“Your Career Advisor” is responding this week to:

• I am really disappointed, what to do? (b)
• How to develop my project management skills? (d)
• How can I progress in a "training" career? (e)
• What should a frustrated female CPA do? (b)
• Where to train next summer? (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: I am really disappointed, what to do?

I am sending this message after really feeling disappointed by all the circumstances I have been through. I graduated in 1999 from Helwan University's Faculty of Commerce, I did not like studying there. Once I completed my studies, I decided to direct my career to computers, but I did not know what exactly in computers… so I studied most of things in computers and PCs starting from Office, Pascal, C++, Visual Basic, J++, HTML, Flash, Authorware & Networking and ending with a Microsoft certification (I am currently MCSA certified) ...

I liked networking and I decided to take it as my career. But since completing my course, I have been trying to get a suitable job in this field. No one seems to want a fresh graduate with no experience in the field ... so i feel everything is closed in my face and I feel like everything I tried to do and everything I tried to improve myself in …. is for nothing ...

While studying for some of the above courses, I worked for over a year as an accountant in a public sector company, specialized in department stores and retailing.

I need your advice to see if I m not good or to see if I need more improvements ... I need your advice... sorry about this message being long.

H. A. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Mr. A.

First of all, you should not apologize for your message being long, actually it is not. The more details you provide us, the better we can assess your situation. Very brief messages are not helpful and this is only when the sender needs to apologize.

Now back to your concerns, of course we understand your frustration… it is not unique or particular to your personal case. It comes with the challenges facing thousands of young professionals starting their careers and professional lives.

You should also not feel that after graduation you have made a 360 degree change in your career direction, and this is for two main reasons:
1. Being a Faculty of Commerce graduate, you have one of the widest options of career paths compared to the holders of any other degree. Information technology (a better description of your field of interest, unlike "computers" as you call it), is one of them. It is not like you graduated with a degree in Medicine, Law or Agriculture. So, you should not be concerned about this issue.
2. Being relatively young, you have the privilege and the right to choose the career path you like, it is not like you have been an internal auditor or an Export specialist for the last fifteen years and suddenly you want to work in information technology.

Having said that, you are not at a disadvantage in comparison to many other job seekers.

We cannot tell, from just reading your CV and your message if you are good or not. On paper you are well qualified, between your university degree and your IT courses and certifications you are well ahead of tens of thousands of others who are currently in their mid twenties in the job market. Recruiting decisions also depend on one's character, professional attitude, intelligence, communication skills and some luck.

It also cannot be true that companies do not hire recent graduates… otherwise all those currently working would have never been recruited. Everyone has to start somewhere. In your case you have to put your foot on the first step, whether it is networking or another IT field, your training and certification should make you eligible for a number of roles in organizations.

So what remains to be done, is to approach as many potential employers and make yourself visible. For example, your CV is registered on skill-link.com. But there is nothing to encourage a potential employer to select it…. to start with:

• in the "Brief Self Description" section of the CV where job seekers would write about themselves and what they are good at and what they are looking forward to etc… you did not write anything of interest to anyone… you only stated a cover letter will be added soon ! and that was last November! There are no online cover letters on the skill-link.com CV so why leave this statement?
• also in the "Education & Skill" section you did not add your Microsoft Certification ! There is a special entry in the pull down Menu for "Professional Certifications"… why not tell the reader about it? specially that your last job mentioned on the CV ends in April 2002… what would the reader think? that you have been sitting at home doing nothing for over a year?
• And finally, internally, we can tell you have not logged on to your skill-link.com account for over 5 months… this means you never checked the job vacancies on skill-link.com for such a long time… what does this tell ? You are not actively seeking a job opportunity?

In the above points we did not mean to criticize you, it is just that you need to help yourself and be more pro active to hunt that job you are looking for. Your are well qualified and do not need additional training at the current time. All you need as we previously mentioned is to get your foot in a job and grow from there.

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

Q2: How to develop my project management skills?

Here again I write to you after getting a valuable advice a year ago and frankly I would say that you were very helpful...

I work for the department of business development and decision support for one of the governmental bodies involved in the Communication & Information Technology sector. My manager asked me to take a planning & control course so would you please advise where shall I target having this course ? and what benefits could I gain from such a course.

