Career Portfolio

PREPARED BY

Houda Touchen

CAREER PORTFOLIO Fall 2020 A deliverable submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for COM 2301 “Professional Communication” by Dr. A. Agnaou at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco.

Table of Contents

Job ad

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Job Description ………………………………………………………………………………2 Cover letter …………………….…………………………………………………….……..3 Résumé ………………………………………………………………………………..…….5 Letter of Intent …………….………………………………………………………….…….6 Recommendation Letters ….……………………………………………………………….8 Reference Forms

…..………………………………………………………………..……10

Artifacts ……………………………………………………………………………...…….13

Job Ad

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Job Description

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Cover Letter

November 14, 2020

Houda Touchen Bd. Akid Allam, Hay El Falah, Casablanca, Morocco

Magnar Slåtto HR Department Director Kongsberg Satellite Services Prestvannvegen, 38, 9011, Tromsø

Dear Mr. Slåtto,

I’m writing to apply for the Head of Communication department at Kongsberg Satellite Services. I am responding to your advertisement for the job position that appeared in the Indeed website.

Indeed, your company’s values significantly conform to my personal values as well as professional ones. This peculiar position highly interests me given the fact that my major is communication studies. Being a communication student, I am fully aware about the distinct aspects of communication processes and strategies in the workplace, and I can successfully implement organizational plans that will progress the structural component of the company. The position of the head of a department signifies responsibility and working in groups; an element that I can smoothly achieve due to the different group works that I worked on during my academic career. Also, I am minoring in psychology which will definitely help me improve the quality of other workers’ works by ameliorating their mental health aspect and make them more productive.

I delightfully welcome the chance of having virtual meeting with you via Skype or MS Teams in any time that may suit you to further discuss my abilities and competencies that can contribute to the development of your company in a positive manner. My resume has all the relevant experience and information about me. You can reach out to me through my professional email: houdatouchen804@gmail.com or my phone number (212) 762229639. I look forward to knowing more about your company and the possibility of becoming a part of your team.

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Warm regards, Houda Touchen

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Résumé

Houda Touchen Houdatouchen804@gmail.com Phone: (+212) 5 22 70 44 77 Mobile: (+212) 7 62 22 96 39 Education April 2023-

Bachelor’s Degree from Al Alakhawayn University in Ifrane

September 2019

Major in Communication Studies - Minor in Psychology Career GPA of 4.00

June 2019-

High School Diploma Gauss Privé in Casablanca

September 2018

Physics Concentration

Experience January 2020

Customer Support Intern in SACCOM Communication in English with customers

June 2019-

Fundraising organizer for elderly and children associations

June 2017 Skills Leadership/

Work groups in several university classes

Teamwork

Working with other people in fundraising events

Communication

Winning in a high school public speaking contest Several presentations in university classes about current implemented Projects

Language

Arabic (Fluent), French (Fluent), English (Advanced), Turkish (Fluent)

Honors and Achievements President’s list for Spring 2020 50% scholarship at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane

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Letter of Intent

Houda Touchen Bd. Akid Allam, Hay El Falah, Casablanca, Morocco houdatouchen804@gmail.com

November 15, 2020

Magnar Slåtto HR Department Director Kongsberg Satellite Services Prestvannvegen, 38, 9011, Tromsø

Dear Mr. Slåtto, I am writing to express my strong interest in the position of the head of communication department at Kongsberg Satellite Service, as listen on Indeed.com. I have submitted my application with applicable documentation.

I currently hold my Bachelor’s of Communication Studies from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI), having graduated with a GPA of 4.00. While attending AUI, I was interested in the world of space and satellites, that’s why I joined the astronomy club that made me discover the magic of the spatial world. And that encouraged further applying for your company and merging my love for satellites and spacing with my passion of Communication Studies major. I truly believe that passion and devotion can make the person attain the impossible, and those two significant components are my motto as well as the major ethics that I go by in every professional work as well as personal.

Your organization has four core values that you work towards every day including quality, pride, responsibility, and thriving. Therefore, I see that I will be the perfect match and a considerable part of making those values more highlighted on. Personally, quality over quantity signifies the credibility of the company as well as my work. Pride is a value that will definitely come with hard and original work. Responsibility is an important element that shows my self-awareness and my ability to handle hardships and issues. And thriving is considered as a constant goal that I look for and I aspire to make every day of every work I do. Being the head of communication department of your organization will make those values the center of my work and I will definitely try to put them in every communication-based project.

