sba careers april 2015

CAREERS–SBA newsletter Issue 4 | April 2015

School of Business Administration Internship and Placement Office Newsletter

Careers–SBA Internship and Placement Office Newsletter April 2014

32 American University of Sharjah

By Tanya Gibbs, Careers Editor

If you’re an SBA student with 75 credits at the end of this term, you need to do some thinking about the summer. No—not how much time to spend by the pool, but what you hope to get out of the internship.

Business students (like almost every student at AUS) are required to perform an internship, which should last a minimum of six weeks (technically, you are required to spend 240 hours in a professional workplace). You will need to think about what you want to get out of that experience.

It can’t be just that you’re checking off a box on your graduation requirement. Thinking like that won’t get you very far after you’ve got your AUS diploma. What you need now is to gather new skills, specific job training, and the kind of quality contacts that comprise a solid network.

You may also want to consider working longer than the standard 240 hours. Last year, SBA introduced a special Business Practicum course, BUS 497, which is basically a long-

term internship; it also, unlike the standard internship, is worth three credit hours toward your diploma. The advantage of BUS 497 is not only the added credit hours (which can count as a free elective), but also the fact that it will let you settle into a longer-term slot in the professional world. And this means you will have more time to develop soft skills, such as the ability to communicate with others and work within a team, manage tasks and stay focused on assignments. Can you develop those skills in the standard internship? Of course. But BUS 497 lets you integrate deeper in collaboration with those people who may well become your future employers.

If you’re interested in BUS 497 come see the Internship Office team. Under any circumstances, use your summer wisely.

The focus of this new Careers-SBA newsletter is on your career planning and the abundance of help and support SBA offers to you, our students. These range from library resources essential for your career development to career-oriented events such as CareerWise, and from new SBA courses that will sharpen your managerial skills and prepare you for the local and international job market to the Business Practicum and Internship opportunities for the summer ahead. With or without academic credit, I encourage you to go beyond the regular six-week internship period and dedicate a whole summer to experiencing the world of business in your chosen field of interest, networking with corporate managers, and exploring potential career opportunities. But don’t just take it from us, learn from the experience of our interns and the insights of our alumni, read their stories and talk to them at our events.

I hope you’ll find this issue educational and entertaining and won’t forget to give some feedback to our newsletter team.

InsideMessage from the Associate Dean 2

Getting the most from your internship 2

Get a strong start with the library 3

Five things graduating students need to know 3

Employer’s Voice 4

Events 5

With Industry in Mind 9

Our Student 12

Our Graduates 13

CareerWise 2015 14–15

Message from the Associate Dean Getting the most from

your internship

Get a strong start with the libraryThe AUS Library provides many resources to help students develop their careers. Whether you’re still choosing your career, or trying to succeed in the career you’ve decided to pursue, we have books and online resources for you.

If you’re still deciding on the career that’s right for you, check out the book Now What? by Nicholas Lore and An-thony Spadafore. It will help you assess yourself and your goals to decide on a career you’ll truly love.

If you’ve already chosen a career and are looking for help pursuing it, try the book Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job by Shawn Graham (available online from the li-brary). It has plenty of tips on every as-pect of moving forward in your career, networking, resumes and cover letters, interviews, and accepting, negotiating and declining job offers.

These two books are just a sample of the great resources we have in the

library. For more books, try searching the library collection from library.aus.edu with searches like “job interview” or “cover letters.” The sidebar to the left of your search results will allow you to limit them to “Books/eBooks" only.

We also have a subject guide for the Career Management course that is full of useful articles, videos and websites about career planning, resumes, job hunting and interviews. There are also links to a variety of job boards. Visit this guide at http://aus.libguides.com/mgt394 and follow @SBMCareerCoach on Twitter.

If you have any other questions, or need help accessing these resources, feel free to stop by the Research Help Desk on the first floor of the AUS Library. A librarian is there to help you Sunday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also call the desk at 06 515 2277 or email us at [email protected].

Veronica RamshawSBA Liaison [email protected]

Career advice from Linda McLoughlin, SBA Placement Director

It is countdown time to graduation— just half a semester to go and you are probably thinking about your next steps. In the Placement Office I meet a lot of students who are anxious about what lies ahead. From my experience as a Career Coach and from talking to employers, here are five things I would ask you to consider:

1. Don’t focus on finding the perfect job or a job you absolutely love.

Think instead about finding a job that will give you much-needed real world skills and experience. Consider jobs that provide you with networking and development opportunities. Most entry level jobs are unglamorous—we all have to start with routine stuff until we

prove ourselves to be competent. Think about your first job as a stepping stone to a job you will love in three to five years’ time.