I would also like to know if there are any courses that would help me to improve my skills for the benefit of improving the department.

Keep up the good work

N. S. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Ms. S

Thank you for your kind comments and wishes.

While you did not describe exactly what your current job responsibilities are, project management skills are very useful in a wide range of activities from information technology to construction. In brief, in activities requiring planning and scheduling of resources and usually involving dependencies and work performed by others.

So, developing your skill in this area will enhance your ability to plan tasks, monitor progress, schedule resources and spot early on delays and bottlenecks. In short a useful skill set. There are a number of short courses in that field and even certifications. Some are more geared towards a certain industry/sector (such as IT) and others are more general. There are also software tools to support project management, some are as simple and basic as Excel.

Among the best known entities offering certifications in project management, you will find the Project Management Institute (PMI). They award the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. There are some institutes in Cairo that prepare for the PMP. The Amideast in Dokki also has resources to prepare for the exam.

You should regularly follow the course offerings of Logic, the German Arab Chamber of Commerce and Nexus. These offer related courses.

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

Q3: How can I progress in a "training" career?

I am a 26 year old graduate of a higher institute. I am currently working as a Training Coordinator in an educational and training organization.

My role as a Training Coordinator involves: assisting in analyzing the training needs, coordinating training sessions, following up with participants and instructors , prepare training material documents for classes and ensuring equipment are ready, monitoring attendance etc…

My main goal is to be a trainer and then a Training Manager performing all training activities in addition to delivering training sessions. Hence, I am now studying Human Resources to gain a wider view on that area.

Actually I do not know from where to start …. That is to build my career. What steps should I take to develop my self towards achieving my goals ? What can I start with, as a first step, or am I in the first step already ? I do not know .. I am confused.

What do you think ? What do you suggest for me ?

L. M. (Egypt)

Replying:

Dear Mr. M.

Yes your have taken the first step already… You are lucky to seem to know what you like and want… to be in training, deliver courses and ultimately manage a training facility. That is good, tens of thousands of young men and women do not really know what they would like to do.

You are also lucky to be currently working in one of the good places delivering education and training in Cairo, you are not in a third rate institute… hence you are well exposed. It is definitely not Harvard or Oxford, but by Egypt's standards, a decent place to be in.

What we would like to draw your attention to is the fact that "human resources" and "training" are two different things. While they both deal with "people" a certification or even a masters degree in HR is not very relevant to training. Learning, education and training require a different skill set and different abilities.

Similarly the jobs of "trainer" or "instructor" are different from that of a "Training Manager" whether in a training center or a company. A good trainer is not necessarily a good training manager and vice versa. Same as a doctor and a hospital manager… while in both cases there is some common knowledge, the Manager role requires administrative, planning, coordination, conflict management skills. While for the instructor he/she requires the talent of content delivery, of keeping a classroom interested and obviously mastering the content of what they are training in or teaching.

In other words, "trainer" and "training manager" are not mutually exclusive… in your current job you are getting more experience for the track of "training manager". To be a trainer, you need to develop your communication skills and more important need to identify area(s) of expertise for the subjects you are going to instruct / teach. The fields are endless, from language and IT to accounting, management and HR. Obviously, as things stand you cannot claim any of these fields at the current time. The best trainer have a combination of real life experience and theoretical/academic background of the subjects they deliver.

As opposed to HR courses or certification, you may be interested in the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). Founded in 1962, ISPI is a leading international association dedicated to improving productivity and performance in the workplace. Its members are training professionals, human resources managers, instructional technologists, human factors practitioners, and organizational consultants. The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) developed a program through which individuals can apply to receive the designation of Certified Performance Technologist (CPT). You may contact them on the following address:

International Society for Performance Improvement
1400 Spring Street, Suite 260
Silver Spring, MD 20910
ph: 301-587-8570 | fx: 301-587-8573
email: info@ispi.org 

In Britain, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) offers the Certificate in Training Practice. It is a stand-alone qualification, valid in its own right. Successful candidates receive the CIPD Certificate in Training Practice and are eligible for Associate membership of the Institute. This qualification is intended for:

• those involved in training and development in organizations or working as independent trainers
• training administrators seeking a broader understanding of the principles of training and development
• those aspiring to a career in training and development
• managers with responsibility for training and development.