Additionally, given the fact that your company is a multinational organization and requires the element of cultural agility, I eminently consider it as a major point that should be enforced in order to progress. My strong fluency in English will help me communicate with every person and understand their position and their abilities and how they can contribute to the company’s projects. Also, my training of managing a global workplace will be in good use in your company given the different branches of it in distinct parts of the world.

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Given my education, my experience, my communication skills, and interpersonal abilities, I am confident that I am an excellent fit for Kongsberg Satellite Services Company. I look forward to speaking with you more about my qualifications. I shall await to get a favorable response from you soon.

Sincerely, Houda Touchen

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Recommendation Letters

School of Humanities and Social Sciences November 14th, 2020

Monica Festa English Rhetoric Lecturer Office 003, Building 10 AUI University, ext. 2930 m.festa@aui.ma

To Whom It May Concern, It is my pleasure to recommend Houda Touchen for the Head of Communication position at Kongsberg Satellite Services - Oslo. Houda was enrolled in my spring 2020 English Composition class. She was a student with immense capabilities both socially and academically.

Not only did she possess a passion for writing, but she was also well-organized, always on time, actively involved in every class and eager to seek guidance for further improvement. She came to the course with a natural ability to express herself both verbally and in sophisticated, accurate writing. Moreover, she possessed natural leadership abilities which manifested in her courage to guide others, speak out during discussions and do her work well before deadlines. As a result of her dedicated hard work, talent and positive attitude, she achieved one of the highest grades in the class (A).

I am confident that Houda will be a reliable, highly effective and valuable asset to your department. I wish her the best of luck in all her endeavors and sincerely hope she is offered this chance to further develop her skills. If you would like to discuss Houda’s qualifications, academic performance and character in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email.

Sincerely, Monica Festa

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Recommendation Letter for admission AmericanLanguage Centre MOHAMMEDIA, MOROCCO November, 24th 2020

Dear Sir or Madam, I am pleased to recommend Houda Touchen for admission at your prestigious company. Houda has been a student in many of my classes during the past year, so I have learned a great deal about her and her abilities, and I know she would do well if given the opportunity to continue her graduate courses at your university.

Houda’s determination to succeed has led her to excel in my classes. She consistently gets excellent marks on her homework and tests, and she participates in class regularly. Her knowledge of the English language convinced me to ask her to become a leader for her teamwork while working on a specific project—a challenge that she met with great success. Her classmates significantly showed a great satisfaction and pleasure working with her.

Compared to the other students in class, Houda’s grades have always been at the top. This has led other students in her classes to ask her for help if they do not understand a lesson. Despite her busy schedule, Houda always balances her time, so she can help anyone who needs assistance with the lessons.

During the past year I’ve known her, Houda has worked to greatly improve her own confidence in her abilities. This improvement is what made her agree to help other individuals. When students in her own classes began asking her for assistance, her confidence truly began to soar, and it only continues to improve.

Due to her knowledge and great aptitude for learning, Houda would be an excellent applicant, and I have no doubts that her abilities and determination will continue to grow.

Sincerely, Mr. Khizani Noureddine Professor at the American Language Centre Casablanca/Mohammedia Senior Advisor

Contact info: Cell phone +212 0675035349 Professional e-mail: n.noureddine@alcmohammedia.com Personal e-mail : khizani.noureddine@gmail.com

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Reference Form 1 TO THE APPLICANT: After you have completed the boxes below, please hand over a hard copy of this form to whomever you think can attest to your skills, qualities and competencies. Pass this form to your referee and ask for a non-confidential reference to be returned to you. Then, scan the filled and signed form and use it in your career portfolio.

FULL NAME: Houda Touchen

GRADUATION YEAR: 2022-2023

MAJOR: Communication Studies

MINOR: Psychology

TO THE REFEREE: Please fill in the referee information below and proceed to complete parts 1 and 2 of the reference form to be used in the applicant’s career portfolio. You may also, if you wish, refuse to fill out this form if you think you are not in a position to attest to any of his/her skills and qualities. If you choose this option, please advise accordingly.

NAME OF REFEREE: Ahmed Zerhouni ORGANIZATION/INSTITUTION: Gauss Prive POSITION HELD: English Professor

DATE: 16/11/2020

SIGNATURE: If referee is outside AUI, please provide contact information.

Part 1: She was my student in one of my English courses I have known Houda for 4 years How well do you know the applicant’s academic/professional work? Houda was a hard working student and is really passionate what she does particularly English language. She always scored the best grades How is the applicant known to you?

How long have you known the applicant?

Part 2: Please fill in with a  or  in the box that best describes the applicant regarding the following qualities in comparison with other students/employees.

