SBA Careers Nov 2014

CAREERS–SBA newsletter Issue 3 | December 2014
School of Business Administration Internship and Placement Office Newsletter

Careers–SBA Internship and Placement Office Newsletter December 2014
32 American University of Sharjah
By Tanya Gibbs,
Careers Editor
What does it take for fresh
graduates to succeed in today’s very
competitive business environment?
Will you be in demand after
graduation? How can you make
sure your dream job will be
waiting for you after your get
your diploma? Students should ask
themselves these questions as they
embark on their studies.
There is one common response to
these questions: showcase your
uniqueness and originality. This
comes through all throughout the
recent book Think Like a Freak by
Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J.
Dubner. It also comes through in a
June 30, 2012 Gulf News piece by
journalist Sherouk Zakaria (then
herself an intern from AUS), whose
article showed that employers look
for applicants who stand out from
others, who are clearly different
(i.e., better) than everyone else.
One way of doing this is by
gaining experience, an important
qualification that can put you
ahead of your peers. Some
potential employers seek students
who have done not just one
but multiple internships. The
aforementioned Gulf News article
paraphrased a manager explaining
that some graduates were having
trouble finding jobs “because most
companies require experienced
employees to handle a job
independently.”
Excellent networking skills are also
essential in finding your dream job.
The latter require well-developed
soft skills, which are impossible
without great communication
abilities.
If you would like to excel in the
qualities mentioned above, don’t
rely solely on course work (although
that’s always crucial). Rather,
remember that self-education
and independent learning (which
your professors want you to learn
to do) is the way to get ahead
of the game. Toward that end,
get involved in extra-curricular
activities, research projects,
volunteer work, and/or professional
qualification studies. Participate in
career development events. Attend
conferences and presentations that
will broaden your knowledge or
stimulate new interests. Doing this
puts you in the front row among
applicants for top jobs.
We are happy to share with you this
third issue of our Careers newsletter,
which is filled with valuable insights
on the current state of the local
job market, the latest internship
opportunities, and helpful hints on
how to prepare for your job debut.
Find out more about the successful
launch of our Business Practicum,
an extended internship program
for credit that gives you a better
inside scoop of the companies you
have marked as potential career
opportunities and employers the
chance to include you in more
in-depth, on-site analyses, projects
and initiatives. Take note when
some of our most recent interns
and graduates share how they have
encountered the business world first-
hand. And remember, it is never too
early to start thinking about your
career goals.
I am sure you will enjoy the news
stories and interviews and hope you
won't hesitate to give our newsletter
team some feedback.
Dr. Jörg Bley
Inside
Events 4–5
With Industry in Mind 6–7
Student Focus 8–11
Dean’s Business Team Update 12
Our Graduates 13–15
Message from the
Associate Dean Take your studies to the
next level How companies are improving the
environment around us
By Damion Lock,
Managing Director,
ONE9 3NINE Consulting
The environmental movement has
been mobilized over the years focusing
on one thing: saving the world around
us. In many cases technology and
innovation can be utilized to support
environmentally based education.
Recycling is something that is globally
understood even if it is not practiced
or executed in all regions. However,
it’s just a single example of the many
environmental challenges around
us today. This is the reason why
the subject of the environment is
generating many new employment
roles, such as implementing LEED
building standards that require
many different expert backgrounds
in electrical, mechanical and safety
design. In addition, these specialist
environmental roles can also be
generated by cross training classical
engineers that have no first-hand
experience of environmental services
from the commercial world.
The subject of sustainability is now
a global issue and innovation in
technology as well as resourcing
is required. For this reason, the
environmental movement supported
by governments, companies and
global standards such as LEED
have started to create a huge
opportunity for university graduates.
At ONE9 3NINE Consulting, we are
striving to make a difference to the
community around us through the
technical services we offer. With our
background in high-tech data center
infrastructure design and IT, our scope
of services includes designing electrical
supply, AC cooling, fire-fighting and
detection, access control and CCTV, to
name but a few.
ONE9 3NINE is a technology consulting
company established in 2011. We
not only use our vast knowledge to
increase the safety of data centers,
but also to achieve greater building
sustainability. As the Internet age
matures, there is a growing need
for more efficient, flexible and
operationally proactive businesses.
This goal, however, doesn't result in
a compromise of the environment.
We incorporate the traits of any
high-tech computer room with
ecological consciousness to present
the most advanced, up-to-date,
business consulting in the region
and all at a competitive market
value. Our consulting services follow
international standards or certification
wherever possible, including a total
end-to-end solution along with
customer service follow-up. Our
collective team experience includes
countless different and diverse
projects in the region, such as projects
in the oil and gas, hotel, construction
and financial markets.
If you would like to join our growing
company as a graduate or as an intern,
positions are available as back office
manager, social media coordinator
and as a business development
manager. Please contact Tanya Gibbs,
SBA Internship Coordinator, for
further details and visit our website
(www.1939.me) for additional
information about the company.
Employer’s Voice

