“Your Career Advisor” is responding this week to:

• How much should we pay our junior accountants? (c)
• Should I go back to my previous employer? (b)
• Frustrated from Alexandria: Am I a looser or just unlucky? (e)
• Am I already a job hopper? and what to do about it? (e)
• What is outsourcing? (g)
• As an Egyptian IT professional, how can I work in America or Europe? (b)

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: How much should we pay our junior accountants?

As a General Manager of a medium sized private business offering education and training services in Egypt, I am seeking your advice as to what are the average salaries paid to junior accountants ? This is with the objective of knowing we are in line with the market, with regards to our current staff and those we are considering hiring for our new branches.
.
N. K. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Mr. K.

Advising on salaries, is like doctors prescribing a certain medication. It cannot be done with brief high level information, otherwise the patient can die J By that we mean a thorough diagnostic and measurement of a number of vital aspects must take place, by doctors and similarly by those providing advice on compensation and salaries.

Average salary figures vary significantly for a particular job, from one industry to the other and according to the type (multinational, joint venture, private sector, NGO etc…) and size of the organization (large, middle sized, small, micro etc..) in question.

Additionally, salaries usually reflect numerous traits and criteria in the job holder that may differ from one entity to the other or even from one department to the other within the same entity; even if the job carries the same title and job description. These include:

• personal factors (social background, appearance, experience, skills and qualifications, not necessarily measured in number of years),
• job factors (diversity of responsibilities, pressure, working hours, the need to be frequently outdoors etc…)

One should also remember that salaries are not be considered on their own, they are part of a total compensation that may include:

• benefits such as medical insurance, transportation, mobile phone allowances, end of service fund contribution etc..;
• Incentives, in the form of bonuses, commissions, profit sharing etc…

Now, let us provide you some useful insights concerning the job you mentioned, that is "Junior Accountants":

The term "Junior Accountant" is used here to describe a graduate of a Faculty of Commerce (not necessarily majoring in accounting) who has three or less years of experience. This person cannot handle on his/her own the full accounting cycle of an entity, regardless of how small. He/she will be either assigned a specific accounting area in an organization (eg. receivables, bank reconciliation, payroll accounting, tax deductions etc…) or would be assisting a more senior accountant (manager, section head etc..) in performing various accounting duties (posting, voucher preparation etc…) under supervision.

It should be mentioned that years of experience are not the only criteria to designate a junior accountant, some accountants two or three years in their career have enough skills and experience (due to their intelligence, willingness to learn, certification or good coaching from their supervisor) to justify them becoming experienced or even leading the accounting function in a small entity. Hence the importance of referring to the role outlined in the previous paragraph.

In the category of "Junior Accountant" job, most individuals are not entitled to any automatic incentive scheme. A discretionary annual bonus purely based on performance could be found in about half the companies surveyed. The bonus would range between one to three months of salary.

We have presented below some average figures, reflecting three market segments: High end (eg. large multinationals, leading professional firms, international organizations etc..), mid market (mid sized private sector companies, second tier banks etc… ) and low end (small local businesses, trading concerns, small professional services firms etc..).

Junior Accountant fresh out of university or with less than 1 year of experience:
High end of the market: LE 700 to LE 1,200 - with an average of LE 900
Mid market :                LE 450 to LE 750 - with an average of LE 550
Low end of the market: LE 200 to LE 400 - with an average of LE 250

Junior Accountant with 1 to 3 years of experience:
High end of the market: LE 800 to LE 1,500 - with an average of LE 1,200
Mid market :                LE 500 to LE 950 - with an average of LE 750
Low end of the market: LE 230 to LE 450 - with an average of LE 375

We hope the above was of some use to you.

Good Luck

Q2: Should I go back to my previous employer?