Competency Excellent Analytical skills Communication skills Writing skills Presentational skills Motivation and diligence Emotional maturity Adaptability to new environments Leadership skills

Good

       

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Average

Below Average

Not able to provide assessment

ďƒźď€

Compatibility with other people

Thank you for agreeing and taking the time to write a reference for the above applicant.

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Houda Touchen Professor Khalid Sendide CHE 1400 02 23 April 2020 Negative Aspects of Contemporary Chemistry Over the centuries, different prospects of nature have been facing significant changes on various levels. Everything is working on its own pace with its own components, which contribute to the big puzzle of this landscape. Take, for example, chemistry that had been witnessing several thorough studies to understand it better and to know how to serve the humanity in a positive way, which lead to categorize it to distinct parts that include nuclear chemistry, organic chemistry, and polymer chemistry. Nevertheless, with all the current modern times, these recognizable types have been affected in a way that started harming humanity. Contemporary chemistry has witnessed assorted advancements, but unfortunately, it is not always in a good sustainable path. This paper will specifically focus on the different aspects of the three mentioned parts that clearly show the non-sustainable side of contemporary chemistry. The leading-edge chemistry is disserving the world through numerous ways that can be classified into nuclear chemistry, organic chemistry, and polymer chemistry.

The first major element that evidently manifests the negative part of contemporary chemistry is nuclear chemistry. This specific sub-field chemistry consists of the conception of radioactivity, as well as the interrelated composition of the nuclei of atoms which explains the true form of all the elements that exist nowadays. Moreover, the atomic nucleus is the centered component of this peculiar chemistry. The purpose of nuclear chemistry is discovering the

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micro-structure of elements and the followed pattern that contributes to their efficiency. Nuclear chemistry highly helped scientists understand different prospects of radioactivity that imparted to the current accomplishments in medicine and science. Nonetheless, the radiation section of nuclear chemistry is considered as a controversial topic that shows several harmful effects.

Firstly, given the fact that it can turn electrons into ions from atoms and molecules, ionizing radiation is a dangerous transformation that can highly harm living tissue. According to an article from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, exposure to ionizing radiation may definitely impact molecules and cells on a real negative level. Various types of cancer such as Leukemia, lung carcinoma, breast carcinoma, and thyroid carcinoma are presumably the kinds of cancer that people may get diagnosed with after getting exposed to a significant amount of radiation, notably Iodine-131 and Cesium-137. Natural radiation from cosmic rays and terrestrial radioactivity are less harmful than artificial one from neutrons and alpha particles (Goldman).

With all that said, no one can predict the damage that radiation can do without knowing the radiation’s source’s location and its particular penetrating power. For instance, gamma rays are recognized as the extreme dangerous radiation for their fast penetrating capacity fathoming the tissue, following it beta particles and then alpha particles (Figure1). This categorization is applicable when the radioactive element is external, but actually, it is quite reversible when the radioactive source is inside the body. The apparent difference between these distinct sources clearly indicates their danger on the environment and human beings. Any leak or misusing of these points of supply can lead to real deadly consequences. Finally, the uncovering of nuclear fission and nuclear chain reaction revealed another good discovery for the humanity, yet it has certain negative impact on the environment’s sustainability. The nuclear reaction of fission involves the subdivision of heavy nuclei into smaller atomic nucleus (figure 2). This notion gave

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birth to several projects that started developing the idea of nuclear bombs, such as the Manhattan Project. The American project was divided into four groups including working on sustainable chain reaction, enriching the element Uranium by a fission reaction, assembling another fissionable isotope which is Plutonium-239, and finally fabricating a nuclear-fission-based bomb.

This American-based research was the beginning of the chapter of nuclear weapons, which produced two major nuclear bombs and experimented them in Japan. The first atomic bomb was called “Thin Man” (figure 3) that was developed using Plutonium, whereas the other one was developed utilizing Uranium “Little Boy” (figure 4). Thin Man and Little Boy were respectively detonated on the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which obliterated both cities and more and left behind more than 100.000 of casualties as a huge air blast. As stated in the book Effects of Nuclear Earth-Penetrator and Other Weapons, the shock wave of nuclear explosions harm human beings by hurling them or fracturing their bones or lungs causing severe injuries or immediate death. Also, in some cases, it may happen what is named as thermal radiation that can generate extensive firestorms that burn skin over large areas as well as wide surroundings.

Moreover, when a nuclear explosion occurs, its consequences are not only the instantaneous ones but also others that still come in a long term. In other words, the fallout radiation is what remains of the explosion in soil and different parts of the planet, which still bring in the same negative impact as the first effects of the explosion named also as radioactive waste (National Research Council).

