As a Kuwaiti national, I was given the opportunity to be a trainee at Alshaya and gain experience in the HR division. I worked in various HR departments for a year as part of the retail trainee programme that Alshaya conducts. Two years later I was promoted and today I am part of the team that handles the trainee program.

The retail trainee programme held in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is meant for the nationals of these countries – both graduate and otherwise – with good English language skills. A mentor looks after these ambitious recruits and guides them in the work place. Select individuals are then given the opportunity to work in the division of their choice.

Personally, I am always looking to go up the corporate ladder. Having a goal makes you grow and this is something I strongly believe in. I've had many memorable moments at Alshaya, however, one particularly stands out. While still in the retail trainee programme, we got a chance to meet with our chairman Mohammed Alshaya and our CEO Wassim Arabi. That small chat we had with them had a profound effect on me and gave me that much-needed push to go further.