“Your Career Advisor” is responding this week to:

• Could you answer a 20 year old baby ?

• What does it mean to be a Business Development Manager ?

• Married with a child, what should I do ?

• Could you indicate training providers for our staff ?

• Can I free lance or train with skill-link.com ?

• Would this certificate be my way out of my current job ?

• How are graduates of private academies perceived in the job market ?

• Which of these three fields of studies should I choose ?

• With my experience and additional degrees, what is the problem  ?

• What to expect when joining an audit firm  ?

• I am not going to be a diplomat, what can I do  ?

All reasonable questions related to careers, skill development or employment related issues – sent to advisor@skill-link.com - would be addressed in this section every week.

Q1: Could you answer a 20 year old baby ?

It feels really comforting, and that's a big deal for me, to find someone who knows what they're doing and dealing with that can help a job novice like me, so thank you. 

I am a 20 year old 3rd year student at the Faculty of Commerce's English Section;  and I decided to start training this year and so I applied to a certain well-known bank and sat for a brief interview, my first, and was accepted. 

Yesterday was my first day and after spending about 3 hours there I decided I was never going to set foot inside that bank again. I was assigned to a certain department and they sat me down and kept me there for 3 whole hours doing nothing, and because I am an extremely shy person I neither complained nor talked to anyone but 3 hours was too much even for me so I asked the person who was "supposed" to be my trainer (this was the 1st conversation that took more than 3 minutes with her, the 1st one took one second, she asked me what my name was) if I could leave early because I am doing nothing so she said that it's going to be the same everyday and so I took my attendance sheet from them and left for another department and still I left early ! 

The thing is the moment I went home I started crying like someone ate my heart, I was so disappointed and hurt because of being neglected, it was like my supervisor didn't want me there at all.

Anyway a relative of mine knew someone at the bank and that someone promised to talk to the woman because she is not reflecting the image they want of the bank and I was supposed to go today to be assigned at another department under the care of the someone who was called "wasta ya3ni" although I did not want that in the first place.

So I did not go today but my aunt started telling me not to be a quitter and that sooner or later I will have to face the world and all people my age go through that but they aren't as weak as I am so I will be going tomorrow.

The thing is what Ii did was so childish of me … I know, so any advice for people like me, who can not face the world and interact with people ?

M. M. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Ms. M.

You should not be considered a child or a baby… people vary in how they react to situations… resistance levels vary… obviously those with an active social life and involvement in activities (sports, social societies, university trips / camps, college magazine etc…) end up better equipped to deal with situations like yours. Actually the whole purpose of your interest in summer job training is to get you better prepared and familiar with the real world.

As for the summer training incident you described, unfortunately – as we wrote here in more than one instance – Egyptian organizations (companies, banks etc…) are usually not prepared to accommodate interns (those coming for summer training). Therefore they just not accept them, or in many cases would do so, for the sake of appearing socially responsible, but rarely go out of their way to well plan such internships and ensure those summer trainees are benefiting let alone kept busy. There are exceptions of course. The parties to be blamed – with the little information we got from you – should be whoever is responsible for the summer internships program within the bank (someone must be in charge… could be the Human Resources Director) and your immediate supervisor, or as you call her "trainer". Both must formulate some sort of plan before accepting you or others… otherwise it is unethical, unprofessional and unacceptable. While not every function or department in a bank can accommodate short term interns or trainees, there are obviously tasks these could perform… reconciling accounts, reviewing files, assisting clients with some simple transactions, double checking calculations etc… Part of the training could be to read instructions from bank management (or the Central Bank) and seeing how these are applied by staff.

There is little we can advise here, however, give it a few days… don't be shy to walk in the morning and state that you hope you can help someone today or learn something new… it must not be working with your supervisor only, but offer others your help… in a way you could say to those in the department or branch "I am available for sometime, and will be delighted to help you on any tasks you have". If after a few days nothing happen, just stop going, and send a letter to your supervisor, the department/branch manager and even the Managing Director, thanking them for the opportunity you thought should have been beneficial, however, since nothing was assigned to you, and nobody seemed to care, you thought it better to stop going and better use your time. Do not be shy to write these exact words…. It may embarrass them, or let them think more the next time they decide to accept another intern / summer trainee.

Again, the one(s) that should be embarrassed are those in charge of you at the bank… since they have failed so far to deliver.

We hope the above was of some use to you. 

