In these slides, I explain the transition/transformation to the professional world. Very useful for fresh graduates. A lot of the contents in the presentation were inspired/taken from the slides of Chetana Mehta.

1. Welcome to the Professional
World
Presented by: Ahmed Misbah
Inspired by: Chetana Mehta

2. Transition Phases in Life
• Home to play school / kinder garden
• Kinder Garden to Primary School
• Primary School to Preparatory School
• Preparatory School to Secondary/High School
• High School to University
• University to the Professional World

3. So you are now “Professionals”!

4. University to the Professional World
• How is this transition different from all others
listed previously?
– There is no uniform
– There is no timetable
– There is no teacher, professor or TA to exercise
any authority on you
– There is no authority practiced by parents

5. But…….
• There are new expectations from you:
– Timely delivery
– High Quality output
– Reliability
– Behavioral aspects
– etc.

6. Also….
• Once you are here, there is no going back!
• This is life-long – almost!
• There are no formal exams to take you to the
next step in life
• Going to the next level is optional
• You are free to be at the same level forever!

7. What can I do?
Convert Transition into Transformation

8. Transition vs. Transformation
• Transition: movement, passage, or change
from one position, state, stage, subject,
concept, etc. to another
• Transformation: change in form, appearance,
nature or character
e.g. Egg > Larva > Caterpillar > Butterfly; inherit
some properties but acquire a lot of new ones

9. So now you want to be
transformed into a professional!

10. Steps required for the transformation
• Understand your organization’s culture
– Office Timings
– Lunch Time Conversations
– Meeting etiquette
– Approaching seniors and managers
Advantages:
– Helps you to understand the core values of the
organization
– Builds rapport, trust and confidence
– Increases individual effectiveness

11. Steps required for the transformation
(cont.)
• Absorb / take input
– Listen
– Observe
– Sense

12. Steps required for the transformation
(cont.)
• Exhibit professional behavior
– Dress:
• Always seek to blend with you surroundings
• Neat, format dress for formal occasions
• Dress to look elegant and smart
– Personal Hygiene
– Body language
– Tone
– Walk
– Posture
– Gestures
– Eye Contact
– Smile

13. Steps required for the transformation
(cont.)
• Keep your lead updated about the status of
your work
• Respond to emails
• Be on time for meetings, calls, and gatherings
• Come up with solutions rather than stating
problems only
• Be reliable
• Give credit to others when required

14. Steps required for the transformation
(cont.)
• Understand your strengths and weaknesses
• Learn to convert problems into opportunity
• Accept constructive criticism
• Develop passion for work
• Status reporting
• Ownership
• Confidentiality
• Integrity / Keeping commitments

15. Steps required for the transformation
(cont.)
• Objectivity
• Positive attitude
• Expectations – setting and meeting
• Admitting faults/mistakes and apologizing
sincerely
• Be humble. Get rid of the ego!

16. Steps required for the transformation
(cont.)
• Be an engineer:
– Inquisitive
– Stating problems vs. finding solutions
– Solutions vs. optimum solutions
– Competitors
– Technological advancement
– Out-of-the box thinking
– Quality
– Understand your contribution to the overall
picture

17. Employee rights/benefits and
Contracts

18. Employee Rights/Benefits
• Legitimate contract written in Arabic and
signed in two copies by employer and
employee
• Social insurance (by signing paper 6)
• Medical insurance (in some companies)
• Monthly salary – basic and variable (in some
companies)
• Profit/Equity Share(s) (in some companies)
• Member of a syndicate

19. Employee Rights/Benefits (cont.)
• Transportation Allowance (in some companies)
• Schooling Allowance (in some companies)
• Vacations (according to labor law)
• Working from home (in some companies)
• Miscellaneous benefits (discounts at shops,
restaurants, hotels, etc.)
• Yearly salary raise
• Training
• Overtime (optional in some companies)

20. Contract Types
From website of UK Government:
• full-time and part-time contracts
• fixed-term contracts
• agency staff
• freelancers, consultants, contractors
• zero hour contracts
All the coming slides are based on UK Law

21. Full/Part time Contracts
As an employer you must give employees:
• a written statement of employment or contract
• the statutory minimum level of paid holiday
• a payslip showing all deductions
• the statutory minimum length of rest breaks
• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
• maternity, paternity and adoption pay and leave

22. Full/Part time Contracts (cont.)
You must also:
• make sure employees don’t work longer than the
maximum allowed
• pay employees at least the minimum wage
• have employer’s liability insurance
• provide a safe and secure working environment
• register with HM Revenue and Customs to deal with
payroll, tax and NICs
• consider flexible working requests
• avoid discrimination in the workplace
• make reasonable adjustments to your business
premises if your employee is disabled

23. Fixed-term Contracts
• last for a certain length of time
• are set in advance
• end when a specific task is completed
• end when a specific event takes place
• Fixed-term employees must receive the same
treatment as full-time permanent staff.

24. Agency Staff
As an employer, you can hire temporary staff
through agencies. This means:
• you pay the agency, including the employee’s
National Insurance contributions (NICs) and
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
• it’s the agency’s responsibility to make sure
workers get their rights under working time
regulations
• after 12 weeks’ continuous employment in the
same role, agency workers get the same terms
and conditions as permanent employees,
including pay, working time, rest periods, night
work, breaks and annual leave

25. Agency Staff (cont.)
• you must provide the agency with information
about the relevant terms and conditions in your
business so that they can ensure the worker gets
equal treatment after 12 weeks in the same job
• you must allow agency workers to use any shared
facilities (e.g. a staff canteen or childcare) and
give them information about job vacancies from
the first day they work there
• you are still responsible for their health and
safety

26. Freelancers, Consultants and
Contractors
If you hire a freelancer, consultant or contractor it
means that:
• they are self-employed or are part of other
companies
• they often look after their own tax and National
Insurance contributions (NICs)
• they might not be entitled to the same rights as
workers, e.g. minimum wage
• you’re still responsible for their health and safety

27. Zero-hour Contracts
• Zero hour contracts are also known as casual contracts.
Zero hour contracts are usually for ‘piece work’ or ‘on
call’ work, e.g. interpreters.
This means:
• they are on call to work when you need them
• you don’t have to give them work
• they don’t have to do work when asked
Zero hour workers are entitled to statutory annual
leave and the National Minimum Wage in the same way
as regular workers.

28. Zero-hour Contracts (cont.)
You can’t do anything to stop a zero hours
worker from getting work elsewhere. The law
says they can ignore a clause in their contract if
it bans them from:
• looking for work
• accepting work from another employer
• You are still responsible for health and
safety of staff on zero hour contracts.