SBA Careers April 2015

CAREERS–SBA newsletter Issue 4 | April 2015
School of Business Administration Internship and Placement Office Newsletter

Careers–SBA Internship and Placement Office Newsletter April 2014
32 American University of Sharjah
By Tanya Gibbs,
Careers Editor
If you’re an SBA student with 75
credits at the end of this term, you
need to do some thinking about the
summer. No—not how much time
to spend by the pool, but what you
hope to get out of the internship.
Business students (like almost
every student at AUS) are required
to perform an internship, which
should last a minimum of six weeks
(technically, you are required to
spend 240 hours in a professional
workplace). You will need to think
about what you want to get out of
that experience.
It can’t be just that you’re checking
off a box on your graduation
requirement. Thinking like that
won’t get you very far after you’ve
got your AUS diploma. What you
need now is to gather new skills,
specific job training, and the kind
of quality contacts that comprise a
solid network.
You may also want to consider
working longer than the standard
240 hours. Last year, SBA introduced
a special Business Practicum course,
BUS 497, which is basically a long-
term internship; it also, unlike the
standard internship, is worth three
credit hours toward your diploma.
The advantage of BUS 497 is not
only the added credit hours (which
can count as a free elective), but
also the fact that it will let you
settle into a longer-term slot in the
professional world. And this means
you will have more time to develop
soft skills, such as the ability to
communicate with others and
work within a team, manage tasks
and stay focused on assignments.
Can you develop those skills in the
standard internship? Of course. But
BUS 497 lets you integrate deeper
in collaboration with those people
who may well become your future
employers.
If you’re interested in BUS 497 come
see the Internship Office team.
Under any circumstances, use your
summer wisely.
The focus of this new Careers-SBA
newsletter is on your career planning
and the abundance of help and
support SBA offers to you, our
students. These range from library
resources essential for your career
development to career-oriented
events such as CareerWise, and from
new SBA courses that will sharpen
your managerial skills and prepare
you for the local and international
job market to the Business Practicum
and Internship opportunities for
the summer ahead. With or without
academic credit, I encourage you
to go beyond the regular six-week
internship period and dedicate a
whole summer to experiencing the
world of business in your chosen
field of interest, networking with
corporate managers, and exploring
potential career opportunities. But
don’t just take it from us, learn from
the experience of our interns and
the insights of our alumni, read
their stories and talk to them at our
events.
I hope you’ll find this issue
educational and entertaining and
won’t forget to give some feedback
to our newsletter team.
Inside
Message from the Associate Dean 2
Getting the most from your internship 2
Get a strong start with the library 3
Five things graduating students need to know 3
Employer’s Voice 4
Events 5
With Industry in Mind 9
Our Student 12
Our Graduates 13
CareerWise 2015 14–15
Message from the
Associate Dean Getting the most from
your internship
Get a strong start with the library
The AUS Library provides many resources
to help students develop their careers.
Whether you’re still choosing your
career, or trying to succeed in the career
you’ve decided to pursue, we have books
and online resources for you.
If you’re still deciding on the career
that’s right for you, check out the book
Now What? by Nicholas Lore and An-
thony Spadafore. It will help you assess
yourself and your goals to decide on a
career you’ll truly love.
If you’ve already chosen a career and
are looking for help pursuing it, try
the book Courting Your Career: Match
Yourself with the Perfect Job by Shawn
Graham (available online from the li-
brary). It has plenty of tips on every as-
pect of moving forward in your career,
networking, resumes and cover letters,
interviews, and accepting, negotiating
and declining job offers.
These two books are just a sample of
the great resources we have in the
library. For more books, try searching
the library collection from library.aus.
edu with searches like “job interview”
or “cover letters.” The sidebar to the
left of your search results will allow you
to limit them to “Books/eBooks" only.
We also have a subject guide for the
Career Management course that is full
of useful articles, videos and websites
about career planning, resumes, job
hunting and interviews. There are also
links to a variety of job boards. Visit
this guide at http://aus.libguides.com/
mgt394 and follow @SBMCareerCoach
on Twitter.
If you have any other questions, or
need help accessing these resources,
feel free to stop by the Research Help
Desk on the first floor of the AUS
Library. A librarian is there to help you
Sunday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to
8 p.m. and on Thursday from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. You can also call the desk at
06 515 2277 or email us at
researchhelp@aus.edu.
Veronica Ramshaw
SBA Liaison Librarian
vramshaw@aus.edu
Career advice from Linda
McLoughlin, SBA Placement
Director
It is countdown time to graduation—
just half a semester to go and you are
probably thinking about your next
steps. In the Placement Office I meet a
lot of students who are anxious about
what lies ahead. From my experience
as a Career Coach and from talking to
employers, here are five things I would
ask you to consider:
1. Don’t focus on finding the perfect job
or a job you absolutely love.
