In the September Issue of BeautifulJobs E-Magazine we caught up with Aminah, an Irish girl now living and working in Pakistan, her story on why she left Ireland, what her typical day is like and her plans for the future
The first thing people ask me is what on earth made me move to Pakistan. The driving force behind me moving to Pakistan was my children. I wanted them to know their father’s culture and heritage before they were too old to uproot. I felt it was important for them to know they were from two very different worlds, but to respect and admire both. I was extremely fortunate to have been offered an opportunity to work with Toni&Guy North Pakistan as their Marketing Manager. After 17 years being in the hair and beauty industry I felt I needed to take my career to the next level, and I couldn’t see those opportunities happening in Ireland, so I took a chance on Pakistan.
If I’m honest, it’s been really tough but it’s also been the highlight of my career. I was promoted to Brand Manager and Communications within 3 months of joining which allowed me to restructure a huge amount within the company. Taking into consideration the culture difference my role has been challenging! Getting 200 staff members involved in making that change was a challenge but worth it once we saw new client’s coming with references to stylist’s name from Instagram, and then to see staff happy they’d been acknowledged on Instagram motivated the team even more, so it was a win-win for all of us. I think hearing that Toni&Guy North Pakistan’s social media was a “talking point” amongst the masses really solidified that my efforts had been worth it as so often social media marketing can be like poking around in a dark room.
From a business point of view, I am responsible for every aspect of brand management, PR, events and communications, but I’m closely involved with the ground work as well. One day I could be dealing with celebrities and high-profile clients, the next day I could be training 200 staff on what SOP’s are and the relevance of hygiene in the salons. My responsibilities vary greatly and thankfully they’ve grown rapidly as my 18 years of hairdressing and beauty experience in Ireland, UAE and Australia has really helped me adjust and develop here in Pakistan.
Personally, the opportunity in Pakistan has been incredible. I’ve been able to showcase my capabilities to not only improve a brand’s reputation on a national level, but also to establish effective SOP’s in salons and train staff on what Customer Service is and how it directly impacts a business. To see the changes within such a short space of time is without a doubt one of my greatest achievements. The CEO of Toni&Guy North Pakistan has been incredibly supportive as I’ve progressed and I’m extremely lucky to have developed into this side of a flourishing business. What I’ve loved most about my job is the variation and endless learning. No two days are the same and I’ve made it my priority to ensure the Toni&Guy brand is as professional and modern in Pakistan as it is anywhere else in the world. I think this focus is what allows me to multi-task in so many areas successfully.
My plan for the near future is to return to Ireland. I have loved being in a completely different culture and being challenged daily but my kids now miss home and want to go back. So here’s to starting another new and exciting chapter in Ireland!