Barbara Leaf, the US ambassador to the UAE, is inviting the UAE to Discover America, a month of events aimed at bringing together “some of the best minds” among Americans and Emiratis in different fields.
The ambassador kicked off the embassy’s programme, now in its third year, at a dinner on Wednesday night at Ray’s Grill in Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.
“It’s one of my favourite nights of the year,” Ms Leaf told assembled guests at the event, launching “a month of building bridges and celebrating partnerships”.
As part of the month, the hotel is hosting a “Taste of America” food promotion that includes a Maine lobster night and a barbecue.
On the business front, the Chamber of Digital Commerce brought its first blockchain trade mission to the Middle East for meetings this week.
In the area of health, there will be a symposium on nutrition, obesity and diabetes at Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dubai October 23-24. In education, there will be 25 US universities at the Najah fair for prospective students at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre October 25-27.
And of course, no Discover America programme would be complete without a bit of Hollywood, so Emmy-winning filmmaker Michael Barnett is in the UAE to screen his documentary The Mars Generation. The screenings are part of the events the embassy has organised to coincide with World Space Week.
- The Mars Generation will be screened on Saturday, October 7, in Umm Al Emarat Park, at 7pm.
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
