Nada Saeeda Success Story

2017-01-19


"When I graduated from university in 2015, I didn"t expect to be where I am today, but I learned that the journey is not always clear, and that one has to work hard never give up in order to find the way" says Nada, 24 from Jerusalem.


After graduating from university with a BA in French Literature, Nada volunteered at a French language center for one year. She also worked for one month at a tourism company, however, she didn"t feel it suited her and resigned. "Those where difficult times for me because I wanted to find a sustainable, full-time job opportunity that suits my skills and personality. However, all the job openings I applied for required work experience, which I lacked as a fresh graduate" says Nada.


In the beginning of 2016, Nada started volunteering at Dar Al Maarefa school in Jerusalem. She taught students French. "I needed to feel that I am a productive individual in the society, so I suggested teaching students French to the principal who welcomed the idea in order to enrich the students" knowledge and culture" says Nada.


During this period, Nada heard through one of her friends about the Youth Employment Services (YES) Program which is implemented by Palestine Education for Employment in partnership with Taawon Association. "When my friend told me that the program helps graduates find jobs, I immediately applied" says Nada.


Nada participated in the Workplace Success training in May 2016. "I had never before received training on CV writing, so when the trainer provided us with youself information and advice on the topic I realized the importance of the CV and its importance in improving my chances of finding employment. I learned that the CV is the first encounter between the job-seeker and employers, and it is key for getting a job interview" says Nada. 


In addition, the training included professional communication in the workplace and writing business e-mails. "Through the training, I was able to improve my communication style and learned the basics of writing e-mails, which is something that reflected on my performance at work later" says Nada.


After the training, Dar Al Maarefa school offered Nada a 6-months internship through the YES Program to work as assistant to the principal. "If it wasn"t for the YES Program, I wouldn"t have been able to work full-time at the school. The program gave me the opportunity to turn voluntary work into a real job opportunity" says Nada.


Nada started working at the scool in May 2016, and continued to work there even after the end of the internship period. "I never expected to work as a principal"s assistant, but I love my job so much that I decided to re-direct my career to the administrative line of work. I started studying for my Master"s degree in Business Administration while working at the school so I can develop my skills in this field" says Nada.
 

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