I am a female Engineer in my late twenties. I have a couple of questions to ask:

1. I left my latest employer a few months ago after an argument with management about working procedures. Now they want me back. My boss called to ask me if I would like to join them again and I told her that I am not interested to work during the summer and that I prefer to take some well deserved time off, after a working hard with the company. Now I would like to know how do you think I should handle negotiations with them when they call again taking in to consideration the following:

• I had a very friendly relationship with the GM and other senior managers, but that did not stop them from cutting from my salary when I was leaving.
• I would need my salary to be doubled and I would ask for changes in working conditions.
• I have a very strong character and am very good at making decisions but I am awful when it comes to negotiating the financial aspects of my salary (seems to be a real problem for me since I started working five years ago).

2. What would you advise me to say when I am asked in interviews why I left my last work specially that I had a very good position and the company is a reputable company in its field.

M. K. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Miss. K.

You did not really explain if you are interested to rejoin your previous employer or no. Getting along well with the General Manager is not enough, are there any indications that the problems you complained from are not going to happen again ? It is not practical to assume so the company's working methods and the environment will change to please you.

Of course there are always two sides to a story, we heard your complaints, but cannot tell what concerns your boss has/had about you. Nobody is perfect as you know.

Also, unless you were really underpaid (salary + bonus) we do not see how they will be able to justify doubling your salary. You did not provide us with information on your compensation, so we can not form an opinion on that.

To tell you the truth, unless your were really a key player in the company, and in a way indispensable, we find it difficult to see why they should accept your "tougher" and "more demanding" terms, specially that you would have been away for several months, and one way or the other, they survived without you. Give it a try, but we tend to think you are better off seeking a fresh start somewhere else.

Also, remember if they ever accept you with a much higher salary, it is like your employer admitting they were taking advantage of you. That is not a nice situation to be in.

On the more general aspect of financial negotiations, professionals in Egypt (unlike North America and Europe) are often uncomfortable discussing money. Some of us feel it is a bit degrading and inappropriate (eib) to negotiate financials. There is nothing wrong about that, as long as one handles it in a professional manner, and settles is once and for all. You should set an "objective" minimum for yourself and when you reach an agreement with a prospective employer get it in writing (in a job offer). If a potential employer is negotiating down the pay he/she is offering, and you do not accept it, say this is way below other offers you are getting and what you know similar jobs are getting paid. You are also more than welcomed to refer them to skill-link.com as an objective and qualified provider of compensation surveys and salary information (it is like referring to an independent real estate expert to value a certain property).

The answer to your second question - which is not really the second J - is easy:
Never ever bad mouth or mention negative things about a previous employer in a job interview. This worries and alarms your interviewer and does not help you in anyway. Good or reputable employer or not, people change companies and leave their jobs all the time, there is nothing strange or unique about that, unless it becomes a frequent habit (job hopping) then it starts hurting you. You should say something like having differences of opinion, or not feeling adequately compensated in relation to the effort, time and achievements you demonstrated … or something along those lines. Similar to a divorce, it does not help any of the spouses to bad mouth the other.

We hope the above was of some use to you.

Good Luck

Q3: Frustrated from Alexandria: Am I a looser or just unlucky?

I am sorry if this e-mail will be long and strange but can you please handle it seriously.

First I am going to introduce my self to you: I am a 23 year old female living in Alexandria. After attending a French language school till Thanaweya Aama, I graduated from Alexandria University's Faculty of Commerce (English Section), with a BA in Business Administration (in 2000). I also earned a Masters degree in Information Systems from the Arab Academy for Sciences & Technology (AAST) in 2003.

When I first graduated I worked at a well known IT distribution company (name withheld) as an Administrator in the Technical Support Department for six months. Then the company was downsizing and I had to leave. But before leaving I was accepted in a Scholarship from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology to study Oracle for six months; so I went for it. The problem started after completing this scholarship program in October 2001. From that time and till now; I did not settle in a good job despite having worked for 6 different companies !

