How should I set up a job interview meeting?

The three main ways of making contact are telephone, email, and snail mail. If you call your potential interviewee, it might help to write down what you plan to say ahead of time. If you send something written, be sure to proofread your missive. It is especially important that you do not say or do anything that makes it sound as though you’re trying to get the person to hire you. While that would be nice, it’s not the point of the informational interview.

Telephone calls, emails, and letters basically follow the same structure:

1. Introduce yourself

2. Explain that you’re interested in the field in question, but that you would like to learn more about it through someone like your potential interviewee, who has a lot of experience and wisdom.

3. Give a specific reason you’re interested in talking to the potential interviewee - you’ll show you’re serious and focused when you, for example, tell the head of a public relations firm that you know her organization does a lot of work for environmental groups, and you’re specifically interested in that aspect of PR.

4. Ask if the person has time for a 30-minute meeting during which you could learn more about the interviewees’ work and thoughts about their career.

This whole process of contacting interviewees might make you a little nervous - if you’re new to the working world and low on the totem pole, calling up a business executive can be a little frightening. You may be especially hesitant because you feel like you have nothing to offer in return for that executive’s time. Relax. Most successful members of the working world have an intimate understanding of the networking system. They know that when they were inexperienced, seasoned professionals helped them out. And now that they’re the high-level executives, they’ll talk to you at a business conference or grant you a 30-minute meeting - with the understanding that when you’re a big shot, you’ll take a few minutes out of a busy day to advise a newcomer about your line of work. And, if that answer doesn’t satisfy you, remember that most people love talking about themselves and relish the experience of feeling like an important expert in their field.

Job Interview Tips

Be Early
Make a winning impression by showing you are reliable and organized. Get directions in advance and take a test drive if you are unfamiliar with the area. Also, check out the parking situation or public transportation schedules. Allow enough time for traffic and unexpected delays.

It’s All About You
Review your resume thoroughly, but don’t memorize it word for word. When talking, focus on your skills and accomplishments and how they correlate to the position you want. Hone in on how your experience has prepared you for this job and what you can bring to the table.

Dress to Impress
Follow this simple rule of thumb: “It’s better to be over-dressed than under-dressed.” Even if the work environment is casual, your appearance still must be neat, clean and professional. Unless the interviewer specifically tells you to dress casually, a classic suit is always your best bet. Also, limit your use of jewelry, makeup and cologne or perfume.

The Name Game
Make sure you know the correct name and pronunciation of the interviewer. Listen carefully when the interviewer states his or her name and repeat it back when you say hello. Before you leave, ask for a business card from each person you met. This gives you the necessary information to write thank-you letters.

Hand It Over
A firm handshake is a sign of confidence, but avoid the bone crushing vice grip. Weak and clammy handshakes typically make a bad impression. Don’t forget to look the interviewer directly in the eye when initiating contact.

Body Language
Appear confident by sitting up straight and maintaining good eye contact throughout the interview. Poor posture may translate to low self-esteem. Refrain from fidgeting or chewing gum or candy.

Be Nice
You never know who you’ll meet in the parking lot, elevator or lobby, so be polite to everyone from the receptionist to the CEO. After all, they could have an influence in the hiring process.

Short and Sweet
Avoid long-winded answers. Practice in advance and you will sound more focused and polished.

The Sounds of Silence
While it may be golden, silence can be uncomfortable. However, jumping in with irrelevant comments just to fill up airtime will only make you look nervous. If you are experiencing trouble forming an answer to a question, wait a few seconds before responding. The use of “um, uh, like, well, err …” sounds well, um … stupid. Take your time and think before you speak.

Cold Hard Cash
Although salary is an important factor in your job search, don’t let it be the driving force behind your choice. In interviews, it’s more important to talk about why you’re the right person for the job. Do not bring up salary unless the interviewer asks.

Practice Makes Perfect
Rehearsing is not just for actors. Take time to review what you want to say by asking a friend to play “the interviewer.” By practicing your responses to typical interviewing questions, you will significantly reduce your stress level and improve your chances of making a winning impression on the interviewer.

Dubai Living and Investing in Dubai Real Estate

Over the past few years, Dubai has slowly become to be a very viable place for investing in real estate, especially for Muslims living abroad. Simply by looking at their high rise structures and skyscrapers and the very high boom of real estate that offers luxurious amenities, this is not very hard to believe. It is very common today to see unparalleled standards of living in Dubai that are hard to come by in other parts of the world.

