Finding a Job: Interview with Naoual Bakry, Operations Director – EFE Morocco
30 March 2015
Read by 2732 persons
"They need a proactive approach to job searching before the end of their training"
La Vie éco: Do young people know how to look for work?
Honestly, not enough. When we generally go to meet young people in schools and universities in March/April, we are surprised by their lack of proactivity. Generally, they wait until the end of the year to start.
When we also ask about their search methods, we generally find that they dedicate little time to it, an average of fifteen minutes a day, and by registering on a few websites or newsletters. This is not enough.
Job hunting today requires using multiple channels efficiently.
Unfortunately, many do not use forums and recruitment fairs, networking; even their applications are not up-to-date... In short, most of them have not learned job search techniques.
How do you position yourself in this context?
We are, in a way, intermediaries between job seekers and companies. The very essence of the foundation is to create a bridge between young people looking for work and the professional world. For example, we have a program called Workplace Success, behavioral training focused on soft skills. We have also implemented the "Mentoring for Success" program. This is a support program for young graduates looking for work, provided by experienced advisors (mentors) who will provide assistance and advice to these young people. Run through the "EFE Alumni Network" club, the mentoring program aims to develop the behavioral skills of young people in the workplace and guide them in their professional orientation. Lasting 12 months, the program mainly includes training sessions that follow a guideline defined by EFE Morocco based on information gathered from the applications of mentors and "mentees." Pairings between mentors and candidates are based on preferences and common areas such as professions, language, and interests, among others. The program encourages regular and ongoing contact between the mentor and the "mentee" based on a specific schedule. We also have other more targeted programs for the sales force or IT.
Do they find jobs quickly after these trainings?
Before looking for a job, we help young people get to know themselves first, to know their strengths and weaknesses, to build a personalized application, to use different channels efficiently…
In the context of integration programs, young people take between 3 and 6 months to find a job. It must also be said that our young people are demanding in terms of position, remuneration, benefits… Otherwise, they would find a job more quickly.
Do you also encourage these young people to highlight extra-curricular activities?
Absolutely, we have set up a program of civic activities aimed at helping young people do volunteer work. Moreover, in all the training offered, we include a civic activity at the end of the course. This can be decisive because, in the eyes of recruiters, human qualities are as important as technical skills. Volunteering is a learning experience that builds the candidate's personality.
Brahim Habriche.
Lavieeco.com
Published March 25, 2015.
Posted online March 30, 2015.
La Vie éco: Do young people know how to look for work?
Honestly, not enough. When we generally go to meet young people in schools and universities in March/April, we are surprised by their lack of proactivity. Generally, they wait until the end of the year to start.
When we also ask about their search methods, we generally find that they dedicate little time to it, an average of fifteen minutes a day, and by registering on a few websites or newsletters. This is not enough.
Job hunting today requires using multiple channels efficiently.
Unfortunately, many do not use forums and recruitment fairs, networking; even their applications are not up-to-date... In short, most of them have not learned job search techniques.
How do you position yourself in this context?
We are, in a way, intermediaries between job seekers and companies. The very essence of the foundation is to create a bridge between young people looking for work and the professional world. For example, we have a program called Workplace Success, behavioral training focused on soft skills. We have also implemented the "Mentoring for Success" program. This is a support program for young graduates looking for work, provided by experienced advisors (mentors) who will provide assistance and advice to these young people. Run through the "EFE Alumni Network" club, the mentoring program aims to develop the behavioral skills of young people in the workplace and guide them in their professional orientation. Lasting 12 months, the program mainly includes training sessions that follow a guideline defined by EFE Morocco based on information gathered from the applications of mentors and "mentees." Pairings between mentors and candidates are based on preferences and common areas such as professions, language, and interests, among others. The program encourages regular and ongoing contact between the mentor and the "mentee" based on a specific schedule. We also have other more targeted programs for the sales force or IT.
Do they find jobs quickly after these trainings?
Before looking for a job, we help young people get to know themselves first, to know their strengths and weaknesses, to build a personalized application, to use different channels efficiently…
In the context of integration programs, young people take between 3 and 6 months to find a job. It must also be said that our young people are demanding in terms of position, remuneration, benefits… Otherwise, they would find a job more quickly.
Do you also encourage these young people to highlight extra-curricular activities?
Absolutely, we have set up a program of civic activities aimed at helping young people do volunteer work. Moreover, in all the training offered, we include a civic activity at the end of the course. This can be decisive because, in the eyes of recruiters, human qualities are as important as technical skills. Volunteering is a learning experience that builds the candidate's personality.
Brahim Habriche.
Lavieeco.com
Published March 25, 2015.
Posted online March 30, 2015.