The real problem with nuclear power truly resides in its nuclear reactions; one change and everything can become a massive catastrophe or a new good discovery. Environment has its own share of the negative impact of nuclear power. Furthermore, nuclear power plants influenced their actual significance in several accidents, such as the Chernobyl disaster (figure 5). The

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Ukraine-based tragedy is considered as the worst nuclear accident in history for its gigantic radioactive dynamism that spread to other European countries transmitting serious quantities of Cesium and Strontium all over their areas (Wikipedia). As the famous physician Albert Einstein said “The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything except our thinking. Thus, we are drifting toward catastrophe beyond conception. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive� (Goodreads). As long as researches and studies continue without the knowledge of the great conceptions and the valid structure of each part, uncompromising calamities will continue to happen leaving behind it multiple casualties of human beings and lots of destroyed buildings and businesses. Overtime, a lot of scientists were proposing the idea of nuclear energy as an alternative for CO 2-prosucing plants. Nevertheless, the main issue is the total confirmation that nuclear power is a good clean source for energy, which is absolutely not the case. For instance, as claimed by Sciencing in an article How Does Nuclear Energy Affect the Environment, the usage of Uranium in nuclear power plants as the centered fuel liberates significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the environment, which is not the best way to protect it. Also, after the operation, the resulted radioactive waste still releases carbon dioxide emissions, which means the utilization of Uranium is a good source, but not a clean one. Another aspect of the negative impact of nuclear power on the environment relates to the aqueous side. Most nuclear power plants overheat during their toil, which requires the need of cooling them down. Therefore, here comes the job of the cooling water systems. The substantial impression that impacts the conservation of the environment is what they use to cool down the nuclear plants. In other words, cooling water systems use water from ocean or river source to achieve the task, but they do it pulling it with all the different elements that the sea contains including fish, so fish may get captured and killed during the process. The other big

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issue is the returned warm water to the source. The water is approximately 25 degrees warmer, which may kill some species and fish and create an unbalanced environment in the water (Kivi).

Another principal component, which got negatively influenced by contemporary chemistry, relates to organic chemistry. Over the years, organic chemistry authenticated disparate adjustments due to the change in the exploratory data. Those different changes created various definitions for organic chemistry, but the most definite one is pertained to the element of carbon.

Now, every carbon contained compound exists is categorized among organic compounds, which opens the door to more experimentations and organic findings. Starting with Bisphenol A, the right description of this element is that it is simply composed of phenol and propanone (figure 6).

This peculiar substance is located everywhere nowadays. Manufactured products such as medical products, bottles and electronics devices contain this substance. According to an article, there is 3.6 million tons of BPA yearly used in the manufacturing industry (Chauhan 284). The biggest danger that might BPA does mostly lies in its intervention with the body’s hormones. They can easily disrupt the function of hormones by reducing sexual desire or facing ejaculation issues and result in attention deficit disorder. Also, the possibility of getting diagnosed with cancer highly increases with the excessive exposure to Bisphenol A. In addition to that, there is another dangerous substance called phthalates (figure 7). From households to personal-care, this widespread element can be located in some cleaning products such as detergents, food products, shower curtains, food containers, as well as make up and skincare items including perfumes, moisturizers, and even nail polishes. Concerning manufacturing, they can also be found in pharmaceutical pills, engine oils, emulsifying agents, along with modern electronics. Given the fact that phthalates subsists in many daily-used items, the risk is enormously escalated. For example, the usage of makeup products containing phthalates puts both genders at high danger

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due to the significant exposure to it. Cancer may be as one of the consequences of this exposure, especially breast cancer. However, it is proved that men and children are the most individuals who may get negatively affected by this formed substance. Regrettably, environment has its own share of the harmful effects of phthalates. Due to the no covalent bond between plastic and phthalates, this substance is freely released in air as a result of the plastic’s venerability or its break down. The dispensation may cause environmental contamination or draining, adding to affecting other elements of nature, too. Liquefied Petroleum Gas is an additional substance that is considered as a crucial part of contemporary chemistry affecting the environment in a nonsustainable way. Actually, LPG is mainly used as a source of fuel in homes, automobiles, factories, and industries. Liquefied Petroleum Gas is acknowledged as a hazardous compound due to its composition of H2O and CO2, which causes some breathing problems, particularly in a closed area. The low level of O2 lead to the burn of propane generating the appearance of carbon monoxide CO that is really toxic to human beings. It can be clearly explained to hemoglobin to 200 times more leaning than oxygen. The more the rate of CO is increasing in the hemoglobin, the more the person feels drowsy and loses consciousness eventually. No one can talk about hazardous substances without mentioning volatile organic compounds. These easily-evaporated substances are mainly present in waxes, paints, and varnishes. In addition to that, household chemicals consist of VOC’s as solvents. There are several organic chemical compounds included in VOC’s, namely benzene C6H6 (figure 8), chlorofluorocarbons (figure 9), methylene chloride CH2Cl2, and perchloroethylene chloride. It is really necessary to mention that all these substances are extremely explosive which make them actual causes of air pollution. Volatile organic compounds may cause various health issues counting damage of essential body organs like liver and kidney, irritability in eye, throat, and nose. Some of these compounds are known to cause

