“Your Career Advisor” is responding this week to:

• "I am totally lost in Cairo, where to go for an interior designer?"
• "How can I become a Sound Engineer?"
• "How should I handle those interview questions?"
• "I love the HR field, where could I go to both work and learn?"

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: I am totally lost in Cairo, where to go for an interior designer?

I am a female interior designer, who graduated last summer (2001) from Alexandria University's Faculty of Fine Arts. I moved to Cairo a couple of months ago... and I'm totally lost.

Where can I find a decent and interesting job? Also where can I attend computer courses related to my field (such as 3D max and photo shop)?

I may also be interested in obtaining a Masters degree, could you help by guiding me on how to do so by correspondence...?

With regards to my career path, I haven't decided yet how I would like to proceed, however working, as an in-house interior designer in a large retail company with numerous outlets would be my first aim... And I think soon, I'll consider the graphics path but after acquiring the necessary skills in the PC programs needed for that.

S. A. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Mrs. A.

Moving to Cairo is a big step, some people miss Alexandria's sea side, fresher air and relative coziness, others enjoy the buzz and excitement that Cairo offers. Anyway, you presented us with a combination of questions. Let us start:

Finding a decent and interesting job is our collective quest, however it is very relative and differs from one person to the other. Sometimes it changes over time for the same person. It depends on what you like, your social background, your personal characteristics and a lot of other factors. Definitely, on that front Cairo has a lot more to offer than Alexandria; a large number of multinational and local companies, numerous Interior Design firms working for hotels, banks etc…. exist. Cairo is witnessing numerous new TV channels (such as Al Mehwar, Dream TV etc…) it is also hosting in its recently established Egyptian Media Production City (in the 6th of October City) a number of regional TV stations wanting to have partial operations in Egypt (such as MBC, Al Jazeerah, ART etc…); they all need interior designers for their studio sets.

If you also gain some experience in graphics and want to shift to this area (away from interior design), other opportunities will be available to you in advertising agencies and e-businesses (portals and other web sites).

With regards to "decency" and "job excitement" - specially for young ladies - it is our observation that these are more often found in smaller organizations: A boutique architecture firm, a small but prestigious advertising agency etc…

Computer courses for design / graphics are offered in Cairo in a number of places. A first place to look could be the American University in Cairo (AUC) located in down town Cairo.

As for the Master's degree, we would not encourage you to enroll in one at the current stage. Definitely not by correspondence (may be online if you wish), we believe what you need is a job and good hands on experience until you believe you are on the right track of what you like to do. In our opinion, academic studies - for you - at the current stage are delaying the decision (of what is it I find myself in).

Disregard the money issue (temporarily) and set an objective to work with interesting people in an acceptable place.

We hope the above was of some use to you.
Good Luck.

Q2: How can I become a Sound Engineer?

You are doing a good job!

I am a 23-year-old Egyptian, holding a B.Sc. in Management Sciences. I am interested in becoming a sound engineer. Is there any formal study or programs I could enroll in for that purpose? And what are the places to start looking for a job in the music business?

A. G. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Mr. G.

This is one of the most difficult questions we had to research, since the sound engineering business is unique and does not traditionally fall within the 'regular' corporate jobs category. Here is what we found:

In Cairo we could not identify formal training to become a sound engineer outside formal education right out of high school.

On the other hand you may want to check AudioEd.com (Click here) for their online courses.
There is another organization that offers online distance learning courses in music recording or sound engineering, which is the AudioMaserclass.com (Click here) for more details.

Formal classroom education is available in England; there is the School of Sound Recording's flagship course: "Audio Engineering Techniques and Technology". 18 months in duration, this part-time course is designed to give the student an in-depth knowledge of sound-related skills and the workings of the audio/music industry; it combines theory with a vast amount of hands-on practical time. The main topics covered by the course are: The Recording Chain; The Mysteries of Microphone Technique; Digital Recording; Recording Formats and Media; etc. The course costs about 5,200 Sterling Pounds.

The school is located in:
10, Tariff Street Manchester M1 2FF United Kingdom
Tel: 44 161 228 1830

Similarly, you could be interested in the Institute of Music and Technology in London; they offer a condensed 20 weeks course for sound engineers. This course covers all the basic operational skills required for work in recording studios and live sound. It gives a thorough introduction to the technical, creative and practical elements of sound engineering.

The institute is located in:
Hurricane Studios
17 Deptford Broadway; Deptford; London SE8 4PA
Tel: (020) 8691 1900; Fax: (020) 8691 1688
Email: info@imthurricane.org 

As to where you could be looking for a job, Cairo is the undisputed capital of music and media production in the Arab World; therefore there should be numerous opportunities for sound engineers. Egypt is also witnessing numerous new TV channels (such as Al Mehwar, Dream TV etc…) it is also hosting in its recently established Egyptian Media Production City (in the 6th of October City) a number of regional TV stations wanting to have partial operations in Egypt (such as MBC, Al Jazeerah, ART etc…); they all need sounds engineers for all their broadcasting operations. Let alone of course the state owned TV channels (over a dozen) and radio stations.

We hope the above was of some use to you.
Good Luck.

Q3: How should I handle those interview questions?

I recently graduated with a B. Sc. in Commerce and Business Administration (English Section) from Helwan University (2001). During my summer vacations I used to intern / train in a number of places: Ready made garments retailer, bank, aluminum company etc…

I have some questions regarding situation I have faced during job interviews. I feel I did not handle them properly or did not give intelligent answers.

