Work hard, play hard in the UAE

Welcome to a world where job-hopping, careers that don't require a degree, and a video CV is commonplace - create the job you want to do everyday, today Welcome to a world where job-hopping, careers that don't require a degree, and a video CV is commonplace - create the job you want to do everyday.

The ever-changing job market sees different sectors pick up at different points of time in the year. Unconventional positions are introduced - Khaleej Times has its own Happiness Editor, for instance. Recently, the UAE has appointed a Minister for Artificial Intelligence - a first globally.
A global listing of the most-in-demand roles this year includes a software developer, dentist, orthodontist, and statistician, and recent reports also indicate that robots will soon take over 800 million jobs globally by the year 2030. With so many options, you can take your pick from conventional job profiles to myriad offbeat careers simultaneously - fancy making big bucks through museum studies, radio, gardening or gaming?
With creative options like theatre, art, vlogging, blogging, filmmaking, make up, and sports, you could find yourself combining your passion with a profession. The UAE is home to plenty of kidpreneurs who are giving us big helpings of #inspo. Their platform could be a bake sale at school or a competition that allows them to hone their entrepreneurial skills. "My life revolves around YouTube. This year will be spent in strengthening ing my channel, SquaisHD. I've already planned some amazing videos that I'm certain will go viral," says Owais Ahli, a teen vlogger, who has begun treading on this career path quite early.
Find your inspiration in UAE's successful start- up stories, and perhaps chalk out your start-up plan. The UAE is also geared up for a future with a multitude of roles that don't require a degree and that don't fall under any conventional category. Resumes have undergone makeovers with brevity as the key criterion. Graphic heavy templates and video CVs are increasingly replacing the stack of resumes that sit on a desk. The verbiage you choose to dress up your CV is of utmost importance - apparently, some of the overused buzzwords are 'experienced', 'specialised', 'passionate', 'skilled', 'leadership', 'motivated', and 'creative'.
A 2016 US-based LinkedIn survey indicated that millennials are 'job hoppers', and that job-hopping is more common in industries such as media and education as opposed to oil and energy, manufacturing, and transport. As such, it is your skills that drive your next job rather than a fixed job profile. Whatever it is that you choose to do - for life or simply the next four years - the UAE is the place to experiment and build upon your skills.

Find your ultimate calling in a sport

Be it an inspirational dialogue from a sports movie or a real-life situation that you hold on to for inspiration, you can totally make a career out of a sport. Sabah Rikabi is a hotel management student, who finds himself drawn towards racing and karting. "I worked for two years in real estate. Apart from that, I've trained with Real Madrid academy in Dubai some years ago, and I've also honed my entrepreneurial skills at the Young Entrepreneurs Competition in the past. My ultimate dream is to become a successful hotel manager, and simultaneously, a well-known motor sports driver," he says.
The benefit of exploring a sports option is the personality development and skills acquisi- tion that happen as a byproduct. According to Preeti Hemant Kambli, mother to sports- oriented teen children, Tanishqa (a celebrated and multi-award winning athlete) and Hemant (a cricket prodigy), the inclusion of sports in her children's daily lives has had a positive impact on them. "With everything on their plates, raising them to love sports has ensured that they have the mental toughness to handle pressure," she says. Dina Al-Amudi's pre-teens are taking their big steps into sports while still young. "Joining a sports club in Dubai is surely expensive, but we can change our way of thinking and treat sports as an investment into our children's future," she says.
So, whether sports becomes a career or not, it definitely helps in developing a network that can lead to your next job - while having fun and staying fit.

Jobs that don't require a degree

While higher education seems to have become a must for everyone, not all well-paying jobs require you to have a four-year degree. you can also use your creative skills, and pursue a certificate or short diploma course for a satisfying career in the future. everyone wants a good website to boost their business, so why not learn how to develop one. Web designing involves using digital media, images, texts, and interactive elements to support and produce a page that is visible on a browser. courses start at dh400 and depending on what's offered, they can go up to Dh9555.
With the UAE being the fashion hub of the Middle East, there are plenty of avenues for a fashion stylist. think magazine shoots, personal stylist or working with top fashion labels. When you're done with school, you can explore a three- month course on fashion styling from the London College of Style, Dubai Knowledge Park. If fashion is your forte, you'll surely go places.

