Going back to the workforce after a long break can be an overwhelming transition. While many women executives might be concerned about the possible negative impact of their resume gap on their candidacy when applying to new jobs, professional development programs are here to support them in accelerating their careers and bridging the gap between where they are and where they want to be.
Sarah Abdelrahman, currently working as the publications manager at Telecom Egypt in the Investor Relations Department, faced this challenge when deciding to take the leap and jump back into her career. She was eager for a strong comeback but had a lot of doubts about not being equipped enough for the new managerial role or have forgotten what she had learned in her undergraduate studies.
Sarah decided to invest in and equip herself with up-to-date knowledge, to prepare for the new role. This is how she found her way to the Management Acceleration Program (MAP) offered by the AUC School of Business Executive Education.
“The Management Acceleration Program was exactly what I needed.”
Designed to address the developmental needs of professionals considering a transition into management, including newly promoted managers and supervisors, the Management Acceleration Program was a perfect fit for Sarah. She found exactly what she was missing in the program's different courses, from marketing and finance essentials to coaching and leadership.
“I took the course right before I started the job. This helped for a smooth transition because it gave me a clear direction about how a manager should lead a team. The course laid the foundation for what kind of manager we should aspire to become.”
MAP allows participants to reinforce their potential and experiment with their strengths and challenges. Through building a foundation of skills and self-awareness, emerging managers come out of this experience with the readiness to instill impact in their organizations.
“Taking this program gave me a much-needed confidence boost. It allowed me to participate and contribute even though I haven’t been in the field for a while. It was also a great refresher, bringing back what I have studied before.”
A multi-dimensional learning experience
“During the program, I kept thinking about the learning outcomes I would have missed if I hadn't enrolled.”
MAP offers a diversified and insightful learning experience where first-time managers get an overview of the most critical management essentials. Through experiential and practical learning, executive education aims at creating thought-provoking experiences.
“One of the most memorable lessons I learned is dealing with teams, colleagues, and customers based on how they are, not how you are.”
Throughout the program, participants learn how to acquire practical management skills, explore the core functions of management in organizations and assess the difference between management and leadership. Participants get a chance to develop essential managerial skills, focusing on problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and innovation.
Sarah highlighted the importance of an interactive and engaging learning environment in how she understood and could relate the course material to her work and apply it to her day-to-day job duties.
“In the first course, the instructor asked us to set a business strategy. Our thoughts were all over the place when we did it for the first time. However, it was like a light-bulb moment when we returned to it again after learning how to do it properly.”
“I would recommend the Management Acceleration Program not just to first-time managers, but also to those who are already managers. The content covers vital knowledge that every manager must have, even if they have been in the job for a while.”
Currently working as a publications manager in one of Egypt’s biggest telecommunication companies, Sarah encourages all women to have confidence, believe in themselves, and always seek empowerment through professional development opportunities.
“I hope this inspires other women who aspire to reach their dreams and goals. I hope all women know that it’s never too late to start. Women have so much to give. Don’t doubt your skills. Learning and professional development courses like MAP will get you where you need to be, so don’t give up.”
This opportunity was made possible through the UN Women 50 percent Scholarship. This scholarship is granted to Egyptian women working in the Egyptian market. Learn more about the scholarship here.
AUC School of Business Executive Education released the first report in a series of activities and discussions that explores Egypt's learning and development (L&D) landscape.
Using insights from 30 organizations in 12 key business sectors in the Egyptian market, the report paints a picture of the current dynamics of the L&D landscape in Egypt from a corporate viewpoint, providing a reference that both providers and corporates can use as an eye-opener on the local market dynamics at large.
AUC School of Business, with its position as a pioneer in university-based executive education, is setting the baseline for future studies in the market through this report.
The research was led by a team of executive education experts from AUC School of Business, who conducted thorough personal structured interviews, and aggregated responses highlighted in this report. In addition, insights from relevant UNICON reports are incorporated for comparison with global trends.
The report explored the key market gaps highlighted by the interviewed sample. The need for establishing a partner-consultant relationship is the most essential, with a weight of 87 percent. A rising need for experiential learning and application-based programs has been identified with a weight of 81 percent.
The report clarifies the necessity of providing the training service with efficient assessment support on all fronts. The report also explores how companies identify their requisite training. The corporate L&D function was reported as the leading trigger eliciting training needs with a weight of 51 percent.
In addition, the report paints a clear picture of how corporations plan their training needs for the year, including training budgeting time and ranges per sector, training provider selection, and training formats.
To showcase the report, an event was held on the AUC New Cairo Campus, where corporate representatives were invited to learn about and explore highlights from the research.
Sherif Kamel, Dean School of Business explained how this report is related to the core of the School’s mission and vision, AUC School of Business Dean Sherif Kamel highlighted that .
“The future of work is related to the future of learning, and both affect each other. This report is another milestone in the journey to help realize two of our main goals; shaping future leaders and disseminating knowledge,” expressed Kamel.
Mohamed Kesseba, senior director of programs at AUC School of Business Executive Education, highlighted the main reason for developing this landscape assessment; why this report came to life.
“I think we can all agree that change has become an absolute constant. To deal with it, we had to look at the market. This report is the first in a series of activities and discussions on what the market needs. With this study, we are painting a picture of what's going on in the L&D landscape,” explained Kesseba.
Mohamed AbdelSalam, executive director of AUC School of Business Executive Education, commented on how this report serves the School as a training provider.
“We always strive to provide best-in-class programs and activities. Taking one-sided decisions when it comes to corporate L&D needs no longer works. One of the reasons this report came to exist is to give us comprehensive knowledge of what the market needs in the L&D landscape,” underlined AbdelSalam.
Through this initiative, AUC School of Business Executive Education establishes itself as a corporate learning and development partner. Not only through providing key insights into the L&D landscape, but also as a training partner that offers a wide range of business solutions. In addition to a broad portfolio of open-enrollment programs, the AUC School of Business Executive Education is equipped with a full-fledged business solutions unit that offers customized training programs, exclusive enrollment for open-enrollment programs, as well as assessment services. The unit works to facilitate, enable, and partner with businesses striving to achieve organizational excellence.
To watch the full launch event; check out the Corporate Learning and Development Landscape in Egypt event recording.
For more details, check out the Corporate Learning and Development Landscape in Egypt full report.