By Mais Al-Amouri
KPMG assessed 30 candidates for
advisory or auditing careers at an
October 21 event in the School of
Business Administration.
SBA Placement Director Linda
McLoughlin said her office team
is “always delighted to welcome
big employers” to promote SBA
graduates, seniors and MBA students.
She said KPMG’s program for select
graduates offers “wonderful” career
opportunities and “worthwhile”
training and qualifications that will
serve them throughout their working
life.
SBA graduate Mahmoud Monfaradi,
who is interested in an advisory career,
said that he chose this path because
it offers the opportunity to work with
people on a larger scale. “I am aiming
to be somebody successful” who can
come to universities and ask students to
join the company, he added.
After working for one year in an
auditing firm, finance student
Rodolphe Amer, who applied for the
auditing program, said he enjoyed the
work experience in this field. He added
that he appreciates KPMG’s effort to
help students find career opportunities.
KPMG is known as one of the Big
Four firms that provides auditing
and accounting as well as finance
and advisory services, Audit Senior
Manager Mohammed Altatawi said.
Regarding the benefits of working in
auditing, Altatawi said that employees
interact with different clients through
a “strong and diverse career path,”
noting that the knowledge obtained at
the company is “an ongoing training
process.”
KPMG Senior Manager Janice Caspe
said that the firm is looking for people
who continuously develop themselves
to gain more knowledge. Assistant
Manager Mahveen Ali said that KMPG
has an urgent need for auditing
trainees and also others who could fit
in management consulting, IT advisory
and risk management. Arabic speakers
would have an advantage in their
career, she added.
She said that students with MBA,
management and computer science
degrees are looked for in the advisory
field, whereas there is a pressing need
for finance and accounting students
in the auditing area. The advisory
team is looking for people with strong
academic records, Ali said. Candidates
should be “presentable in a way that
they look professional and have good
communication skills as they will have a
lot of client interface,” she added.
KPMG Recruitment Campaign at SBA
Events
By Nada Ramadan
A bank’s biggest asset is its clients’ trust
in its services, Bank of Sharjah Senior
Manager John Williams said in a panel
discussion to an audience of around 50
people on September 18 in the School
of Business Administration (SBA).
“If you lose your trust, you lose
everything,” Williams added. He stated
that trust, along with reputation, takes
years to build but days to destroy, which
is why companies should be “completely
transparent with everything they do
in society.” Having a good compliance,
ethics and conduct culture in place can
help establish and maintain a financial
institution’s clients’ trust, he said.
In agreement with Williams, Ahmed
Saeed, J.P. Morgan’s managing director
of the MENA sector, added that
seeing the world from your client’s
perspective is key to having a successful
career. The failure to communicate
those perspectives is what leads to a
breakdown of trust, he stated.
In response to Saeed’s statement, Tushar
Singhvi, Vice President of Crescent
Enterprises, added that having good
corporate governance practices in place
can help avoid the issues that lead
to a loss in trust. Singhvi stated that
rebuilding client reliance in a banking
institution is a collective effort, which is
not an easy task.
Hosted by the Pearl Initiative and SBA
Internship Coordinator Tanya Gibbs, the
session aimed to share the perspectives
and experiences of the three invited
business leaders in areas such as
financial reputation, integrity and
responsible investing.
Finance and investments:
integrity matters
PwC Academy offers career boost
By Nada Ramadan
Becoming certified with the help
of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC)
Academy will fast-track careers
in finance and accounting, the
institution’s marketing manager said on
September 28 in the School of Business
Administration.
“Getting your undergraduate
degree is a good starting point, but
unfortunately, that is simply not
enough nowadays,” Farhanah Raza
said to an audience of around 60
people. Located within the PwC offices
in Dubai, the academy specializes in
providing professional qualifications
for people who are looking to start or
move up in business-related careers,
she stated.
“With professional qualifications,
additional tests and attesting are no
longer needed,” Raza added. She
stated that recent graduates with
professional credentials would have
their résumé “moved to the top of the
pile” during the recruitment process
at PwC. “There is nobody better for us
to recruit than people we have trained
ourselves,” she said.
However, she noted that completing
the programs offered at the institution
does not guarantee a job with PwC.
“We do make sure you get a career,
whether it’s with us or with one of our
corporate clients,” Raza stated.
With six in the Middle East and
30 worldwide, the academy offers
programs in ACCA, CFA, CPA, CMA,
CIA, FIA and many more, Raza stated.
According to the company’s website,
PwC is the fourth most popular brand
in the Middle East, after Google, Coca
Cola and Ferrari.
She added that undergraduates of all
SBA majors are allowed to take the
course, provided that the company’s
projects are in line with the student’s
studies. Besides the projects the interns
worked on, they were also required to
complete written assignments, essays,
a final report and presentation, she
stated.
Finance students attend PwC
Fraud Forum
By Mariam El Sayed
Twenty-seven percent of UAE business
people responding to a survey
reported experiencing at least one
instance of economic crime in the past
24 months, regional representatives of
international auditing and legal firms
said during an October 13 session on
preventing fraud and other business-
related crimes.
The statistics were discussed during
the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
Fraud Forum, held in the Oberoi Dubai
hotel, attended by several SBA finance
students.
Speakers included John Wilkinson, a
PwC Middle East regional deals leader
and senior partner for forensic services;
and Robert Hunter, the head of the
fraud litigation and trust litigation
sections for Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
(UK), a commercial law firm.
Discussing the results of the 2014
PwC Global Economic Crime
Survey, Wilkinson noted that asset
misappropriation, cyber-crime,
procurement fraud, bribery and
corruption are on the rise. He observed
that most investigations of financial
crime involve not just number-
crunching and following digital trails,
but also the less technology-sensitive
area of gathering information by
asking questions.
This also includes interrogating
suspects, Wilkinson noted, adding
that it was an area where “having the
skills to conduct effective interviews is
essential for success.”
Both speakers outlined some tactics
for effective interviews under such
conditions. Hunter noted that
“Interviewers should always know
the strategies and escape routes
their interviewees are going to use
before-hand. The first step to do is
to eliminate all the questions that
give the interviewee the chance to
deny their wrong-doing.” Wilkinson
observed that “As soon as you feel the
evasive nature of your interviewee,
remind them that it is not a game.”
They accompanied the presentation
with short clips of politicians, and even
police detectives, being interrogated.
“Every confession or lie should be
documented,” Hunter observed, “to
prevent the accused suspect from
denying it later in front of the court.”
The presenters spoke at some length
about tactics required in interviewing
politicians. Many develop skill over
time at dealing with questions from
journalists, he said, and employ tactics
to meet what Wilkinson called the
“three types of interview questions.”
These include those that offered “no
threat” and “no necessary threat,” but
also “finally the questions that clearly
pose a threat.”
The SBA Finance students said the
session opened their eyes to serious
business issues, and to career paths in
anti-economic crime sections.
“As soon as you feel
the evasive nature
of your interviewee,
remind them that it is
not a game.”

