Dubai pupil, 8, offered dream job - to start in 10 years' time

Victor Noël set his heart on working at a dog day care centre, but he will have to wait until 2032

Victor Noel, 8, at home in Dubai with his dog, Sam. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Victor may still be at school but he already has a job lined up when he turns 18. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Victor with his mum, dad, sister and dog, Sam. The family, who are from Belgium, have lived in Dubai for 10 years. Photo: Astrid Verly

Victor with dog, Sam. Photo: Astrid Verly

Victor, a grade three pupil at Greenfield International School, and his faithful companion enjoy a day out in the desert. Photo: Astrid Verly

Paul Sowerby, the co-founder and owner of My Second Home, hands Victor his uniform and offer letter to start in 2032. Photo: Astrid Verly

In his letter, Victor asked whether he 'could work here a long time' as a 'dog bringer'. Photo: Astrid Verly

An eight-year-old Dubai pupil who applied for a job at a dog day care centre was surprised to receive an offer — to start work in 10 years’ time.

Victor Noël decided he wanted to work for My Second Home after accompanying his mum there to drop off the family’s two year-old Labrador, Sam.

So the little animal-lover sent the boss a letter to try his luck.

“I told him if you don’t do anything, nothing is going to come to you,” said his mum, Astrid Verly, 41, from Belgium.

“You can write a letter to the boss and ask if you can work there.

“So he did this. I was very surprised he actually did it. The next time he went there he had this letter in his hand.”

In his letter, Victor, a Grade 3 pupil at Greenfield International School, asked whether he “could work here a long time” as a “dog bringer".

He handed it over to the receptionist and that was that, until the family got a call from the manager shortly after.

He said they wanted to respond as they were really touched, but he was a bit young right now, and he had to be 18 years old for health and safety reasons.

But they would give him an offer letter and a uniform so he was ready when the time came to start on the strike of his 18th birthday in 2032.

The salary was left blank to reflect the economy in 10 years’ time, said Paul Sowerby, the co-founder and owner of My Second Home.

“Aiming for the stars, after the last couple of years that we have all been through, is something maybe a lot of kids feel reluctant to do,” he said.

“But when somebody does it, we can do our little bit to make it special.”

Ms Verly said she was delighted because her son was over the moon with the offer and it taught him a valuable lesson.

“He wears his hat all the time. He sleeps with it. Yesterday he had a play date on the beach and he was telling all his friends 'I have a job',” she said.

“Some kids here in Dubai think everything falls into their hands. I am teaching my kids if you want something you still have to do something for it. It’s not going to just come to you.

“So the reaction of My Second Home is amazing. My son saw that when he did something, something came back to him.”

Victor says he is looking forward to taking up his role as a trainee dog handler in 2032.

“My uniform looks cool,” he said.