After working at Microsoft and Google ... "Ahmed Abdel Nasser" unveils the secret of getting a job in the biggest companies from Amazon|Drjobpro.com

He obtained internationally certified, worked for Microsoft, Google, Emirates Airlines, ADNOC, and Dubai Ports, and established a strong personal brand on LinkedIn that brings him great opportunities while being a passive job seeker.

Who is he? How did he achieve those successes? What is his advice to you to get the best job opportunities with the largest corporates?

Today, we have the honor to publish our interview with Ahmed Abdel Nasser, who will answer all the questions that come to your mind about the job market, jobs, and the future.

Who is "Ahmed Abdel Nasser"?

My name is Ahmed Abdel Nasser; I graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Department of History, Alexandria University.

Professionally, I started my career before graduating, where I worked in several places during summer vacations. And my actual "career" journey began after graduation. It was "locally" for 3 years with the best digital communications brand in Egypt, "Etisalat." From there, I moved to "Microsoft," where I was surprised by my laying off among other 7800 employees. I moved to Google as a Business Development Manager, and my last professional stop in Egypt was with the leading global mobile network "Vodafone."

Globally, I'm continuing my professional career now in the UAE, since I arrived in 2018 and began to shape my international professional experience with Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company "du," then "ADNOC" group as an Excellence Services Executive.

Then I worked for Emirates Airlines as a customer service representative since I mastered three languages: Arabic, English, and Spanish, and I flew from the skies of Emirates Airlines to take Dubai ports as a berth for my next job. Then I moved to work in Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi, and from there to the world of banking services, where I worked for the UAE's #1 bank, "Emirates NBD."

Finally, my "career basket" enabled me to join the largest e-commerce site in the world "Amazon" as a regional HR manager responsible for talent acquisition in 6 countries, including Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, and Jordan.

You Have Featured Your "Starting A New Position with Amazon" Post on LinkedIn.

In light of this:

In your opinion, what should companies do to make their employees proud to work for them?

Many may see that the employee is only looking for "financial benefits" to be proud of his company. Still, the matter goes beyond the limits of salary or distinguished health insurance to the ability of the organization to motivate its employees to do their utmost to achieve the best.

 And when we talk about "Amazon," we see that it is the best evidence of a positive and motivating work environment. You not only get a salary, but you also own shares within the company, which gives you the feeling of "owning." You own a part of the company.

The second matter, the company thoroughly realizes that the employee is affected by the surrounding external factors, so it provides him and his family with an education allowance and "education fees" and all the transportation and other necessary fees related to the educational trip.

"Amazon" is an organization that fully contributes to the development of its employees by facilitating attending conferences or other scientifically and personally worthwhile meetings. It is a 'home' for its employees and a booster of their productivity.

What would be your advice if a job seeker sought advice from you to ace Amazon's job interviews?

First, Amazon is among the largest e-commerce companies. So, whoever is looking for a job at Amazon should understand and learn everything related to e-commerce, whether he aims to get a job directly related to it.

Second: "Self-learning" is the password to getting any job. Therefore, after deciding where you would like to work, in which department, and with any job title, you must enroll in training courses and obtain certificates that support you as an outstanding candidate.

I will talk about my personal experience! When deciding to start a career as an HR Professional, I turned to the LinkedIn Learning platform and obtained the certificates of three accredited training courses, which supported me during the interview and helped me excel among the other candidates.

Hence, I always stress that whatever the size of the company you want to work in, whether it is Amazon or any other company, you should always pay attention to the academic aspect and refine your cognitive abilities. I always say that "knowledge is power," but "implementing what you know is more powerful.

Microsoft, Google, and Emirates Airlines were among your previous employers;

What did you do to join these companies?

First: Praise be to God for His blessing to work with these giant companies.

Second: I dealt with the situation "inversely" and asked, "How can I join these giants, and what are the requirements for working with them?" And I found that the most crucial aspect that these companies seek to ensure that the employee is familiar with is the "technical" aspect to discover whether the employee can accomplish his work or not.

For example, I wanted to work for Microsoft as an IT professional. So, I set a goal to get the two most essential networking certifications: Cisco Certified Network Expert (CCNA) and Network Plus (N+), which helped me pass the job interview with them; besides, I took the aid of other general information because I am always keen to read and be informed.

After starting with the American technology giant "Microsoft," they paid all the attention to cloud technology. How to sell cloud services products to startups, so I did everything I could to develop selling and cloud computing skills to easily convince customers of our services and achieve success since I was an "account manager" responsible for all companies in the Egyptian market.