With Industry in Mind
By Mariam Elsayed
Finance is the most sought-after
major in the School of Business
Administration, something Professor
Dr. Narjess Boubakri notes is at
variance with most American business
schools. “I find it surprising,” she said,
“how, compared to the United States
where accounting is more demand,
three students here choose to go to
finance for each one student that
prefers studying accounting.”
But Dr. Boubakri, Head of the
Department of Finance within SBA,
notes that such interest makes perfect
sense. The world of finance, she
observes, is dynamic, and she likens
her field to a wheel that never stops
turning. It is also one where, she
emphasized, professionalism must
be ingrained from the very start of
studies.
Teaching investor skills
Now in her seventh year at AUS, Dr.
Boubakri says that when mentoring
students on course selection, she often
advises them to seek a practical minor.
Accounting or Islamic finance are good
ones for a general finance major, she
notes, adding, “It is all about what
the region and potential employers
require.”
Part of her task is to help implement
new courses, which according to Dr.
Boubakri are generally developed
based on feedback from employers,
particularly those who have hired SBA
graduates. Next year, the Department
of Finance will offer three new courses
covering trading, behavioral finance
and financial forecasting. The goal,
she says, is to teach students how to
behave as investors, a critical skill to
have especially in this region.
“The Department of Finance aims to
help future finance executives and
corporate managers to be able to
evaluate and process information
and make informed strategic and
investment decisions in firms,” she
notes.
Professional partnerships
Helping to create that intellectual
package are professional partnerships
SBA has with organizations such as
the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Institute. Dr. Boubakri notes that AUS
is the only university in the UAE with
such an alliance, with the institute
providing scholarship opportunities to
AUS students to pass the CFA level 1
exam.
“I must say that we are very happy,
because the success rates of our
students who took the CFA level one
exam is 90 percent,” Dr. Boubakri
observes. “The CFA also offers nine
to ten scholarships every year.” She
credited SBA Associate Dean Dr. Jorg
Bley with initiating the partnership
with CFA; he is one of three SBA
professors with CFA certification, the
others being Dr. Mohsen Saad and Dr.
Samuel Tibbs.
Another worthwhile partnership in
SBA is that with Abu Dhabi Islamic
Bank (ADIB), something Dr. Boubakri
initiated. “ADIB is very supportive of
our curriculum,” says Dr. Boubakri,
“and especially that we offer a minor
in Islamic banking. The bank has
offered to send guest speakers to
our lectures, providing the students
a feel of what the banking world is
about.”ADIB currently employs at least
six SBA graduates.
Reality in the classroom
Such partnerships, Dr. Boubakri notes,
help finance students stay in touch
with the realities of the job market.
“Bringing reality to the classroom is a
must,” she notes.
Yet not all such initiatives start with
faculty. Dr. Boubakri praises a student
organization, Finance Executives (FIEX),
for preparing events and competitions
to keep finance majors engaged.
“The latest project they are working on
will be by far the most challenging,”
she adds. “They are planning a visit
to the legendary Warren Buffet in
Nebraska.”
Business Practicum strengthens
internship opportunities
Bringing business reality to
the classroom
By Nada Ramadan
The School of Business Administration’s
(SBA) Business Practicum course –
BUS 497 – is looking to involve more
companies for students to intern with
this summer, SBA Internship Coordinator
Tanya Gibbs said in a September 30
interview.
“This year, we’re hoping to advertise
the course a little earlier and educate
students on how it works,” she added.
First offered this past summer, the
course came about after SBA saw
the need for a long-term internship
opportunity, “as some companies have
said that six weeks is simply not enough
to accommodate their needs,” Gibbs
stated. She noted that students were
interested in interning for three months
only if they were given university credit.
Because the course was offered for the
first time, SBA wanted to work with
Estée Lauder, a company with which
it has a long-term relationship, she
stated. The company chose a total of
eight students to work on their projects
over the summer, almost half of which
are still working there, she said.
“Initially, a lot of us thought that a
three-month internship would mean no
break, but because of that time-span,
I could see the projects through from
beginning to end,” Umika Shivnani said
during her presentation.
However, students are only eligible to
register for the course if one of the
companies involved has chosen them,
Gibbs stated.
By Nada Ramadan
Unilever’s The Quest, a four-stage
student competition that puts
business skills to the test, has recently
announced that 139 AUS students
made the shortlist in the first round
of the competition. A total of 240
students were selected for the UAE.
According to the company’s website,
the competition gives students real-life
contact with the local market and its
challenges, “an experience which is
perhaps even more valuable than an
internship.”
Last year’s national winning team
was made up of four AUS students—
two from the School of Business
Administration and two from the
College of Engineering.
Applicants from various UAE
universities were shortlisted based on
their responses to several questions.
The shortlisted individuals will be
invited to the Unilever offices and
factories where, based on their
performance throughout the day, they
will be divided into groups of three
for the national competition. The
UAE’s winning team will then move
onto the North Africa and Middle
East competition, which will be held
in Dubai this year. Winners of this
competition will be awarded internship
or full time job opportunities with
Unilever and a trip to London.
AUS students dominate the
shortlist in The Quest
“