There is also a "Training Journal" for those interested in this industry, it is accessible on www.trainingjournal.co.uk 

Visiting the American Society for Training & Development www.astd.org  may also provide you with some useful references and information.

Of course there are numerous books on how to become a successful trainer and in curriculum development.

You could also put your foot in the door, by convincing one or more trainers/instructors that you could be an assistant to them in the classroom. Specially for those courses where the content is not very specialized.

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

Q4: What should a frustrated female CPA do?

First I'd like to thank you for all the valuable advice you offer.

I am a female graduate of Alexandria University's Faculty of Commerce and have recently successfully passed all sections of Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam -California. I worked for five years as a financial accountant with small service providers ( 2.5 years in a school in Alexandria and 2.5 years in a polyclinic in Kuwait.

I left my work in Kuwait last November in order to settle back in Alexandria; however but since then I can't find any single opportunity in Alexandria that matches my qualifications. I sent my resume to many companies but in vain. I found out that 90% of the Audit firms require males and do not hire females, the other 10% do not need them to with a CPA or cannot afford the cost of hiring a CPA when there are people who can provide the same results for 10% of the salary. Maybe it is different in Cairo but I have no intention to live there away from my family.

The economy is so bad that I can not find an opportunity in Alexandria for a female accountant even if it doesn't need a CPA qualifications.

I am so disappointed.

B. S. (Alexandria)

Replying:

Dear Ms. S.

Alexandria has always been an employment puzzle for lots of professionals. While an extremely pleasant city to live in, interesting job opportunities have always been in short supply. Of course there are numerous companies and organizations there, lots of shipping business etc… but never the less finding a good job is relatively more difficult and the most challenging is career advancement since most the corporate and organization head offices end up being in Cairo.

This is not to say there are no jobs. Being a female also adds to the challenge, since so jobs require long working hours or working in remote locations (eg. Borg El Arab). Egyptian employers have been penalized by young ladies leaving them after a while to get married and deliver babies… it is natural of course, but some think males would be more reliable. Despite the fact that females tend to change their jobs less often, when they like the place.

We are not sure what salary bracket you have in your mind for your job search… since you did not mention it to us. What we want to tell you however, that it is important for you to work in something you like and an environment you are comfortable with, hence CPA or not, do not let this be your only obsession. Obviously, numerous places may need someone with your background but not necessarily a CPA, do not let this become like a golden cage. On the other hand, if you really did well in your CPA and would like to use this newly acquired skill, you may wish to consider acting as an instructor for those planning to sit for the CPA exam. Some training institutes in Alexandria, or the Arab Academy may find this idea favorable.

Alexandria also hosts a number of large organizations and entities, where your skills could be needed: eg. Unilever, Alexandria Carbon Black, Interago (producers of Beyti) in Nubareya, large petroleum companies (MEDOR, SUMED etc…), Siclam (now owned by the Mansour Group). A few months ago, the British Council was looking for a financial officer for Alexandria, similarly a new Hilton Hotel was inaugurated in Smouha, the Alexandria Library hired people in numerous functions ….. again there are a few opportunities that one has to be prepared for.

On the other hand, if your character and personality allow it, you may free lance for some small and medium sized businesses helping them in budgeting, preparing financial studies, business plans or baking proposals. In some cases such entities require the service, but cannot hire a competent person to perform it on a full time basis.

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

Q5: Where to train next summer?

I am a 20 year old university student, currently enrolled in Helwan University's Faculty of Pharmacy, second year.

I would like to ask you which is better: training in a pharmacy or in a company ? And could you help me in finding a summer training internship ?

Y. R. (Egypt)

Replying:

Dear Miss. R.

It is definitely a good thing for you to bee keen on spending your summer vacation in a useful way, that is getting an internship / summer training somewhere.

To start with, whether it is in a pharmacy or a company, it is already a good thing. Because even if after graduation you end up working in either, the experience and exposure you would have obtained during your summer vacations would be valuable. As to which is better, we cannot really tell you because you never mentioned in your message where are you more interested to work after graduation. It seems to us anyway that finding an opportunity in a pharmacy may be an easier task.

As you know we do not create job or summer training opportunities; we facilitate them. Hence, you should be registered on skill-link.com and if and when a suitable opportunity arises, your CV and contacts will be found.

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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