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carcinogenic, respiratory, immune, and allergic problems. The last but not the least is perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). The chemical structure of this organofluorine compound is primarily consisted of replacement of hydrogen atoms by fluorine atoms on a carbon chain. This significant reason represents the similarity between perfluorinated compounds and fluorocarbons as they are fluorocarbon imitatives. Sadly, the strong carbon-fluorine bond is the ultimate generator that PFCs are organic pollutants to the environment. Actually, there are two major types of perfluorinated compounds. The first one is perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) which is mainly used in the semiconductor industry. And the second one is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) that is second-hand to make fluoropolymers. It seems that PFOA is a real dangerous substance given the fact that it has several ruinous effects. Some of them include increase in fertility and thyroid cancer. Studies also show that PFOA exposure is related to decrease semen quality, adding to that, it may cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For PFOS, it can interfere in pregnancy and generate some complications to women increasing their cholesterol rate and convoluting their hormones (Chauhan 283-286).

The last discussed section that highlighted the negative aspect of contemporary chemistry is polymer chemistry. Starting with the definition of polymers, polymers are big molecules combined of smaller molecules called monomers. Usually, monomers belong to a certain functional group that contributes to the underrelated reactions that assemble polymers. Actually, the procedure of forming polymers from monomers is called polymerization. The fact that polymers is everywhere around is highly fascinating. From food to daily-used items, polymers are considered as a significant contributor to many objects in this modern world. Sadly, this captivating substance has a negative impact on the environment in multiple ways, specifically synthetic polymers. Plastics are the most common type of synthetic polymers that is frankly

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second-hand globally. The first negative aspect of synthetic polymers relates to food imitation.

Having regard to the fact that some seabirds confuse food with synthetic polymers, 44% of seabirds died due to this ingestion every year (King). This common environmental issue causes a real disturbance in the balance of the ecosystem for the reason of the population sizes of fish and crustaceans. Another harmful kind of synthetic polymers is persistent organic pollutants. POPs are known to be very toxic for the environment due to the fact of their long-lasting existence, suchlike toxaphene and the pesticides DDT. According to a 2007 American study (King), researchers found the existence of several toxic poisons in synthetic polymers found at coastal locations in the Northern Pacific ocean. Obviously, those harmful substances threaten the lives of sea fishing all over the world, which lead to the conclusion of the additional risk that humans are into because of their nutrition on fish. Also, the DuPont case could not go unnoticed. Allegedly, the American DuPont chemical company kept leaking contaminates utilized in their manufacturing of Teflon into regional landmarks for many decades. The chemical elements get stuck in the beaks of fish and unbalance the food chain. The last discussed environmental impact is the landfill accumulation. Synthetic polymers do not only exist in oceans, but also exist in lands. According to the Clean Air Council organization, the United States of America approximately uses 102.1 billion plastic bags yearly, whereas only 1% of it is recycled. Indeed, the non-recycled synthetic polymers release their toxic substances in the soil, which highly and negatively alters the landfills and humans on a bigger level (king).

Everything considered, no one can deny the modern advancements that contemporary chemistry provided to better understand our nature. Therefore, there was a significant enhancement in human-nature interactions. Unfortunately, the case was not the same all the time, and modern chemistry actively exhibited negative effect on the environment that unbalanced

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several aspects of nature. Nuclear chemistry has its own imprint with nuclear bombs that showed its catastrophic power in numerous accidents. Organic chemistry includes definite substances that are used every day but still harmful on both humans and the environment. Finally, polymer chemistry still dominates humans’ daily lives, but at the same time, it threatens many species globally. Sustainability can only be achieved with the usage of humans to these different elements of nature properly; otherwise, Earth will still suffer as long as human beings act recklessly and selfishly.

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Figure 3

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Figure 5

Figure 8

Figure 6

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Figure 7

Figure 9

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Works cited Goldman, Marvin. “Ionizing Radiation and Its Risks”. The Western Journal of Medicine, vol.