Student Focus
Pearl Initiative contest winners
attend Cambridge symposium
Interns@SAP Competition Winners
Three SBA students who won the Pearl
Initiative’s UAE Student Case Study
Competition in May got their reward
in September, attending the 32nd
Cambridge International Symposium
on Economic Crime courtesy of the
contest’s sponsor.
The non-profit organization, which
promotes corporate accountability and
transparency in the region, enabled
Irina Kovaykina, Abdul Haseeb Kazi
and Rajiv Mahesh Lakhiani to attend
the prestigious international event by
footing their travel, registration and
hotel costs.
The students joined over 1,000 other
participants from around the globe at
Cambridge University in a weeklong
set of panels and presentations on eco-
nomic crime. Topics addressed included
money laundering, terrorism financing
and corruption.
The SBA team won the UAE Student
Case Study Competition by beating out
more than 100 entries from over 300
other students. Their winning entry
profiled Al Fardan Exchange’s anti-
money laundering policies. They were
recognized at the Park Rotana Abu
Dhabi on May 20, in the presence of His
Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al
Nahayan, the UAE’s Minister of Culture,
Youth and Community Development.
Their award package included trans-
portation to an international confer-
ence of their choice. According to SBA
Instructor Tanya Gibbs, who mentored
the team and accompanied them to the
Cambridge University event, the sympo-
sium was an appropriate one to select.
“It built on the student team’s interest
in anti-money laundering techniques,”
said Gibbs, herself a member of the As-
sociation of Certified Anti-Money Laun-
dering Specialists and the Association
of Certified Financial Crime Specialists.
“But it also took them to the next level
by introducing them to worldwide ex-
perts in the field, and putting them in
a serious and very significant interna-
tional forum dedicated to dealing with
economic crime and corruption.”
SBA’s Visiting Professor of Economics
Dr. Melvin Ayogu also attended the
Cambridge symposium.
By Cindy Baker
An amazing time was had by 15
students this summer at SAP Dubai,
which hosted more SBA interns than any
other employer. These interns will tell
you it was “the most rewarding thing”
they’ve done and “the hardest thing”
they’ve done. These students had a
fantastic opportunity to network with
their employer as well as SAP customers
and partners. Many have already been
offered jobs—before graduating from
AUS. They had real opportunities at a
real company to make a real impact
here in MENA, planning and executing
a customer project from beginning
to end “The internship opportunity
was fantastic! I learned a lot in this
extraordinary experience. The work
environment was great. We were
treated as regular employees and not
interns. The amount I learned in this
internship was beyond expectation. I
did work hard, it was not easy but it was
definitely worth it,” said SBA student
Khalid Baker, one of the SAP interns.
By Omar Bastaki
This summer has been so
transformational for me. I was
fortunate enough to be selected to
represent the UAE at the Global Village
of Future Leaders in Business and
Industry in the USA, a multinational
program that brings together young
business minds from over 40 different
countries, enabling them to work
together during an intensive five-week
period, where they have to deliver a
final product to a real-life client. Not
only that, but the interns learn to
live together in a highly multicultural
environment surrounded by so many
traditions, religions and languages.
I had certain goals when I first went
into the program, but I came out
fulfilling goals I didn’t even know I
had, goals I set after being inspired
by the other interns who helped me
widen my horizon and see the world
on a much bigger scale. Not only did
the program help me grow as a person,
but it also helped me grow as a leader
as it offered many intimate sessions
with business experts who shared
their success stories and secrets. We
also had exclusive trips to places such
as The World Bank, The New York
Stock Exchange, The United Nations
Headquarters, The Pentagon and many
more. I would not have had half these
opportunities had I not been a part of
this enriching program.
I went into the program on my own,
but I left knowing that I have a
welcoming home anywhere I go in the
world. When I look at the world map
now, I don’t see countries anymore,
but the faces of the friends I made over
the summer.
Global Village: Education and professional
experience beyond the borders
Connect With
SBA on
AUS School of
Business
Administration
Linked in

