Stereotyping Jobs In Lebanon And The Middle East
Today, I read an interesting article on NBC News stating that Italy is in shortage of 6,000 pizza makers! My first reaction was a laugh because I always associate Italy with pizza and pasta, so it didn't make sense to me. But as I read along, my laughter turned to sadness...According to testimonials from Italians, being a pizza maker is a humiliating job because it is considered as manual labor! Sadly, this is the world we have come to, where a job that requires physical effort is no longer good enough, especially in Lebanon and the Middle East.
As a professional living in Lebanon, I see the same stereotypes when it comes to manual jobs. It starts with our parents. They want us to go to the best colleges and become doctors, engineers or lawyers. It's unfortunate that our society really hasn't evolved past those three job titles. Even today, in the year 2013, many jobs outside of those mentioned are perceived as inferior in terms of social status and income. In most cases, young adults in Lebanon and the Middle East are forced to study a topic they don't love and work a job they hate just to please those around them. The result is a lackluster effort that transpires into a subpar career, not to mention the miserable lives those people end up living.
Everyone is complaining about the economic crisis and that there are few job opportunities. Did you ever hear your plumber complaining about the economy? What about your car mechanic? Well that's because manual labor jobs are only slightly affected by economic downturns. Think about it, if your car stops working, you have to go to a mechanic. If a pipe breaks in your house, you have to call a plumber. There's nothing wrong with working with your hands. It's really funny that our culture in Lebanon still maintains these stereotypes given the proof around us.
My car mechanic , who is the best mechanic I have ever worked with, owns a major garage and employs five mechanics working full-time. He also own three houses and has enrolled his two kids in private schools. The window cleaner that visits our office charges $23/hour for the job. He also cleans the windows of most of the offices and stores in our area. You need to book an appointment one week ahead with this guy, but he's the best. There's also one common thing I've noticed about my car mechanic and window cleaner, they love their job and do it with passion. They're so passionate about it that they pay attention to minor details that no one else notices. That's because they enjoy every second of it. Lebanon and the Middle East, in addition to many other countries, now rely on foreign labor to work these manual jobs. Economically speaking, no wonder unemployment rates are at an all time high! If people refuse to work any job that requires them to step out of the office, then I'm not surprised they can't find work.
That brings me to the second problem: Our attitude as a society towards any job that requires any physical effort. As a recruiter, I see this mostly when interviewing for sales jobs. You can't even imagine the number of job seekers that turn down sales jobs because the job requires them to visit clients! Any person with an ounce of intelligence knows that customer contact is a key part of sales. The worst part is that those same people that turn down these jobs are the same ones whining that there are no job openings in the market!
The point I would like to get across is this: If you love the job, go after it. It's really that simple. We all want to wear suits and ties and go to a top university, but the truth is that life is not for all of us. Not everyone enjoys a job at the office sitting in front of the computer all day. Always keep in mind that no matter what your job is, it is respectable and you should feel proud because you are earning your living in an honest way.
Finally, please stop complaining about the lack of jobs. At Jobalist.com alone, we currently have more than 300 jobs vacancies in Lebanon, but you have to be willing to put an effort if you want to succeed.
As a professional living in Lebanon, I see the same stereotypes when it comes to manual jobs. It starts with our parents. They want us to go to the best colleges and become doctors, engineers or lawyers. It's unfortunate that our society really hasn't evolved past those three job titles. Even today, in the year 2013, many jobs outside of those mentioned are perceived as inferior in terms of social status and income. In most cases, young adults in Lebanon and the Middle East are forced to study a topic they don't love and work a job they hate just to please those around them. The result is a lackluster effort that transpires into a subpar career, not to mention the miserable lives those people end up living.
Everyone is complaining about the economic crisis and that there are few job opportunities. Did you ever hear your plumber complaining about the economy? What about your car mechanic? Well that's because manual labor jobs are only slightly affected by economic downturns. Think about it, if your car stops working, you have to go to a mechanic. If a pipe breaks in your house, you have to call a plumber. There's nothing wrong with working with your hands. It's really funny that our culture in Lebanon still maintains these stereotypes given the proof around us.
My car mechanic , who is the best mechanic I have ever worked with, owns a major garage and employs five mechanics working full-time. He also own three houses and has enrolled his two kids in private schools. The window cleaner that visits our office charges $23/hour for the job. He also cleans the windows of most of the offices and stores in our area. You need to book an appointment one week ahead with this guy, but he's the best. There's also one common thing I've noticed about my car mechanic and window cleaner, they love their job and do it with passion. They're so passionate about it that they pay attention to minor details that no one else notices. That's because they enjoy every second of it. Lebanon and the Middle East, in addition to many other countries, now rely on foreign labor to work these manual jobs. Economically speaking, no wonder unemployment rates are at an all time high! If people refuse to work any job that requires them to step out of the office, then I'm not surprised they can't find work.
That brings me to the second problem: Our attitude as a society towards any job that requires any physical effort. As a recruiter, I see this mostly when interviewing for sales jobs. You can't even imagine the number of job seekers that turn down sales jobs because the job requires them to visit clients! Any person with an ounce of intelligence knows that customer contact is a key part of sales. The worst part is that those same people that turn down these jobs are the same ones whining that there are no job openings in the market!
The point I would like to get across is this: If you love the job, go after it. It's really that simple. We all want to wear suits and ties and go to a top university, but the truth is that life is not for all of us. Not everyone enjoys a job at the office sitting in front of the computer all day. Always keep in mind that no matter what your job is, it is respectable and you should feel proud because you are earning your living in an honest way.
Finally, please stop complaining about the lack of jobs. At Jobalist.com alone, we currently have more than 300 jobs vacancies in Lebanon, but you have to be willing to put an effort if you want to succeed.