French makeup and hairstyling school Makeup Atelier Paris, Millennium Plaza Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, is where you can learn anything from basic to creative level courses. you could start your future career by freelancing with advertis- ing agencies and magazines for some good moolah.
As people are getting more fitness conscious, many opt for personal trainers. BFIT Fitness academy, Dubai and Impact Training BTS, Abu Dhabi have some fantastic instructor courses if you see yourself in this field in the future.
If events excite you, you can learn to manage high profile events in the city by joining certificate courses from International Institute of Event Management that are available online.
(Inputs from Nasrin Modak Siddiqui)

 

You can start young

Whether you're just beginning your career or looking to do something different, offer your services as a consultant in your industry of interest - it's a great way to build your entrepreneurial portfolio.
Go electronic
A great barter is your time for someone's money. you can offer
to scan someone's documents and pictures for what is pocket change to them. but, remember you're an entrepreneur. So, dream a little bigger! offer your services to an office or ask your 'clients' for a referral in exchange for a discount from you.
Social media for busy professionals
Simple things you do online everyday are research topics for big firms. As a start, offer to teach someone how to use social media and then set your sights higher. Propose to manage the social media accounts of companies that inspire you.
Do what you love
...and never work a day in your life. sounds familiar? Try it! Design jewel- lery, bake cupcakes, write codes, tinker with drones, click pictures, and pretty much take notice of what you enjoy doing. build your portfolio, find a way to sell your creations online or in your community, and become the expert in your field.

Weekend events
if you love talking to people, enjoy planning a day out with your friends, and notice the little details at an event, you have all the makings of an event manager. We're not suggesting a mere birthday party; pick a niche like gaming, weddings, theatre or even a whole travel plan.
Start small
Take small steps towards your big dream. this is the mantra teen karting racer Mateo Moussaoui follows as well. "When I have some free time, I wash cars in my compound, to get some pocket money. i have been doing this for seven years now. I know a lot of really nice people in my compound and I love doing anything to do with cars," he says.
Are you the next Elon Musk?

 

A virtual counsellor

YouTube is like quicksand - you start with watching a viral video and end up on your favourite YouTuber's channel or someplace completely unknown - and suddenly that five-minute break has turned into seven hours you cannot trace. While you're at it, how about picking up skills that equip you for a whole new career?
Yoga Instructor
DoYogaWithMe has it all - beginner's poses, sun salutations, and even 14-day challenges. If you get pulled in, you may just come out ready to teach yoga for life.
Documentary Film Maker
The British Film Institute's YouTube channel is a great place to explore this career option. There is original film-making content and a gigantic movie archive to get the feel for this field. They also support independent film-makers with funding.
French Guide or Teacher
Take a virtual tour of Paris with Mark and Pierre-Benoit and learn French grammar in a fun way. The Radio Lingua channel will soon be your buddy as you work towards a 2in1 career - teach French or be a travel guide.
Auto Repair
ExpertEricTheCarGuy has a channel full of videos that help you understand cars like never before. You can help out with their car troubles and soon be the neighbourhood expert.
Spoken Word Artist
Vancouver Poetry Slam is a great place for inspiration. Explore the world of the spoken word, and when you're ready to say your piece, Dubai is full of poetry slam nights.
"YouTube is a great way to get popular and also build a network. However, like every other job, it can get stressful because you'll have competitors that can put you under pressure. Keeping at it though, and being a professional YouTuber could actually help you convert your hobbies into a career," says Joslin Gracias, student counselor, University of Wollongong in Dubai. Bonus Tip: Check out the lip-syncing app, Musical.ly. Turn into a 'muser'.

With a cab a call away, a holiday a click away, and a new dress a button away, it's easy to shift from one brand to another within the blink of an eye. As such, start-ups often find themselves battling corporate giants in a very competitive arena. The region is home to start-ups aplenty; these are some interesting stories of UAE-based start-ups that proved that they are here to stay.
Careem - Magnus Olsson and Mudassir Sheikha
Careem (a chauffered cab service on a car booking app) happened when two former McKinsey con-sultants decided that they wanted to do something meaningful. As consultants, their former roles demanded an exhausting commute. Careem (Arabic for generous) came about when they realised that there was no efficient way to get from one point to another.
HolidayMe - Geet Bhalla and Digvijay Pratap
Theirs is a story straight out of a movie. Two friends and travel enthusiasts chalked the concept of HolidayMe after mutually agreeing that booking a holiday online can make the holiday drab and cumbersome. They began humbly as a team of five working out of a small room in a house.
Fetchr - Idriss Al Rifai and Joy Ajlouny
This prompt and accurate delivery service is the result of an unexpected meeting between the co-founders. Together, they identified problems of a lack of clear postal codes, addresses, and post boxes.
Mumzworld - Mona Ataya
After stepping into motherhood, Mona noticed that there weren't any convenient options for mothers to buy products for their children. Today, the bilingual online market-place boasts of 1,00,000 products, and keeps kids and mums across the UAE happy.
Sugaholic - Sneha and Ravisha Bhatia
It is a popular bakeshop today, but apparently, Sugaholic first started as a stall to help fund education for a child in India.