Harshita Lakhiani
What is your major and where did
you intern?
My major is marketing. I interned at
The Social Networkers, Wide Network
Solutions.
How and why did you choose your
host company?
I actually did not send my CV to
the host company. Through the
SBA Career Portal, my supervisor
contacted me for an interview. I
chose the host company based on the
nature of the organization, scope of
work and the location of the office.
What were your responsibilities
during your internship?
My responsibilities were vast during
the internship. I got was exposed
not just to the core function of
the business, which is social media
management and marketing, but
also to other aspects that are vital to
running an organization, such as client
relationship management, business
development, fellow intern training
and taking minutes in meetings.
What skills did you gain from this
internship?
The skills I learned during
this internship included time
management, organizational skills,
client servicing skills, business
development through traditional
marketing skills, social media
analytics, social media marketing skills
and website management.
How has the internship benefitted
you?
The internship being my first
professional working experience
benefitted me by giving me an all-
round exposure from dealing with
clients to applying my theoretical
knowledge into the growing field of
social media marketing. Moreover,
it also allowed me to showcase my
abilities to my employer, with the
benefit of being offered a part-time
contract.
Would you recommend your host
company to other SBA students for
the internship placement? Why?
I would recommend the host
company to other SBA students in
order for them to gain the same
experience as I did. In addition, the
host company gave me as an intern
the freedom to work and interact
with clients and participate in all
activities of running an agency.
What was the biggest challenge you
faced at the internship?
The biggest challenge was dealing
with a variety of clients with different
needs. As an intern, I had to ensure
that all clients were being looked
after and replied to promptly and
their needs addressed effectively.
Jacqueline Benjamin
What is your major and where did
you intern?
My major is finance and minor is
accounting. I did my internship at
Consulate General of the United
States, Dubai.
How and why did you choose your
host company?
I sought advice from my internship
coordinator, Ms. Tanya Gibbs, on how
to get a company that will offer me
career and personal development.
I then started my internship
application to different companies
and among several offers, two were
very competitive, and these were
Philip Morris at Dubai International
Financial Centre (DIFC) and the
US Consulate General. With the
guidance of Ms. Gibbs, I chose the
US Consulate General because it had
the potential to offer me better work
exposure.
What were your responsibilities
during your internship?
Unlike so many internships, at the US
Consulate you get to do real work!
These are the major responsibilities
that I had:
• assisted US Commercial Service staff
at major trade shows such as Arab
Health 2014
• organized strategic meetings for US
companies visiting Dubai
• undertook market research on
industry sub-sectors
• assisted in the organization of trade
events and missions in Dubai and
the Northern Emirates
• prepared written presentations for
commercial promotional events and
activities
What skills did you gain from this
internship?
Ability to work in cross-functional
teams, effective time management
and report writing.
How has the internship benefitted
you?
Throughout my internship, I have
been able to build professional
contacts and establish networks
with many business executives.
Additionally, meeting top managers
from different companies improved
my confidence and how I present
myself professionally.
Would you recommend your host
company to other SBA students for
the internship placement? Why?
I would certainly recommend the
US Consulate to my colleagues. It’s
like “one-stop shopping” for career
development. You meet people
from diverse cultural backgrounds,
which also enables you improve your
networking skills and it teaches you
what it is to “hustle.”
What was the biggest challenge you
faced at the internship?
My job involved attending various
trade shows and promoting
relationships between US and UAE
companies. Being a reserved person,
it was not very easy to go out there
and talk to people I have never met,
not to mention trying to convince
them to form partnerships with some
US companies. However, with the
guidance of staff at the Commercial
Service Department, I later became
very comfortable and confident.
By Mais Al-Amouri
A group of 15 participants recently
completed the SBA business coaching
skills course, which is the first offered
by a university in the UAE.
An experienced and credentialed
coach herself, SBA Placement Director
and coaching program director Linda
McLoughlin said that the course, called
“The Art and Practice of Coaching,”
gives students 10 days of interface
training, three online mentor sessions
and frequent assignments. She added
that the six-month course is delivered
in line with the International Coach
Federation (ICF) philosophy and is
aligned with the core competency
framework.
Noting that coaching skills are
developed over time, McLoughlin said
that students are asked to videotape
their mentoring sessions in order to
let her observe their practice, give
feedback and reflect on their learning.
She added that the program helps
students understand the concept of
coaching as it applies to executive-level
business people, as “it is relatively new
in the region.”
SBA is working to get the program
accredited by the ICF, McLoughlin
noted, in order to give students the
opportunity to start the three levels
of credentials: Associate, Professional
and Master. McLoughlin said that many
companies hire coaches to support
their executive development and the
minimum requirement is an Associate
Certified Coach.
The course is geared toward mature
learners over age 25, said McLoughlin.
The first program also included
executives from the private sector.
“Through the listening and questioning
process and setting goals, a coach can
help clients to move toward their desired
future and make decisions,” McLoughlin
said. Throughout the program, she
added, coaches can build self-awareness
and emotional intelligence in order to
understand themselves.
Feedback on the course was
“wonderful,” according to McLoughlin,
noting that most students said they
did not realize that coaching was so
complex.
Dr. Cindy Gunn, AUS Faculty
Development Center Director, said
that what she learned in the program
supplemented her background in
psychology and counseling. She highly
recommends the program to anyone
who is interested in learning more
about how they interact with others
and how they can improve upon these
interactions.
Participant Sarah Ashill, Managing
Director of birthEd, said the course
involves a journey of self-discovery as
much as learning. Ashill said she has
become more self-aware after starting
the classes, and feels her active listening
ability “has increased significantly”
while at the same time she also learned
how to be more direct.
“Even if people do not go on to be
coaches, the skills that they have
learned within the program will benefit
them,” Ashill said.
The next course will start in March 2015
and further information is available
from lmcloughlin@aus.edu.
First students complete new business
coaching program