Duabi, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates is talked about in many contexts. Some people look for jobs in Dubai, while others discuss attending business conferences in that bustling city. However, in the past couple of years, more people, especially from the Middle Eastern and Muslim backgrounds have discussed about that city in the context of buying real estate and moving to settle there.

Dubai is expanding at a very fast pace. Numerous high rises are scheduled to open doors to new tenants during the next 1-4 years. Considering the blueprints and pictures of the high rises and the expanding Dubai economy, thousands of families are investing in those apartments, with a vast majority of those families as Muslims and from the west.

When people think about buying real estate in a city, they consider many factors. Dubai has become a major attraction for a large number of people and for many reasons. A few facts about Dubai are as follows that may cause you to reconsider your options as well:

• Dubai has one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

• Although many think of Dubai thriving on oil money, as of 2005 numbers, 94% of Dubai’s GDP came from non-oil sources.

• Dubai is one of the largest gold trading hubs in the world.

• With various types of visa / immigration and other restrictions in various Middle Eastern Countries, Dubai through its open trading policies has become a de facto hub for doing business in the Gulf and the Middle East.

• Dubai’s population is set to rise from 1.5 million in 2006/2007 to 4 million in the next 5 – 7 years – mostly because of foreign influx. An estimated of 80% of people living in Dubai are expatriates.

• Dubai not only allows foreign investment but encourages it to the extent of allowing investors to apply for residency permits. This fact alone has driven numerous investors flocking to the region. Dubai living offers prospects property ownership and / or property leasing for 99 years. As a result of this, residents can apply for a residency permit that is renewable every three years.

• Considering that a lot of Muslims (even the ones settled in US and Europe) would like to be closer to their countries of origin as well as closer to the holy cities of Makkah and Mandinah, this has provided an excellent option for their long term settlement plans.

• Considering a small city, Dubai operates more than 150 TV channels. This fact alone helps portray the diversity of the region and the level of trade and business volume (considering that a lot of TV channels depend on advertisements as their source of revenue.)

Dubai Jobs:

Jobs in Dubai in particular are one of the eagerly sought-after jobs in the Middle East. Dubai jobs for example include numerous moneymaking opportunities. Such jobs are easy to find and easy to get. Jobs in sales and marketing, Banking, Hotels, IT, software, Oil & Gas industries etc. are available and have been in high demand for many years.

Dubai is a major economic hub of the Middle East. Dubai Media City for example is designed to boost media businesses and industry in the region. The leading global players include Associated Press, Bertelsmann, CNN, CNBC, International Advertising Association (IAA), McGraw-Hill Platts, Sony, and Reuters along with regionally reputed companies like Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Saudi Research and Publishing (SRPC) and Taj TV. Besides, a large number of entrepreneurs are setting up advertising, printing and publishing industries in Dubai. All these global players are setting up their offices across Riyadh, Jeddah, Qatar, Bahrain, Muscat, Beirut Damascus, Cairo etc. Thus you can easily get advertising, marketing, and several other media jobs in Dubai.

Dubai Internet City offers great job opportunities in Software Development, Business Services, Web Based & e-Commerce, Consultancy, and Education & Training. Dubai Internet City (DIC) is an information technology park created by the Government of Dubai as a free economic zone where companies can operate without restrictions. Global giants like Microsoft, Oracle, HP, IBM, Compaq, Dell, Nokia, Siemens, Sun Microsystems, Canon, Logica, Sony Ericsson, Cisco, i-mate, e-dinar, Acette etc. are major players in this arena.

Highlights of Dubai Real Estate Development:

• Burj Dubai (under construction) will be the tallest structure in the world. At a height of more than 900 meters (approaching one kilometer), this tower is much taller than the Sears Tower (527 meters), Taipei tower (508 meter) and Malaysia’s Petronas towers (452 meters). The tower will offer 30,000 residences and will house the world’s largest shopping mall called the Dubai Mall. (The final height is still not confirmed). The tower is to have an estimated 216 floors.

• The tip of the Burj Dubai will be visible approximately 100 kilometers away on a clear day.

• Another tower called the Burj Al-Arab is the tallest hotel building in the world. See the picture on this page. The round circle on the top left is the tennis court. The building’s lightning scheme changes every 30 minutes. Burjdubai.com provides more facts and figures on this magnificent structure.

