Working in Dubai at Yellow Door Energy | Co-operative Education

Ayman Gostar, a third-year Environment and Business student, shares a glimpse to his first work term in Dubai.

For my first co-op work term, I was hired as a Marketing Assistant at Yellow Door Energy. Yellow Door Energy is a renewable energy company for commercial and industrial businesses in the Middle East and South Asia.

As a Marketing Assistant, I coordinated with colleagues in the UAE, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to create and deliver marketing content for social media and print. I also used my video editing skills to create engaging content in both English and Arabic, encouraging businesses to consider solar energy and become more sustainable.

What was truly unique about this co-op term was that I had the opportunity to learn about the challenges and opportunities in different business environments in five countries simultaneously. As time went by, my passion for renewable energy grew tremendously. I was deeply motivated and inspired to contribute more to the organization and make a mark during my co-op term.

What is one thing you were curious to learn about in your organization?

While working alongside the Business Development team, I was very fortunate to attend many of their sales and negotiation meetings throughout my work term. By seeing this, I wanted to contribute as well. I did so by applying my academic knowledge and personal network to introduce prospective customers to the organization.

I first approached the Business Development Manager to work on a proposal recommending potential companies. I was trained on how to answer questions and assess customer needs. I met the customers and introduced our company, and even helped to propose a multi-million-dollar solar project.

Ayman smiling with the Toronto sign outside in Downtown

Ayman standing beside the Yellow Door Energy sign

Ayman with the company CEO Jeremy Crane and the Marketing Manager Josephine Pham. Both are alumni of the University of Waterloo!

How do you think this job helped you towards your career goals?

This particular co-op work term made me appreciate and value the importance of co-op during one's academic studies. The co-op program helped me to gain valuable work experience during my studies and find out what I am passionate about.

At first, I was unsure what field or industry I wanted to work in after completing my studies. Thanks to this work term, I have found my passion and fascination in the renewable energy industry.

I was extremely fortunate to work in the Middle East because I witnessed how emerging markets are transitioning to clean energy and implementing sustainable and renewable practices to their industries from the bottom-up. I finally found a field of work that I can contribute to using my academic background.

How do you think this co-op job has helped to develop yourself

This experience helped me to be more confident in myself and always strive for excellence in everything I do in life, as I had to face many struggles and rejections before landing my job. Moreover, my manager and the company’s CEO were both students at the University of Waterloo.

They also shared their unforgettable experiences at their different co-op terms and were incredible mentors throughout my work term. They highly emphasized how co-operative education can shape a student’s personal, academic and career development at an early stage. This also made me appreciate the University of Waterloo’s alumni community because I was exposed to a vast network of UW alumni in the Middle East. They were like a second family to me, and I became very close with them.

Ayman's co-workers watching a presentation

Ayman introducing himself during the first week.

How did you find this job and what was the process like?

Finding a job for my first co-op in the middle of a pandemic was very challenging. After countless attempts of applying to different job postings and not hearing back, I decided to try a different approach. I reached out to the UW alumni community in the United Arab Emirates and made great connections and relationships with them. They were extremely welcoming, and they gave me many tips and insights on finding a job, as well as introducing me to the company, Yellow Door Energy. After reaching out to them, learning about what they do, meeting the employees and going through the recruiting process, I was finally hired by them.