Good Luck

Q2: What does it mean to be a Business Development Manager ?
 

I have an urgent question for you: I would like to know what it means to be a Business Development Manager in a multinational company ? What would be the responsibilities and qualifications of the job holder ?
S. S. (Egypt) 

Replying:

Dear Ms. S.

Business Development Manager is one of those job titles that could mean different things in different companies. There is no standard description for like say "Chief Accountant" or "Sales Manager" etc... In many organizations it refers to opening new markets, exploring new products / services, or identifying alliances and joint ventures. So from this description, you will find it involves some market research, some marketing, some business planning, some feasibility studies etc... usually the role ends when a regular department or an other organizational entity takes over the responsibility of that initiative (project). Examples for this would be the Olympic Group investigating an alliance or joint venture with Sony... which was handled by Business Development and when the opportunity was fully assessed and the details agreed upon, another entity within the group was responsible for it. Similarly, in Orascom Telecom, identifying new companies to operate in, or an alliance with an internet service provider or a content provider would probably be handled by Business Development. In other cases / companies, business development may be referring to sales, just a fancier way to call sales, specially in the cases of complex projects not simple products or services, examples would be construction companies and large software solutions companies. The role here involves market research, creating awareness, networking will all potential buyers of the services, following up on proposals etc...

The American University in Cairo has a Business Development Manager, responsible mainly for fund raising (ie. promoting the concept of donating funds and contributions to the university to help finance its growth and activities).

The above applies to multinational companies or any other type of business.

We hope the above was of some use to you.

Good Luck

Q3: Married with a child, what should I do ?

I have been working in an international bank for 3 years and a half years now and demonstrated very good progress which led me to move from one position to the other very quickly due to management believing that I am over qualified.

Now I'm a married woman and have a young child; what I am thinking now is to leave my work to be able to take care of my family and my self. It is a very hard decision to take … and I am unable to decide. I have wrote on a sheet of paper of paper the advantages and disadvantages of leaving my work and still cannot decide so that's why I need your advice. 

Problem:

I'm working from 8:00 am till 6:00 pm minimum, sometimes till 8:00 or 9:00 pm, I get back from work to find that my husband has already arrived 2 or 3 hours before me and had picked up our 2 year old daughter from her nursery. They are waiting for me to have lunch !

Of course I have cook (thank God), who comes once a week, I just have to heat our daily meal in the microwave.

The Daily Scenario:

I get back from work in a hurry, prepare lunch then perform the normal housekeeping duties. The day ends for me at 11:00 pm when I am really tired from working daily from 8 till 9 at the bank then continuing my home duties after that.

Sometimes I am so tired or tense from the daily routine that I do not do anything !

I thought of finding another job but have a number of reasons for not proceeding:

• I will not be satisfied to work in any other bank because I'm now working in one of the best banks in Egypt and the other banks do not have no same technology or systems. I know my self I'll get frustrated. Although working in a bank will require the same hours , so it will be the same cycle again.
• I'm residing in Alexandria which has a limited job market …. So I thought maybe I could work from home via the internet, unfortunately this is not applicable to our country .

I can not live without working and developing my career, I thought to start with small business or apply to work in Embassies which I know it sometimes impossible to work there.

Seeking you kind advice which way to decide… what will be better in my situation ?!!!

 R. A. (Alexandria) 

Replying:

Dear Ms. A.

Well it is a very true and objective message, a situation faced by lots of Career women. You are also correct about your assessment of the job market in Alexandria, it is much more limited than in Greater Cairo.

You did not mention if you husband was understanding or complaining about you being away for most of the day… we hope he provided you with support.

Obviously, you do not expect us to come with the "Magic Answer" it is a dilemma faced by women with young children in Egypt, France and the US. They either fight and go on, or alternatively opt for a more balanced life style, choosing professions with more manageable hours. Some opt to work in teaching, more administrative / secretarial jobs or, if they have the right skills work free lance / part time in graphic design, decoration, translation, as correspondents publications / news agencies, training / instructing (IT, languages etc…). Obviously these are rather limited choices, not every one has the right skills to perform, or would be interested in them. There are plenty of articles and books in the US and Europe that have discussed this issue, a sample is provided on the link below… again, there is not "ideal solution".

http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/p/peters-mothers.html

In conclusion, it seems to us that you cannot continue the way you are. Ideally find a slower paced job, you may also suffer from a pay decrease, but you would have brought some balance to your life. If you get out of banking, it may not be easy to re enter that field ten years from now (specially if you plan to have a second child), but again, banking is not the only career path in life. You would be surprised we sometimes receive message from professionals who have been working for 10 or 15 years in the banking field that want to get out of it.