Think instead about finding a job that
will give you much-needed real world
skills and experience. Consider jobs
that provide you with networking and
development opportunities. Most entry
level jobs are unglamorous—we all
have to start with routine stuff until we
prove ourselves to be competent. Think
about your first job as a stepping stone
to a job you will love in three to five
years’ time.
2. Think beyond the HR Department.
When applying to companies, most
candidates believe that sending their
CVs to HR will land them a job. HR are
inundated by all these CVs and often
do little but file them away! Instead,
discover who the line managers are in
the functions you want to work in and
find a way to approach them directly.
This provides a higher chance of success.
3. Don’t turn your nose up at
internships.
You may feel that you have done your
internship already. Many companies
offer internships and temporary work
placements to fresh graduates as a way
of “sussing” out candidates before
offering them a permanent contract. In
any event, you can build your CV with a
range of internships at good companies.
4. Consider working in a start-up.
Many graduates only want to work
for brand names like PWC or Unilever.
However start-up companies often
provide greater and more varied
experience and allow graduates to
do a wider range of duties at a more
advanced and challenging level. In an
established company, you may have to
be there longer to gain that trust.
5. Online is OK.
Many students complain about online
applications and believe they lead
nowhere. We have many successful
alumni who found their jobs online—
we know this for a fact. Everything
else is online and digital so why not
recruitment? LinkedIn is becoming a
major force is hiring— use its power.
Good luck and drop by for further
advice and tips!
Five things graduating students
need to know

By Aamina Marjan
On March 1 around 200 students from
the School of Business Administration
attended an internship seminar
organized by the SBA Career Coach.
SBA Internship Coordinator Tanya
Gibbs began by discussing important
guidelines that every prospective
intern must follow. She emphasized
the importance of completing the
internship successfully since not
only would it satisfy a graduation
requirement, but would also allow the
student to gain practical experience in
their relevant field of study.
SBA Career Coach Portal Manager Alaa
Hamade introduced students to the
portal and showed them with how to
use it. He discussed the importance
of submitting internship related
documents online through the portal.
“The seminar cleared most doubts
that I had about the process. Earlier
I hadn’t known where to start and I
was anxious, thinking that I was late in
starting the whole process. Thankfully
some of the pressure has been reduced
significantly,” said Farhia Mohamed,
one of the attendees
Student attendee Ali AlMaktoum
said, “I think it is quite a productive
effort made to educate us on various
job offerings out there. This is great
because finding good internship
opportunities is almost impossible if
done alone.”
Both students are expected to fulfill
their internship requirements this
summer.
Over 200 prospective interns attend
internship seminar
Events
By Nada Ramadan
The School of Business Administration
recognized 183 of its top academic
achievers at the Dean’s List Recogni-
tion Ceremony on December 10. Those
honored achieved a minimum grade
point average of 3.5 in Fall 2013 and/or
Spring 2014.
“It is wonderful to have this opportuni-
ty to celebrate the achievements of our
best students,” SBA Dean Dr. Robert
Grosse said in a speech. He added that
it is “beyond satisfying to see that the
knowledge that professors have given
students is sinking in and will hopefully
one day make a difference.”
Assistant Professor of Management
John Katsos, the event’s guest speaker,
advised students to “just go with
whatever life hands you,” adding that,
“preparation can only take you so far
in life.”
He stated that, although the knowl-
edge people attain will help prepare
them for life’s challenges, it is impos-
sible to anticipate the things they will
experience. “The key to success is how
you handle the things life throws at
you,” Katsos noted.
The top interns of Summer 2014 were
also recognized. Internship Coordinator
Tanya Gibbs named 16 students who
“demonstrated high professionalism,
self-discipline, persistence and resil-
ience in dealing with the challenges
they faced. They were great ambassa-
dors of SBA.”
The interns recognized were Nadine
Obeid, Nouf Al Remeithi, Malak Dow,
Fatma Anwar Sajwani, Abdulla Al
Sharhan, Nour Jammal, Sara Qanaq,
Yasmeen Rwaished, Hameed Rashed Al
Faraj, Zeina Chehab, Amna Masoud, La-
hak Bablani, Sarah Hawala, Sara Soufa,
Umika Shivnani and Mahak Mulani.
First-time recipient of the Dean’s List
award Raghad Gomaa, a management
student, stated that she felt like her
hard work was appreciated and that
these events encourage her to work
harder.
Having been recognized for the second
time, finance senior Divya Paithankar
stated that being on the Dean’s List is
something that every student should
aim for because it sets one apart from
the others, “particularly when you start
looking for a job.”
Dean’s List students honored
Employer’s Voice
By Mais Al-Amouri
Unilever plans to take around 20
students from AUS for internships this
summer, Human Resources Business
Partner Farah Hallak said.