2. Think beyond the HR Department. When applying to companies, most candidates believe that sending their CVs to HR will land them a job. HR are inundated by all these CVs and often do little but file them away! Instead, discover who the line managers are in the functions you want to work in and find a way to approach them directly. This provides a higher chance of success.

3. Don’t turn your nose up at internships.

You may feel that you have done your internship already. Many companies offer internships and temporary work placements to fresh graduates as a way of “sussing” out candidates before offering them a permanent contract. In any event, you can build your CV with a

range of internships at good companies.

4. Consider working in a start-up.

Many graduates only want to work for brand names like PWC or Unilever. However start-up companies often provide greater and more varied experience and allow graduates to do a wider range of duties at a more advanced and challenging level. In an established company, you may have to be there longer to gain that trust.

5. Online is OK.

Many students complain about online applications and believe they lead nowhere. We have many successful alumni who found their jobs online—we know this for a fact. Everything else is online and digital so why not recruitment? LinkedIn is becoming a major force is hiring— use its power.

Good luck and drop by for further advice and tips!

Five things graduating students need to know



By Aamina Marjan

On March 1 around 200 students from the School of Business Administration attended an internship seminar organized by the SBA Career Coach.

SBA Internship Coordinator Tanya Gibbs began by discussing important guidelines that every prospective intern must follow. She emphasized the importance of completing the internship successfully since not only would it satisfy a graduation requirement, but would also allow the student to gain practical experience in their relevant field of study.

SBA Career Coach Portal Manager Alaa Hamade introduced students to the

portal and showed them with how to use it. He discussed the importance of submitting internship related documents online through the portal.

“The seminar cleared most doubts that I had about the process. Earlier I hadn’t known where to start and I was anxious, thinking that I was late in starting the whole process. Thankfully some of the pressure has been reduced significantly,” said Farhia Mohamed, one of the attendees

Student attendee Ali AlMaktoum said, “I think it is quite a productive effort made to educate us on various job offerings out there. This is great because finding good internship opportunities is almost impossible if done alone.”

Both students are expected to fulfill their internship requirements this summer.

Over 200 prospective interns attend internship seminar

Events

By Nada Ramadan

The School of Business Administration recognized 183 of its top academic achievers at the Dean’s List Recogni-tion Ceremony on December 10. Those honored achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.5 in Fall 2013 and/or Spring 2014.

“It is wonderful to have this opportuni-ty to celebrate the achievements of our best students,” SBA Dean Dr. Robert Grosse said in a speech. He added that it is “beyond satisfying to see that the knowledge that professors have given students is sinking in and will hopefully one day make a difference.”

Assistant Professor of Management John Katsos, the event’s guest speaker, advised students to “just go with whatever life hands you,” adding that, “preparation can only take you so far in life.”

He stated that, although the knowl-edge people attain will help prepare

them for life’s challenges, it is impos-sible to anticipate the things they will experience. “The key to success is how you handle the things life throws at you,” Katsos noted.

The top interns of Summer 2014 were also recognized. Internship Coordinator Tanya Gibbs named 16 students who “demonstrated high professionalism, self-discipline, persistence and resil-ience in dealing with the challenges they faced. They were great ambassa-dors of SBA.”

The interns recognized were Nadine Obeid, Nouf Al Remeithi, Malak Dow, Fatma Anwar Sajwani, Abdulla Al Sharhan, Nour Jammal, Sara Qanaq, Yasmeen Rwaished, Hameed Rashed Al Faraj, Zeina Chehab, Amna Masoud, La-hak Bablani, Sarah Hawala, Sara Soufa, Umika Shivnani and Mahak Mulani.

First-time recipient of the Dean’s List award Raghad Gomaa, a management student, stated that she felt like her hard work was appreciated and that

these events encourage her to work harder.

Having been recognized for the second time, finance senior Divya Paithankar stated that being on the Dean’s List is something that every student should aim for because it sets one apart from the others, “particularly when you start looking for a job.”

Dean’s List students honored

Employer’s Voice

By Mais Al-Amouri

Unilever plans to take around 20 students from AUS for internships this summer, Human Resources Business Partner Farah Hallak said.

