Houssem Eddine Djida, MBA 2011
Q: How was your overall experience with FXUA? How did the education you received here help you reach your goals and career path?
A: The FXUA experience was a unique one, a very fulfilling journey filled with ups and downs, yet with a great outcome. Studying at FXUA was the first step toward success, as obtaining my MBA paved road for me. Class after class, I was deepening my business knowledge, getting more exposed to real life scenarios and experiences, and getting ready to face the job market.
Q: Where are you working now, and what position or job responsibilities do you have?
A: I am working at the same company that hired me straight after graduating from FXUA; the company provides various insurance, risk management, and financial services to a wide range of clients (individuals, businesses, and diplomatic missions). Currently, my title is Assistant Vice President and my focus is on diplomatic missions (I got assigned to the embassies and diplomatic missions department from day one, given the fact that my concentration at FXUA was international business management). My responsibility is to manage the clients’ insurance and financial portfolios and to work toward cementing the existing relationships between my company and the various embassies while also working on enlarging our book of business.
Q: As a graduate, what advice would you like to convey to all the current students of FXUA?
A: There are plenty of things that one can do to ensure his/her success while studying at FXUA, but I will only focus on two: believe in yourself and network smartly. It goes without saying that one can’t move forward if he lacks the determination and the strong belief that he will get to the goals he is meant to get to. Only this belief will keep you going! The second advice is not only to network, but also to do it smartly. Indeed, you can’t just turn toward everybody you come across and try to establish some sort of connection with them; rather, networking should be done in carefully chosen places and times while targeting key people.
Q: Finally, could you share a memorable moment from FXUA life with us?
A: I personally will never forget my entrance or my exit from FXUA. When I first got to FXUA, it was the first time I was exposed to people from different backgrounds and cultures, and little by little I found it to be a very enriching experience that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to get elsewhere. Likewise, graduation day was a glorious one; one on which you see all your efforts come to a positive outcome while sharing the joy of it with your family and loved ones. Graduation day was simply epic!
Houssem Eddine Djida, MBA 2011
Assistant Vice President
Virginia, USA