“Your Career Advisor” is responding this week to:

• I am dying for a suitable job, what to do? (e)
• What salary should a recent graduate shoot for? (c)

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 dying for a suitable job, what to do?

I graduated from Cairo University's faculty of Law in the mid 1990s. I started my professional life by being a trainee in a Law firm, then a few years later worked for a short while in Customer Services in a furniture company before moving to a promotion and marketing role in a trading group.

I am dying to find a suitable job with a private company , a bank , anywhere where I can grow and develop my experience.

I know that I need more experience but I am ready to work day & night to find myself.

By the way I have thought seriously to start my Diploma ( Trading & International Investments - Cairo University - Faculty of Law ) but I am hesitant . Shall I depend only on studying; thus get my Diploma and then my MBA Degree

Or shall I work in the field and get more experience then it would be easier to study for my masters Because doing the two things is very difficult , I've tried it and unfortunately it didn't work out .

I need help if you can be of help.

S. M. M. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Ms. M.

Your message reflects the character of a real ambitious person. What you did not tell us is what you really like to do… no one could be excited by each and every field of work… In your case you have the advantage of having tried working in various roles: lawyer, customer service, marketing etc… Where did you find yourself more ? Even if the particular company or firm where not that attractive / suitable, you must have felt some preference.

It is not clear why you shifted from the Legal career in the first place, if you felt it was not for you, then the Trading & International Investment Diploma may not be very useful. To tell you the truth, while the content of this Diploma may be interesting, we do not see how it could be of added value to you. We would rather - if you want to develop some skills - that you focus on a more practical field.. Again, which one depends on your preferences… it could be in Human Resources (where a Law degree could be of relevance), then get an HR Diploma or attend HR courses, if sales and marketing interest you, then there is a wide variety of relevant courses that could interest you. In your case, we are not very confident that the investment in an MBA (both in time and money could be justified). First identify you career line, then we can be more specific about your skill development needs.

On another note, if you have a strong will, working and studying at the same time is the most suitable option. Despite you having tried it… thousands of young professionals do that.. and it proves feasible and better for their careers. It is more practical and convenient not to have employment gaps, even for studying, unless of course you travel abroad to obtain a certain degree.

We hope the above was of some use to you. And our apologies if we did not provide you with more specific suggestions.

Good Luck

Q2: What salary should a recent graduate shoot for?

I graduated in 2002 from Alexandria University's Faculty of Commerce (English Department) with a degree in Accounting. I do not have a lot of experience except for a few months in the field of banking during the University years. I have been in an English school and my French is good. I am also studying German as a third language. My computer skills are also fair enough.

I want to ask about the salary I should ask for, when I apply for any job relevant to my field of my studies. I don't want to overestimate my expectations or to underestimate myself.

H. H. S. (Alexandria)

Replying:

Dear Ms. S.

One of the least objective (ie. where there are the most variances) salary estimates are for new graduates. Why ? because it depends on numerous factors, what you will be doing, the organization you will be working in (small, large, private sector, multinational, education, the sector etc..) and other working conditions (working hours, one or two day week end, location etc…). In some cases the personal characteristics of the job seeker also play some role: maturity, reasonable aggressiveness, languages etc..

With reference to your statement about "relevant to my field of studies", well…. Your degree is one of the most general ones, where you could work in numerous fields in all sectors. Not necessarily an accountant, but in any field where commercial studies would not be a handicap. Therefore you could be a secretary, sales person, administrative officer, customer service, shipping operator, bank credit analyst etc…

Since you are from Alexandria, you should bear in mind that the average salaries there are relatively lower than in Greater Cairo, due to the cost of living and that opportunities are generally more limited in Alexandria.

As per our above statement regarding the large variances in starting jobs; one sees Faculty of Commerce graduates salaries ranging from LE 400 to LE 800. It is sometimes as low as LE 250 and as high as LE 1,200.

So our best answer would be : tell us about the job details so we can provide you with more specific salary advice. In all cases your key concern at this stage would be to work in a place you like, where you feel you are benefiting from what you learn, get business exposure and sharpen you people and communication skills. Another important criteria in assessing a particular job opportunity, is where would it lead you a few years from now ? and is this something you look forward to ?

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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