Although many AUS engineering and business students apply for internships every year, Hallak said that the company welcomes all majors and backgrounds as long as applicants possess leadership characteristics and business passion.

Noting that Unilever has flexible working policies that encourage employees to be more productive and push innovation, Hallak said that the company is “multinational with forceful exposure in the fast-moving consumer goods industry.”

From the first day, interns and graduates will face real responsibilities along with having a range of opportunities for personal development, she said.

Different ProgramsHallak said that Unilever provides three different programs that allow students to find internships or employment: Unilever Future Leaders Program (UFLP), Unilever’s Leadership Internship Program (ULIP), and the Quest by Unilever competition.

Hallak said that the UFLP gives students the opportunity to grown into managers through learning alongside experts. She noted that

students can choose their function of interest from customer development, HR, finance and marketing and supply chain. However, they have to rotate through the various departments of that function for a period of three years to groom them to be managers.

Hallak said that the ULIP provides "concrete experience as well as absolute exposure to live projects." At the end of the program, students present their work to the director to be assessed for a full-time job or to join the UFLP program depending on their performance, she added.

The Quest by Unilever is a regional competition in which students have the chance to express their passion for business, granting them real-life contact with market challenges, Hallak said. Participants visit Unilever’s office to gain first-hand exposure to the company and to spend time with business leaders. Selected student groups then present a business case to directors. The winning team gets an internship and proceeds to the North Africa Middle East Camp, where students compete to earn a trip to London to participate in a global competition called the Future Leaders League.

AUS Graduates’ ExperienceContacted via social media, AUS graduates gave a positive impression of a career at Unilever. AUS alumna Raghad Al Ghazi, who is a Go-To-Market Management trainee, said a career there “is a continuous learning journey.” A civil engineering graduate with a project management minor, Al Ghazi called her experience at Unilever inspiring, adding that the diverse working environment is encouraging and adds more excitement when engaging with her colleagues.

Internship and placement opportunities at Unilever

The seminar cleared most doubts that I had

about the process. Earlier I hadn’t known

where to start and I was anxious, thinking that I was late in starting the

whole process.



“Research shows that… the more girls that are educated,

the less violence is in communities,”

By Mariam Elsayed

Dr. Shawn P. O’Connor, the founder and CEO of Stratus Prep, highlighted the “10 Tips to Get into the Top 10 Business Schools” in an event held in the SBA building.

O’Connor described Stratus Prep as a consulting firm that has helped thousands of students worldwide prepare for graduate school admissions tests. He said the majority of his company’s student clients end up in prestigious business schools such as Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, and the University of London.

The first tip from O’Connor is that a business school applicant needs to “do the right research,” choose a university which they can add to educationally and socially. This led him to his second point, which is to have a strategy in place “on how you can contribute to the academic community.”

Following from this is the preparation letter. While every MBA applicant needs recommendation letters from their undergraduate professors,

O’Connor cautioned that “We, Americans take “excellent” as “good” and “good” as “just OK.” His fourth point emphasized that every student should also have a global perspective, because they will have to deal with cross-cultural teams.

Point five concerned the need for applicants to be able to self-evaluate themselves quantitatively and qualitatively on their application. Applicants in the US, he said, tend “to be great at their qualitative factors,” such as writing and public speaking, but fail to impress their professors with good quantitative factors, “whereas other people who aren’t Americans are the exact opposite.” Showing quantitative factors, he said, could involve demonstrating their ability with finance topics.

O’Connor’s next point emphasized entrepreneurial thinking, something he said gave success to business students. It doesn’t matter what a business person’s idea is, he said at one point, as long as it gets well-funded and serves the audience. His seventh tip involved having a good resume, a simple point he said was

often overlooked. He said cautioned that length did not equal experience. Having a two-page resume, he said, might show arrogance and lack of judgment as it implies that an applicant is exaggerating their experience.

Point eight had two elements: know yourself and differentiate yourself. Applicants need to meet these twin goals to show admissions committees their potential. Related to this was O’Connor’s ninth point: recognize when to apply. Students have the best opportunity to get into an MBA program in the September/October session compared to January, he said, as in January business schools start putting candidates on the waiting list.

Finally, he advised applicants to develop a solid profile through real-world experience, which includes a backlog of wisdom they have attained through their own efforts. Even failure, he said, can count for experience. “If you are an entrepreneur and it didn’t work out for you, it will be a great story because businesses aren’t successful all the time,” O’Connor said.