137, 6, 1982. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 540-547.

King, Justin. “Environmental Problems Caused by Synthetic Polymers.” Sciencing, 29 Apr. 2019, https://sciencing.com/environmental-problems-caused-by-synthetic-polymers12732046.html.

Kivi, Rose. “How Does Nuclear Energy Affect the Environment?” Sciencing, 2 Mar. 2019, https://sciencing.com/nuclear-energy-affect-environment-4566966.html Kumar Chauhan, Ravish. Harmful Health Effects of Some Common Organic Compounds Used in Daily Life as Household. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences. Volume 2 Number 11 (2013) pp. 283-289. Print.

National Research Council, et al. Effects of Nuclear Earth-Penetrator and Other Weapons.

Washington DC, 2005. Print. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_nuclear_power#Chernobyl_disaster Accessed on 20 April 2020. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/nuclear Accessed on 20 April 2020.

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Informational Interview Report Pr. Naziha Houki: Lecturer in Strategic Communication at AUI

Houda Touchen COM 2301: Professional Communication Supervised by: Dr. Agnaou Fall 2020

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Table of contents: Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………1 Background…………………………………………………………………………………….1 Interview Script………………………………………………………………………………..4 Lessons Learned……………………………………………………………………………….8 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….10 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………….11

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Introduction Given the fact that we live in a contemporary modern world, life and business opportunities increase day by day. The stock market may win a lot in a minute and lose a lot in the next one. Organizational companies may develop or fall off at any risk. Our world does not stop from moving; as same as us. When I was trying to build my life dreams that I want to attain, the first thing that constantly came up to my mind is communication. Therefore, my academic education is the first step that contributes to the achievement of my career plan. Then, I was exposed to professional communication perceptions, which are significant aspects of business communication processes. However, interviews may be a crucial part of understanding the real conception of professional communication and have a glimpse of my dream job, specifically intercultural interviews. Indeed, the main purpose of this multicultural interview is to acknowledge the nature of my dream job as a strategic communication academician and understand the real facet of that particular field. Moreover, it will allow me to start developing the required competencies in order to get a high position. Finally, this interview is a golden opportunity to get an overall insight about the multicultural global workplace and the efficacious method to approach it for success.

Background Frankly, when I was thinking about the person that should be my interviewee and who holds my dream job, I directly thought of Professor Naziha Houki. I am absolutely passionate about the communication part of media companies and any other organization that includes a conclusive communication team or teaching communication studies on a university level. As a result, Pr. Houki definitely matches the description. Actually, Pr. Houki is currently a lecturer in strategic communication at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. She studied her bachelor degree 1 29

at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane majoring in communication studies. After 2 years of working in the advertisement agency Publicis Groupe as a communication executive, she applied for the Fulbright Scholarship, which is a US department and Moroccan government funded scholarship, that funded her full Master degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

During her Master years, Naziha had the graduate consultancy job that allowed her to get hired by clients and paid while she was still studying. After that, she came back to Morocco and worked as a product category manager for La Belle Vie Carrefour which is the second biggest Moroccan supermarket chain and international firms specialized in logistics and retail. Then, she joined Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane in 2014 as a lecturer in strategic communication and a faculty member. Currently, she is applying for Ph.D. programs in order to continue her career path in academia.

The main reason why I chose Pr. Houki to be the center of my interview is thanks to her passion about her career and what she is doing as a daily job. Usually, I see that devotion and dedication are important elements that should be included in oneself’s mindset in order to succeed, and that’s the exact thing that I noticed in Pr. Houki’s works and classes. She challenges herself every day to be a better person and be more productive in the future for her community. Personally, she became my idol and my inspiration as a great woman and as hard worker.

Interview Script Houda Touchen: First of all, let’s start by having a brief explanation about your job? I mean what are the duties/responsibilities/functions of your job?

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Naziha Houki: I’m a faculty member and a lecturer in strategic communication. Basically, my job is to create and design the courses in order that I teach in order to reach the intended learning outcomes. Overall, I teach four courses each regular semester and one course in the summer. I am responsible for the strategic communication concentration classes and public speaking classes. Along with my teaching duties, I have service duties which mean that I need to do an activity for the community and the university in general.

H Q.: Given the fact that I am interested in the concentration of strategic communication, what is the nature of the courses in this specific concentration?