Dean’s Business Team Update Our Graduates
By Nada Ramadan
Around 100 new students attended the
Dean’s Business Team (DBT) inaugural
Coffee Hour on September 16 in the
School of Business Administration (SBA).
“We basically wanted to welcome
the freshmen and give them the
chance to meet current students and
faculty in a very light hearted way,”
newly appointed DBT President Amna
Masoud said.
The event featured numerous activities
including a photo booth and video
game lounge.
Because of its success, there are plans to
have it every semester, stated Masoud.
She added that the team hopes to have
most of its usual activities this year such
as the SBA Apprentice, corporate visits,
workshops and more.
“As president, my main goal is to raise
the level of SBA student engagement,
mostly on our social media platforms,
so that we can find out their demands
throughout the year,” Masoud stated.
Besides the DBT, other SBA
organizations such as the SBA Career
Coach, the Accounting Society and the
Finance Executives were also there to
help the students. Before the event, the
freshmen were also given a brief lecture
on iLearn basics and SBA policies.
“I’ve received more help than I
expected so far, which only motivates
me to work that much harder,” Reyana
D’souza, a freshman majoring in
management, said.
DBT kick start new academic year Fares Khrais
When did you graduate from AUS?
June 2011
What was your major?
BSBA-Finance
What is your current position? And
what jobs, if any, did you have
before?
Semi Senior External Financial Auditor
at Deloitte & Touche ME – Abu Dhabi
What skills and competencies did you
develop at SBA that helped you in
starting your career?
• Familiarity with dealing closely and
confidently with individuals far more
experienced and senior than yourself
• Interpersonal, communication, and
writing skills
• Presentation skills
• Critical thinking
• Executing projects to tight deadlines
• Ability to prioritize between multiple
projects
• Various accounting and finance
concepts
What is most essential for fresh
graduates to get a head start on
building a successful career?
State of mind; graduates must
consider their careers as an
adventure and an opportunity to
succeed with hard work. They must
remain consistently hungry and
enthusiastically tackle tasks, even
when they seem simple. Graduates
have left the comfort of an institution
they had established themselves at
for four years and now they have
to prove themselves yet again.
No task is too trivial, as they are
all experiences and doorways to
future opportunities. And no task is
too difficult; we are all capable of
anything we give adequate time to.
Remember that positions are earned,
and are not an entitlement.
Nikita Phulwani
Fall 2013
Marketing
What is your current position and at
what company? And what jobs, if
any, did you have before?
I am a Public Relations Executive at
Unilever Gulf overlooking brands
like Knorr, Lipton, Comfort, Dove to
name a few. In the past, I have held
PR internships at Hill and Knowlton
and Estee Lauder Companies.
What do you like about your current
job?
I am an outgoing person with a
strong interest in communication. I
love interacting with people and my
job allows me to do just that! As a
PR executive, some of the main tasks
of my job include communication,
dealing with media and events. I love
how I am not restricted to an office
desk all day.
What skills and competencies did
you develop at SBA that helped you
in starting your career?
Some of the courses I took at
AUS really prepared me for the
starting steps of my career. Career
Management, in particular, taught
me some great CV writing skills and
interview skills, which came in really
handy for my interview at Unilever.
Also, the core marketing courses—
especially brand management
and marketing strategy—help me
understand the overall picture of
why a particular brand does things
differently compared to another
brand of the same category.
Internships! I honestly feel my
internships gave me great exposure
into my field. They are a great way
of getting your foot into the door
and give you a chance to showcase
your skills to your potential recruiter.
Paid or unpaid, I highly recommend
fresh grads to do internships.
By Linda McLoughlin
While it may seem as though the se-
mester has only just started, now is a
good time to think ahead about your
career and to plan future directions.
Feedback from recruiters at PWC and
Unilever who visited campus recently
confirms that employers are looking
for leadership potential in interns
and fresh graduates. Now is the time
to invest in yourself and find your
“inner leader.” To do this, start by:
• joining one of the many AUS and
SBA clubs such as TAS, DBT or FiEX
and offer your help
• volunteering with charity, fundrais-
ing and sporting events on campus
or elsewhere
• participating in as many internships
as possible to show your work ethic
• applying for teaching assistant jobs
and other roles on campus
• entering as many competitions as
possible such as the Unilever Quest,
the P&G CEO Challenge or the Hen-
kel Innovation Challenge – these
are great items to build your CV
• attending the many SBA Career
Coach workshops and presentations
on career- related topics (check out
dates on our social media)
Need one-to-one career advice on
CVs, interviews or your job search?
Please drop by my office (SBA 1109)
on Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday from
11 to 1 p.m., Mondays from 2:30 to
4:30 p.m. or by appointment. I look
forward to meeting you soon. Have a
great year!
Time to develop your “Inner Leader”
By Amna Masoud
The Dean’s Business Team (DBT) welcomes all new students into the School of Business
Administration (SBA). DBT is a student-run organization that works directly under the
Dean of SBA to plan events tailored to all business students. DBT kick started the year
with a coffee hour for students and faculty to interact and welcome new students. The
team is currently working on several projects for this semester, including CRS initiatives,
competitions and corporate trips. Some past successful events such as Mock Securities
Exchange and SBA Apprentice will also be back again with more exciting twists to
them! In order to keep updated on DBT events, check your email or follow the DBT on
social media: Facebook: Deans Business Team | Instagram/Twitter: @DBT_AUS