Although many AUS engineering and
business students apply for internships
every year, Hallak said that the company
welcomes all majors and backgrounds
as long as applicants possess leadership
characteristics and business passion.
Noting that Unilever has flexible
working policies that encourage
employees to be more productive and
push innovation, Hallak said that the
company is “multinational with forceful
exposure in the fast-moving consumer
goods industry.”
From the first day, interns and graduates
will face real responsibilities along with
having a range of opportunities for
personal development, she said.
Different Programs
Hallak said that Unilever provides
three different programs that allow
students to find internships or
employment: Unilever Future Leaders
Program (UFLP), Unilever’s Leadership
Internship Program (ULIP), and the
Quest by Unilever competition.
Hallak said that the UFLP gives
students the opportunity to grown
into managers through learning
alongside experts. She noted that
students can choose their function of
interest from customer development,
HR, finance and marketing and supply
chain. However, they have to rotate
through the various departments of
that function for a period of three
years to groom them to be managers.
Hallak said that the ULIP provides
"concrete experience as well as
absolute exposure to live projects."
At the end of the program, students
present their work to the director to
be assessed for a full-time job or to
join the UFLP program depending on
their performance, she added.
The Quest by Unilever is a regional
competition in which students have
the chance to express their passion for
business, granting them real-life contact
with market challenges, Hallak said.
Participants visit Unilever’s office to gain
first-hand exposure to the company and
to spend time with business leaders.
Selected student groups then present a
business case to directors. The winning
team gets an internship and proceeds
to the North Africa Middle East Camp,
where students compete to earn a trip
to London to participate in a global
competition called the Future Leaders
League.
AUS Graduates’ Experience
Contacted via social media, AUS
graduates gave a positive impression
of a career at Unilever. AUS alumna
Raghad Al Ghazi, who is a Go-To-Market
Management trainee, said a career there
“is a continuous learning journey.” A
civil engineering graduate with a project
management minor, Al Ghazi called her
experience at Unilever inspiring, adding
that the diverse working environment is
encouraging and adds more excitement
when engaging with her colleagues.
Internship and placement
opportunities at Unilever
The seminar cleared
most doubts that I had
about the process.
Earlier I hadn’t known
where to start and I was
anxious, thinking that I
was late in starting the
whole process.

“Research shows
that… the more girls
that are educated,
the less violence is in
communities,”
By Mariam Elsayed
Dr. Shawn P. O’Connor, the founder
and CEO of Stratus Prep, highlighted
the “10 Tips to Get into the Top 10
Business Schools” in an event held in
the SBA building.
O’Connor described Stratus Prep as
a consulting firm that has helped
thousands of students worldwide
prepare for graduate school
admissions tests. He said the majority
of his company’s student clients end
up in prestigious business schools such
as Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge,
and the University of London.
The first tip from O’Connor is that
a business school applicant needs
to “do the right research,” choose
a university which they can add to
educationally and socially. This led
him to his second point, which is to
have a strategy in place “on how
you can contribute to the academic
community.”
Following from this is the preparation
letter. While every MBA applicant
needs recommendation letters from
their undergraduate professors,
O’Connor cautioned that “We,
Americans take “excellent” as “good”
and “good” as “just OK.” His fourth
point emphasized that every student
should also have a global perspective,
because they will have to deal with
cross-cultural teams.
Point five concerned the need for
applicants to be able to self-evaluate
themselves quantitatively and
qualitatively on their application.
Applicants in the US, he said, tend “to
be great at their qualitative factors,”
such as writing and public speaking,
but fail to impress their professors
with good quantitative factors,
“whereas other people who aren’t
Americans are the exact opposite.”
Showing quantitative factors, he said,
could involve demonstrating their
ability with finance topics.
O’Connor’s next point emphasized
entrepreneurial thinking, something
he said gave success to business
students. It doesn’t matter what a
business person’s idea is, he said at
one point, as long as it gets well-
funded and serves the audience. His
seventh tip involved having a good
resume, a simple point he said was
often overlooked. He said cautioned
that length did not equal experience.
Having a two-page resume, he
said, might show arrogance and
lack of judgment as it implies that
an applicant is exaggerating their
experience.
Point eight had two elements: know
yourself and differentiate yourself.
Applicants need to meet these twin
goals to show admissions committees
their potential. Related to this was
O’Connor’s ninth point: recognize
when to apply. Students have the
best opportunity to get into an MBA
program in the September/October
session compared to January, he said,
as in January business schools start
putting candidates on the waiting list.
Finally, he advised applicants to
develop a solid profile through
real-world experience, which
includes a backlog of wisdom they
have attained through their own
efforts. Even failure, he said, can
count for experience. “If you are
an entrepreneur and it didn’t work
out for you, it will be a great story
because businesses aren’t successful all
the time,” O’Connor said.
