Specific goals ensure a successful career

Specific goals ensure a successful career- Career Tips

Steps towards finding and staying in a profession you actually like

If you don’t have five yearly plan yet, then your first career goal should be to make one. Defining your career goals will help you take necessary steps towards finding and staying in a profession you’ll actually like and succeed in.

Career goals must be specific. It’s not enough to say ‘I want to be successful since success can mean different things to different people.

 Do you want to be the CEO of a company or just earn big so you can go on a big holiday very year?

Set long-term goals and short-term objectives. Long-term goals can take anything from 3 to 5 years. The short-term ones complement your vision, are more immediate and can take just a few months to achieve. Break your bigger goals down into smaller units to help you achieve them and take steps everyday, no matter how small, towards them. Make sure that the goals you set are measurable and realistic – some things that you can proudly acknowledge that you have achieved.

Be positive when setting goals, focus on what you want instead of what you want to avoid. Set goals according to what you want to do, not what you feel you “should” or “need” to do. This will ensure that you are truly motivated towards achieving them. You could even make a list of the benefits of achieving each goal.

Be flexible and modify your goals as you progress in your career. Things can change in an instant and you may want to rethink your goals or adjust your timeframe as new information becomes available. Be positive but realistic, and self-reliant.

Career Tips

Set long-term goals and short-term objectives

Make sure the goals you set are measurable and realistic

Be flexible and modify goals as you progress in your career.

Emotional intelligence a major success factor- Career Tips

Emotional intelligence a major success factor

It takes more than professional skills and know- how to succeed in life

In today's corporate world there is new yardstick for success among executives and managers. To be successful  in your career, you don't just need intelligence or know how, but emotional intelligence (EI) as well.

But what exactly is emotional intelligence? It is the art of knowing yourself and how others think and feel, what feels bad and what feels good to others. It is the ability to identify one's own emotions as well as that of others. It helps you detect emotion in facial expressions, vocal elements and body language.

In the Gulf countries where there are flatter organizational structures with fewer management layers, stiff competition and more demanding customers - factors that contribute to higher stress levels, there is greater need for emotional intelligence.  But how do we manage our EI to our advantage?

There is a five - step management approach to EI:
Awareness. Get in touch with your feelings and know your own goals and feelings; gauge other people's moods from their facial expressions and body language.

Decide how you want to see a situation. Our beliefs and values create a map of reality. A good illustration is how you choose to see a glass halfway filled with water - is it half-full or half empty.?

Surround yourself with positive people. They are the ones who are above petty politics, have a broad mind and are compassionate. Very often, the people around us influence our thoughts and behavior to a great extent whether or not we are aware of it.

Use positive affirmations and self-talk. Repeat affirmations and self-talk. Repeat affirmations in your mind or write them down several times in a day, or at least say them to yourself in the morning and at bedtime.

Take up coaching, and learn to view emotions and ways to constructively channel negative emotions.

Career Tips

Emotional intelligence is crucial in a person's success in life

Be in touch with your feelings and those of other people's

Be optimistic and surround yourself with positive people.

Rallying your team towards success

Make sure you involve the entire team when facing off with a crisis

In the face of sheer uncertainty and cut-throat competition,when business slows down and there’s fear of the worst, here’s fear of the worst, here’s what successful entrepreneurs and CEOs do.

Lift up the morale of the staff;”reprogram” the team consciousness is motivated and instilled with a level of confidence and a survival spirit, nothing is impossible for the team to achieve. Trying a fight off a crisis is incomplete without involving the entire team. 

A crisis can be viewed as an opportunity for everyone to express their leadership skills, and sometimes you’ll be amazed to see even junior employees pulling through with the rest of the team, with strength and determination.

The second level is to turn back to a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) analysis of the company and refer to the threats and turn them into opportunities.

The third level is to change the patterns of marketing, customer service,payment terms and switch to more creative ways involving the team. Some of these creative ways include brainstorming- the opportunity to cross – fertilize ideas and suggestions from everyone and choosing what best suits the situation. The ‘’restaurant game’’ helps you assess your business as if it were a restaurant, that is you focus on the product,service,price, location, how it is being promoted and the customer experience. The’’six thinking hats’’ method entails looking at the facts the matter from different perspectives and trying to build a logical argument and provide marketing solutions to marketing problems. ‘’Traffic lights’’ is based on the three colors of the traffic signals signifying ‘’stop, proceed with caution and go’’. Stop operations or activities that are ineffective; work on improving some items and then proceed; move forward with activities that guarantee a positive outcome.

