Meet Ilhem: A Shorouq Comeback Program graduate

Ilhem Souahla is a 2019 graduate of Bank al Etihad’s Shorouq Comeback Program.

We set up a call with her to see how she’s been since graduating.

We must admit, it took Ilhem a while to squeeze us into her busy schedule. But we’re not surprised. Ilhem is a mum of 4 and is now a full-time employee!

Ilhem had put her career on hold to raise her children. She didn’t want to walk straight into an office after having them because she didn’t want to miss out on seeing them grow up. Once they were old enough, she was ready to run back!

But there was one issue: Ilhem had a 14-year gap on her resume.

Worried about how this might affect her, she applied for jobs left and right. Still, she barely got any responses, and when she did, it wasn’t good news. Ilhem explained: “I had become unfamiliar with the job market. I didn’t know how to promote myself to employers.”

Some tried to convince her during her journey that it was too late to restart her career. Luckily for those who work with her today, Ilhem didn’t listen! “I had given so much time to others but none to myself,” she shared. “I’m a mum to 4 daughters and wanted to be a role model for my children.”

At this point in our call, Ilhem mentioned how the Shorouq Comeback Program delivered a different message from the one she had been used to hearing. “For once, I was told it was okay to have a career gap and that second chances were possible,” she said.

And Ilhem isn’t wrong. The Shorouq Comeback Program exists precisely to pave the way for women looking to resume their careers after taking voluntary breaks.

When we asked Ilhem how the program impacted her, she answered: “It helped me focus on my strengths and consider why I’m right for the job and not anyone else.”

Something else that stuck with Ilhem is considering what role suits her personality. Once she figured this out, she was taught how to optimise her resume and LinkedIn profile to show this. For example, Ilhem loves to interact with people and make an impact, which explains why today, she’s a customer success manager at Microsoft. We think Ilhem was paying close attention in class!

Ilhem advises other women looking to restart their careers not to be afraid. She adds: “Try your best to make it happen. Remember that you can be a role model to other women and your children through your actions.”

We second what Ilhem said!

According to a study by UN Women, although women in Jordan are more educated than ever, their economic participation in the labour market is at 14%. Childcare and household responsibilities are listed as the main reason for women not continuing in the workforce.

Through Shorouq and especially the Shorouq Comeback Program, we aim to help our community by inspiring women to get back into the workforce. In 2019, 45% of participants of previous cohorts got employed, and 20% opened businesses. This year, we joined forces with like-minded organisations like PwC, Zain, Crown Prince Foundation, BPWA, Amam Ventures, and Hikma to train participants of the Shorouq Comeback Program in their organisations.

If you decided to leave the workforce years ago to focus on something else but want to work again, don’t let anyone stop you. We can’t afford to lose you!

–

Applications for this year are closed. Stay tuned to hear more stories from this year’s graduates.