10 tips to get into top 10
business schools
By Aisha Almazmi
Empowering women and girls
effectively strengthens society and
the economy, said Tiffany Kelly of
Round Table Global and Dr. Kerrin
Barrett from Global Advocate for Girls'
Education at the SBA International
Women’s Day celebration on March 9.
This is the second year SBA has held
this event, which was organized by
Dr. Linzi Kemp, Associate Professor of
Management, and Linda McLoughlin,
SBA Placement Director and Senior
Lecturer.
The significance of this day is that
it allows everyone to reflect on the
achievements and recognize the
potential of women as well as to
“shine a light on the injustices to
women,” McLoughlin said in an
interview after the event, adding that
it is especially important to celebrate
it at a university setting where nearly
half the students are women.
“We’re all agents of change and it
might feel like there isn’t anything
that you could do with just one
individual but actually there’s masses
of change you can make happen
just as one person,” Kelly explained
to her audience in regards to
International Women’s Day’s theme
“Making It Happen.”
Kelly, the founding partner of Round
Table Global, is actively working in
several projects that encourage the
recognition of the lack of gender
balance in leadership roles, including
the World Assembly for Women,
where she worked with the first lady
of Japan on creating a platform to
talk about women’s empowerment
globally.
The reason that gender equality is
still on the agenda is because there is
a lack of progress in this issue, Kelly
said, which she found “unbelievable
in this day and age” as it is a “basic
human right.”
She noted that statistics and data
show an improvement in decision-
making, shareholder value and a
lower rate of risk taking, as well as an
increase in innovation and creativity,
in establishments with a prevalent
female workforce.
Dr. Barrett spoke about the
development she witnessed in
Afghanistan after over 4,000 girls and
young women were coached to be
independent and resourceful as part
of the Girls’ Education Challenge, an
initiative that aims to educate one
million girls in 22 countries.
She added that after training them
and enhancing their vocational skills,
the women began earning their own
incomes. “Research shows that… the
more girls that are educated, the
less violence is in communities,” she
stated, explaining that this was also
a result of life skill classes taught in
grades 3-4 that taught them to respect
the elderly and their parents, as well
as helping those who surround them.
The villagers in areas where this
program was held said that there was
“less fighting” since the schools were
created, Dr. Barrett added.
SBA celebrates International
Women’s Day

By Anna Yazijyan
Ethics goes beyond the law, according
to Emmanuel Lulin, Senior Vice
President and Chief Ethics Officer of
L’ORÉAL, who visited AUS on December
9 to speak about the importance of
business ethics.
Recognized by the Ethisphere
Institute— an American management
consulting firm— as one of the top
ethics and compliance officers in
2013, Lulin shared his experiences in
corporate ethics with AUS students. The
same institute also nominated L’ORÉAL
as one of the world’s most ethical
companies for the fifth time.
“As a business professor and as a
banker, I view ethics as a fundamental
issue that individuals need to deal
within the context of a company or any
other organization,” said Dr. Robert
Grosse, Dean of the School of Business
Administration.
Lulin spoke about L’ORÉAL’s major four
ethical principles: integrity, respect,
courage and transparency. He advised
students to avoid some “red flags” by
any means, including such unethical
phrases as:
• “It doesn’t matter how it gets done as
long as it gets done.”
• “No one will ever know.”
• “Don’t worry, it’s part of the culture.”
Each of these represents potential
ethical issues, he said.
He noted that an issue the company
faced involved the case of a beauty
blog run by an employee. “It was
considered unethical for her to have an
independent beauty blog and promote
different products while working
for the company, but the solution
was easy,” said Lulin. “She became
the blogger for L’ORÉAL with all her
previous followers transferred to a new
blog. Everyone was happy.”
According to Lulin, “L’ORÉAL believes
that the worldwide leaders of
tomorrow will be the companies that
have integrated ethics in their strategic
planning as well as their day-to-day
business.” He added that the firm’s
“ambition is to be one of the most
exemplary companies worldwide.”
L’ORÉAL ethics officer visits AUS
By Vana Borghosizian
Gilbert Cassar, a 24-year-old
entrepreneur with a master’s degree
in finance from Harvard University,
delivered an educational seminar to
SBA students on March 1. Cassar mainly
spoke about entrepreneurial finance,
as well as his work experience as an
auditor, emphasizing the importance
of knowing how to read financial
statements.
He highlighted his past experience as
a finance specialist at Towers Watson,
a large multinational, and also spoke
briefly about the attractiveness of Dubai
for conducting business since one of
his companies, Equity Bank And Trust
Bahamas Limited, is opening a subsidiary
in the city.
Cassar has also co-founded two
companies: Ad 2 My Account, which
compensates consumers for their
time spent engaging with ads; and
Netnome, a social network. He said he
was optimistic about both projects and
believes that they will become billion-
dollar companies in the future.