Handy Hints

Reprogram the collective consciousness towards winning

Use a SWOT analysis of the company and address threats

Change the patterns of marketing using various methods.

5 Mins With Mona Ataya, CEO of Mumzworld

The founder of the baby's clothing empire aims to tap the MENA's region's $5 billion annual online spend.

What is Mumzworld focusing on?

We will continue to focus on our products range – we currently stock more than 60,000 skus of the world’s leading brands including Dr. Brown, Nuk, Mattel, Lego and Chicco, Dr Seuss and our SKU range is higher than any other offline retailer in the mother, baby and child sector in the region.

In addition to this we also will focus on our customer service – this is what has really driven Mumzworld’s success since it launched in October and is what sets us apart. From faster delivery times, to bespoke orders and customised gift registries, the complete satisfaction of our customer is at the forefront of everything that we do. The fact that over two thirds of purchases made on Mumzworld are from repeat customers is testament to this.

What are the growth areas currently for your industry?

The mother, baby and child sector is a growth industry in the region with the MENA toy market alone valued at $5.3 billion and growing at 17 per cent versus 0.8 per cent shrinkage globally. This is fuelled by a number of factors including rising birth rates (2.8 per cent and 1.6 per cent in KSA and UAE respectively, versus one per cent and 1.4 per cent in the UK and US).

Are you concerned that the current volatile global economic climate will affect your strategy?

Fortunately e-commerce is a relatively new phenomenon in the region that is only just beginning to gain momentum. Currently online spending by GCC consumers is estimated at $3.5 billion, this is expected to reach $5 billion by end 2012. Internet penetration rates are also very encouraging – currently 70 Million are online in the region, this is expected to reach 150Million by 2015. As more people go online in search of value and quality, whether they are motivated to do so through the economic climate or through their discover of the internet, Mumzworld will benefit from an increase in visitors to our site.

What new products will your company be launching?

70 per cent of our range is from regional suppliers and manufacturers. So essentially most things that you can find today offline for this segment you can find online on mumzworld. We say “when you you’ve shopped mumzworld, you’ve shopped everywhere”.

But 30 per cent of what we have today on mumzworld is exclusive to us in the region and is based on global best sellers in this segment. This 30 per cent will continue to grow as we source more and more unique and exclusive brands on mumzworld.

We are quickly anchoring the brand as the unparalleled catalogue of mother, baby and child products in the region delivered to the consumer in the fastest and most cost-effective manner every time with personalised and exceptional customer care standards.

Will you be expanding into new territory?
We cater to the entire MENA region and that will always be our focus market

What will be the biggest challenges for UAE businesses in your sector in the coming months?

As with any market segment the biggest challenge the e-commerce industry faces is staying abreast of industry developments and technologies. Having been part of the team that launched the region’s largest recruitment portal, Bayt.com, I have seen first-hand how important it is to invest in the ongoing development of any online business to ensure that it is running at maximum efficacy and is 100 per cent secure for all it users.

Will you be hiring?

We doubled our headcount in 2012.

What’s your leadership style?

Hire leaders and empower them to demonstrate their unique strengths everyday – and reward where reward is due.

What makes the perfect employee?

Leadership, entrepreneurship, ownership, out of the box creative thinking and loyalty.

Define success in five words…

Creating positive change.


Three tips for becoming the boss…

- Hard work
- Dedication
- People Skills

When I’m not at work I like to…

Read with my children

source gulfbusiness.com

Cover letters create the first impression

They should complement,not duplicate what's in Your  resume

There has been a lot of discussion on what makes a perfect CV. But a well-written cover letter may make the difference Between  obtaining a job interview with potential employer or having your resume completely ignored. It should complement and not duplicate whats in your resume.
It's purpose is to add a personal touch and give an overview of the skills you possess or to highlight them.
A cover letter is considered crucial in creating that critical first impression.