We are sorry we did not provide you with the answer you wanted.

Good Luck

Q4: Could you indicate training providers for our staff ?

I am the Marketing Manager of a cosmetics retail company in Cairo. I don’t know if you can help us through your site in knowing more about qualified training companies in Egypt basically providing Customer service and management training courses for our employees

D. I. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Ms. I.

Training providers vary depending on what they have to offer, and in some cases the quality really depends more on the instructor (if he/she is really good, or mediocre) ... rather than the company itself. Having said that, below please find some of the best or most commonly used training providers in Cairo (offering scheduled training and / or customized courses to organizations):

* Logic Training Consulting , located in Mohandessin, web site: http://www.logic-consulting.com/index2.php?companyId=6

* The International Marketing and Management Institute (IMI), located in 32 Radwan Ibn El Tabib Street , Giza (tel: 573-0855), their website is: www.imiegypt.com .

* The American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo (Soliman Abaza Street, Mohandessin) - web site:

http://www.amcham.org.eg/HR/CareerDevCenter/Career.asp

*  AMIDEAST, located in Mossadak Street, Dokki, web site:

http://www.amideast.org/programs_services/ptd/egypt/workshop_schedules/default.htm

* The Center of Adult & Continuous Education (CACE) - American University in Cairo

We hope the above was of some use to you. 

Good Luck

Q5: Can I free lance or train with skill-link.com ?

You mentioned in your reply to the message titled "can you advise a depressed mass media student?" that skill-link.com's online magazine "Interest Zone" can accept freelance articles. I just want to ask how I can contact the responsible of this zone for possible opportunities to send articles and book reviews. I am interested to gain some experience in the writing and editing field and I can do this job on training or volunteering base (unpaid) as I do have a full time job. I am just looking for a way to practice a hobby I like much which is writing.

D. A. (Egypt)

Replying:

Dear Ms. A.

Thank you for your interest to contribute to skill-link.com's online magazine "Interest Zone". You are more than encouraged to send your contributions. We have emailed you the "Interest Zone" editorial policy for your reference.

You can send your contributions via mail@skill-link.com attention the "Interest Zone Editor".

We look forward to your articles and reviews.

Good Luck

Q6: Would this certificate be my way out of my current job ?

 I am a young female, a 2001 graduate of  the Faculty of Economics & Political Sciences, with a BA in Political Sciences (French section); currently working as an executive secretary. I wanted to change my career, so I started to study the SMC (Sales & Marketing Certificate) at the AUC (CACE). Am I going to be able to work in this field after concluding this certificate, what is its credibility and weight of such a certificate ?

 I really need an advice concerning my career because I am not satisfied about my job as an executive secretary.

 S. D. (Cairo, Egypt)

 Replying:

 Dear Ms. D.

 You are not alone in wanting to get out of the job / role of secretary / executive secretary / office manager. While some people (mainly females) are quiet content and satisfied with such a position, others find it limiting and cannot wait to do something else. In previous replies by "Your Career Advisor" to messages along the same line, we gave examples of professionals who moved to other roles such as Human Resources, Sales Administration, Administrative Support, Operations (in a business chamber or a developmental agency etc…), travel & aviation. It really depends on the character of the person, how they are able to convince others to transfer them / hire them in the new role… sometimes supported by getting a credible degree or certification to help be more convincing. This becomes more challenging when one has a 'generic' university degree like yours (as we all know, Political Sciences is not a hot area of studies outside a number of limited fields such as the Diplomatic Service, Journalism etc…).

 The Sales & Marketing Certificate you mentioned offered by the American University in Cairo's Center of Adult & Continuous Education (CACE) will undoubtedly provide you with some skills and insights in the areas of sales and marketing; however do not bank on it to be an "impressive" certification companies would be after, it is not a real certification (such as a Certified Human Resources Professional or a Certified Management Accountant etc…). Having said that, there are numerous entry level positions in the areas of sales and customer service that may be (and should be) available… while you may not be terribly excited about them, these could represent a good entry level to business development and client relationships…. And a break away from the "secretary" label. Later on, with hard work, demonstrated skills and maybe more reading / training / education you will advance in a line of work that could be more appealing to you.