Juhi Chanchalani
2013
Finance
what company? And what jobs, if any,
did you have before?
I am currently working as a Consultant
with PwC in the Advisory Deals Line
of Service. I work with the Transaction
Services team, which provides valuation
and financial due diligence services
to our clients. I previously interned at
the Dubai Mercantile Exchange with
their Business Development team and
at PwC with their Advisory Learning
and Education team. I also worked
part-time while at AUS as a Research
Assistant for the Office of the Provost
and the SBA Department of Finance,
and as a Teaching Assistant with the
SBA Management and Marketing
departments.
job?
Everything! I most enjoy the fact that
my job challenges me on a daily basis.
I learn something new every day; the
learning curve is immense. Having an
excellent team, brilliant partners and
a wonderful office culture has been
paramount to my professional growth.
SBA has shaped me and my interests
in so many ways that it is really hard
for me to narrow it down to 100
words. But if I had to pick the most
standout skills, they’d be teamwork,
time management, leadership, conflict
management and networking. Those
20 or 30 projects that were assigned
for every possible course at AUS really
paid off!
I also had some exceptional mentors
from whom I learned a lot. I would
encourage students, especially seniors,
to look to the excellent faculty at AUS
and SBA for some solid advice!
Be prepared, proactive and persistent.
Prepare before you graduate—take
the right classes, do the extracurriculars
and internships, volunteer, and develop
technical skills that give you an edge
over other graduates in your field.
Next, be proactive and find a job— this
is obvious, but I need to state it. Don’t
wait until graduation day to decide
what you want to do next; it is what
90 percent of graduates are doing! No
one is going to come up to you and
offer you a job unless you look for it.
Last but not the least, be persistent.
It’s not going to be easy, but hang in
there. Know what you want and do
what you love. As cliché as that sounds,
if you wake up in the morning and
look forward to going to work because
you enjoy your job, being persistent is
going to come easy!
Mohammad Zamani
Fall 2010
BSBA in Finance with a minor in
economics
what company? And what jobs, if
any, did you have before?
Assistant Manager at KPMG LLP -
London
job?
My job requires interaction with
individuals across various hierarchies
in different companies. One of the
things I enjoy the most is the fact
that working as an auditor builds a
very solid business foundation that
opens the door for a very bright
future whether I decide to become
an entrepreneur, pursue a career in
accountancy or take up a role in the
government sector.
Along with the technical skills in
business across all fields ranging
from finance to management, I have
acquired a lot of soft skills at SBA
that I use on my day-to-day job. This
includes presentation, analytical and
writing skills.
What is most essential for fresh grad-
uates to get a head start on building
a successful career?
Fresh graduates require an un-
derstanding of the importance of
choosing careers in companies that
could provide the best learning and
development opportunities rather
than focusing mainly on the monetary
benefits. Fresh graduates should value
on-job training, motivation to pursue
further degrees and qualifications
and working in an engaging culture
that boosts the career growth.
By Marwa Al-Malik
The United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and the European
Commission of Agricultural and Rural
Development (EU) have certified a local
organic farm–the Organic Oasis–operated
by an American University of Sharjah
alumna.
“Getting certified is important to gain the
trust of people and to obtain credibility,
sustainability and reliability,” said Sheikha
Al-Muhairy, 23, a School of Business
Administration graduate with a marketing
degree.
Slated to open in November, the Emirati-
owned organic farm is the first in the UAE
to have both USDA and EU certifications.
It brings the number of organic, non-
chemical-using farms in the United Arab
Emirates from seven in 2012 to 39 today,
according to media reports.
Organic Oasis is opening its doors to
consumers to promote awareness on the
advantages of having organic produce
rather than produce grown in conventional
way. “It’s nice to know where your food
actually came from,” Al-Muhairy said. “We
ensure the freshness of our produce by
harvesting, packing and delivering them to
customers within the same day.”
Sales of organic foods in the UAE reached
around $16 million in 2013, and are
expected to grow to $21 million in four
years, according to media reports.
The differences between organic and non-
organic vegetables are the amount of care,
attention and time devoted to grow them,
Al-Muhairy said, apart from the extensive
amount of documentation to which
organic farms are subjected.
“Organic plants are like babies,” she said,
“They demand much more attention
because they are not growing in their
natural habitat.”
Marketing
graduate
launches certified
organic farm
No one is going to
come up to you and
offer you a job unless
you look for it.

