will be setting up these events in 2020,” including Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Germany, Poland, the U.S., London, and South Africa, said Bostanci.

Young country

According to a 2018 UN Development Program report, Pakistan is one of the youngest countries in the world and the second-youngest in the South Asian region after Afghanistan. Nearly two-thirds of the population is below age 30, and 29% are age 15-29.

Hassan Abdullah, representing Turkey’s English-language news channel TRT World, said: "Turkey is the best country for Pakistani youth for career chances. But students and freshly graduates have to understand that sending CVs without getting information about the eligibility criteria is a waste of time. We have to tell them how to make customized CVs according to the job requirements."

Pakistani universities have been producing over half a million graduates, including over 10,000 IT graduates, every year since 2010, the country’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) said in 2015.

Burcu Yildiz, an HR executive at Turkish software and systems company Havelsan, said: "Pakistani young people have great potential and are hard workers. They are accelerating in the field of IT. We already have very good experience working with them and hope to expand our liaison offices in Pakistan soon."

Syed Shakeel Gillani, secretary-general of the Yunus Emre Institute, a group promoting Turkish language and culture around the world, said: "Pakistan and Turkey have signed nearly 11 pacts in the field of railways, communications, and defense and there is so much brotherhood among them. Our youth should cherish this friendship as much as they can".

More than 3,000 students attended the event and applauded Turkey’s efforts for Pakistani youth.

Umar Suhail, a new graduate in mechanical engineering said: "I am so excited to be here and I’m already finding so many opportunities and I’m looking forward to working with these companies."