 We hope the above was of some use to you.

 Good Luck

Q7: How are graduates of private academies perceived in the job market ?

 I am a student at the Higher Institute of Engineering of El Shorouk Academy, majoring in electronics and communication. I would like to ask some questions about my college:

 1- What do you think about the graduates of private academies such as Al Shorouk Academy and how are they perceived in the job market these days . 

2- What do I have to do so that after graduation no one can differentiate between me and those who have graduated from Cairo university or other. 

3- One of the jobs requirements that I read about in vacancies advertised in newspapers is to be a graduate from a reputable university. What does that mean.?

 M. B. (Cairo) 

Replying: 

Dear Mr. M. 

You are asking an important question. The bottom line answer by any objective manager / recruiter would be that what really counts is the character, attitude, personal skills and knowledge of the person under consideration, regarding of what university he / she graduated from. Having said that, we all know that perceptions prevail…. In other words, statistical probability lead employers to value more graduates of well established universities… whether it is the American University in Cairo, Ain

Shams, Cairo or Alexandria University. There are lots of reasons for this, in the case of well

established universities (Cairo, Alexandria etc…), they are perceived to have relatively better professors, and to get admitted to them, your high school grades should be relatively high. If your high

school exam grades (Thanaweya Amma) do not allow you to a public university, then you settle for a private university, a private university (such as MSA, October etc…) or an academy (such as Modern Academy or El Shorouk). We all agree that grades are not the most objective measure of someone's skills and qualities… however, lacking other way of measurement… and actually having lots of supply from graduates from other 'perceived' better universities… why should selective employers bother (eg. For a multinational company or a bank) ? Again, while it is not the right and objective thing to do… this is the perception. The same apply to the American University in Cairo (AUC), people know it offers better quality education, due to the limited number of students, its stress on research, classroom work and being taught in English…. On the other hand there are AUC graduates that are useless and of poor caliber. The law of probability, or the perception of the average AUC student drive people to believe that it is a better choice than the average public university student to hire. 

Luckily, the issue of which university, institute or academy one graduated from becomes less and less important as one advances in his / her career. Hence, after a few years of work experience, what really counts would be the person's on the job skills, ability to assume more responsibilities, meet deadlines etc…. So, it should gradually fade away.

 As for what you can do about it, well you will not change people's general perceptions about the educational entities, you should focus on becoming presentable, very well behaved, mature, reliable, punctual, trust worthy, able to work with others, fluent in at least one language, good with PCs, and constantly keen to develop your knowledge (both general knowledge and the specialized one relevant to your work). Becoming a true professional is what really differentiates people at work, and helps advancing one's career.

 We hope the above was of some use to you. 

Good Luck

Q8: Which of these three fields of studies should I choose  ?
 

I need help in choosing my undergraduate field of study. I'm going back and forth between Pharmacy, Dentistry and Medicine. Please consider that I'll attend Egyptian Governmental Universities. 

I need to know any information about which universities' graduates are preferred when it comes to employment. I need some information about positions that graduates of these colleges can hold, other than being a physician, a dentist or a sales representative. 

Also tell me about ( if you have) statistics about number of jobs offered to graduates of these colleges, whether in Egypt or Outside-including those offered to fresh graduates-and salaries offered to them. 

Also I need help regarding postgraduate degrees I can obtain after regarding of these college. 

Is there an MBA degree regarding pharmaceutical studies, and if yes, is it worth time?  

I have another last question: Which specialization at College of Engineering can give the best Job opportunity?  

K. G. (Egypt)

 Replying:

Dear Mr. G.

 Most of us, prior to enter university face a similar question. What we are unaware of, is why you selected those particular three fields to choose from (Pharmacy, Dentistry and Medicine ) ? Why not Commerce or Law for instance ? Commerce would provide you with the widest choice of career opportunities. With regards to law, we have a shortage in good law graduates who are fluent in one or more languages, these have the best salary prospects, due to the lack of supply.

