NadaElDamaty ManalFaroukInterview 1

MultimediaWritingJRMC2202
Interviewproject

Interviewer:NadaElDamaty

Interviewee:ManalFarouk

Date:March12,2017

Place:ManalFaroukshouse

University:AmericanUniversityinCairo

Professor:Dr.KimFox
NadaElDamaty ManalFaroukInterview 2

ManalFarouk,aformerMassCommunicationsstudentatthe

AmericanUniversityinCairo,whograduatedin1990.Sheis

currentlymarriedtoAlyGalalandamotherof2children.

ManalworkedastheassistantPAtotheregionaldirectorof

HiltonhotelsfromSeptember1990tillDecember1993,

howevershetooktimeoffworkaftershegotmarried.Asa

determinedhonorsgraduate,Manalwascommittedtoreturnto

theworkfieldagainin2000.Sheiscurrentlythemanager

ofRaoucheandKandaharrestaurant,alongwithbeingan

impeccablehousewife.

IchosetointerviewManalFaroukbecauseIhaveknownher

formorethanadecade,andshehasalwaysbeenanexample

forperseveranceanddedication.Moreoversheisawoman

withvaluablelifeandworkexperience,whohaspracticed

differentworkenvironmentsandpositionsthroughouther
NadaElDamaty ManalFaroukInterview 3

life.Shemanagestobalancebetweenherworkandherhouse

work,whichisadifficulttasktodo,sothatisanother

reasonthatmotivatedmetointerviewher.
March12,2017

PeoplepresentNadaElDamaty
ManalFarouk

Nada:Goodafternoon,ImNadaElDamatyanditsa

pleasureinterviewingyoutoday.Canyouplease

startbyintroducingyourself?

Manal:IamMrs.ManalFarouk,Manalmanal,Farouk

farouk.IamanxAUCian,majoringinmass

communicationsslashpublicrelations,1990.

Nada:Wheredoyoucurrentlylive?

Manal:IcurrentlyliveinCairo,Zamalek.

Nada:YoumentionedthatyoustudiedMass

CommunicationattheAUC.Whatarethereasons

behindyouchoosingthismajortostudy?

Manal:WhenIdecidedtomajorinmasscommunications

itwasarelativelynewmajorattheAUC,itwas
 quiteinterestinganditwasapromisingfield

inEgyptatthetime.

Nada:Canyoupleasedescribeyourexperienceatthe

AUC,takingintoconsiderationalltheaspects

includingacademicallyandsocially.

Manal:IstudiedattheoldcampusoftheAUC;itwasa

beautifulcampus,asmallcampus.Ithadalot

ofarchitectsinit.Sociallyweweremoreofa

family,obviouslybackinthe90sthatthe

amountofstudentswasquitesmall,sowewere

moreofafamily.Academically,thecourseswe

weregivenwerequitegood,verystrong.The

teacherswereverygood.Andagaintheamountof

studentsteacherperstudentinclasseswere

relativelyverygood.

Nada:Outofalltheprofessorsthattaughtyou,which

onewouldyousayhadthemostimpactonyou?

Manal:ActuallyIdontrememberhisname.Howeverhe

wasasmallAmericanteacherwhotaughtme

journalism.Hetaughtushowtowritearticles,

howtostartthem,howtoendthem,andhehada
 verygoodimpactonuswithallhisideasonhow

towritejournalism.

Nada:Yourfirstjobpostgraduationwastheassistant

PAtotheregionaldirectoroftheHilton

Hotels.Whatledyoutoactuallychoosingthis

careerpath?

Manal:Actuallyitwasjustsomethingthatcameupat

themoment,Iwaslookingforajobandthisis

whatIwasofferedanditseemedfine.

Nada:HowdoyouthinkbeingastudentattheAUC

impactedyourperformanceonthejob?

Manal:Ithadagreatimpactonthejobbecausebeing

anAUCgrad,wewereverywelltrainedhowtogo

outintotheoutsideworld.Wehadaverygood

commandoftheEnglishlanguageandanAUCgrad

waswhatwasrequiredbytheworkforce.

Nada:SinceitwasInternationalWomen'sDayafew

daysago,andasawomanwithvaluablework

experience,whatareyourviewsregarding

women'srightsintheworkfield?
Manal:Ithinkthatwomenandmenshouldbeequalin

theworkfield.Justbecauseshe'sawoman,or

sheisamother,orshehasotherobligations,

doesnotstopherfrombeingasuccessfulcareer

womanaswell.

Nada:Whileyouwereworkingwasthereanevenratio

ofwomentomenonthejob?

Manal:Notherewasn't.ItwasprobablyIwouldsay75

to25percent.

Nada:Doyoufeelthatcurrentlywomenaretreated

betterthantheywerebefore,orthatthey're

stillthesamedifferenceintheirequality?

Manal:Ithinkthatyeswearetreatedbetterthanwe

werebackinthe90s.Howeverthereisstilla

lottoworkonanddobecausetillthisdaythe

ratioisnotfair.

Nada:Towhatextentwouldyousaytheworklifeis

differentfromtheuniversitylife,intermsof

responsibilitiesandobligations?
Manal:Theworklifeisamoreseriouslife;itisnot

arelaxedlife.Whenyou'reinuniversityyou

areonlyresponsibleforyou,howevergoingout

intotheworkfieldyourresponsibilitiesbecome

muchmore,it'smoreofateameffort.Alotof

peopledependonyou.Andobviouslythereare

manymanymoreresponsibilities.

Nada:CurrentlyyouarethemanageroftheRaoucheand

Kandaharrestaurant.Whatarethereasonsbehind

younotworkinginajobspecificallyrelatedto

yourstudies?

Manal:Therestaurantisafamilybusiness.Idecided

tojointhefamilybusinessoncemymotherly

obligationswereover.HoweverIwouldliketo

clarifythatevenworkingintherestaurant

businesshasquiteabittodowithmyfield.A

lotofthetimeyouneedtopromotethe

restaurantandneedtoselltherestaurant,and

ithasalottodowithpublicrelations.
Nada:Ifyougobackintimewouldyouactuallychange

theMajoryoudecidedtopursueandstudy

somethingelse?

Manal:NoactuallyIwouldn't.IenjoyedthemajorI

studiedimmensely,theinformationthatcameout

ofitwashelpful,andithelpedalotinmy

generallife.

Nada:Whatwouldyousayisthegreatestsuccessin

yourlife?

Manal:MyKids.

Nada:Doyoubelievethatyouhaveeverexperienceda

definingmomentthatimpactedyourlifespath?

Manal:NotYet.

Nada:Asamotheroftwo,doyouthinkworkinterferes

withyourdutiesathome?

Manal:No.Itshouldn'tinterfere.Itdidnotinterfere

withmeanditshouldnotinterferewithany

motherwhatsoever.
Nada:Doyoufeelthatbalanceisnecessaryinorder

toworkandstilltakecareofyourkidsand

yourhouse?

Manal:Yes.Ifyoudon'thavethebalanceyouwillnot

beabletodoeitherofthejobsproperly.It's

balanceandorganization.

Nada:Finally,ifthere'sonelifelessonyouhave

learntallthatyou'llpassontoyourkidswhat

woulditbe?

Manal:Compromise.

Nada:Thankyouforyourtime.