• The Palm Islands (consisting of The Palm Jumeirah and The Palm Jebel Ali) are the world's largest man-made collection of islands. People can own their own private islands that cost in the millions. (See picture on this page and next). Some media quarters have termed these as the eighth wonder of the world. These islands are made in the shape of a palm tree with hundreds of residences, hotels and resorts.

• Under construction is the Business Bay, which will be a collection of hundreds of high rise sky scrapers.

• A recent project will result in a complex called “Asia-Asia”, which will be the largest hotel in the world.

Source: http://www.hilalplaza.com/islamic-world-middle-east/dubai/dubai-real-estate.html

Pursuing Careers and Looking for Jobs in the Middle East

The birthplace of at least three world religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Middle East has great influence in world polity as well as economy, and the region has been very popular destination for the travelers and temporary (expatriate) workers alike.

The economy of most of the Middle East countries is mainly based on oil, and due to rich oil reserves, some of the Middle Eastern countries are one of the most prosperous countries of the world. Despite their local challenges, the economy of most Middle Eastern countries continues to be very strong and therefore attracts a large workforce from around the world. Jobs in the Middle East therefore are one of the hotly pursued jobs in the world. Jobs in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE are particularly in very high demand. This is one reason that millions of expatriate workers currently work in the Middle East. For example, according to many estimates about 50,000 US citizens and their families live and work in Saudi-Arabia. At least 3 times as many US citizens can be estimated to be working in other parts of the Middle East.

Considerations:

While benefits vary from country to country, general benefits may include the following –

• No taxes

• High salaries

• Fixed Paid Housing allowance (Some expatriate workers save money on housing as they manage to find inexpensive housing on their own)

• Some companies offer free housing instead of paying a housing allowance

• Low cost of living

• Proximity to the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah (Great benefit for Muslims)

• People manage to easily find their cultural communities. This includes Americans, Pakistanis, Indians, and others.

• Multiple year contracts – Most expatriates prefer a minimum of 2 year contract to ensure they get some benefit before temporarily relocating.

• Paid travel for all family members to their home country once a year.

Things that you should know if you are considering to work in the Middle East:

• Attaining citizenship of those countries is almost impossible.

• You should be aware of the religious customs in those countries. For example, some Islamic countries require that women cover themselves in the traditional garment of Hijab, Abaya and / or Jilbab when roaming outside.

• Before accepting a job in any of the Middle Eastern countries, you must inquire about your children’s education. Public education, for example is not an option for expatriate workers in all countries.

In the prosperous Middle East, you can find a myriad of job opportunities in various fields including Finance, Accounting, Audit, Strategy, Marketing, Sales, Operations, Procurement, Customer Service, etc. You can also find one of the highly lucrative jobs in the sectors such as banking, finance, accounting, insurance, legal, sales, marketing, IT, manufacturing, management consulting etc. The medical profession too attracts a very high percentage of physicians, surgeons, and nurses.

The past few years has seen a huge influx of foreign workers, especially those working in the area of Information Technology (IT).

Finding Jobs in the Middle East:

There are many channels that one can pursue to find jobs in the Middle East. You can either approach employers mentioned above directly or go through the recruitment agencies. Several job vacancies are advertised each week in appointment pages of leading newspapers.

Gulf News and Khaleej Times are the newspapers that daily publish the job vacancies and employment opportunities in the Middle East. The classifieds sections of these papers carry a good number of job opportunities.

There are also a number of recruitment agencies that can help you find jobs in the middle east/gulf. The leading recruitment agencies include Clarendon Parker, Mosaic, BAC-ME and SOS Recruitment.

As a precautionary measure, you should always do your due diligence when working with all recruiters (online or others) to ensure you don't get trapped in any Internet or other job scams.

Jobs can also be searched online. Most of the recruitment agencies operate through their web sites. Some online resources that you should consider and explore further include Bayt.com, NaukriGulf.com, Careermideast.com, DubaiDonkey.com, and Mycareer.com.

Islamic Venture Capital - Seeking Capital For Your Business, Writing Business Plans and More....

Despite the fact that there are literally millions of Muslim entrepreneurs in both developed and developing nations looking for investment capital for their new start-up ventures, the realm of the Islamic venture capitalist remains in an

evolutionary state. Nonetheless, the untapped potential for Islamic venture capital remains huge. Moreover, the Islamic world has more than its fair share of investors with high-end net worth looking to invest in potentially lucrative deals.

