My Omnium

Why did you decide to join Omnium? What new challenges did your role give you?

In truth, I never expected to work for Omnium! I was hired in a temporary position shortly after I arrived in Dubai in 2013. I was still trying to find my feet in a new country, but after four days it became clear that we were a good ‘fit’ for each other. My role then expanded significantly to completely reorganise, upgrade and modernise Omnium’s administrative and support functions.

I am fortunate that Omnium’s Directors gave me the latitude to make my own decisions. The amount of freedom in my role is something I had not benefited from before, and it is generally granted to very few employees in other firms. The much greater responsibility, and the new challenges that came with it, have helped me to grow both professionally and as an individual. With the genuine support of Omnium’s team, I relish every new turn and new door that my role opens!

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Describe your role and responsibilities – what do you do day-to-day?

My role, and the role of the team that I am proud to lead, is entirely fluid and changes from day to day! We ensure that our staff get as much assistance with non-technical aspects of their job as possible, leaving them free to maximise their fee-earning time and hopefully allowing them to work with as little stress as possible. That improves the quality of their day and, I hope, helps them to enjoy working for Omnium that little bit more!

My favourite part of the job is being the ‘office problem solver’. As with all companies, there are day-to-day issues that complicate and add stress to the roles of our teams; often through liaising with other departments and staff, I am able to provide answers and support to a staff member who needs time-critical help on a wide range of operational and non-operational issues. I get a real sense of satisfaction from that part of my job!

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What makes your role in Omnium different to previous roles you’ve undertaken?

It’s fair to say that the world in which Omnium operates is totally different from anything I’ve done before! I hold a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology and before I started in Omnium I thought that my career was headed down a route based on that qualification.

Having never worked outside of my home country of Ireland before, I could not have imagined how eye-opening a job in both the construction industry and Dubai could be. Our home city is one of the most multicultural places in the world, and that alone makes any job richer and more complex that any career that I could have undertaken at home. While previous jobs quickly felt mundane, static and unappreciative, I can honestly say that no day is ever like that here in Dubai.

In fact, I would say that working in Dubai is a truly unmissable opportunity. I feel fortunate that my role allows me to get to know most staff from the day they visit for their interview, and it’s fascinating to see how they mature and change as individuals once they are exposed to life outside their home countries. I am especially proud of the tolerance and sensitivity to other cultures that our staff exhibit throughout their daily lives, and this especially helps Omnium to go from strength to strength.

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What do you especially enjoy about working with Omnium?

Without question, the people that work for Omnium make it the great company that it is! From the day that I joined, I have been made to feel a part of the family by everyone, from our Managing Director to our most junior staff member, and it is an atmosphere that I now foster with care and gratitude.

It is great to work for a company that genuinely cares about both the professional and personal wellbeing of its staff, and I really hope that this interest in each and every employee, especially when all of our staff and their families have travelled thousands of miles to Dubai to join our team, makes everyone feel valued and appreciated.

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Would you recommend a career with Omnium to others?

Absolutely! On all levels, I would say that working for Omnium is the opportunity of a lifetime. Our company is friendly, engaging and hard-working, and the results of that are truly impressive. We can look proudly at a portfolio of projects that not only includes world-beating structures such as Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, The Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour and Jeddah Tower (formerly Kingdom Tower), but everything from housing developments that will provide homes for tens of thousands of residents, the services that they require such as schools, hotels and medical facilities to the vital infrastructure projects that these residents rely on for day-to-day life.

I never thought that I would enjoy working in the Middle East’s construction industry as much as I do, and I certainly didn’t expect to so enjoy making a career for myself with Omnium when I walked into the office as a temp in 2013, but the depth and variety of the work that Omnium does is vast and inspirational, and it is an experience that I would heartily recommend to anyone who wants to push their boundaries!