Ahmed

Sales Associate

Before his participation in the EFE program, Ahmed was uncertain about his right career path, and had sent his CV to numerous employers in Cairo. Despite his efforts after many interviews, he never heard back from one. The silence from these potential employers only added to his uncertainty. Struggling with his job search yet still determined, Ahmed was scrolling through Facebook one evening as his attention was captured by a story about an Education for Employment Egypt (EFE-Egypt) graduate, sparking some hope in him. Because he had already been dealing with difficult job searches, he had an open mind to whatever path may lead him forward. He knew that while taking a chance on the EFE-Egypt Job Placement Training Program, there would be nothing to lose and much to gain in terms of career skills. During his training process, Ahmed met his trainer, Khaled, and was inspired by his charisma and willingness to share knowledge and communication skills. Because of Khaled’s teachings, Ahmed began to have a clearer idea of what he wanted to do in life and who he would eventually become. He brought this new knowledge into an interview with a previous employer who initially rejected him, and they noticed a shift in his behavior and general manner. Because of this, they offered him a higher position with better pay than the one he had originally wanted. Today, he is a salesperson at Alef Bookstores, one of the leading bookstores in the country. Ahmed is thankful to receive above minimum wage, and he is now saving up to take English courses at the British Council in September. He aims to eventually achieve his goal of becoming a business development consultant, and professionally speaking English is one of the first steps to hitting this target. In the future, he hopes to come back to EFE-Egypt to act as a consultant for one of their many projects. Reflecting on this decision he made today, Ahmed is incredibly thankful he took the pivotal choice to join the program, because it reshaped his outlook on work, ignited a passion for a focused career, and instilled in him a sense of the power of teamwork. EFE-Egypt truly helped him define this dream and take his first steps towards it.