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A new job for Fatima

SUCCESS TRAINING COURSE FOR IMMIGRANTS PRODUCES RESULTS

By PAOLA VAN DE VELDE

AMSTERDAM – Rachida Boukhriss is not that tall. And in the past she preferred to make herself even less conspicuous at meetings. Speaking in public, expressing her opinion during a consultation, the young fundraiser found it very scary. But recently she surpassed herself. At an important meeting about an application for a subsidy from the EU in Brussels, which her employer desperately needed, she deliberately spoke up. “I thought: I did not do the Success training course with Dale Carnegie just for the fun of it. I got up, walked to the front where the board was sitting and told them my story. And guess what? Our application was granted.”

Trainer Marietta Lenz applauds “How you have come along!” she proudly says. “Promise me that from now on you will raise your hand more often at meetings.” Rachida beams and nods yes. And all her fellow students have broad smiles. They enjoy listening to each other’s moments of glory over the past six months.

Six months ago, these twenty highly educated immigrants completed a free, twelve-week course with Dale Carnegie. After an announcement in de Telegraaf [national newspaper] they had been selected by the training institute to learn how to successfully take their next step along their career path. A problem with which many other highly educated persons are of course also confronted, except that these ambitious youngsters also had a culture gap to bridge.

Now they can look back on the past period in which they had to put into practice what they had learnt. And they all agree on one thing: this course, which focuses on reducing stress, developing greater self-confidence, improving social skills and polishing communication skills, certainly produced results.

Take Binh-an Nguyen, who six months ago saw no future in his job as a loading clerk. “I was really down, things did not work out with my colleagues. I did not have much contact with them. During the course, I learnt to listen better to other persons and to be more receptive to them. Now I go to work with a smile again. For this reason my advice is: show a sincere interest in your colleagues, it enriches your life.”

After the applause has died down, Nazat Haddouch, who works as a socio-psychiatric nurse, tells her story. “One of the reasons for registering for this success training course it that despite my ambition, dedication and knowledge my supervisor paid no notice to me”, she explains candidly. “Thanks to Marietta’s advice and counselling, things are different now. You reap what you sow. Since I show a greater interest in other people and appreciate them better, I receive the same in return. In the past few months my boss has already twice asked me to undertake special projects and what’s more she also asked me to take over responsibility for a difficult client, specifically because she appreciates my expertise.”

Fatima El Idrissi even had the nerve, thanks to the course, to resign from her job with which she was no longer content. “Many people said that I was mad to leave my permanent job, especially at this time during the recession, while I had no new job lined up. Think about your house, you really need the money, they said. But I kept believing in a good outcome and I sent off many job applications. Eventually I did succeed. On a Wednesday I said goodbye to my former boss and the following Monday I started with SagEnn as a social activation counsellor. Exactly what I was looking for.” The moral of her story is clear. “Have confidence in yourself, don’t hang your head and follow the opinion of others. “Pursue your dreams, only then will you achieve what your heart truly desires” she advises.

Hoi-Ming Mak, a banker with ING, surveys the group emotionally. “They all gave me so much support”, he admits. “I am really proud of the network I have now. The feedback I received from you has been invaluable. In the past I had difficulty asking other people for help. I have since lost my reticence and have no problem asking others for advice.”

Hans van der Laan, Managing Director of Dale Carnegie Benelux and the initiator of the training course, enjoys all the positive stories the youngsters exchange among each other. “It is beautiful when talent lives up to its promise” he says. “We are most certainly continuing these courses. To ensure that we can assist immigrants even better in the future we have already trained two women from this group, Rachida Boukhriss and Fatima El Idrissi, as trainers.