Hajer El Aissi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
In this new blog series, I’d like to ask four questions to people from different countries, backgrounds, professions, and genders who have all one thing in common: volunteering. I hope you’ll get inspired by their journeys and take the leap into volunteering.
Notice: The positions, views and information contained published here are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent my views or opinions.
Hajer El Aissi has over 24 years of experience in IT domain as Oracle developer and DB administrator and as project manager till now. Her rich experience gained through hands-on practices in IT programs and projects; along with continuous learning and development. She has obtained well-recognized international and professional certificates from PMI: Project Management PMP, Risk Management RMP, Program Management PgMP and Portfolio management PfMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-PBA. She is an active PMI KSA Board Member and she is always keen on sharing knowledge.
How did you begin to volunteer?
In fact, I started volunteering since my first attendance of PMIKSA Symposium on the 12th of December 2019; My birth date!. A colleague of mine suggested I officially apply in the 2020 chapter election for an SVP position. I hesitated at first, because I had no experience with volunteering and thought that some people might have more chances for such a position.
I sent my application last minute and then by 20 June 2020 I received an email saying I was elected as a PMI KSA SVP of membership and volunteers. Thus, my volunteering journey started and continued till present.
Why did you continue volunteering?
I love volunteering. I love giving without thinking about the feedback.
I enjoy helping people improving their PM careers. The people I knew in my volunteering journey are my family now. It will be difficult for me to leave them. Actually, every day I am learning from them and from all the PM community.
How has volunteering helped you in your career?
Volunteering lets my life dynamic and active. I am always updated with PMI news and innovation, local chapter's activities. Personally, I continue to learn as I used to do. I learned so much from our PMI KSA chapter ATPs specially on DASSM, SAFe , Hybrid agile project management and I profited from the discount ATPs offered for these certificates.
Would you encourage other people to take up volunteering, and if so, why?
To volunteer is to serve communities first, If you think to take profit first you will not succeed in your volunteering journey. Indeed, if you are honest, efficient, and committed to volunteering you will get many benefits without planning to get them, as networking, learning, practicing PM. I think knowing great people is great benefit. Actually more and more self-esteem is my best benefit from volunteering. As leader in PMI KSA chapter.. I am usually thinking to create new leaders through my volunteers team.. to give them the ownership and the leadership of the different chapter initiatives and activities.. Also I am encouraging them to learn and learn from the success as from the failure... Volunteering is an apportunity to do what we couldn't do in our real job...!