10 tips to get into top 10 business schools

By Aisha Almazmi

Empowering women and girls effectively strengthens society and the economy, said Tiffany Kelly of Round Table Global and Dr. Kerrin Barrett from Global Advocate for Girls' Education at the SBA International Women’s Day celebration on March 9.

This is the second year SBA has held this event, which was organized by Dr. Linzi Kemp, Associate Professor of Management, and Linda McLoughlin, SBA Placement Director and Senior Lecturer.

The significance of this day is that it allows everyone to reflect on the achievements and recognize the potential of women as well as to “shine a light on the injustices to women,” McLoughlin said in an interview after the event, adding that it is especially important to celebrate it at a university setting where nearly half the students are women.

“We’re all agents of change and it might feel like there isn’t anything that you could do with just one individual but actually there’s masses of change you can make happen

just as one person,” Kelly explained to her audience in regards to International Women’s Day’s theme “Making It Happen.”

Kelly, the founding partner of Round Table Global, is actively working in several projects that encourage the recognition of the lack of gender balance in leadership roles, including the World Assembly for Women, where she worked with the first lady of Japan on creating a platform to talk about women’s empowerment globally.

The reason that gender equality is still on the agenda is because there is a lack of progress in this issue, Kelly said, which she found “unbelievable in this day and age” as it is a “basic human right.”

She noted that statistics and data show an improvement in decision-making, shareholder value and a lower rate of risk taking, as well as an increase in innovation and creativity, in establishments with a prevalent female workforce.

Dr. Barrett spoke about the development she witnessed in Afghanistan after over 4,000 girls and young women were coached to be independent and resourceful as part of the Girls’ Education Challenge, an initiative that aims to educate one million girls in 22 countries.

She added that after training them and enhancing their vocational skills, the women began earning their own incomes. “Research shows that… the more girls that are educated, the less violence is in communities,” she stated, explaining that this was also a result of life skill classes taught in grades 3-4 that taught them to respect the elderly and their parents, as well as helping those who surround them. The villagers in areas where this program was held said that there was “less fighting” since the schools were created, Dr. Barrett added.

SBA celebrates International Women’s Day



By Anna Yazijyan

Ethics goes beyond the law, according to Emmanuel Lulin, Senior Vice President and Chief Ethics Officer of L’ORÉAL, who visited AUS on December 9 to speak about the importance of business ethics.

Recognized by the Ethisphere Institute— an American management consulting firm— as one of the top ethics and compliance officers in 2013, Lulin shared his experiences in corporate ethics with AUS students. The same institute also nominated L’ORÉAL as one of the world’s most ethical companies for the fifth time.

“As a business professor and as a

banker, I view ethics as a fundamental issue that individuals need to deal within the context of a company or any other organization,” said Dr. Robert Grosse, Dean of the School of Business Administration.

Lulin spoke about L’ORÉAL’s major four ethical principles: integrity, respect, courage and transparency. He advised students to avoid some “red flags” by any means, including such unethical phrases as:

• “It doesn’t matter how it gets done as long as it gets done.”

• “No one will ever know.”

• “Don’t worry, it’s part of the culture.”

Each of these represents potential ethical issues, he said.

He noted that an issue the company faced involved the case of a beauty blog run by an employee. “It was considered unethical for her to have an independent beauty blog and promote different products while working for the company, but the solution was easy,” said Lulin. “She became the blogger for L’ORÉAL with all her previous followers transferred to a new blog. Everyone was happy.”

According to Lulin, “L’ORÉAL believes that the worldwide leaders of tomorrow will be the companies that have integrated ethics in their strategic planning as well as their day-to-day business.” He added that the firm’s “ambition is to be one of the most exemplary companies worldwide.”

L’ORÉAL ethics officer visits AUS

By Vana Borghosizian

Gilbert Cassar, a 24-year-old entrepreneur with a master’s degree in finance from Harvard University, delivered an educational seminar to SBA students on March 1. Cassar mainly spoke about entrepreneurial finance, as well as his work experience as an

auditor, emphasizing the importance of knowing how to read financial statements.

He highlighted his past experience as a finance specialist at Towers Watson, a large multinational, and also spoke briefly about the attractiveness of Dubai for conducting business since one of his companies, Equity Bank And Trust Bahamas Limited, is opening a subsidiary in the city.