“I greatly appreciate Gilbert Cassar’s
willingness to share his knowledge and
insight about entrepreneurial finance.
No doubt the students benefitted from
the experience,” said Dr. Samuel Tibbs,
Assistant Professor of Finance, who
attended the presentation.
Cassar also stressed his experience
leading student organizations,
networking with peers and industry
professionals while he was a student and
how this nurtured his entrepreneurial
spirit. Rajiv Lakhiani, a finance senior
who attended the event, called Cassar
“truly inspirational to the youth, setting
a great example of how the right mix
of hard work, education and strong
networking skills can drive us to success,
even at a young age.”
Harvard alumnus speaks on
entrepreneurial finance
With Industry in Mind
By Mariam Elsayed
The UAE’s insurance sector is one of its
most dynamic markets, attracting SBA
finance students who want to work in
it. What most students are unaware
of, however, is how diversified the
insurance area is.
“Within ‘insurance’ there are many,
many different functions,” Femi Akanbi,
the HR Recruitment Coordinator of
Zurich International Life Limited,
observed in an email interview.
Akanbi reeled off a long list of them,
including underwriting, claims handling,
risk engineering, customer service,
compliance, legal, finance, investment,
operations, IT, sales and business
development, customer relationship
management, reinsurance, marketing,
human resources, and actuarial. And she
noted, there are “many, many more.”
Competitive
According to a recent study by Moody’s
Investor Services, the UAE insurance
industry is the largest in the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
Competition within the field is getting
tougher, Akanbi said, but at the same
time more jobs are available for fresh
young minds to join the field.
“The industry is both diverse and
challenging,” Akanbi said. “Our main
challenge is to keep pace with the
fast changing needs of our customers,
whether this is an individual in their
private life or’ the most complex,
multinational organization with
locations all over the world.”
Benefits
She added that most UAE insurance
companies are international
conglomerates that allow people
to invest globally, which is why
international rules are pre-set. “HR
practices set at a global standard are
transferable regardless of the industry
you work in. People management is a
skill that is transferable and is adaptable
to business needs,” said Akanbi.
“Students with numerate and financial
qualifications tend to gravitate towards
actuarial, financial and actuarial
functions,” she noted, “while students
who have excellent communication skills
tend to be more successful in sales and
business development.”
Fulfilling the aims of a successful
insurance company is not a miracle,
Akanbi stressed, but notes that
insurance companies seek specific
qualifications in a job candidate.
Career opportunities in the
insurance sector
By Mariam Elsayed
Dubai is already one of the world’s
most popular tourist destinations. It
ranks seventh on MasterCard’s latest
Global Destination Cities Index of
most popular destination cities, and
was fifth among the world’s most
visited cities in 2013. With Expo 2020
on the way, Dubai is likely to climb
higher on those lists. This works into
the plans of Dr. Prakash Chathoth,
AUS Associate Professor of Market-
ing, who notes that his department
seeks to cater to ever-expanding
tourism sector.
“Marketing is an important element
in the context of destinations,” he
said, “which helps the audience
connect with the country and its
product offerings.”
The UAE—and in particular Dubai,
Abu Dhabi and Sharjah—Dr.
Chathoth noted, have increasingly
invested in the tourism sector. The
relevance of tourism is emphasized
at AUS through the tourism destina-
tion marketing course.
Linking the work field to educa-
tion is important especially when
it comes to tourism marketing, Dr.
Chathoth said. Key speakers who
have been involved in guest lectures
are Heather Harries, Director of
Marketing Communications at the
Sharjah Commerce and Tourism De-
velopment Authority, Government
of Sharjah, and Sumathi Ramana-
than, the Regional General Man-
ager, Asia Pacific & Middle East, for
Visit Britain. Their involvement in
connecting the real world of tourism
to education makes it more interest-
ing for our students.
“There are possibilities of intern-
ships in tourism marketing and the
opportunities depend on how strong
the bridge is between academia and
industry,” Dr. Chathoth said.
“When we have more courses in
tourism, there would be a pos-
sibility of growing this area into a
full-fledged domain of study,” Dr.
Chathoth noted, adding that within
such a domain “there would be a
plan to link multiple disciplines to
tourism. “ That is how we could
jump to the next level.”
Tourism marketing
opportunities to grow
I greatly appreciate Gilbert
Cassar’s willingness to
share his knowledge
and insight about
entrepreneurial finance.

Student Focus
By Nada Ramadan
Programming is a skill that students
should have, as many companies want
to hire employees who can help them
build their online presence, Associate
Professor of Management Information
Systems Dr. Jeffery Baker stated in a
March 10 interview.