Career Tips :There are three general types of cover letter:

.The application letter which responds to a known  job opening
. The prospecting letter which inquires about possible position
. The networking letter which requests for information and assistance in your job search

The cover letter should  be designed specifically for each individual  purpose outlined above.
Do not design a standard letter conveys the reason for your interest in their establishment
And identifies your most relevant skills or experiences.it should express your enthusiasm
For and knowledge of the position.

In summation,a cover letter isn't absolutely essential,but bring with it a number of advantages. It is a very good accompaniment for your CV and can be counted on to give
You an edge in a competitive job market.

Career Tips Handy hints

Cover letter give an overview of the skills you possess
They are used for applying, prospecting, and networking
They must be personalized and based on your objectives

Five Minutes With… Bayt.com CEO

Bayt.com CEO Rabea Ataya says good leaders will make sure they learn something new every day.

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Name: Rabea Ataya
Job title: CEO
Company: Bayt.com
Years in company: 12

What will your company be focusing on this year?
Social is the theme for 2012. The social Internet has completely changed the way people communicate with each other and has moved the power of mass communication from the large media companies to society at large.
The Arab Spring has resulted in massive amounts of people from our region of all ages who are very comfortable using social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and as social technology advances, we are very excited about disrupting the recruitment industry by coming up with new and innovative ways to leverage social in recruitment.

Are you concerned that the current volatile global economic climate will affect your strategy?

Adaptability and openness to change is one of our key values at Bayt.com. A change in the economic climate will garner even more change from us. Change leads to innovation, and so we embrace it.
For example, during the 2008 financial crisis, we realised the importance of internally crowd-sourcing the evolution of Bayt.com and its products by involving over 200 employees. Thus, Sawtna, an internal product for Bayt.com employees, came to be.

It allows any employee to provide any recommendations they have for Bayt.com as a company, as a service, as a web site, and as a business model. Employees can submit recommendations as well as vote for their favorites. Since the inception of Sawtna, several products and services were launched as well as multitude of improvements were applied to our existing products and services, and new processes and systems were put in place.

What are the growth areas currently for your industry?
The massive shift to online services especially in terms of recruitment comes from the fact that we live in a fast-paced world where time is money and top talent do not remain long on the market. Both job seekers and employers want the best in a short timeframe; and this can only be found on online platforms that are easy to use, efficient and offer a large margin of flexibility, accessibility and choice to both parties.
The near future of the web is largely mobile. The infrastructure and tools for safe, reliable mobile purchasing has been advancing rapidly in recent years. We have recently launched an exciting mobile application that allows professionals to search and apply for their ideal jobs through their mobile phones, regardless of when and where. The application also has a notification center to notify users when their job applications have been viewed, when a job matches their profile, and at other important junctions.
Another important change happening with the web is that of big data, as today, the massive amounts of information online can be analysed to help people make better decisions. In the context of Bayt.com, it’s no secret that measurability is the key to success.

Calling upon 12 years of Middle East job market data, we have created an intuitive set of career-building tools for our website, giving jobseekers and employers alike access to vital statistics that will streamline – and significantly improve – both sides of the recruitment process. With 8.25 million jobseekers and more than 40,000 employers registered on Bayt.com, the jobsite’s measurability and data power is certainly substantial.

What new products will your company launch this year?
We have very exciting plans around socialising Bayt.com, stay tuned to find more.
Will you be expanding into new territory?

Bayt.com has 14 different offices around the MENA region, and we are always exploring new grounds to spread our services even further.

What will be the biggest challenges for UAE businesses in your sector in 2012?

One of the initial challenges faced by the founders at a time when the internet was still extremely young and very much in its infancy in the region was to effect the transition from traditional recruitment methods to online recruitment at the professional level and across all career levels from fresh graduates to senior executive and board. Today, that isn’t a problem anymore with millions of people using online channels for finding jobs.
For employers and job seekers though, the main challenge is that of too much choice. With so many CVs online, employers need very powerful filtering tools to find the perfect candidate, while job seekers have to stand out in a large pool of qualifies candidates. We try to help both employers and job seekers solve the issue of choice by providing very powerful CV filtering tools to the former and ways in which a CV could stand out to the latter.

Will you be hiring this year?
We are constantly looking for talented people to join our team. Interested professionals can take a look at our vacancies on our website.