Cassar has also co-founded two companies: Ad 2 My Account, which compensates consumers for their time spent engaging with ads; and Netnome, a social network. He said he was optimistic about both projects and believes that they will become billion-dollar companies in the future.

“I greatly appreciate Gilbert Cassar’s willingness to share his knowledge and insight about entrepreneurial finance. No doubt the students benefitted from the experience,” said Dr. Samuel Tibbs, Assistant Professor of Finance, who attended the presentation.

Cassar also stressed his experience leading student organizations, networking with peers and industry professionals while he was a student and how this nurtured his entrepreneurial spirit. Rajiv Lakhiani, a finance senior who attended the event, called Cassar “truly inspirational to the youth, setting a great example of how the right mix of hard work, education and strong networking skills can drive us to success, even at a young age.”

Harvard alumnus speaks on entrepreneurial finance

With Industry in Mind

By Mariam Elsayed

The UAE’s insurance sector is one of its most dynamic markets, attracting SBA finance students who want to work in it. What most students are unaware of, however, is how diversified the insurance area is.

“Within ‘insurance’ there are many, many different functions,” Femi Akanbi, the HR Recruitment Coordinator of Zurich International Life Limited, observed in an email interview. Akanbi reeled off a long list of them, including underwriting, claims handling, risk engineering, customer service, compliance, legal, finance, investment, operations, IT, sales and business development, customer relationship management, reinsurance, marketing, human resources, and actuarial. And she noted, there are “many, many more.”

CompetitiveAccording to a recent study by Moody’s Investor Services, the UAE insurance industry is the largest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Competition within the field is getting tougher, Akanbi said, but at the same time more jobs are available for fresh young minds to join the field.

“The industry is both diverse and challenging,” Akanbi said. “Our main challenge is to keep pace with the fast changing needs of our customers, whether this is an individual in their private life or’ the most complex, multinational organization with locations all over the world.”

BenefitsShe added that most UAE insurance companies are international conglomerates that allow people

to invest globally, which is why

international rules are pre-set. “HR

practices set at a global standard are

transferable regardless of the industry

you work in. People management is a

skill that is transferable and is adaptable

to business needs,” said Akanbi.

“Students with numerate and financial

qualifications tend to gravitate towards

actuarial, financial and actuarial

functions,” she noted, “while students

who have excellent communication skills

tend to be more successful in sales and

business development.”

Fulfilling the aims of a successful

insurance company is not a miracle,

Akanbi stressed, but notes that

insurance companies seek specific

qualifications in a job candidate.

Career opportunities in the insurance sector

By Mariam Elsayed

Dubai is already one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. It ranks seventh on MasterCard’s latest Global Destination Cities Index of most popular destination cities, and was fifth among the world’s most visited cities in 2013. With Expo 2020 on the way, Dubai is likely to climb higher on those lists. This works into the plans of Dr. Prakash Chathoth, AUS Associate Professor of Market-ing, who notes that his department seeks to cater to ever-expanding tourism sector.

“Marketing is an important element in the context of destinations,” he said, “which helps the audience connect with the country and its product offerings.”

The UAE—and in particular Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah—Dr. Chathoth noted, have increasingly invested in the tourism sector. The relevance of tourism is emphasized at AUS through the tourism destina-tion marketing course.

Linking the work field to educa-tion is important especially when

it comes to tourism marketing, Dr. Chathoth said. Key speakers who have been involved in guest lectures are Heather Harries, Director of Marketing Communications at the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism De-velopment Authority, Government of Sharjah, and Sumathi Ramana-than, the Regional General Man-ager, Asia Pacific & Middle East, for Visit Britain. Their involvement in connecting the real world of tourism to education makes it more interest-ing for our students.

“There are possibilities of intern-ships in tourism marketing and the opportunities depend on how strong the bridge is between academia and industry,” Dr. Chathoth said.

“When we have more courses in tourism, there would be a pos-sibility of growing this area into a full-fledged domain of study,” Dr. Chathoth noted, adding that within such a domain “there would be a plan to link multiple disciplines to tourism. “ That is how we could jump to the next level.”

Tourism marketing opportunities to grow

I greatly appreciate Gilbert Cassar’s willingness to share his knowledge

and insight about entrepreneurial finance.



Student Focus

By Nada Ramadan

Programming is a skill that students should have, as many companies want to hire employees who can help them build their online presence, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems Dr. Jeffery Baker stated in a March 10 interview.

