Abdul Rahman M. Baig

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Dogged determination, courage of conviction and sincerity of purpose are the essential traits required to achieve something meaningful in life. These qualities assume more importance when one is profound and genuine in aspiring to climb the corporate ladder in this era of great competition and pressing challenges.



Sustainable success always starts at the grass roots. Those who have the grit and the nerve tackle all challenges head-on and come up good and succeed in life.



Salem Al-Shahrani, general manager of InterContinental Hotel in Jeddah, was born in a middle class family in Tendaha village in Abha. After completing his school, Salem enrolled himself in Jeddah's King Abdulaziz University as an engineering student. But because of his family's meager income, Salem, in 1997, joined as a receptionist at the hotel where he worked part-time.



Sincere in his studies and in his livelihood, Salem soon started scoring good marks at the university. His honesty, punctuality and work ethics earned him a promotion at the hotel soon and he became a guest relations officer. That was the start Salem was looking for. His dedication and commitment were well rewarded and Salem started getting promotions and higher positions until he was named the general manager of the hotel.



Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Al-Shahrani said it is a gift from Allah that he has achieved such a huge and rarely seen success. "As one grows from the bottom line of the organization, he feels that it is a gift from Almighty Allah. By virtually starting from a scratch it has helped me learn several things in life. I have worked at different levels in the hierarchy and it has given me a clear understanding of how and what other colleagues go through to manage their daily duties, business meetings, etc."



It was a remarkable achievement for Al-Shahrani as in the last year of his university he used to study half of the day and spend the other half at the hotel working as a receptionist. "My financial means were meager and my class assignments included in-house experience in a multinational firm. So working at the hotel helped me a lot," he said modestly.



The reception desk helped him immensely in his interaction with the hotel customers of different nationalities and ethnicities. "To be a student and an employee at the same time has a different meaning altogether," he recalled.



It looks quite odd that after completing his studies, instead of looking for a job as an engineer, Al-Shahrani chose to work in the service industry.



"When I was working here during my graduation, I felt that this is a unique place for me to learn new things and also to understand my schedules for the mornings and evenings and to adapt to different shift timings — from morning to afternoon or evenings. It must have been luck. Gradually, I started feeling that I belong to this industry. I have a connection with it."



When he graduated he was promoted from receptionist to guest relations officer. Then he applied for several jobs in other sectors outside the hotel industry. But he was in two minds: Whether to continue in the hotel industry or to go in for a job suiting his specialization.



Finally, he decided to continue in the hotel and now he feels that his career path is very clear. He can gain more experience and achieve new things and get rewarded for it. When asked what motivated him to be in the hotel industry from 1997 to 2014, Al-Shahrani said his family ethics and values have taught him to be punctual and honest in work. "I personally feel that coming to work daily in the morning and share your life success with your family energizes them. And after a day's hard work when I go back and see them happy it makes me feel that their lifestyle is improving day by day," he said modestly.



The other factor, he said, is of course his interest in his workplace. "I love my job, this is the place where I feel that I am gaining a lot and in turn I try to give a lot. This is what motivates me," he said. Al-Shahrani always treats all the people in the hotel as his family. He looks after his colleagues as he does for himself. He wants them to grow together in the hotel. He prods his colleagues to set and achieve their objectives and focus on attaining more achievement.



"We are very friendly in dealing with each other. This is the secret of the success of the hotel," he said. "Any success in my job is not only for me, it's for the hotel too," he asserted.



His colleagues, he said, always keep the hotel in its right track. "They are the people who make the difference in the product and service when compared to other hotels. Teamwork leads to a good product and service."



Even after carving out his career in the hotel industry, Al-Shahrani is continuing his studies and presently studying Executive Masters Business Administration from King Abdulaziz University. "It is not easy for me to concentrate on my studies after office hours. But I allow the time to manage me and the vice versa," he said.



Al-Shahrani thinks this master's degree will benefit him and his colleagues in developing the hotel to attain newer heights. "Whatever I learn in the university I share with my colleagues to practice it in the hotel."



When asked about how he manages his family life, he said that after returning home from the hotel he spends maximum time with his wife and children.

 

His message to all young Saudis: "Don’t give up! Always work hard, and keep yourself on the right track. Do not ask for increment in your salary or promotion. Become solid in your workplace, all the expectations you are looking for will automatically come to you. Bear in mind that without creating a solid base for your work life, you cannot achieve your dreams."