Thus, the convergence of both a ‘need’ and a ‘supply’ invariably lead to the creation of a new product, and this is equally so in the case of purely Islamic venture capital.

The core to any proposed Islamic financing transaction is that Shariah (Islamic law) prohibits interest-based lending. Moreover, Shariah further prohibits investments in certain activities which are seen as being in violation of Islam,

such as gambling.

However, in essence, the mechanisms of venture capital do not provide for interest-bearing lending. Rather, at the core of any venture capital funding is an agreement to share in the risks of the business venture in return for the profits

derived from such business venture.

As such, rather than being contrary to Islamic law, many scholars hold that venture capital funding complies with one of the cornerstone principles of Islam: it provides much needed investment to start-up companies in return for

potential rewards, while accepting the risks that may be involved in such a deal. This type of structure is the classic form of mudaraba financing used over many centuries in the Islamic world.

Structuring an Islamic venture capital deal

The most accurate translation of a mudaraba financing is a contract under which one person, the investor (known as the rabal-maal), brings financing and the other person, the entrepreneur (known as the mudarib), brings expertise and

effort. Collectively they share the proportionate profit as per their pre-arranged agreement.

Fundamental to the mudaraba financing structure, however, is the fact that the entrepreneur cannot be placed at risk of losing any monetary investment/value. If the business venture were to fail, then the maximum the entrepreneur could lose is the investment they make in the business enterprise themselves (i.e., their own money); plus any time and effort they put into the venture. The reason why this is the case is because under Islam, you cannot loose what you do not contribute.

In addition, under a mudaraba financing structure, strictly speaking, the investor is not allowed to partake in the management affairs of the business venture in which they have invested, they’re simply an investor – period. Day-to-day and overall management of the business must be left to the entrepreneur.

Major players in the Islamic VC Market

Given that mudaraba has been a central element to Islamic financing for centuries, you may be mistaken in thinking that the Islamic venture capitalism is a fairly mature market with hundreds of institutional investors. The reality is

almost the opposite. Venture capitalism is still fairly embryonic in the world of Islamic financing and there are few Islamic institutional funds involved at this time.

Prior to 1995, the majority of Islamic venture capital financings were undertaken by what are known as “angels”. Angels are essentially high net worth individuals who agree to invest in a business venture under the terms of Islamic financing set out above. There were few, if any, established Islamic venture capital funds

at this time.

Post 1995 there was a boom in Islamic venture capital financing and today there are over a hundred funds lending in excess of a billion dollars to new start-ups. Following the development of Dubai as a major Islamic financing center, the Dubai International Finance Center (DIFC) was established and a number of leading Islamic venture capital funds are now regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).

Among the founding members of Islamic financing venture capitalists is the Dubai-based Injazat Capital Limited, who are also founding members of the Gulf Venture Capital Association (GVCA), a leading light in the world of Islamic

venture capitalism. A newer entrant to the world of Islamic venture capitalism is the aptly named Venture Capital Bank BSC (c), which is rapidly becoming one of the larger Islamic venture capital funds in the Middle East.

Source: http://www.hilalplaza.com/Middle-East-Jobs/

How to Get a Job Fast

In today's unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with any company would seem to be a thing of the past. Large company layoffs, golden handshakes, mergers, leveraged buyouts, company acquisitions and similar business moves have left people of all ages out of a job they need to live.

While there may be some compensation upon being let go from the firm you work for, this money won't last forever. Or, if eligible for unemployment benefits, this also has a finite period of time attached to the check. Sooner or later, job hunting will be necessary.

But it's not only individuals who have been turned out of jobs that this booklet can help. How happy are you in the business you're in? Do you long to do something else with your career? If so, you're not alone. You have plenty of company in wanting to change one's goals and focus in life. Perhaps you've just turned 40 and realize that you're into the second half of a working career you've never really liked. Studies have shown that working in a job because you have to, not because you like it, can have some effect on an individual's life span. Why take years off your life when you don't have to?