Having taught in the department since 2009, Dr. Baker is now teaching a new course, MIS 39403 Object-Oriented Programming for Business Applications, which deals with application development.

“Essentially, it’s a programming class where students use Java to build applications for smart phones,” he stated. He noted that the course, which has 12 students, is more application-based than theoretical.

“It’s very hands-on and allows students to use their computers to build simple applications, which they can then test on their phones,” he added. Dr. Baker stated that the course is primarily for business students. However, there are plans to change the course’s prerequisites so that others can take it as well, Dr. Baker noted.

“I think this course would be of particular interest to computer science students,” he said. However, he stated that a background in computer science and programming is not required for students to take the course, because “we teach them from scratch.”

“This course will hopefully give them the building blocks they need to create more complex applications in the future,” he stated. This semester,

the students are building their applications for the Android mobile operating system, Dr. Baker said. However, he added that the principles of application building could be easily applied to other operating systems such as iOS.

“If you are somebody who thinks logically and understands processes and procedures, the course should be no problem,” he stated.

New course gives practical experience in creating apps

By Hussam Badi

Five SBA students attended the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists Fifth Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crimes Conference MENA on January 18 and 19.

Held at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers, the conference highlighted key issues of anti-money laundering and financial crimes. With sponsorship from the Bank of Sharjah, students Aamina Marjan,

Hussam Badi, Irina Koyakina, Shahrukh Siddiqui and Vana Borghosizian attended the conference, where they learned from key individuals such as Chip Poncy, Co-founder of the Financial Integrity Network, and Juan C. Zarate, author of Treasury’s War: The Unleashing of a New Era of Financial Warfare.

The conference gave the students vital insight into the anti-money laundering field and provided them a great platform for networking with

experienced professionals.

The students added, “We never thought such a field existed. It was an educational and informative experience for all of us. There was much we learned from the conference, which sparked great interest in us about anti-money laundering and its importance in this region. We are thankful to the Bank of Sharjah for sponsoring us.”

SBA Instructor in Finance and Internship Coordinator Tanya Gibbs accompanied the group.

SBA students attend anti-money laundering conference

SBA students volunteer at Dubai Forward ConferenceBy Hussam Badi

Volunteering at industry events allows students to explore their fields outside the classroom and to build a network of connections, a key aspect of the professional environment. On the February 23 and 24, finance majors George Marashly, Vana Borghosizian, Shahrukh Siddiqi and Hussam Badi made the most of such a fantastic opportunity by volunteering at Dubai Forward: The Second Annual Strategic Conference on Dubai as a Financial Centre hosted by the Academy & Finance at Mina A’Salam, Dubai.

The conference discussed key issues such as setting up a company in Dubai, banking problems, initiatives to provide transparency, investing in the growth of Dubai and much more. The conference focused on Dubai’s future as a financial center and included four workshops for foreign professionals looking to set up a company in Dubai. Attendees included representatives from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, Securities

and Commodities Authority, and Dubai International Financial Centre among many others.

André-Valéry Bordes, the CEO of Academy & Finance, praised the SBA volunteers. “Their passion and attention to detail contributed immensely to the success of the conference. We look

forward to working with them again on future conferences.”

Shahrukh, a junior, said, “It was a shift away from the universally applicable to the regionally relevant; a great chance to learn from the professionals while engaged in hands-on event management.”

By Amna Masoud

The Dean's Business Team (DBT) is a student-run organization that works directly under the Dean of SBA to plan events tailored to all business students. DBT's mission is to bridge the gap between student life and the corporate world.

DBT kick-started the semester by bringing together all SBA student organizations to welcome the freshmen during the SBA Coffee Hour. Faculty and students got a chance to network and take part in a few activities. Every semester the team plans competitions, workshops and a grand CSR event.

In March DBT held a few workshops preparing students for Career Fair and CareerWise. Also, DBT has partnered with the Department of Management to conduct the Annual Case Study Competition for SBA students. Later this semester look out for a CSR initiative focusing on student health and wellness sponsored by various fitness specialists.

To keep updated on DBT events, check your email or follow DBT on social media: Facebook: Deans Business Team | Instagram/Twitter: @DBT_AUS

Dean’s Business Team Update



Our Students Our Graduates

Khalil SidoWhat is your major and where did you intern?

My major is finance and I did my internship at Daimler Middle East and Levant (DMEL).

