Interview with Talal Atassi, Head of Recruitment at Al- Fardan Group Holding Qatar
How would you describe the living & Working in Qatar Experience? Qatar is one of the fastest growing economies in the Middle East. The country maybe small but its richness is unquestionable. With its continuous growth despite the weakening of world’s financial condition, great cultural diversity is taking place. Topographically, the country has generally desert climate. Summer may turn to very sultry and humid place but the country is warm enough to make expatriates from different continents feel at home. Moreover, the country is peaceful and safe. It is an ideal place to raise children as this will not only expose them to a global environment but will also uphold their morals and virtues. Generally, I can say that living in Qatar is a wonderful experience. Given that the economy of Qatar is stable, it is a good place to establish a career. The working time is quite different as the usual 8- hour working time is divided into 2 shifts with usually 4 hours in between shifts. This can be tough for family men and women raising family. Also, most of the private companies are family owned which makes the atmosphere more competitive though sometimes it becomes more subjective. Working with multicultural workforce enhances not only one’s competency but also his/her social and interpersonal skills. Generally, I can say that working in Qatar is rewarding and challenging.
How important is the CV to you? The CV is the first impression I get of a candidate. The passion it has been written with speaks wonders to me, to the Read more
Interview with Sherwett Shafie, HR Manager at WHS Plastics Egypt
What is your average day like?
I spend 40% of my time working towards meeting my quarterly objectives, may it be pertaining to recruitment in the time being or to performance management or training. The remaining 60% are usually spent catering to employees’ requirements (20%), meetings and calls (30%) and follow ups (10%).
What is your biggest professional challenge?
My biggest challenge is to get line managers familiarized with the performance management new methods, and showcase how crucial for them it is to manage their staff performance via such updated methods instead of the old, more or less outdated, performance appraisal method.
Job Hunting Tips from Ashraf Chaudhry, Pakistan’s Number 1 Sales Trainer and Author of “The Craft of Selling Yourself”
Job Hunting?
“Treat a job hunt like a personal development project and be the project manager.” –PENELOPE TRUNK
The Majority of fresh graduates, treading the beaten trail, trust writing their CV and sending it out to potential employers is all that’s required to land a job. I’ve screened thousands of CVs and Cover Letters in my one and a half decade career and I have to say that minimal efforts are usually invested by job seekers to customize their CVs and Cover Letters. An employer could easily get frustrated with vague imprecise words such as ‘Metric, Martial, and Carrier etc’ in CVs and sentences in Cover Letters like ‘ I’ve come to know through reliable sources that you have a vacant position and I assure you that if given the chance, I’ll leave no stone un-turned to satisfy you’. All such CVs and Cover Letters end up in piles of unsuccessful candidate files. Successful people don’t sit on haunches, waiting for miracles to happen. They make miracles happen!
Careers UnCovered: Martin Waldenstrom, General Manager, CashU
Best career advice I ever got Think further than your next pay cheque!
Favorite Job task I ever had to do Advice Central Bank of Estonia on EURO implementation
Most dreaded job task I ever had to do A three month summer job in a restaurant kitchen doing dishes
Best career decision ever made To leave the secure environment of a European corporation and join a Dubai based entrepreneurial start up company.