I will briefly explain what happened during the last year and a half:

• I went to work in the IT department of a private sector group (name withheld) for 5 months but the IT manager there did not like me and was seeing that I will take his position so he convinced the Chairman that he does not need me. So the Chairman offered me to work as an Operator !!!! so I resigned.
• After that I joined a well know shipping and transportation company (name withheld). I attended training in the shipping field for 3 months but after that I had nothing to do. I was staying there doing nothing; actually I found out they hired me because they were relatives… so I left the company.
• I then worked from home on a part time basis translating manuals for an American project; and now it ended.
• I also developed Database Systems for several organizations.
• I also worked as a Computer Instructor for one of the service providers of the Future Generation Foundation in Alexandria for 4 months and my contract ended.
• Now I am working as a Purchasing Assistant at a multinational company in Alexandria (name withheld), it's my second month now but this is not it !

As you see, I did many things and worked in many fields up till now. But I find that I did not build an expertise in a specific field. I tried to work in the I.T. field but I realized that they only need engineers and I am not one. I actually needed I.S. and not I.T. (Information System while it does not exist here in Egypt).

My work current job is not that bad; but actually I am here till I can find a better job. All I need is a first step to start a career. The multinational company I work for is not a good place; people here are falling down not coming up. It is the first time for me to see such a thing. I am an assistant and will be like this for years if I stayed. My manager was a Director but became a Manager suddenly !

My problem is that I do not want to work and just it. I need a first step to start a career. I need to work in a multinational company where I can grow through my hard work and be appreciated. I am really ambitious and I am hard worker. I have skills I need to develop, I need to grow…. I need a creative job. I am dreaming to have a good career and I am ready to work 24 hours 7 days/week just to reach my goal.

I have reached a point where I believe that I am a looser and understand nothing and I am Dumb. I did not put all this work experience in my C.V. because if I do, employers will think that I am a stupid person. I forgot to also tell you also that sometimes I give private lessons for student in the AAST.

I filled all the job applications I can and registered on various recruitment sites. I am really fed up… Can you please help me; even by just providing advice ?.

P.S. I am attaching my C.V. for your review.

A. K. (Alexandria)

Replying:

Dear Miss K.

First of all, you should not apologize for sending us your message(s), that is what we are here for. Actually the more detailed the better, because it allows us to get a better grasp and understanding of your situation.

Now, it is very obvious you are an ambitious and motivated young lady who wants to develop and pursue a promising career. Not just settling for any job "wel salam". This is the first good element we spot reading your message. The second is that from an education point of view, you have useful and relevant degrees, your BA and your Masters together with the Oracle training you obtained are a nice combination. One cannot ask for more from someone in your line of business at within your age group. A third positive element is that despite its negatives, your exposure to a number of work environments in such a short duration, combining regular employment with free lance work and tutoring of students, have given you a strong doze of experience in how various organizations work and how to deal with different characters and attitudes. This, unlike what you may think, will prove very useful to you.

Having said all of the above, you are neither stupid not Dumb.

Now we disagree with you regarding your statement that employer are only seeking IT professionals who are engineering graduates. This is not true, in the filed of IT, numerous positions, specially in application development and project management, are filled with professionals who gained IT training and experience but do not hold a B. Sc. in a technical discipline. In your case, you not only have a commerce degree (useful and relevant in most businesses), you added to it a Masters in information systems and intensive Oracle training. So you are better qualified than the average professional.

So what are the real challenges someone like you is facing ? Honestly we believe the following factors, in a way play against you:

• Being in Alexandria, a relatively tight job market, specially in certain areas.
• Alexandria, with a population as large as Lebanon's, is unfortunate not to be hosting a lot of non public sector large companies' head offices, hence the sophistication and advanced management practices are not widely spread.
• Being a female, in a country where employers would rather hire males in your age group (for reasons we all know)
• The whole Egyptian economy is not in a great shape, hence less interesting job opportunities are available.

The above are not show stoppers, but we thought of stating them for the sake of our discussion.

Where we have a big question mark is with regards to your decision to leave the shipping and transportation company you worked for at a given point of time. It is extremely ethical and professional from you to leave for not having anything to do. But is this really possible ? can a company like the one you mentioned (we withheld the name) not have numerous applications and technology tools in need for development, upgrade, training users on and later supporting ? Could it be that no one gave you clear instructions of what they wanted and you did not take the initiative to come up with your own well thought of suggestions and proposals ? We cannot tell, but it seems strange to us.

