Five professionals from five different industries share their passion for their work.
Five individuals of different nationalities pursuing five different careers. Living and working in Dubai has been rewarding to them, and they continue to be successful in their chosen fields.
Mustafa Mohammad Hormozi, a UAE national, is Manager of the Al Rumoul branch of Emirates Bank International (EBI). He chose to work in a bank because he believes banking in the UAE is very organised.
"Whatever may be your nationality you can succeed in a bank and reach the topmost position if you work hard. This is one place where we are appreciated for the work we do. Moreover, banking is internationally relevant, as it is basically the same anywhere in the world and is the most important of all financial concerns," he says.
Hormozi joined EBI 15 years ago as a young retail officer and has grown step by step to become the branch manager. He works in the retail lending section of the bank and enjoys interacting with different kinds of people.
"Working here has enhanced my people skills and has also taught me to live a good life. I have cultivated long-term relationships with some of my clients.
"My work is my passion and I continue to enjoy working here. It is my firm belief that all young UAE nationals should study well and aim to succeed in the profession they choose."
Dr Philip John, Consultant Psychiatrist at Child Guidance Medical Centre (CGMC) in Sharjah, has 27 years of experience in child and adult psychiatry.
"To me, psychiatry is the most intellectually stimulating of all specialities in medicine. I have always had this fascination to find out what is happening in people's heads.
"I also took it up because I like getting involved in people's problems, and that is what keeps me going even today. One has to be temperamentally suited to become a psychiatrist and I think I have that temperament.
"I like to help people know themselves better and at the same time educate the rest of the world about why some of us are a little different and need understanding," he says.
Psychiatry is undergoing great changes, and Dr. John, who deals with both adult and paediatric psychiatric problems, has kept up-to-date with the advances in the field.
He has special interest in learning, developmental and behavioural disorders in children and has authored numerous papers and articles on the subject.
From time to time Dr. John conducts workshops and seminars for parents and teachers to make them more aware of the learning problems in children and deal with them in the right manner. He heads a multidisciplinary team at CGMC, which works for the cause of children with learning disorders.
Magda Mohammad is from Egypt and has been teaching at Al Diyafah High School in Dubai for 25 years.
Currently she is Adviser on Education and Ministry Matters at Al Diyafah, but she started her career teaching Arabic in the same school in September 1982. She has grown into her current position and heads a team of 15 Arabic teachers.
Mohammad says, "Even though I don't actively teach now, I help with the methods of teaching Arabic by reading, researching and drawing ideas from my teachers."
Co-workers and the management of Al Diyafah attest to the sincerity that Mohammad has shown to her job. "I believe in being innovative and using new methods of teaching in class and I encourage teachers to make their classes interesting to students of all ages. We need to make an impact on the lives of the students, and when they come out of school they should at least be able to form a few sentences in Arabic. I like my work so much that it has become second nature to me. The school is now part of me just as I'm part of it and I cannot be away from it for long."
Metin Sayer is a personal trainer and holds a second band black belt in martial arts such as Taekwondo and Hapkido. He is from Australia and was an English teacher till 2004. Always interested in martial arts and fitness, he decided to take it up as a profession to have a more flexible career and give time to his family.
Sayer took a course in personal training from the International Sports Science Association (ISSA) based in the US and also did a fitness trainer course as well as specialist martial arts conditioning course. "In the beginning it was a bit lonely working freelance, but my English teaching skills came in handy in communicating to my clients as to how to keep fit and eat right. Now I enjoy working with them and feel happy and rewarded when I can motivate them to take up proper exercise as a way of life. I have informal chats with my clients during and after the exercises. I'm very glad with the way life has turned out for me as a personal trainer. It also keeps me in shape, as I like to practise what I preach," says Sayer.
Placida Maria Corazon O Contreras came from the Philippines to Abu Dhabi in 1990 and started working in Gulf Scientific Corporation (GSC). When the office moved to Jebel Ali in 1993, Contreras also moved, taking up the position of Executive Secretary to the General Manager Nadia Abu Hijleh.
As years passed she took on more responsibilities as personnel assistant and administration support in different sections of the office. She rose to the position of Office Administrator dealing with administration and human resources at GSC in 1999 and continues to be a loyal and significant part of the company.
"Our Managing Director Dr Wahib Afyouni and Nadia Abu Hijleh trained me to work in different capacities, and that gave me the experience to do my job well. I can summarise my role in the office as a support to the employees as well as the management. I enjoy my job even though I face many challenges dealing with so many people from so many different cultures. Every day is a challenge with new problems cropping up, but I like finding solutions and love working here," says Contreras.