N A.: The basis of the courses allows you to practice communication in communication departments or communication agencies where you need to develop communication action plans such as who should receive the message, what message, and which channel should go through with specific objectives. First, the courses taught in that concentration pertain to marketing communication. Marketing communication teaches you the integrated marketing communication process from understanding your environment to getting the intended results. Also, the second one is public relations concentration that is about building and maintaining mutually beneficial relations between organizations and their publics. And the last one is organizational communication which is about how organizations communicate within and understanding how to navigate an organization. Actually, organizational communications is more theoretical but with a great analysis in understanding the real world’s companies; whereas the public relations and marketing communication are more practical and are about building your tool box for what you need to use as a communication practitioner. And they are not only for the goal to get the job; they are also useful for an academic career.

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H Q.: What part of this job do you personally find most satisfying and the part that is most challenging?

N A.: The most exciting part of my job as a faculty is seeing the lightbulb. The lightbulb happens in students, which is very hard with the online teaching by the way. What I love is being in the classroom and seeing someone seems confused, then, they have a lightbulb moment makes them more eager to learn. Personally, I really love it when that switch happens and I find it really interesting. You see that you add value not just through the content itself but that you were really able to lift that switch which makes it the most satisfying part of my job. However, the most challenging part is when the students take the class only because they are required to take the class and it is really hard to switch it on for them just a little bit.

H Q.: what other jobs can you get with the same background?

N A.: So many. I mean especially with the pandemic, a lot of people are saying that there no jobs and it is an insecure job market which is a total myth. With my background, you can become a pure marketer, you can work in consultancy jobs, or you can open your own communication agency. People with my background are brand managers, CEOs of their own communication companies who manage PR companies, create festivals and events, film production companies.

However, we can’t include journalism because I don’t have a solid background in writing, but if you have a good writing portfolio or get hired in a journalism company, magazines, or newspapers in your master years, it can be definitely possible.

H Q.: If your job progresses as you like, what would be the next step in your career?

N A.: Honestly, in terms of teaching, I feel like I explored it all right now. Especially with the online teaching, I feel like I challenged myself in understanding all aspects. However, the thing 4 32

that I have never tried before is teaching big amphitheater classes because in AUI, normally, communication classes are mostly 15- 20 people maximum. However, my next plan is research through Ph.D. degree about digital activism and feminism movements which will really make me able to move a step above lecturing.

H Q.: What are the major qualifications and skills, which are also important, for success in this occupation?

N A.: I have my own philosophical answer about that. To answer this question, you need firstly to answer the question of what is the definition of success. Success is whatever you think success means. For me, success is reaching my purpose in life, and to get it, you have to know what is your purpose in life. And I would like to mention what an AUI alumni, who works in the Economic World Forum, said about this. He said that AUI gives you tools. You can give the same tool box to anyone, but it depends on what you do with it that makes a change. So for me, what do you need in order to succeed is a tool box. And having a degree is not the essential thing. Everyone can have a degree. It’s actually how your brain is shaped with that degree such as your problem-solving skills, empathy and resilience values, connecting the dots, and going beyond the material. Those are the essential things which are required today to succeed. On another note, currently, we are experiencing a pandemic with the covid-19 virus, and a lot of organizations and businesses and young people have crumbled. Therefore, it pushed to change the gears. The question is are you able to adapt to this challenging fast-pace world? The key is good to be book smart, but better to be street smart.

H Q.: What courses have proved to be the most valuable to you in your work?

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N A.: There was a one course that it was one of my first communication classes which was called human communication and now it is communication and development. It was really interesting because we dived into identity and we did this paper about media deprivation.

Actually, the professor wanted us to use no media for a full weekend. Personally, I could not do it at all and it was really hard to do it because we were only able to work with the people who around us at that moment. Honestly, it was a great experience because it made me more selfaware of what I do and the impact of technology and the field I was getting at. Moreover, it contributed to my understanding of what I am doing what I am doing and why I think that communication is a fascinating field.

H Q.: What are the best/worst things about working in a multicultural global workplace?

N A.: That’s a great question. That’s a good question because we don’t realize the impact of a global workplace until we are in one. In AUI, it is actually the culture of it that is still present to the extent that we get easily at ease with each other. When you get outside of it and you dive deeper in a multicultural environment, you start realizing your biases, similar to my case when I was in the USA. In other words, you realize what you take for granted and all the assumptions you make on a daily basis. And if you go somewhere else different from your environment, the fact that you will want to start a conversation requires you to initiate it with a lot of background explaining every single detail. And when you listen, you ask way more questions while starting to analyze things that you stopped analyzing when you were in your own culture and your own bubble. As a result, it gives you an appreciation of diving into someone’s frame of reference. It increases your knowledge at a pace that you can’t even imagine. From my experience, I learned more in a diverse environment than I learned in a similar environment because I was challenging my ideologies and my own way of thinking, which allowed to acquire knowledge that I wouldn’t 6 34