Now you are working in a large company, even though you are in "purchasing" you may want to consider offering your skills and experience in developing systems and applications. Do it in a gradual way, a small application for tracking here and another one for suppliers information their etc… Do not ask to be transferred to the IT Department, but rather do it internally for your own unit. As you said, you are willing to work long hours and even 7 days a week…. so put your words to the test. You are the best judge of how they will perceive this initiative, you can get the requirements first, or surprise them with your first application, developed on your own time…. For now, during regular working hours you will remain to do what you are supposed to do. It is highly unlikely that they will not be pleased to find you providing them with useful tools for their work, and for free - to start with. Worst case scenario, they will be very neutral about it and will show no further interest, in this case you would have shown initiative and would have an automated solution you could use later for another company. Best case scenario, they will appreciate what you did and maybe give you more applications to develop within "purchasing". Who knows, you might end up becoming a full time IT person in the company as you are learning more about the business. As this company is relatively new in Alexandria, it is unlikely that it has already reached the optimum level of automation. So think about our suggestion.

We both know you reached a state where another job move is not in your favor. So, unless you really get that "dream job", we suggest you aim at staying where you are for another two to three years. If you develop and get more responsibilities, so bee it (kheir we baraka). If not, stick around and try and get stimulated after working hours from free lance jobs, teaching or even acquiring additional skills. There are a number of useful things you can learn: business French (how about building and your school French by obtaining a Diplome Approfondi du Francais Des Affaires), or becoming Microsoft Certified (one of the most useful IT certifications and appreciated by many employers), similarly you can start working on your web development and graphics skills (Java, HTML, Adobe PhotoShop) this is both fun and useful in numerous places. It is also practical for free lancing work.

You can also do volunteer work with a non for profit association. Why not consider becoming an instructor, a few hours on your week end, for PC and other IT skills to those who cannot afford paying the fees of a regular center or institute. This is a worthy cause and whether you are Moslem or Christian, God will reward you for it.

With regards to your CV, it looks reasonably presented. Our main suggestion will be for you to mention "short tem contract" of "on a free lance basis" under the jobs that were temporary by nature, this way you minimize the "Job Hopping" impression the reader gets. Not every one will listed to your story before reading your CV. Additionally, as we always say, your cover letter is as important as your CV, so make sure you draft one suited from each potential employer you are targeting.

We hope the above was of some use to you.

Good Luck

Q4: Am I already a job hopper? and what to do about it?

First, allow me to convey my appreciation for your efforts trying to upgrade the performance level of professionals in our region through your valuable web site.

I am writing to you today, after I read the article published on last week's Interest Zone about "job hopping" as I have been suffering from multiple job-dissatisfaction incidents. I am not sure yet if it already hurt my career but at least it demotivates me very much.

I am a workaholic person, very energetic and initiative, yet I get bored very quickly. I have handled many tasks at a job; I am mostly like a joker. I can do multiple tasks at the same time with full efficiency and effectiveness. But the problem is that I want to concentrate in one field and do not know which to choose. I worked as an office manager, marketing manager, assistant project manager in fields of logistics, customer service, export and import, and banks ….I have handled senior tasks although I am only 25 years old! I can get promoted very quickly when I like my job, but I get bored easily yet.

I am very good in writing all types of documents, I am a customer service-oriented person, I am very creative regarding any task I do, and I can do any type of work but just do not know what I am best at. I have to confess that I do prefer to work alone, yet I do not have a big problem dealing with people but I guess they do have a problem dealing with me. They see me as too much for my age and so they develop anti-bodies towards me so I have to work it out which is not something very interesting to me.

Can you help?

M. E. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Ms. E.

Your kind words of appreciation concerning our efforts and what we are trying to achieve are duly noted. Thank you.

