On June 3rd, 2016 the Global Shapers of Beirut – a group of young leaders in their respective fields whose mission is to help alleviate the different existing challenges in the Lebanese capital from the waste management crisis to the refugee influx to youth empowerment – in collaboration with the Career Services of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Beirut (AUB) hosted a one day forum.
Titled “SHAPE YOUR CAREER,” this once in a springtime conference offered students from AUB as well as other universities the chance to connect with experts in their field of interest, who can highlight the challenges and opportunities, offer feedback, insight, guidance and mentorship on how to navigate through the job market in Lebanon.
Over 250 students attended the event, coming from 40 different majors and 14 universities including, among others, the Arts, Sciences & Technology University (AUL), Balamand University, the Beirut Arab University (BAU), the Lebanese International University (LIU), the Lebanese University (LU), and Université Saint-Joseph (USJ). The event kicked off with a panel focused on “Professional Development and Success Stories,” hosted by the Curator of the Global Shapers Ms. Youmna Naufal and featured Mr. Donald Battal, CEO of Classic Burger Joint; Mr. Choucri Khairallah, Business Development Manager at Anghami; Ms. Zeina Saab, Founder and Executive Director of The Nawaya Network; Mr. Mahmoud Haidar, Chairman of Advisory Board, Beachheads New Zealand Trade and Ms. Ghida Majzoub, Morning Talk-Show Host at Future Television.
The panel was followed by an hour of speed networking with mentors that included Ms. Lilian Abou Zeki, Business Designer & Creative Strategist ; Ms. Nour El Assaad, Insight & New Product Development Specialist – Domino’s MENAP; Dr. Bana Bashour, Associate Professor of Philosophy, AUB; Mrs. Rima Rassi, Program Manager at the Department of Political Studies & Public Administration; Dr. Carmen Geha, Assistant Professor for Public Administration, AUB; Ms. Randa Farah, HR Professional (Recruitment, Training & Retention), & Co-Founder of Lebtivity.com; Mr. Bassam Jalgha, Co-founder and CTO at Band Industries, Inc.; Mrs. Paula Rbeiz, PR & Fashion Consultant; Mr. Bashar Mahmassani, Director and Co-Founder of New Dawn Consultants & Financial Services; and Ms. Youmna Fawaz, News Reporter, Al Jadeed TV
Finally, a series of workshops were given that focused on writing a CV & Cover Letter by Ms. Tara Nehme; Job Contracts & Labor Law by Mr. Serge Airut; Social Media for Self-Branding by Mr. Philippe Abou Zeid; Business Etiquette/Professionalism in the Workplace by Mr. Hasan Youness; Work-Life Balance and Stress Management by Dr. Haitham Khoury; Entrepreneurship Development by Mr. Tarek Matar ;How to Ace Job Interviews by Ms. Kim Issa; How to Find a Job Online/Linkedin by Mr. Mohammad Hijazi; Starting Your Own Business by Mr. Andre Abi Awad; Public Speaking & How to Give a Presentation by Ms. Sadika Kebbi and Life Coaching by Mr. Roni Matar.
Students who attended the event provided promising feedback, reporting on average an overall satisfaction rate of 8.60 over 10. When asked if they would recommend the workshop they attended to their peers, a significant 90% of students answered affirmatively. In fact, students’ subjective feedback reflected positive reactions such as “this was crucial for students”; “the workshop was relatable and beneficial. [It] shed light on issues and strategies I wasn’t aware of before”, and “such a workshop by such an instructor should be standardized in AUB so all students know their rights and the crucial information about their lives as employees later”.
This event was sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts and Zaatar W Zeit.