Working students reveal what pushes them to go beyond the comfort zone
Abrar Ahmad 42, Indian
Operations Manager, FedEx Dubai Ahmad, who joined as a parttime data entry operator at the firm 18 years ago, is today an operations manager. He completed his MBA from Atlanta University through a company programme, and is in the process of becoming a certified internal auditor.
He plans to continue his education with the same programme to become Six Sigma certified. Six Sigma is a method that provides organisations with tools to improve the capability of their business processes.
“The constant growth I have experienced is a result of not only onthe-job development and experience, but the chance to expand my knowledge through the Tuition Assistance Programme FedEx offers. As part of the management team, I now have the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas for how to best manage and grow the people.”
Nagham Hadi 27, Syrian
Working as a sales executive for the past six years, she has just completed a global MBA from Manchester Business School in Dubai. She has a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Syria.
“It was tough. I would sleep just three hours during the exams, but all the hard work paid off. I wanted to improve my business acumen to start my own business with the help of an NGO that helps youngsters’ start-ups. I [also] started a one-year long horse-riding course four months ago, which persuaded me to take risks. There is nothing called a calculated risk. I should be ready for any kind of risk. This is a part of that selfactualisation.”
Ruqaya Al Beloushi 25, Emirati
She started work as a shooting trainer at Abu Dhabi Police, and has just completed her Bachelor in IT Business at the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.
“I have been working since I was 17, so it was always my dream to pursue higher education. It was a struggle at first, especially because I had a baby son at the time. I feel I have improved a lot during these four years, especially in multitasking and self-development. I am proud and happy that I have reached this far, and I am starting to think about pursuing a master’s degree.”
Hessa Al Hebsi 29, Emirati
Working in the revenue management department of Etihad Airways, she started her master’s programme in marketing, media, and communication at Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in February last year.
“I am graduating in July 2018 and feel that I have already grown a lot personally. It was challenging at times, but I took them as opportunities. You get to learn so much that you can then apply at your work. [Now] I wonder why I didn’t do it earlier.”
Matthew Theodore 32 from US
Working as proposal manager for the past nine years, he is doing his MSc Commercial Management from Heriot Watt University.
“I’ve made up my mind that it is something I want to accomplish, so, come what may, I’ll make it happen. It’s easy to get comfortable in your job and situation. When you get comfortable, you get lazy and put your future at risk. I wanted to take a master’s in a more technical field than my bachelor (degree) to get out of my comfort zone. “When I do dive into my studies, I enjoy learning and applying the knowledge to my job.”