 Do not base your selection on statistics, number of possible job offers, salary ranges in Egypt and abroad… the first step, would be to study something you like, then check the career prospects, to know what to expect and hence make a wise and informed decision. If you study something you are not interested in, then whatever the career prospects are, it would be useless. For instance, if we tell you there is very strong demand for dentists and that they get very high salaries, if you are not excited about it, and not ready to look in people's mouths for hours and stand on your feet for long hours every day… it is useless and you will not become a good dentist. What you should do, is consider well your interests, what getting into each career entails, for instance Medicine requires many years of studies, working night shifts and getting little pay… and you are not worth mentioning if you are not specialized (ie. with at least a Masters Degree, better yet to have a Ph.D. and be a member of the academic staff of university). Less than 10% of those graduating from medicine end up with this… and a fraction of those can afford a clinic and earn a good living. So, it medicine good or bad as a career ? it depends on what you want out of your life… if it is statistics and average figures, then do not get into any of the 3 faculties you mentioned, but get into Commerce. 

From our close observation of the job market we have met graduates of the faculties you mentioned that got into completely different careers, some working in information technology, tourism, trading , translation, graphics design, management consulting, journalism and even are now diplomats. They found out later in life what they could and wanted to do.

 Regarding your MBA question, no there is not MBA specialized in pharmaceuticals. However, remember, pharmaceutical companies are businesses, same as food companies and cosmetics companies, whereby an MBA help managers manage, plan, promote and develop the business. On the other hand, in some US universities, there are MBAs with a concentration in health care management (focusing on the management of hospitals and health care companies).

 Finally, you also asked about Engineering… which concentration… the same answer we provided you about the other faculties apply… do you like Engineering ? if yes then good, if not than drop it. All fields are in demand… It will not matter with you if civil engineers are more in demand than electrical engineers… because at the end of the day you are one person and in each area there are thousands of graduates anyway… If you are good, reliable, knowledgeable and interested in what you do, you will stand better chances… forget where salaries are higher or where there is more demand…. Also in  five or six years things can change… what would you do if today chemical engineers were in very strong demand and later they are not…. In summary, think of what you perceive as the area you can excel at and go for it. 

We hope the above was of some use to you. 

Good Luck

Q9: With my experience and additional degrees, what is the problem  ?

 First of all let me congratulate you on this very interesting website of skill-link.com. I know that you are receiving many emails seeking your advice, so I will not nag you with many details.

 I am a pharmacist (graduated with the grade of "very good"), I have ten years of experience in the field of pharmaceutical business (sales & marketing) in Egypt and the Arab Gulf. I have more than three years of exposure as a manager as a Sales Manager and as a Product Manager.

 I hold a Diploma in sales management and marketing from the UK, followed by an MBA (with Marketing concentration) from a British University.

 Since my return to Egypt from the Gulf, I have been working as a product manager in a local pharmaceutical company. For several months now I have been trying to get a better opportunity by joining a multinational company in Egypt, either in the pharmaceutical business or FMCG. I was surprised to see that none of the applications I sent through newspaper ads, or recruitment sites were followed by any interview. All jobs in our field are based only on recommendations and personal relations. No company requested to interview me to see my qualifications. Some companies announce that any vacant positions are for the company employees, then you find that these vacancies are being taken by others from outside the company, with less experienced and less qualified persons.

 I know some people who modify their CVs according to the job, claiming experiences or titles they never had, and surprisingly they get the jobs they apply for. On the other hand I continue stating accurate information and data regarding my CV, and as a result I get nothing. (is this right?).

 I need to know what is wrong with my CV, and are there any way to get the suitable job without the relations and "Wastah" ?

 K. R. (Egypt)

 Replying: 

Dear Mr. or rather Dr. R.

 Thank you for your kind words about skill-link.com and for your detailed message.

 Obviously we do not have information on what companies you have applied to, how you prepared your application (cover letter and CV) or why you were not invited for an interview. However, we will attempt to address your questions in general terms. To start with, you are not a fresh graduate with no experience, which is the category with the most difficulties in getting a first job, you have adequate years of experience which has been consistent in the same field and industry (ie. sales, business development and marketing in the pharmaceutical industry), you also have supplemented your hands on experience with additional studies reflected in the diploma and MBA you received. Obviously the value of a degree varies based on the institution granting it (ie. Harvard is not Tanta University) however it should in all cases be a plus for you. Having established that positive profile of you, we see no major hurdle for you to get another job. Obviously there may be character issues or other … but these would emerge during interviews. The fact you are unaware of would be who else applied for the jobs you wanted to get… an employer selects from applications he/she gets, they do not see / meet every one, but rather select those they 'perceive' as more suitable… the criteria they set, specially if you were focusing on multinational companies may be high.

