Staff Interview with Ali Sidaoui

How do you use your own international experiences in your current role?

Living in a multicultural city like Dubai has helped me enhance my cross cultural communications and help me develop my international experience towards dealing with people from different backgrounds. Being an internship coordinator at CareerDC allows me to interact with people from all around the world.

What is the most frequently asked question you receive from prospective interns?

How long does it take to find an internship?! Most interns want an internship quickly but we always ask them to be patient because we work on their CV first and customise it for the industry and the region, then match them with suitable organisations. This process takes time but it helps them land the internship that matches what they are looking for.

How do you overturn the common fears and challenges interns face?

By delivering a positive attitude in a proper manner to prepare the interns for the “real world” as the internship is considered as a major life transition from university to the next level in life, building your career.

How do you help interns have a successful internship in United Arab Emirates ?

We think it is important to understand their requirements and interest in order to find suitable internships which will help develop their career paths.  We also provide help and assistance before, during and after the internship.  Lastly, we take pride being in such a reputed country that offers a lot of opportunities has made the achievement of successful internships possible.

How important do you think flexibility is, and how can it help when finding an international internship?

It's a great thing to be open to explore new ideas. If the intern is flexible in regards to the role, they may be exposed to areas which they haven’t thought of exploring and may lead to additional opportunities. 

What is the most popular internship in your region of the world?  Why do you think that is?

Most professional service internships are popular in the region, for example business, marketing, finance, accounting. Also science, technology and engineering are popular too. The UAE is a leading country in business, technology and innovation so there are many opportunities at hand.

What is your best piece of advice for prospective interns?

Always show your commitment, treat your internship as a job and do whatever it takes to finish your tasks because it will affect your personality towards work in the future.

Why do you think international internships are important in the world today?

Being in today’s modern world, it is very important to have international experience that allows students to work with other professionals. Additionally, employers see international experience as an advantage point and would put candidates with international experience on top of the list.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Being supportive and helping students find suitable internships that will definitely enhance their skills and building experience that will be used in their near future. It is a very fulfilling experience to see that my work can directly and positively influence a young person’s career. It’s such as an amazing experience when I have an internship confirmed and seeing that the intern is happy with the host company. 

In what ways does CareerDC support interns before, during, and after their internship?

Before the internship, we work on the student’s CV, train them on interview skills, match them with host organisations and organise interviews for them with host organisations until a placement is achieved.

During the internship, we help with completing any paperwork related such as preparing training agreements and we check that the internship is going well and we resolve any issues if they arise and mediate between the intern and the host organisations.

After the internship, we help the intern with any paperwork that needs to be completed such as work experience certificate and University documents.