We are not sure if your online CV on skill-link.com reflects your latest situation or not, but since graduating you have probably worked for four or five employers. Well, that could be seen as "Job Hopping", some moves could be justified (such as relocating from Alexandria to Cairo) others are due to luck or not feeling good about the place. Regardless, the target now is not to dwell on the past, but rather leverage your experience in the various environments you were exposed to, to identify your next step, or rather target job.

Before we elaborate on that, let us discuss two things you mentioned in your message:

(1) "You prefer to work alone", it is not clear what you meant by that, is it you would rather get things done on your own as opposed to being part of a team ? or is it you would rather handle jobs that do not require intensive people interaction such as sales and customer service ? There is no right or wrong here (in other words good or bad). The more you know about yourself, the easier it will be for you to spot where you can better fit.

(2) "You guess people have a problem dealing with you" why is that ? Your peers (ie. those at your same seniority level) would only "normally" have such a problem if you are competing with them for a promotion or you make them look incompetent being smarter and a harder worker. The first assumption may have not been applicable, the second could be more likely, in that case you must handle colleagues with care and go out of your way so as not to be obvious to them that "you are better". If what you meant by "people" was in reference to your supervisors, managers or other more senior staff member, here it is more serious. Why should this be your feeling ? normally a more senior person enjoys someone as bright and hard worker - as you described yourself - working for him. Unless you portrayed an attitude of "I know it all" or you did not accept advice and guidance willingly. Please note that we are not trying to be negative, just analyzing a situation where we heard your side of the story about.

Now, what should be your target job ? Quoting you, you are energetic, workaholic, you get bored easily, you are creative and have good writing skills. These are all very important qualities for a professional in your age group. We tend to believe them because the internal interview notes taken by one of skill-link.com's Recruitment Officers (conducted last year) confirm these positive traits in you. Additionally, as we previously stated, you have been exposed to a variety of environments and job types, so you know what it takes to work in one of them, more than most professionals who spent the first three or four years of their career doing the same job.

From what we learnt from your message, we believe you could fit in a structured environment (not your typical small or middle sized private sector company in Egypt - unfortunately for the country) in an operations or business development role. Also an area you have not mentioned but that is worth considering would be human resources. Operations could include logistics and could include working in an NGO (non government organization, business association, USAID funded project etc…) or an innovative place such as Barter Card Egypt (skill-link.com had vacancies for them recently). Also, working in a place like skill-link.com (or the likes) could be an interesting venue. On the other hand, business development could encompass a variety of roles, such as marketing, market research, acting as an export coordinator (skill-link.com currently has a couple of vacancies in this area with a garment manufacturer).

It is very difficult for us to tell you what exactly you should do…. You are the best judge, whatever it is, choose something ( a role) that would excite you and in a place where after doing your homework (ie. knowing more, meeting more than just your direct boss) you seem to feel comfortable about. As you get more experience in your chosen field, supplementing it with reading (specialized and general awareness readings - very important) you may consider to enroll in some courses to inject even more skills. This should be the start of a focused, hopefully enjoyable and rewarding career.

We hope the above was of some use to you.

Good Luck

Q5: What is outsourcing?

I am a Mansoura University, Faculty of Commerce graduate (1994), currently working in a multinational manufacturer and distributor of consumer goods. I recently learnt that our company has signed outsourcing contracts with service providers in a number of countries, and that they may consider introducing such a concept to the operations in a number of Arab countries, including Egypt.

Could you tell me what is meant by outsourcing ?

A. F. (Sixth of October City )

Replying:

Dear Mr. F.

Outsourcing in the context of your question refers to an entity (company, bank etc..) handing over business functions that are "not core to its operation and more or less routine" to external providers, with the expectation that such a move would generate cost savings, increase efficiency and leave the entity to focus on its core strengths. Therefore, entities may outsource security, cleaning, information technology operations, transportation, or even claims processing, tele sales etc...