What’s your leadership style?
At Bayt.com, we actively encourage every member of the team to be a leader by always striving to be unique. Good is the enemy of great. To be a leader, the first step is learning continually. The more a person knows, the more he or she is likely to succeed. There is always more knowledge to be acquired by reading (especially books), communicating, and experiencing. A leader should devote some time every day to learning and then to putting that learning into practice.
It is always very important to ask “Am I more knowledgeable today than I was yesterday?” Then, a leader has to apply what he knows with pride and be innovative. Being the best requires us to be both continually different and inventive. It is essential to always find ways to be truly unique and special by doing more, better than is expected or has previously been done.

Define success in five words…
Success is freedom to create.

Three tips for becoming the boss…

Always produce with pride
; welcome change and be adaptable
; learn, learn, learn

When I’m not at work I like to…

Spend time with my family and play sports.

How To Hold On To Your Job

How To Hold On To Your Job

Knowing how to keep your job is just as important as landing it in the first place, especially when the market hits rough waters. During recessions when companies are looking to lighten the load amid declining profits or mergers, it can be an unsettling time. Security in this situation is hard to see. But avoiding the guillotine is largely dependent on one thing, YOU. Cultivating skills and continuing to ride the waves of change are the way up when everyone else is heading down.

The last few years have underlined to both employees and employers alike that the best person for the job is the one you cannot easily replace. For employers, the equation is a bit simpler in that they have the benefit of hiring in talent and the ability to be choosy when it comes to expectations.

The market for employees is more competitive and keeping your value in the market up is more important than ever. Mergers in particular are daunting for employees. The probability of redundancies due to consolidations of departments or changes in structure is often high and can be perceived to be catastrophic. How do you keep your head above water?

My father-in-law was faced with a similar situation when the company he had worked for thirty years was bought out by another firm. Mike started out with Sinclair oil in 1979 as a Loader in a terminal. The first thing that set him apart from his co-workers was his education. He had gotten a degree in Science. Though it was not a job that required an education, it certainly went a long way in helping make him stand out. When he applied for an assistant terminal supervisor position hard work and dedication were important, but his education was a key factor in his progression.

As the years went by, Mike kept up with the trends he saw in his workplace. Automation was becoming more prevalent in the day-to-day operations of the terminal. His answer to less responsibility in the handling of the various aspects of day-to-day work was to head back to school and start taking computer classes. Mike was kept on at the terminal and promoted to supervisor. Meanwhile, the number of people working at the terminal was being reduced.

The less skilled employees were all being transferred back to the refinery where there was more of a need for unskilled labour. Eventually, the company was bought out by another oil and gas firm. Most employees could feel their fate hanging in the balance. Mike was even uncertain as to what the future might hold for him. Being a highly paid supervisor, it would have been easier to take on someone with less experience and pay them less to oversee the day to day operations. The tension in the work place had started to mount as the gravity of the situations started to sink in. Finally, the time came for him to sit down and interview with the incoming management and do an assessment.

Over the years, Mike had amassed a fantastic knowledge of how the systems worked and how to handle day-to-day maintenance. He was the person everyone turned to when there were operating problems. Mike had taken on the responsibility, learned the systems, and met the output needs of the company for years. He sought out education and kept ahead of the curve on the operations of the terminal. They began the process of interviewing employees to assess their skills and ability. During Mike’s interview, they asked about the operations of the terminal. They asked who handled problems when they arose. His answer was the same for every question they asked “me”. His dedication to getting the job done correctly and on time was instrumental in his success and his determination to keep developing himself and skills are what ensured his job.

After the interview, Mike felt relieved. Over the years he had not given consideration to the number of tasks that fell to him. He never complained about taking the extra responsibility and he applied himself to every new challenge and sought out more education to keep with the ever changing work place.

Mike was called back in to discuss what the future held for him. The company had decided to invest money in upgrading his terminal and adding more responsibility to his role. The company had reduced headcount 20 per cent at the refinery. A good number of those who lost their jobs were those that were unskilled. Quite a few came from the terminal locations. Had Mike not sought out ways to grow with in his job he might have been made redundant. Instead, Mike got a promotion and managed to make a great impression on his new bosses.

In the end, there is no trick to being indispensable. The rule is to continue to invest in yourself and you can see your stock in a company rise. Education is something that is yours to keep regardless if you change companies, or stay with the same one for your entire career. Someone that is a voracious learner and dedicated worker will always have opportunities


by Christopher Peterson