A true blue Punjabi who is always well spruced up, Aanchal Rohilla has an extraordinary sense of aesthetics. No wonder then, that she chose interior designing for her profession. She started off her career with an extremely popular brand in India and went on to work with some of the most internationally acclaimed brands in Dubai. She always speaks of Dubai with a twinkle in her eye and given a choice, she would never want to come back from this city of dreams. Here’s why...
Currently on a break from a highly satisfying career in Dubai, Aanchal is capitalising on this time by equipping herself well, “I am pursuing a challenging course on software that will help me build an even better career!” She suddenly becomes philosophical as she reflects on her career graph in Dubai (which has mostly gone upward, barring a few exceptions, “Honestly, career phases do fluctuate. But on the upside of it all, you always end up learning tremendously from your organisation and have immense scope to grow in another!”
“It has been six years in Dubai and am not complaining. I have worked for design companies wherein I got a more than a few opportunities to work right from scratch: from building up a concept to delivering the site. I have been really fortunate to have worked for the best of luxury Italian brands in furniture, such as Natuzzi, Porada, Opera, Cattelan Italia, Calia Italia, Galotti & Radicce, Leolux to name a few.” At this point, she also reminisces her work projects in Delhi, “In Delhi, I have worked on one of the most prestigious projects GMR T3 Delhi International Airport for Natco and Home- Town, where I undertook more than 25 residential turnkey projects and 35 design projects.”
One of the primary reasons she doesn’t want to come back to India from Dubai is the work culture.
Punctuality: “Punctuality is the keyword here. A rather strict discipline is followed here and adhered to. You are required to report in time.”
Workload: “Frankly, the workload is not too much and is planned in such a way that employees can complete the task assigned within the working hours itself.”
Competition: The bundle of talent, who is also outgoing and friendly, is in love with Dubai for the fact that it is a melting pot of culture, diversities and ethnicities, yet everyone is warm towards each other, but also competitive in a healthy way, “Being a country of various cultures, one learns to co-exist. Yes, there is a lot of healthy competition and you get to learn so much from it. It is amazing!” She adds, “There is emphasis on greeting everyone with a smile.”
Dress culture: “It varies from one work culture to the other. There is complete independence to wear what you want. I enjoy dressing up, so I have a wardrobe full of dresses that I wear to work. These dresses, however, are mostly in black or grey. So, one has the freedom to wear dresses or formal attire. But if you want to dress up modestly, feel free to do so!”
Work timings: “As per the Labour Laws of Dubai, one needs to work a minimum of eight and a half hours, but usually it varies from eight to nine hours. People here are hardworking and professionalism defines them.”
“Frankly, the workload is not too much and is planned in such a way that employees can complete the task assigned within the working hours itself.”
Appreciation: “People are open to ideas and conversations and they make it a point to appreciate your effort in different ways.”
Relationship with boss: “You will learn limitlessly from your mentor. So, the relationship between the boss and the employee as often looked upon as the relationship between a teacher and a student.”
Holidays and weekends: “Dubai gives you the luxury of many holidays. Ramadan is the best festive time. You will feel blessed to be a part of this culture during this holy month when the working hours are reduced to just five hours in a day. As for the weekends, most organisations have Fridays and Saturdays off. Besides, this being the opulent country, there is never a dull moment! You can shop till you drop,” she exclaims.
That she adores Dubai and wants to settle down here after marriage isn’t too hard to guess. In her own words, “I would love to stay and work here forever. It goes without saying that in Dubai, I have learned phenomenally and earned well not only in terms of money, but have enjoyed a great amount of respect too. If I ever happen to go back to India for work, I know working in Dubai will make my resume rather impactful and being attached to the best of luxury brands around the world will earn me more than just brownie points. I am sure that my work will be acknowledged in India!”
The young interior designer cites three reasons why you should work in Dubai at least in your life:
She concludes, “Once you come to Dubai, you sure wouldn’t want to go back ever!”
By Namrata Gulati Sapra