How and why did you choose your host company?

I first took note of the company on the electronic dashboard and later

on put a lid on any doubts when they participated in the Best CV competition. The main reason behind my choice is my passion for the industry and that I would be motivated to achieve and learn.

What were your responsibilities during your internship?

I was in the marketing and sales department, where I focused on the corporate, used and retail aspects of the business. As DMEL, we are in charge of the Middle East and the Levant Region, where we closely work with all the general distributors to achieve a better sales performance across the region.

What skills did you gain from this internship?

I have learned market management, sales process, financial planning, client communication skills, event planning, multitasking between various departments, database maintenance and sales forecasting.

How has the internship benefitted

you?

It has mainly taught me responsibility and time management as there are always deadlines to be met on serious agendas and important events. The internship was also a grand eye opener to the real-world operations of a multinational company,

Would you recommend your host company to other SBA students for the internship placement? Why?

I would definitely advise it as it is a great experience with a lot of beneficial aspects that will help build character and professional ethics. The degree at which the interns are part of the big picture of things is rare in companies, and at Daimler, you can be sure that you are a part of a team and will contribute to its success.

What was the biggest challenge you faced at the internship?

Time management, as working in two departments—corporate and used—requires different skill sets.

Anam Merchant When did you graduate from AUS?

Spring 2013

What was your major?

Management, with a minor in actuarial math

What is your current position and at what company? And what jobs, if any, did you have before?

Current position:

PwC (Advisory Graduate Trainee),

September 2013 to present

Previous positions:

Unilever (HR Intern), July to September 2013

Estee Lauder (Business Development Intern), June to December 2012

What do you like about your current job?

My current job is a project-based environment, allowing me to be exposed to different teams within the department, different clients and industries. Moreover, the Advisory Graduate Trainee Program is split between advisory and audit, which gives me the exposure and work experience from the audit perspective also. Training and development is a significant element in the firm.

What skills and competencies did you develop at SBA that helped you in starting your career?

The career management class got me through the interviews and the job application process. The project management class helped me understand how project teams work. My minor in actuarial math coupled with the

coursework of Futures and Options (FIN 402) gave me the perspectives of how different investments work and developed my Excel skills. My entire coursework in management built a strong foundation in dealing with people from different backgrounds, and understanding organization behaviors. And above all, there is one thing which I have learned most and is probably what I use every second in life—take notes!

The internships gave me a good snapshot of corporate work. The student organizations and the events that I was a part of gave me the ability to listen, reflect, plan contingently and be able to think on my feet.

What is most essential for fresh graduates to get a head start on building a successful career?

Don’t limit your options— think out of the box and look beyond what you have studied and it is not always about the name. Try something new, get involved and if you make mistakes, don’t be afraid to accept them. It will build the trust people have in you.

Yasmeen RwaishedWhat is your major and where did you intern?

I am majoring in marketing and I interned in SAP Dubai.

How and why did you choose your host company?

As a part of the SAP Dual Study Program I had two choices of internships to graduate from the program. I could either intern with SAP or with an SAP partner. I thought that interning with SAP would give me a more holistic internship experience.

What were your responsibilities during your internship?

As part of the SAP sales and marketing division, my responsibilities ranged from attending client meetings to brainstorming creative ideas to help increase SAP sales and even managing an entire internship side project that my manager and I planned from start to finish. This project was under the name of Yalla Shabab.

What skills did you gain from this internship?

Some of the skills I gained were basic business etiquette such as how to write minutes of meetings, writing detailed project plans and how to make use of the SAP corporate portal. Other skills included time management, how to get sponsors, how to reach out to influential people and how to present project proposals to senior management.

How has the internship benefitted you?

It helped me experience the corporate culture, which evidently helped me decide if that was the path I wanted to follow for my career. It also helped me meet people who are successful in their field, which motivated me to push myself even harder. The internship also taught me a set of skills that I am going to use throughout my professional career. In short, it helped me kick start my path to

what I hope to be a successful business career.

Would you recommend your host company to other SBA students for the internship placement? Why?

SAP is a renowned company that anyone should be proud to intern in. Not only is it a good name to have in your CV, but it also provides you with a dynamic internship experience. I have to say though that like any other company, some internship experiences are better than others. I think this is more dependent on the manager than the company, so I would advise students to ask their manager what kind of tasks they will be completing in their internships before signing the internship agreement.