For Google, I worked as Business Development Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. I was selected because of my knowledge in this field and the data and connections I possess that give me the advantage of seamlessly promoting their cloud computing solutions.

And about Emirates Airlines, I worked with them because of my passion for aviation, my knowledge of a lot of information about countries and tourist destinations, and my mastery of three languages, Arabic, English, and Spanish, which was a "competitive advantage."

All professionals who want great opportunities to work for large organizations should have exceptional soft skills, especially effective communication, active listening, and problem-solving.

After spending almost 10 years of your career within the "corporates" world, what's better to work for a world giant or a startup?

If time goes back, I will choose to work for a startup company to learn, develop, and get a leadership position in giant companies. But I am so grateful for every experience I had professionally.

Give 5 lessons for fresh grads you have learned while working for these enterprises!

Well, here are five of the most important lessons I've learned in my life (and to learn them, I've run into a lot of hurdles):

1. It is necessary to work in a good work environment with cooperative co-workers. Be Sociable and friendly, but don't overstep the bounds and don't allow anyone to overstep them.
2. Good relations with managers of all departments are a "necessity"… you may need their help at any time.
3. The company you work for is not your "mother," You are not the "son of the company"; It is a mutually beneficial relationship: you provide a service and get paid for it.
4. Plan B is always necessary. You never know what will happen tomorrow!
5. Self-development, self-development, and self-development. You must always strive to learn, develop and build new relationships to become an exceptional talent that companies are looking for, not a job seeker who spends his day applying for employment.

As A Brand Ambassador & A LinkedIn Influencer Who Constantly Asserts the Importance of "Networking" to Pave the Way for More Job Opportunities and Asserts the importance of not "begging" the job, how would a person start a conversation with a potential employer "without explicitly showing that he's looking for a job"?

There is no doubt that "Networking" is among the most effective ways to get a job. However, what drives me to blame job seekers is the job "begging."

My advice to everyone: "Do not sell your need for the job! Sell your skills and knowledge to get the recruiter to ask for your interviews.

Always remember that companies are looking for "mutual benefit." Being dependent or burdened with financial liabilities will not benefit the company. So no company will contact you.

Here's my advice to professionally offer your services; when adding anyone you think might be a potential employer, don't just send a message with "hello" and wait for a response. You can send the following text: "Thank you for accepting the connection request. I am proud to be one of your connections, and I know how unique you are in your field, and I am happy to learn a lot from you." Do not send anything else until you receive a response from him.

Will you wait watching the clock? No, go and check his profile and utilize your analytical skills to identify his personal and professional interests and tendencies so that you can lay the foundations for always "meaningful" communication with him and offer ideas and solutions that attract him as an employer, which will help you effortlessly attract his attention and get a job in his organization.

Living and Working in the UAE is everyone's dream nowadays; as a professional working in the UAE, What Do You Think Are the Top Required Skills to Start a Career in the UAE?

There is no doubt that the United Arab Emirates is one of the leading and advanced countries due to its rational leadership and a conscious government that always aspires to excel globally. And here, we have to realize that "excellence" is the passport to any job in the country.

Language proficiency is among the main keys to excellence in the UAE. Proficiency in the language is not limited to English only. Still, you should be fluent in at least an additional third language. It is among the most in-demand languages in the Emirates: Spanish, Russian, French, and Chinese ... Language proficiency in one of these languages guarantees getting a job in the UAE.

Then comes the sharpening of the most in-demand skills, including "customer service" and "sales" skills.

These two main factors highly contribute to getting your first job in the UAE to find doors of great opportunities in the future.

And You Mentioned Earlier that You Received an Invitation to Attend a Job Interview with Jotun Group While You Were in Your Country; How Did You Do That? How Can a Person Get an Opportunity Abroad while Being in His Country?

The job interview with Jotun was unexpected. I decided one day to look for another job that would provide me with what I was looking for in terms of professional and personal advancement. While I was browsing "LinkedIn" on my way to work, I saw a job advertisement for Jotun looking for a "sales executive" in Egypt and the UAE. I did not hesitate and applied for the job in the two countries.

The surprise was that the recruitment specialists of the UAE branch were the ones who contacted me and held several interviews, starting with the IQ and numerical tests, then a phone job interview to assess English language proficiency, then a third interview with the sales manager via Skype video calls, and finally a "competency" test.