Careers–SBA Internship and Placement Office Newsletter
16
The internship team is more than willing to help you with anything that is internship and career related.
Please feel free to contact us or stop by for any inquiries.
Contact us +971 6 515 2363 | sbacareercoach@aus.edu
By Nada Ramadan
The Dean’s Business Team (DBT) raised
over AED 5,000 from its SBA Goes
Pink event on October 28, said DBT
President Amna Massoud.
“Given that October is the universal
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this
was our initiative of promoting it on
campus,” Massoud said.
The six-hour event included food,
games, activities, raffles and prizes,
attracting students of all majors, she
added. Additionally, around 10 SBA
faculty members wore pink clothing
and participated in the Faculty Fash-
ion Show, “which definitely brought
in the crowd,” Massoud stated.
To end the day, over 50 students at-
tended the one-hour comedy show
entitled Funny Girls Go Pink, featuring
AUS Performing Arts Program Adjunct
Instructor Mina Liccione. The show,
sponsored by Top Women,
Top Jobs, also included comedians Jill
Saydam and Shaima Al Sayed.
“Great comedy does not only
make you laugh but also makes
you think,” which is a useful
tool in sending a message that
the audience will remember,
Liccione stated after the
event.
Massoud said that 100 percent of
the show’s proceeds went to the
Pink Caravan, an initiative that aims
to raise breast cancer awareness in
the UAE. A Pink Caravan expert also
spoke to female students and faculty
members throughout the day about
the importance of early detection.
GlamBox, iCream, Cupcake Boutique,
Fuschia Sweets, Estée Lauder, Ballona
Shop and Polished Spa sponsored the
event, Massoud stated.
SBA Goes Pink raises over AED
5,000 for Pink Caravan

SBA Careers Nov 2014

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

En vedette

En vedette (15)

Similaire à SBA Careers Nov 2014

Similaire à SBA Careers Nov 2014 (20)

SBA Careers Nov 2014