By Dalal Awienat
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – The global pandemic has changed much of the way media organizations work and hire but individual companies’ cultures remain important to understand when applying for jobs, three media experts concurred during an American University of Sharjah-sponsored online event April 4.
The event featured two graduates of AUS’s Department of Mass Communication: the moderator, Cultural Consultant Maryam Al Debbagh; and panelist Jamal Al Mawed, founder and managing director of Gambit PR and Communications. Al Mawed was joined on the panel by Certified Media Trainer Jessy El Murr, and Ogilvy Regional Director of Content Strategy Joe Lipscombe.
The panelists covered a range of topics. In discussing how new graduates can get jobs, Lipscombe said the hiring model should be changed. He said employers should not focus on experiences and anecdotes but more on skills. Al Mawed agreed and said an individual’s track record is very important, and that even new graduates should be able to show efforts and accomplishment. El Murr urged future media professionals to work on pitching themselves to employers and emphasised the importance of this skill.
Discussing how the pandemic has affected productivity, the panelists cited long-term lessons about remote work, Al Mawed noting that the work-from-home model can assist productivity in the case of a disability or parental leave.
The event, on the first day back from Spring Break, drew about 50 participants, who had the opportunity to ask the panelists questions throughout the session.
The session was organized in partnership between AUS and the Abu Dhabi Festival through the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation within the Young Media Leaders initiative.