When #fam supports

Pursuing a passion needs will power, vision, and perseverance for sure. However, for all the tough times between milestones, a generous support system becomes invaluable. "Originally, my parents had no idea about the world of eSports and gaming, and so never took it seriously until I explained to them how big the professional gaming scene is actually. My friends who play games for leisure think that it's cool that I'm pursuing gaming, and trying to make a job out of a hobby. Some other friends from my social circles didn't really understand what I do, and some even labelled it as a waste of time. But, once I put it in perspective for them, they were awe-struck by the vastness of the world of eSports," says Bradley Ismail, a Dubai-based teen gamer, who has earned around Dh83,500 (as of last year) from coaching other gamers.Award winning DJ Karan Bhatia, who plays at popular clubs in the UAE, saw his journey take off when his parents first enrolled him in piano classes. "I have been blessed with the most supportive parents. Right before I was to move to the US for university, I won a DJ competition. It gave way to a stint at one of the most popular radio stations in the UAE. This, of course, meant that I had to forgo my plans of heading to the US. My parents' advice was that I pursue my education first. They felt that since music is what I love, I will eventually follow my passion," he says.

Turning a hobby into a career

When does the line between a hobby and a career become blurred? "I know of students who have made big bucks by nurturing a passion alongside their regular day jobs. A full time professional photographer today, I've seen a student merge his graphic design day job with his passion for photography. He earned monetary success through both. A 21-year-old I know dabbles between food and accounting as a food blogger with 4.4K followers on Instagram and as an ACR Tax intern at Ernst & Young Dubai," says Saira Ranj, educator, NLP coach, and artist."My school in Mumbai played a major role in instilling love for music in me. My music teacher found out that I could sing and got me to join the choir. Soon after, I started training formally. I visited Himesh Resham-miya's studio once and he told me that I had a voice for playback. I went to his studio for six months to gain experience," says teen singer Dhvani Bhanushali, who took her love for sing-ing a notch higher with her Bollywood debut Ishtehaar, alongside music maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

When creativity pays well

There's no age limit on trying your hand at something you enjoy doing and turning it into a career, nor is there a time limit on how many years you devote to it. People often find themselves leaning towards a career that allows them to embrace their creative side, take centrestage, face an audience, and stand in front of a mic. Jordan Watton, 16, is interested in the performing arts. "My free time activities are all tailored towards this. I take drama lessons and I am working towards a Lamda grading. I take the lessons each week, which have provided me with the skills to undertake numerous theatrical opportunities in Dubai and the UK. Besides, the lessons help me gain confidence and improve my acting skills. Finally, singing lessons help with my vocal range and assist with performing as well," Jordan says. Camila Comerlato, 14, believes her acting will "take her where it goes, just like a paintbrush". She says, "I attend musical theatre classes that teach dancing, singing and acting. I also had a vocal coach from New York who would Skype with me for lessons. My advice to anyone my age who is drawn into a similar career is: train, work hard, do your best, and if your best isn't enough, go back and work even harder.and then try again. Get involved with what you love to do and search for opportunities and open doors."

"I strongly believe that YouTube can help build a platform for a solid career. In today's digital world, it provides a good medium to showcase oneself. On YouTube, you get to be your own boss and can set your own goals and targets."
Joslin Gracias, student counsellor, University of Wollongong, Dubai
"When students nurture their passions alongside a regular day job, it gives them a sense of security and discipline. It gets them to think about diverse fields, situations, and how they interact with each other well."
Saira Ranj, educator, NLP coach, and artist
letters@khaleejtimes.com 

• wknd