Staying ahead

An intern learns the ropes of surviving in the competitive UAE job market. Fatima Tapya reports

Tell me a little about yourself.

Salman Sultan, born and raised in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I have been fortunate enough to travel through most countries around the world.

My family background is quite a mix, with relations reaching back to Pakistan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Greece.

I am a very sociable person and meeting new people is one thing I enjoy doing. I am now studying Management Information Systems at the American University of Sharjah, and have one more year left before I graduate.

Where do you work and what do you work as?
I work at General Motors, Dubai at the office located at the World Trade Centre.

How do you think it will help you gain work experience?
I believe the internship is definitely a strong building block for my work experience. It has not only given me a brief introduction to the real business world, but has also given me experience that I cannot get in a classroom.

The experience has not only taught me how to deal with problems I might face during a typical work day, but I have learnt how to deal with my superiors, perform, write professional reports and learn the basics of how to deal with customers.

Do they have other interns?
Yes, they do have other interns, in several departments in the office.

Do they have a special training programme?
I am not quite sure if they have a training programme for the other interns.

But they gave me a brief introduction about the company's rules and policies, after which I was given my project assignments. I can consult other people in the team if I need assistance.

Has the internship changed your perception of working in the real business world?
Yes, definitely, I have now realised how tiring the real world really is. Not only is it formal, and one has to abide by a set of rules and regulations, but while on an assignment I realised that one not only has to represent oneself, but as representatives of a company, we have to make sure that we represent the company in a professional manner.

How has work experience helped you prepare for the job market once you graduate?
The work experience has without a doubt prepared me for the job market. I believe that I now have an advantage over other students since I now know how fast paced and hectic the job market really is.

One has to be competitive and up to date in order to be in tune with the market and not be left out.

What kind of obstacles do you think you face?
Until now I have not faced any problems. Being part of the Business Student Committee at university, I have gained some experience by participating in projects, which have prepared me and given me an idea of the possible obstacles I might face at work.

What is the biggest benefit of an internship?
A benefit, which surely outweighs all of the others, is the fact that I gain experience in the real workforce.

By going to work, and being treated as any other normal employee at GM, I believe I now know how harsh and competitive the real business world is.

One has to be a step ahead of his or her competitors to survive. As one of the managers here said, it's about the survival of the fittest.

What about going back to college life?
One amazing thing I learned while doing my internship is that at university, we have almost all the time in the world and are able to do anything, at anytime, anywhere we want.

We have no one to tell us what to do or when to do it. I look forward to going back to university and having one more year of ‘free time'.

Several of my father's friends, professors and classmates who have graduated tell me that university life is the best time in a person's life.

After a regular workday from 8am to 6pm, I now know how fortunate students at university are.

Want an internship at General Motors?
Students completing undergraduate coursework at the university level should submit CVs to be considered for the summer internship programme at General Motors to:
GM Overseas Distribution Corp
P.O. Box 9233
Attn: Human Resources Manager (for summer internship), World Trade Centre Dubai, UAE
Website: gmdubai@emirates.net.ae