Having taught in the department
since 2009, Dr. Baker is now teaching
a new course, MIS 39403 Object-
Oriented Programming for Business
Applications, which deals with
application development.
“Essentially, it’s a programming class
where students use Java to build
applications for smart phones,” he
stated. He noted that the course, which
has 12 students, is more application-
based than theoretical.
“It’s very hands-on and allows students
to use their computers to build simple
applications, which they can then test
on their phones,” he added. Dr. Baker
stated that the course is primarily for
business students. However, there
are plans to change the course’s
prerequisites so that others can take it
as well, Dr. Baker noted.
“I think this course would be of
particular interest to computer science
students,” he said. However, he stated
that a background in computer science
and programming is not required for
students to take the course, because
“we teach them from scratch.”
“This course will hopefully give them
the building blocks they need to
create more complex applications in
the future,” he stated. This semester,
the students are building their
applications for the Android mobile
operating system, Dr. Baker said.
However, he added that the principles
of application building could be easily
applied to other operating systems
such as iOS.
“If you are somebody who thinks
logically and understands processes
and procedures, the course should be
no problem,” he stated.
New course gives practical
experience in creating apps
By Hussam Badi
Five SBA students attended the
Association of Certified Anti-Money
Laundering Specialists Fifth Anti-
Money Laundering and Financial
Crimes Conference MENA on January
18 and 19.
Held at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers,
the conference highlighted key issues
of anti-money laundering and financial
crimes. With sponsorship from the Bank
of Sharjah, students Aamina Marjan,
Hussam Badi, Irina Koyakina, Shahrukh
Siddiqui and Vana Borghosizian
attended the conference, where they
learned from key individuals such
as Chip Poncy, Co-founder of the
Financial Integrity Network, and Juan
C. Zarate, author of Treasury’s War: The
Unleashing of a New Era of Financial
Warfare.
The conference gave the students
vital insight into the anti-money
laundering field and provided them
a great platform for networking with
experienced professionals.
The students added, “We never
thought such a field existed. It was an
educational and informative experience
for all of us. There was much we
learned from the conference, which
sparked great interest in us about anti-
money laundering and its importance
in this region. We are thankful to the
Bank of Sharjah for sponsoring us.”
SBA Instructor in Finance and Internship
Coordinator Tanya Gibbs accompanied
the group.
SBA students attend anti-money
laundering conference
SBA students volunteer at Dubai
Forward Conference
By Hussam Badi
Volunteering at industry events allows
students to explore their fields outside
the classroom and to build a network
of connections, a key aspect of the
professional environment. On the
February 23 and 24, finance majors
George Marashly, Vana Borghosizian,
Shahrukh Siddiqi and Hussam Badi
made the most of such a fantastic
opportunity by volunteering at Dubai
Forward: The Second Annual Strategic
Conference on Dubai as a Financial
Centre hosted by the Academy &
Finance at Mina A’Salam, Dubai.
The conference discussed key issues
such as setting up a company in Dubai,
banking problems, initiatives to provide
transparency, investing in the growth of
Dubai and much more. The conference
focused on Dubai’s future as a financial
center and included four workshops
for foreign professionals looking to
set up a company in Dubai. Attendees
included representatives from the Dubai
Financial Services Authority, Securities
and Commodities Authority, and Dubai
International Financial Centre among
many others.
André-Valéry Bordes, the CEO of
Academy & Finance, praised the SBA
volunteers. “Their passion and attention
to detail contributed immensely to
the success of the conference. We look
forward to working with them again on
future conferences.”
Shahrukh, a junior, said, “It was a shift
away from the universally applicable
to the regionally relevant; a great
chance to learn from the professionals
while engaged in hands-on event
management.”
By Amna Masoud
The Dean's Business Team (DBT) is a student-run organization that works directly under the Dean
of SBA to plan events tailored to all business students. DBT's mission is to bridge the gap between
student life and the corporate world.
DBT kick-started the semester by bringing together all SBA student organizations to welcome the
freshmen during the SBA Coffee Hour. Faculty and students got a chance to network and take part
in a few activities. Every semester the team plans competitions, workshops and a grand CSR event.
In March DBT held a few workshops preparing students for Career Fair and CareerWise. Also,
DBT has partnered with the Department of Management to conduct the Annual Case Study
Competition for SBA students. Later this semester look out for a CSR initiative focusing on student
health and wellness sponsored by various fitness specialists.
To keep updated on DBT events, check your email or follow DBT on social media: Facebook:
Deans Business Team | Instagram/Twitter: @DBT_AUS
Dean’s Business Team Update

Our Students Our Graduates
Khalil Sido
What is your major and where did
you intern?
My major is finance and I did my
internship at Daimler Middle East and
Levant (DMEL).
How and why did you choose your
host company?
I first took note of the company on
the electronic dashboard and later
on put a lid on any doubts when they
participated in the Best CV competition.
