Explore Careers Across Algeria on these Virtual Tours
Want to learn what it’s like to sell cars, lead a marketing team, or build a residential development? In this second installment of World Learning’s virtual reality career tour series, we head to Algeria to explore what working life is like for professionals across the country.
Through these self-guided virtual tours, you’ll step onto the floor of a Renault showroom in Setif, pull up a chair at a marketing team meeting in Algiers, and study the blueprint for a residential site in Tizi Ouzou. You’ll learn how these three professionals built their careers, the challenges they face, and the skills they need to do their jobs well — many of which they learned by participating in training courses at career development centers sponsored by the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative and World Learning.
These tours can be viewed on any ordinary smartphone or laptop — no special equipment is required. For a fully immersive experience, drop your phone into an inexpensive VR viewer (like the Google Cardboard viewer) and explore the scene just by turning your head!
Career Expedition: Car Salesman
First, step onto the floor of a Renault car showroom in Setif for a day in the life of car salesman Mohamed Taguia, who studied management and marketing at the MBI School Setif. Follow along as he discusses payment options with a client, then brainstorms marketing strategies with his colleagues. Taguia says he was always shy and never imagined he would one day have a job that requires talking with customers all day. He credits the soft skills courses at the MBI School Setif’s career development center — supported by the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative and World Learning — with helping him overcome that challenge.
Career Expedition: Marketing Manager
Next, meet Sherina Rahim, a Peruvian-American entrepreneur who is currently the director of marketing and communication for Ardis Mall in Algeria. Discover the benefits of an open-plan workspace with a visit to Rahim’s office in Algiers, where you’ll see the marketing plans for the mall’s two locations on the walls and join the marketing and communications team as they discuss plans to remodel the cosmetics section of the mall. Learn how the marketing team approaches branding, social media, and advertising, then follow Rahim to the sales floor to learn about its organization and sales strategy. You’ll also glean insight into how Rahim opened her own nail salon inside the mall when you visit the Nash Nail Bar Express.
Rahim also served as a mentor under World Learning’s Maharat Mentorship Program (sponsored by the U.S. Embassy Algiers), in which she advised young Algerian women as they launched their own careers, including by following her footsteps into the world of entrepreneurship.
Career Expedition: Architect
Finally, join architect Farida Chaalal as she checks on the progress of a residential project overlooking Tizi Ouzou, one of the largest cities in Algeria. Chaalal specializes in civil engineering, meaning she focuses on the structural integrity of buildings. Learn about all the things she needs to take into account — like verifying that a window is level — as she develops the plan for the site. Then follow Chaalal back to her office, where she writes a report about the development and discusses new projects with her coworkers.
Chaalal says she was able to find a job in architecture consulting with help from the career center at the INSC Tizi Ouzou training institute. Supported by the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative and World Learning, the career center offered her valuable trainings in soft skills, job search strategies, and interview preparation.