A few days later, I received an invitation to attend a "personal" interview in Dubai, and the company covered all the necessary expenses for accommodation and transportation. Then I was surprised with "rejection" due to being overqualified. Nevertheless, the experience taught me many lessons, boosted my self-confidence and qualifications, and encouraged me to take more practical steps.

My advice to anyone looking for work abroad while being in his country is to either seek the overseas recruitment companies or apply via the "career" section on companies' websites - especially if they are looking for a job in the IT field.

But the most effective and best advice is to come on a visitor visa for more job interviews and enhance the chances of getting a job.

"The best "Motivation" Words I've Heard Today Are "You're the Best "Sales Specialist," You Carry Coal to Newcastle," as Posted on Your LinkedIn.

As A Seasoned Sales Specialist, What Are the Must-have Skills for Every Sales Professional & What's Your Advice to them to Be among the Monthly "Top Achievers?"

My consistent following of the "never assume" rule sets me apart in sales, where I treat every customer as a potential customer.

I start listening to understand his problems and the need to create appropriate solutions for him, whatever his situation.

Here are two rules to keep in mind: "we only need to satisfy the customer's needs" and "the more you know, the more you sell" shouldn't always be taken for granted.

And my advice always:

1. Be an "active listener," not a "good listener"! Listen to the customer and prepare appropriate responses to all his problems and objections. For example, if a customer says that the product is too expensive, start offering more economical and budget-friendly solutions. Another asserted that he never needed the service now, keep his data, and follow up with him later.
2. A good sales professional keeps asking "why not" to gather more information and get better results. Never give up or take the word "no" as an answer, and have excellent communication skills. There is, for example, a client whose first answer is always "no" without listening to details. Will you be satisfied with this answer?

In one of your posts, you mentioned the turning point from the worst to the best without your intervention when your former boss sent "negative feedback." Hence, you missed an opportunity, and after some time, you got a job in a better organization. How can a person keep his motivation even after facing negative situations?

What is the impact of a good or bad manager on an employee? How does the employee deal with both?

Praise be to God that all the obstacles we face are nothing but the mercy of God that we do not realize until the passage of time.

In 2014, "Etisalat" invited me to a job interview for a 'Technical Support Specialist.' It was a dream come true, but my boss provided 'negative feedback' about my work. This was undoubtedly an annoyance to me as it stood between my vision of development and my loyalty to the organization where I started my career.

But at the same time, the hiring manager expressed to me in encouraging words how excellent and perfect I am at my job and helped me get through the ordeal by fully submitting to God and believing that I am an added value to any position I hold.

Here I encourage everyone to get rid of the feeling of guilt when being rejected and make a development plan even if you are the "best" person. The most critical factor of success is praying and showing gratitude for all the difficulties and successes you go through.

Regarding the influence of a good manager and a bad manager, both are beneficial. A bad boss teaches you, and a good manager develops you.

A bad boss teaches you that everyone changes when there is a conflict of interest. A good boss provides you with the moral and financial support you need and always encourages you to improve, and he is a successful leader before becoming a manager.

You have shifted your career path many times, from customer service and sales to coaching and hiring; how have these shifts affected you as a professional, and what's your advice for fresh grads looking forward to selecting a lucrative career? Is it all about money? Or what other considerations should they think about?

I always thank God for my many experiences in several fields and with major companies in every field, starting from Etisalat and Microsoft to Google and Amazon. My advice to everyone who wants to succeed in the job market is to strive for "excellence" to stand out over others.

The first step to excellence is to start your career while being a university student, before everyone else, by enrolling in training courses, learning languages, and working in jobs suitable for the student's daily lifestyle so that your productivity is not affected.

And if you don't have the opportunity to work, volunteer whenever possible!

Volunteering helped me develop my communication skills and put me on the right path to intellectual maturity. This is what I learned during my volunteer work in "political awareness programs" with the Library and the University of Alexandria, where I volunteered in the simulation model of the League of Arab States, followed by the simulation model of the European Union and the simulation model of the American Congress in cooperation with the American embassy.

As for my advice on choosing a career path, don't go for the easiest or most lucrative option. The position will come higher than you wish, and the money will come more than you dreamed of. However, it requires exceptional skills and the ability to learn and continuously develop.

Choose a field you love to innovate and achieve the highest results. "don't settle for anything, or you will have nothing at all."

Finally, I would like to thank you and express my happiness with this interview and hope it will be fruitful and professionally inspiring for all.

Me, on behlf of Dr.Job, extends thanks to Mr.Ahmed Abdelnasser for this inspirational interview!