The main reason behind my choice is
my passion for the industry and that
I would be motivated to achieve and
learn.
What were your responsibilities
during your internship?
I was in the marketing and sales
department, where I focused on the
corporate, used and retail aspects of the
business. As DMEL, we are in charge of
the Middle East and the Levant Region,
where we closely work with all the
general distributors to achieve a better
sales performance across the region.
What skills did you gain from this
internship?
I have learned market management,
sales process, financial planning,
client communication skills, event
planning, multitasking between various
departments, database maintenance
and sales forecasting.
How has the internship benefitted
you?
It has mainly taught me responsibility
and time management as there are
always deadlines to be met on serious
agendas and important events. The
internship was also a grand eye opener
to the real-world operations of a
multinational company,
Would you recommend your host
company to other SBA students for
the internship placement? Why?
I would definitely advise it as it is a
great experience with a lot of beneficial
aspects that will help build character
and professional ethics. The degree at
which the interns are part of the big
picture of things is rare in companies,
and at Daimler, you can be sure that
you are a part of a team and will
contribute to its success.
What was the biggest challenge you
faced at the internship?
Time management, as working in two
departments—corporate and used—
requires different skill sets.
Anam Merchant
When did you graduate from AUS?
Spring 2013
What was your major?
Management, with a minor in actuarial
math
What is your current position and at
what company? And what jobs, if
any, did you have before?
Current position:
PwC (Advisory Graduate Trainee),
September 2013 to present
Previous positions:
Unilever (HR Intern), July to September 2013
Estee Lauder (Business Development
Intern), June to December 2012
What do you like about your current
job?
My current job is a project-based
environment, allowing me to be exposed
to different teams within the department,
different clients and industries. Moreover,
the Advisory Graduate Trainee Program
is split between advisory and audit,
which gives me the exposure and work
experience from the audit perspective
also. Training and development is a
significant element in the firm.
What skills and competencies did you
develop at SBA that helped you in
starting your career?
The career management class got
me through the interviews and the
job application process. The project
management class helped me understand
how project teams work. My minor
in actuarial math coupled with the
coursework of Futures and Options
(FIN 402) gave me the perspectives of
how different investments work and
developed my Excel skills. My entire
coursework in management built a
strong foundation in dealing with
people from different backgrounds, and
understanding organization behaviors.
And above all, there is one thing which I
have learned most and is probably what I
use every second in life—take notes!
The internships gave me a good
snapshot of corporate work. The student
organizations and the events that I was
a part of gave me the ability to listen,
reflect, plan contingently and be able to
think on my feet.
What is most essential for fresh
graduates to get a head start on
building a successful career?
Don’t limit your options— think out of
the box and look beyond what you have
studied and it is not always about the
name. Try something new, get involved
and if you make mistakes, don’t be afraid
to accept them. It will build the trust
people have in you.
Yasmeen Rwaished
What is your major and where did
you intern?
I am majoring in marketing and I interned
in SAP Dubai.
How and why did you choose your
host company?
As a part of the SAP Dual Study Program
I had two choices of internships to
graduate from the program. I could
either intern with SAP or with an SAP
partner. I thought that interning with SAP
would give me a more holistic internship
experience.
What were your responsibilities
during your internship?
As part of the SAP sales and marketing
division, my responsibilities ranged
from attending client meetings to
brainstorming creative ideas to help
increase SAP sales and even managing
an entire internship side project that my
manager and I planned from start to
finish. This project was under the name of
Yalla Shabab.
What skills did you gain from this
internship?
Some of the skills I gained were basic
business etiquette such as how to write
minutes of meetings, writing detailed
project plans and how to make use of the
SAP corporate portal. Other skills included
time management, how to get sponsors,
how to reach out to influential people
and how to present project proposals to
senior management.
How has the internship benefitted
you?
It helped me experience the corporate
culture, which evidently helped me
decide if that was the path I wanted to
follow for my career. It also helped me
meet people who are successful in their
field, which motivated me to push myself
even harder. The internship also taught
me a set of skills that I am going to use
throughout my professional career. In
short, it helped me kick start my path to
what I hope to be a successful business
career.
Would you recommend your host
company to other SBA students for
the internship placement? Why?
SAP is a renowned company that anyone
should be proud to intern in. Not only
is it a good name to have in your CV,
but it also provides you with a dynamic
internship experience. I have to say
though that like any other company,
some internship experiences are
better than others. I think this is more
dependent on the manager than the
company, so I would advise students to
ask their manager what kind of tasks they
will be completing in their internships
before signing the internship agreement.
What was the biggest challenge you
faced at the internship?