So I will be grateful if you gave me the answers of such questions:

(I) If I have failed in something before in my life or not?
How can I handle such question? Where I think the interviewer is driving me to say a very bad memory of mine for example.

(II) Second question was what are my weak points?
You tell me why should I tell someone about my weak points. May be in some other time he might use it against me!!!

(III) Finally yet importantly question was why should we hire you, and leave the other candidates?
What is the thing that must be special in me in order to make them interested in me rather than knowing English fluently and very good computer skills?

Therefore, please if you can, answer for me my questions because soon I am going for another interview in a very nice place and I really do not want to screw it this time.

H. M. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Mr. M.

Your questions are valid and legitimate; you are wise to seek a second opinion.

Before addressing each question, it is worth noting that interviewers vary in their approaches and styles. There are the smart ones, the average and unfortunately the mediocre ones. In general, the interviewer is not particularly interested in every single word / detail you give, he/she is rather trying to form an impression about you. This impression is about your grooming, character, potential contribution, your 'fitting' with the rest of the staff etc…

A good way to avoid some of those 'awkward' questions, is not to leave the whole burden of the discussion on the interviewer… by asking some questions (about the company, its direction, the industry it's in etc…) you allow the interviewer to get a better feel of how you think while you are helping direct the discussion.

With regards to the questions you mentioned, the following are our suggestions:

Have you failed in something before in your life?
Not a good question, and would rarely generate a useful answer. However, if you have to face it, you could say: "not a failure in the real sense, however I was aiming to be a swimming champion but never made it seriously… or started violin lessons at the Opera … but never followed through etc… these are safe confessions… do not lie but find something close to the truth in your past.

What are your weak points?
Again, not one of our favorite questions. Here, you could mention that you cannot think of any in particular… but you could mention your strong points… (Unless of course you have a real obvious weakness you could confess: eg. I do not like to work outdoors etc…)

Why should we hire you, and leave the other candidates?
This is the best of the 3 questions, and we tend to disagree with you on this one… it is not the English or PC skills they are after… talk about being a serious and mature person, having always gone to jobs in your summer vacations, your interest in a particular business line offered by the company etc…

And finally, the CV you have provided us with is extremely well written and presented: 1 page, good English, informative, eye friendly and spell checked. Just the way it should be.

We hope the above was of some use to you.
Good Luck.

Q4: I love the HR field, where could I go to both work and learn?

It is the first time for me to seek advice; and I hope that you can help me. I am 28 years old Egyptian female who graduated from Helwan University with a degree in Tourism & Hotels. I am competent in both English and French.

I have been working for the last six years; three of them as the secretary in a Human Resources Department of a large industrial company; and the other three years as an executive secretary. I have studied for and obtained the Human Resources and Business Administration certificates from the American University in Cairo (AUC).

I adore the human resources field, besides I have some experience in "Assessment Centers". I am also a member of the EHRMA (Egyptian Human Resources Management Association).

I searched a lot - using every channel - for career opportunities within the HR field; but in vain. I want to get an HR job and build my career in the HR field.

Could you please tell me where I can find entities specialized in HR activities/services that I can work in (either on a part time or full time basis)? And what is the best way to achieve my goal? I am particularly interested in the ones that are subsidiaries of international HR organizations; or local ones that provide HR assessments and training courses. In other words, work in a place that I can learn from and add value in the same time.

D. M. S. (Egypt)

Replying:

Dear Miss. S

Seeking advice is healthy; it could open new doors or at least confirm some of your own beliefs. You seem to know what you like and want to do in your career; moreover, you have been indirectly exposed to the HR field through a previous job, your studies and your involvement with EHRMA (Egyptian Human Resources Management Association) thus no illusions or surprises. These are also good assets on your CV in pursuing an HR position; in other words you have a relative advantage over someone who is seeking an HR job without previous exposure.

The not so good news is that the HR services industry (consulting, compensation advisory, training etc…) is not well developed / established in Egypt. Egyptian businesses in general do not see it as a high priority and thus do not spend much on it (compared to more advanced markets: US, Europe or even the Arab Gulf on that front). Thus the Egyptian market is of little attraction to most international HR players (the most notable of which is Hay Consulting). In a number of instances, they have been flying in for particular mandates. Even the large multinational audit and advisory firms with offices in Egypt (the Big 5: KPMG, Andersen, PWC, Deloitte Touch, Ernst & Young) who have elaborate HR consulting practices world wide, do not offer such services in a reasonable quality in Egypt. Thus you will have relatively more options with credible local players. Again, these are not as many as professional services firms working in the financial advisory or marketing consulting areas. Some of them you may already know; such as:

HR First
LOGIC Consulting
SKILLRATE Advisors (more on the executive search field)

You may also consider US or European firms working on specific projects (financed by international donor organizations) aiming at HR development or skill building in particular sectors. These projects are financed by the USAID or the European Union (The Egyptian Industrial Development Program). Some of the companies operating in that area in Egypt are: Chemonix and Abt Associates.

Another angle could be non-for profit organizations seeking to develop Egyptians and provide them with employment skills, such as the Future Generation Foundation (www.fgf.org.eg).

The above of course describes - as per your message - those entities offering HR services and that could be adding value to you. You should not also ignore working in a well developed HR department of a corporation operating in Egypt, the list is not long, it would include: bp, ExxonMobil etc. (You may want to read our interview with Ms. Mrs. Nagwa S. Moussa - HR Manager at bp - click here), Procter & Gamble, Vodafone, MobiNil … The reason the list is not long, is that most corporate HR departments are immersed in personnel administration and recruitment related tasks at the expense of the more developmental aspects you seek to get involved with.

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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