The problem for most people in these situations is that they're not sure where to start. They've either been tossed into this situation unexpectedly and are trying to make decisions on the run or they know that they at least have a paycheck, so they postpone thinking about trying to focus in on a job hunt for something they truly like to do. Well, cheer up! This booklet will help you re-focus, identify the skills you have, narrow down the type of work you like to do and give you a number of outlets to gather information from in prospects of landing that job that will take you through contentedly into your retirement years. The best news is that this doesn't have to be a long, drawn out process. You can label your transferable skills and acquire helpful data within a few days! It's not a year or two effort we're talking about.

The secret is knowing where to look, what to ask and how to narrow down the type of job you'd not only enjoy, but be pretty good at, too! So much of this is understanding what makes you tick! Who better to identify this than you?

How to Find a Job?
My friend has been trying to find a job for weeks. His money in the bank is fast running out, credit card bills are mounting and even his car payments are two months overdue. Desperate to find a job, he’d scanned all known job postings in the internet and the local paper and asked for help from friends. He sends out his resume in a veritable mailing-list that would shame the mailing catalog of some newsletters. But he still can’t find a job.

When I met my friend a couple of weeks back, I asked him how he is faring in his job search. He said he’s doing fine but his down-trodden look gave more than he’s willing to admit. Since we’ve worked together before, I know that my friend is qualified and he has good work ethics as well. But I also know that my friend has difficulties putting his thoughts into written words. Eager to help him find a job, I asked for his resume, purportedly to give someone I know who is hiring. He anxiously gave me one, knowing that I’m up to something.

When I reached the office, I took time off to read his resume and cover letter. While I found these are not badly written as I first thought, I sensed something familiar with the documents. I immediately browsed some internet sites which offer resume and cover letter formats and guides and to my utter disbelief, both documents were directly lifted from one of the sites. The cover letter, specifically, was lifted word-for-word from one published in the internet.

It dawned on me what my friend’s problem was. Recruiters and HR personnel are adept in scanning from a mile away resumes and application letters that are not originally written by applicants. They are familiar with the guides available in the web and they would know if one is lifted fully or even partially from those guides. Thus, when some HR people got hold of my friend’s cover letter and resume, these are at once filed away and forgotten, or worse, thrown directly to the trash bin. The reason therefore why my friend can’t find a job is not because he’s not qualified but because recruiters don’t like the documents he sent them.

I thus got on my computer and re-wrote his resume and application letter, supplying some of the necessary information from memory. I reorganized his resume to highlight his work experiences, skills in computers and his education. I made references to these important job-hunting factors in his cover letter. I even removed an entire paragraph which I found irrelevant in his quest to find a job. I emailed the re-written documents, with a nice message of encouragement. But I didn’t tell him what I found out about his resume.

He called me a few days back to tell me that when he started sending out the new resume and cover letter, he made some real headway. He started getting some positive responses. In fact, he told me that he’s scheduled to be interviewed that day in one of his better prospects. I wished him good luck and I told him I never doubted that in time and given the right tools, he would find a job that he deserves.

Discovering Jobs:
Many people do not have good job hunting skills. They are not experts at locating job openings for which they may be qualified. Here are some ideas to help you uncover those jobs.

NEWSPAPER ADS -- usually draw the greatest number of applicants, so you'll end up with a lot of competition. If you have no geographic restrictions, you may want to check out of state newspapers.

Find a way to make your resume stand out so that it isn't lost among the many applicants. Here are a couple of ideas:
(1) Send a customized cover letter with your resume.
(2) Call before you send the resume in. If possible, talk to the person who will be doing the interview or who you'll be working for. If this isn't possible, talk to the personnel director about the job and let them know that your resume is coming. This will help them to remember your name and may help you get through the resume screening process.

PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES -- these are agencies that try to match employees and employers. These agencies vary in the way they work. Some can be very helpful. Others are somewhat unscrupulous.

Your best chance is to go with an agency that specializes in your field. Beware of agencies that continually run the same ad because, often, they are just trying to build a list of candidates. I recommend that you only use agencies that don't require you to pay a fee.

TRADE JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS -- Are often the best places to look. This is one of the primary means of job advertisement for some types of professions. Example: The magazine Environmental Science continually carries ads for environmental professionals.

Other good places to look include: trade shows and professional conventions, personnel offices, college placement offices, friends you have who are in the same profession as you. Another method is to simply go through the yellow pages and look for companies which may need a person with your skills. Then contact these companies by phone and follow-up by sending in your resume.

Job seeking is a skill that requires persistence. You must not become discouraged. Keep making plenty of contacts. Sooner or later, you'll find the job that's right for you.