have if I was in my comfort zone. From the other side, it teaches you about respect, inclusion and ideas integration that comes from different perspectives, which is about unifying individuals and not separating them. And that’s the beauty in the global workplace. The worst part is not appreciating the differences. For example, from my own experience in the USA, they will always edit my writing thinking that it’s grammatically wrong given the fact their English was on the speaking part. So they kept correcting me as I am grammatically wrong when it’s actually them who are wrong. But due to the fact that I am a second-language English speaker, I can’t have an opinion about that realizing that I have a less of a voice concerning that.

H Q.: What is, from your perspective, the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

N A.: There was that thing of that I am white because my country Morocco is located in Africa, and that I was not wearing hijab. We can also add the fact that I spoke English and wrote it better than them, but there was always a debate about that obviously. The thing that I knew a lot about the American system knowing that I am Moroccan also was a mystery for them.

H Q.: Have you ever felt excluded based on your gender?

N A.: Frankly, it was not my experience in a sense that I was lucky. I am formal with the people that I don’t know and I give them respect playing the games and the codes, but I break that barrier very easily. However, I am friendly with my colleagues and the people who I know.

H Q.: What offends you the most?

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N A.: I guess the subject of emotions is what offends me the most. The concept that emotions are bad and that you can’t be emotional when you are living in a men’s world is widely generalized in the workplace.

H Q.: Do you have any advice for someone interested in this field/job? Are there any written materials you suggest I read?

N A.: For people who are in the communication sector, I see that it’s really essential to be selfaware and develop the ability of observing without judging, because that’s when you see the most exciting dynamics and evolve the best communication campaigns and dive into the world.

That’s why I really see that to be a communicator, you have to learn to dissociate yourself from situations and be an observer. And it certainly relates to mindfulness and develops your observational skills which are important. I would definitely recommend you the book “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. It’s such a beautiful book that allows you to develop a sense of observation and understand how people are influenced by others. Also “The Crowd” by Gustave Le Bon is a great book that talks about how ideas spread and social contagion which is the basis of communication of the physical crowd.

Lessons Learned The first significant lesson that I grasped from this interview is the job passion. My interviewee is a person who is really passionate and eager to discover what the industry holds of upward opportunities and valuable experiences that she can get benefit from personally and professionally. The communication sector is currently characterized by its dominance of women more than men, which highlights their competencies and increases their self-confidence about

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their performances. Therefore, I learned that being someone who is truly interested in what they are doing and giving their topmost efforts to succeed is the real purpose of life.

After this particular interview, I am more familiarized with the commitments and skills that a faculty member and a communication expert need to complete and have on a professional level. The duties of my interviewee’s profile include having extensive knowledge about communication processes and the way of how organizational communication works in companies and firms. On the other side, the acquired skills contain critical-thinking, problemsolving, and being an individual who has a professional vision that can see beyond the present and think about the accomplishments of the future and what can be done now to attain them.

The third lesson that I learned during this interview is that there is no limit to have an education. As I mentioned before, my interviewee was an AUI student before becoming an AUI faculty member, and she studied her master degree abroad. Currently, she is thinking about Ph.D. programs. Her job that she loves did not stop her from expanding her education, and that is a side I truly admire in people. Indeed, I am now determined more than ever that my education will always be a priority to nourish my mindset and extend my life knowledge.

The last lesson that I was really surprised to learn relates to the right method to approach the intercultural workplace. There are several points that help adapting to the global workplace’ needs and expectations including self-confidence, authenticity, openmindness, and respect.

Being confident of myself will offer me the opportunity to expand my social multicultural environment. Being authentic will show my credibility that is a significant trait of my work and profile. Being open-minded will allow understanding others’ various perspectives of several

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concepts in order to see the biggest picture. And being respectful will show my individualistic value and professional position that is considered important in a certain organization.

Conclusion This interview showed me that the best advice you could give someone who is interested in the same field is having the value of agility. Given the fact that any job could face fundamental changes due to a certain happening, it requires that individuals should be prepared and equipped to adapt to the new system in a quick pace. On another note, the leading recommendation that could be offered to anyone who wants to conduct a similar interview is that you should be definitely prepared. Organization of questions and understanding them gives you a step ahead to elaborate during the interview and reflect on yourself the information given.

Overall, pursuing this peculiar career definitely requires pure ambition, true patience, and the most basic element of our existence: clear communication.

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Appendices

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