The women’s majlis: Staying positive in the search for work

Like many people, I’m having a difficult time finding a career. I want a lifelong career that will help me grow both professionally and personally.

Patience has its bitterness and sweetness. I knew sooner or later my patience would be tested, and I was fully prepared for the storm. I graduated a few months ago with a degree in visual communication. While I was still a student at Zayed University, we were often told that ZU graduates would not find it difficult to secure a job; that we were “different” from other university students, as we possessed strong skills.

I was at an age when I believed most of what I was informed. The reality hit me later. Days, weeks and months have passed, and I’m still not employed. Am I desperate? Not to an extreme degree. I always tell myself every morning: “If I wake up to witness the next morning, I have another chance to live and work.”

What I have expected before is not what I have today. Like many people, I’m having a difficult time finding a career. I like to use the term “career” instead of “job”. I want a lifelong career that will help me grow both professionally and personally. I’m seeking an environment where I can learn new skills, build new relationships, have opportunities to showcase my skills and talent, and feel satisfied that I’m doing what I love. Salary is important, but it’s not my priority.

I’ve applied to many places and gone through a few interviews. Too often, companies take too long to get back to you. If they made an effort to tell me and many others out there – waiting patiently to know whether they’re accepted or rejected – the reasons they’re taking forever to get back to the interviewees, it would save my time as well as theirs.

But I’m not put off. When I feel like giving up, it means that I’m not living by the example of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. He once said: “Try to achieve the impossible and direct your people to ways of achieving it.”

I’m one of the millions of people who are searching for a career months or years after graduation. But many successful people failed many times. Failure is the first step to success. What they had in common was how they succeeded because they never gave up.

I try to follow a few techniques to keep myself confident about the future and what it holds for me. First of all, when you’re unemployed, you are often asked by your families and friends: “Are you not employed yet?” Answer that question confidently and you’ll be fine.

Secondly, try to surround yourself with positive people. Call people, whether they be friends or family, rather than emailing or texting.

Finally, if you didn’t get the job, it doesn’t mean you weren’t suitable; it means you need to try harder. Sometimes the best is saved for last.

Fatma Al Muhairi, 23, is a Zayed University graduate in visual communication.

If you have an interesting story to tell or an important issue to debate, contact Shireena Al Nowais on [e-mail].

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