What was the biggest challenge you faced at the internship?

The biggest challenge I faced was managing the Yalla Shabab project with a fellow AUS colleague, Hameed Al Faraj, who was also interning at SAP. We had to manage a huge project during a six-week internship, and we honestly thought that it was impossible. We ran into many sleepless nights because of the tight timeline but by the end of the internship we had completed the challenge and achieved what we had hoped for and much more.

Damir Zagidullin When did you graduate from AUS?

Summer 2012

What was your major?

Finance

What is your current position and at what company? And what jobs, if any, did you have before?

I’m an analyst at Investbridge Capital (IBC), a boutique private equity firm that provides global corporate advisory and asset management solutions to the MENA-based principals and clients. IBC’s core

experience in corporate advisory are the consumer, real estate, hospitality, education and petrochemical sectors, and since inception, IBC and its group companies are currently advising/managing or have advised and transacted on deals in excess of US$ 5.5 billion.

What do you like about your current job?

My job provides me with ample opportunities to use my analytical and problem solving skills. The contribution our team makes is vital to senior management’s ability to make key financial decisions, which ultimately influence the overall success of the business. In addition, the “boutique” nature of our firm gives an opportunity to be involved in different tasks while enhancing the knowledge of the industry we operate in.

What skills and competencies did you develop at SBA that helped you in starting your career?

Thinking and/or acting “out of the box” is a really helpful skill that I developed while studying at SBA. Your ability to perform out of the typical boundaries from day one provides you

with a competitive advantage over your co-workers.

In addition to that, prioritizing team goals over individual goals is another skill that was inherited through SBA, especially through its various group projects. At work, this means you must have an awareness of the needs of others and responding with flexibility, share information and ideas, and support team members to achieve goals.

What is most essential for fresh graduates to get a head start on building a successful career?

It is crucial not to be afraid of any challenges and obstacles that your work presents. Doing what you were asked to do is not enough; every fresh graduate has to think about an extra value-added at the beginning of their career in order to sustain its successful path and their personal growth.

It is extremely important to get your work noticed. As a fresh graduate you have to make your mark so you stand out and your promotional potential will be realized.

Last but not least, enjoy what you are doing. Once you acknowledge that then you will surely build a successful career.



By Aisha AlMazmi

Fresh graduates and students looking for internships must display a proficient set of communication skills and showcase their personality, business executives and guests said in an interview during a speed mentoring session held March 25.

The gathering was part of CareerWise, where representatives from various multinational firms had a chance to talk to students about job vacancies and internships, as well as offer advice on those matters.

“The common factor amongst the world’s most successful people,” Jean-Michel Gauthier, CEO of Internsme, said “is that they’re all very good communicators.” He added that future employees must be able to articulate and explain themselves with confidence.

Barry Andrews, a banking and financial consultant at Morgan McKinley, said that employers are aware of the lack of experience graduates and undergraduates have, but jobseekers must compensate by exhibiting what they have learned during their schooling, as well as traits they have developed over the years. He emphasized the need to be able to communicate well “regardless of what role you’ll be doing.”

Soft skills are “key to what employers want to see,” Andrews explained, because employees can be trained to fill certain roles, however,

those traits are vital in showcasing abilities.

In addition to emitting confidence, employees must appear to be eager to develop and grow, said Sarah Mohi Eldin, Junior Learning and Development Manager at Danone.

“Be yourself in an interview” Mohi Eldin added, “just be as comfortable as you can.”

“Be a nice, likeable, genuine, warm person” during an interview, Gauthier also advised, explaining that the “human element” is the first thing that will gain the interviewer’s interest.

Yusuf Hassan, Consulting Partner at KPMG, said that passion is an important factor in deciding where to work. He explained that students must understand what they like and

dislike, and regard this process as a journey.

“Keep on trying, keep on exploring,” Hassan added.

Yelda Arslan, HR Business Partner at Unilever, and Nour Hidayet, Senior HR Associate at EY (Ernst-Young), both highlighted the need for students to research the market and firms thoroughly in order to find what is important to them. Hidayet added that graduates must highlight their strengths and areas of interests in their applications, instead of vaguely stating them.

Laurent Samson, Senior Recruitment Consultant at SAP, advises students to be well-connected in order to document their skills and to “manage [their] brand” then consequently tailor it to the market.

Employers emphasize soft skills at CareerWise

Careers–SBA Internship and Placement Office Newsletter

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