 On the other hand we do not agree with your theory about wasta and false vacancies being advertised. Companies, other than public sector or government owned, are keen on hiring the most suitable individuals that would help them grow, become more competitive and profitable. In other words, no business manager would hire say a Sales Manager because of 'wasta' if he/she can find someone else they believe could sell better ! It will be crazy and it does not happen… we (skill-link.com and other recruitment service providers) get clients all the time, paying money and investing time to identify the best available candidates in the market.

 Lying or including false information on a CV, could provide one with a temporary advantage of being selected for an interview…. But once this is discovered, then it is the end for him / her. If it is not discovered then this is another matter… it is like stealing money or cheating in exams… obviously some people get away with it without being caught… but it is the wrong thing to do. We never would advise you to do that. 

Keep on trying, investing time in researching the companies you are interested in and giving attention to your cover letter and how your CV is prepared and presented. skill-link.com offers on its website lots of advice with regards to these issues, we hope you have read them. 

We hope the above was of some use to you. 

Good Luck

Q10: What to expect when joining an audit firm  ?

 I have just graduated this year from Suez Canal University's Faculty of Commerce (Accounting) with an overall grade of "good" and I'm considering joining an audit firm but I have some questions on my mind. 

Firstly, what is the salary I could expect for an entry level position within an audit firm (Big 4, Large and medium firms)?

 Secondly, I'm thinking about taking a post-graduate diploma in accounting, so, is it useful for me to take it i.e. is it going to add something to me?

 Thanks a lot for your patience & for the great work you do here in the career advisor section.

 K. E. (Egypt)

 Replying: 

Dear Mr. E. 

Starting one's career in an audit firm could be very beneficial, it provides a good base for understanding how various business operate and grasping the principals of accounting and financial control. Most people starting with an audit firm, would after a few years move on to work in finance, accounting or audit roles in different types of companies (trading, manufacturing, construction, hotels etc…). It is expected that during your first few years you become qualified as a certified public accountant in Egypt, more ambitious professionals would also aim at getting an internationally recognized accounting certification such as the American CPA. At this stage of your life, professional certifications would be of more value than a graduate university diploma in Accounting.

 Audit firms are known not to pay high salaries to their junior staff (usually one can start with a better pay in a bank or an average sized private sector company), they hire them fresh out of school, and consider they invest a lot in training them and providing them with valuable experience. This compensation fact is well known, yet many people accept it, due to the experience they gain, they are rewarded years later when they move to work in other role as we previously stated, or if they decide to stay in Audit firms, when they are promoted to Manager level and beyond (ie. becoming a partner or opening their own firm).

 We hope the above was of some use to you.

 Good Luck

Q11: I am not going to be a diplomat, what can I do  ?

I graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), and as every one in FEPS I wanted to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and no place else, so I waited for the admission tests which were one year later. I passed the written exams but the results for the oral interviews came shocking: I flunked ! That took me one more year waiting for the results.

I then obtained a diploma in human rights which appeared as my whole study in political science was of no use at all in Egypt. I waited for the next admission exams to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I refused working anywhere else…. but now after I completed my pre masters I really need and want to work. But after 4 years at home doing nothing but studying, things are really tough. Every job I apply for asks the normal  question why haven't you worked before? and "I was studying" is not a good answer. I am now applying to any job… some I refused even thinking about before , what to do?

S. N. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Ms. N.

You realize your mistake now… spending so many years out of the job market was not something wise to do… Waiting to get into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not a good excuse, you should have been working meanwhile. Even if you were 100% sure you would be accepted (unrealistic of course), you should have still been employed.

Prior to deciding to study political sciences, you should have considered the job prospects after graduation… it is no surprise that job opportunities requiring a political science degree are very limited, hence most graduates end up working in unrelated fields, ranging from secretarial positions to front desk officers in hotels and graphic designers. Even related jobs such as becoming a diplomat, a news journalist etc… are often filled with those who graduated from other disciplines. Every year, lots of those accepted to join the Ministry of Foreign affairs are graduates of Medicine, Engineering, Law, Commerce etc…

Your priority now would be to get a job, any job even in customer service or in a call center.. or teaching if you like. You cannot be too picky now, since every day that passes will complicate the issue. If every thing else fails, consider volunteering (working for free) for a while, in one of the independent newspapers that have appeared recently, in one of the UN programs (do you check the UN Volunteers Corps vacancies ?). Check the following website for vacancies that may be relevant to you: http://www.undp.org.eg/jobs/job.htm

We hope the above was of some use to you. 

Good Luck

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