Dubai stands prominently on the list of the top five cities that graduates seek the most when it comes to a career in finance.
With almost a quarter of votes (23 per cent), Dubai is the world’s second most sought-after city where finance graduates wish to start their careers, according to a new report by deVere Group, an independent financial advisory organisation.
The UAE seems to score well, with Abu Dhabi too being a preferred choice for graduates to land a job here. It comes fifth on the list with 7 per cent votes.
New York, with 34 per cent of respondents voting for the city, is the number one global destination for graduates who successfully completed the graduate programme at the company.
These graduates were then asked in which location, within the company’s network of more than 70 offices, would they like to start their financial services career.
Hong Kong is third on the list with 17 per cent respondents hoping to start a career here. This is followed by Sydney in the fourth place (13 per cent).
The remaining 6 per cent is made up of other destinations including Shanghai, Cape Town, Geneva, Paris, Barcelona and London.
“The order of the top five destinations changes with each group of grads we take on, but New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Sydney and Abu Dhabi are typically in the top ten somewhere,” says deVere Group CEO and founder Nigel Green.
“This is because, quite understandably, these global hubs of finance and commerce represent centres of enormous possibilities for young, ambitious individuals about to embark on careers as international wealth-advisory professionals.
“There are some common traits amongst these cities, including that English is commonly spoken, they are politically and economically stable, there is a high level of internationally-minded high net worth individuals, and by relocating to these places one can usually expect comparatively high financial rewards.
“With each of the top five destinations offering unique opportunities and challenges, each one attracts grads who have often quite markedly different strengths and weaknesses, skill sets and aspiration,” he adds.