The biggest challenge I faced was
managing the Yalla Shabab project with
a fellow AUS colleague, Hameed Al Faraj,
who was also interning at SAP. We had to
manage a huge project during a six-week
internship, and we honestly thought
that it was impossible. We ran into many
sleepless nights because of the tight
timeline but by the end of the internship
we had completed the challenge and
achieved what we had hoped for and
much more.
Damir Zagidullin
When did you graduate from AUS?
Summer 2012
What was your major?
Finance
What is your current position and at
what company? And what jobs, if
any, did you have before?
I’m an analyst at Investbridge Capital
(IBC), a boutique private equity
firm that provides global corporate
advisory and asset management
solutions to the MENA-based
principals and clients. IBC’s core
experience in corporate advisory are
the consumer, real estate, hospitality,
education and petrochemical sectors,
and since inception, IBC and its group
companies are currently advising/
managing or have advised and
transacted on deals in excess of US$
5.5 billion.
What do you like about your
current job?
My job provides me with ample
opportunities to use my analytical and
problem solving skills. The contribution
our team makes is vital to senior
management’s ability to make key
financial decisions, which ultimately
influence the overall success of the
business. In addition, the “boutique”
nature of our firm gives an opportunity
to be involved in different tasks while
enhancing the knowledge of the
industry we operate in.
What skills and competencies did you
develop at SBA that helped you in
starting your career?
Thinking and/or acting “out of the
box” is a really helpful skill that I
developed while studying at SBA. Your
ability to perform out of the typical
boundaries from day one provides you
with a competitive advantage over
your co-workers.
In addition to that, prioritizing team
goals over individual goals is another
skill that was inherited through SBA,
especially through its various group
projects. At work, this means you must
have an awareness of the needs of
others and responding with flexibility,
share information and ideas, and
support team members to achieve goals.
What is most essential for fresh
graduates to get a head start on
building a successful career?
It is crucial not to be afraid of any
challenges and obstacles that your work
presents. Doing what you were asked to
do is not enough; every fresh graduate
has to think about an extra value-added
at the beginning of their career in order
to sustain its successful path and their
personal growth.
It is extremely important to get your
work noticed. As a fresh graduate you
have to make your mark so you stand
out and your promotional potential will
be realized.
Last but not least, enjoy what you are
doing. Once you acknowledge that then
you will surely build a successful career.

By Aisha AlMazmi
Fresh graduates and
students looking for
internships must display
a proficient set of
communication skills and
showcase their personality,
business executives and
guests said in an interview
during a speed mentoring
session held March 25.
The gathering was part
of CareerWise, where
representatives from
various multinational
firms had a chance to talk
to students about job
vacancies and internships,
as well as offer advice on
those matters.
“The common factor
amongst the world’s most
successful people,” Jean-
Michel Gauthier, CEO
of Internsme, said “is that they’re
all very good communicators.” He
added that future employees must
be able to articulate and explain
themselves with confidence.
Barry Andrews, a banking and
financial consultant at Morgan
McKinley, said that employers are
aware of the lack of experience
graduates and undergraduates have,
but jobseekers must compensate by
exhibiting what they have learned
during their schooling, as well as
traits they have developed over
the years. He emphasized the need
to be able to communicate well
“regardless of what role you’ll be
doing.”
Soft skills are “key to what
employers want to see,” Andrews
explained, because employees can be
trained to fill certain roles, however,
those traits are vital in showcasing
abilities.
In addition to emitting confidence,
employees must appear to be eager
to develop and grow, said Sarah
Mohi Eldin, Junior Learning and
Development Manager at Danone.
“Be yourself in an interview” Mohi
Eldin added, “just be as comfortable
as you can.”
“Be a nice, likeable, genuine,
warm person” during an interview,
Gauthier also advised, explaining
that the “human element” is the first
thing that will gain the interviewer’s
interest.
Yusuf Hassan, Consulting Partner
at KPMG, said that passion is an
important factor in deciding where
to work. He explained that students
must understand what they like and
dislike, and regard this process as a
journey.
“Keep on trying, keep on exploring,”
Hassan added.
Yelda Arslan, HR Business Partner at
Unilever, and Nour Hidayet, Senior
HR Associate at EY (Ernst-Young),
both highlighted the need for
students to research the market and
firms thoroughly in order to find
what is important to them. Hidayet
added that graduates must highlight
their strengths and areas of interests
in their applications, instead of
vaguely stating them.
Laurent Samson, Senior Recruitment
Consultant at SAP, advises students
to be well-connected in order
to document their skills and to
“manage [their] brand” then
consequently tailor it to the market.
Employers emphasize
soft skills at CareerWise

Careers–SBA Internship and Placement Office Newsletter
16
www.aus.edu
The internship team is more than willing to help you with anything that is
internship and career related.
Please feel free to contact us or stop by for any inquiries.
Contact us +971 6 515 2363 | sbacareercoach@aus.edu

SBA Careers April 2015

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