Historically, outsourcing was simply a process of handing over activities not considered "business-critical" - such as catering and cleaning - to an external provider. Over the years, outsourcing has also gained broad acceptance in the world of IT, because it helps businesses to keep pace with rapid changes in technology without the need to invest directly in the expertise and infrastructure themselves. Today, far more ambitious deals are being concluded, including the strategic aspects of human resources management to be handled by outsiders.

Recent years have seen a significant rise in the number of offshore outsourcing contracts as well. As European and North American companies turn to remote service centers to manage their non-core processes and costs without losing competitiveness, countries such as India, with its cheap and skilled workforce and international technical reputation, have become outsourcing destinations of choice.

A key danger for companies that outsource is that the failures of their suppliers can damage their own corporate reputation.

In summary, while every organization has unique needs, there is undeniable evidence that outsourcing allows executives to focus on the core business while resolving skills shortages or resource problems, reducing costs, and fundamentally transforming how an organization thinks, acts and operates.

We hope the above was of some use to you.

Good Luck

Q6: As an Egyptian IT professional, how can I work in America or Europe?

I am an IT professional, having graduated in 2002 from the Arab Academy for Sciences & Technology with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I also enrolled in the IT training scholarship program provided by the Egyptian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

I just have a simple question which is: what are my chances as an Egyptian to work in a foreign country such as the USA or UK or Europe ?

If there is a chance , what should I include in my CV and how can I attract the attention of potential employers to hire me ?

A. M. A. (Alexandria)

Replying:

Dear Mr. A.

Is this what you call a "simple" question ?

Let us start with the good news, and that is: "Information Technology professionals in various fields (software development, networking, ERP implementation, database administration, telecom etc…) are the best positioned and most requested when it comes to working in other more advanced nations in the regions you mentioned: North America and Europe".

Countries such as the US, Germany and Britain faced shortages in IT skilled professionals (in addition to some other professions - nursing is a good example), that they introduced laws to provide qualified job seekers from other countries (usually developing countries) with work permits for a specified number of years, usually ranging from three to six years. For instance the US has the H-1B and L-1 visas (hundreds of thousands of developing countries' professionals benefited from them over the last 3 years alone), Germany has the Green Card work permits for foreign IT professionals (20,000 such permits over the last 2 years) and the UK has the "High Skilled Migration Program". For more details on each of these you may wish to refer to the Career Resources section of the "Interest Zone" on skill-link.com.

So as per the above, the "need / demand" and the "legal possibility" are established. The real challenge for you and those in your same conditions is to identify a potential employer with the need, this will be either an end user an employer or most likely an IT contractor or service provider that hire a large number of IT professionals and undertakes contracts and projects for banks and other large organizations in advanced nations. This is not an easy task to find them, however citizens of other countries (India is the best example) were very successful on that front. The task becomes easier when local companies (ie Egyptian in your case) are established to provide that specific service. Hence they would have branches or representatives in various advanced countries to identify clients and then through their head office search for those with the right skills, hire them, may be provide them with some additional training before shipping them to the project site in Frankfurt, Chicago or Atlanta. It is unfortunate that Egyptian companies were not very active or successful on that front. They did a little better with regards to Arab countries, where entities such as Raya and Ofoq secured a number of IT contracts along the lines we described. It is a start, anyway.

Governments also should play an active role to identify opportunities for their citizens to work on jobs abroad. India, Pakistan and the Philippines are very serious and successful about it. India has a special association (NASSCOM) to develop, promote and support the IT industry, and the employment of IT professionals across the world. The Egyptian government, relies on the Ministry of Labor…. And we all know how it is ! bureaucratic, uninformed and more focused on blue collar labor issues. Very few of its senior officials can speak English fluently and the Ministry cannot even get a "half decent" web site up and running.

With regards to preparing your CV and the cover letter, the same rules apply for a local or an international employer. Advice and best practices regarding "Resumes" and "Cover Letters" are also provided on skill-link.com. Please click here to access them.

We hope the above was of some use to you.

Good Luck

Note from the editor: 
Employer names and inquiry sender names were withheld for confidentiality

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