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Dubai jobseeker’s electric drive to join Tesla goes viral

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Dubai jobseeker’s electric drive to join Tesla goes viral

He lost his job after being made redundant earlier this year

Published: Fri 18 Aug 2017, 11:38 AM

Updated: Sat 19 Aug 2017, 12:07 AM

In a bid to land a dream job at Tesla Motors, one proactive UAE jobseeker has taken to the internet and social media in a viral campaign he hopes will eventually see him employed by the American car and technology company.
The website - Tarek4Tesla.com - was created by Australian-born Lebanese public relations professional Tarek Moukachar, who has also been using the hashtags #MeetModelTM and #Tarek4Tesla in an effort to get noticed. So far, hundreds of people have shared his requests on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, some of them making appeals directly to Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk.
In an interview with Khaleej Times, Tarek noted that the idea came to him when on the long commute to Abu Dhabi from Dubai, where he has been working a temp job since being made redundant earlier this year.
"I was lucky enough to get the temp role in Abu Dhabi, but the drive from Dubai is killing me," he said. "But, the drive to Abu Dhabi gives you time to think."
"There were some opportunities I thought I'd be well suited for, but many didn't believe me when I said I was creative and do things differently," he added. "I thought I'd give this a long shot to let them (Tesla) know I'm here."
The website - which Tarek says he spent four weeks making - includes "specs" such as his professional experience and previous clients, as well as a long list of potential references and a contact page for companies to get in touch "before somebody else does."
In the three days since the page has gone live, Tarek says he has been overwhelmed by the positive response he has received.
"It's been crazy. My friends, family and the LinkedIn community has been sharing it, and I've been getting about 5,000 page views," he said. "It was even on the Kris Fade (radio) show."
"People have been calling me at random. It's overwhelming. People have even been tweeting to Elon Musk saying they should hire me or they won't buy Teslas," he added. "These are strangers, people I don't know. They've just seen my CV and think I'm capable of doing the job."
When asked what about Tesla attracts him, Tarek noted that he believes that the company is on the cutting edge, and said he is convinced he has something to offer them moving forward.
"Tesla are doing things no other company are doing, putting things in space, making the cars of the future," he said. "I know most of the automotive companies already have PR managers. But, in case they need someone in the future, I think my best shot would be with them."
Even if Tesla doesn't come calling, Tarek said he's happy he has tried his best and remains optimistic about his future job prospects.
"I didn't want to be lazy, and I wanted to make sure I've exhausted every effort," he noted. "With the website, I can make some noise, get myself out there. If Tesla doesn't pick me up, maybe another company will see my creativity and give me a call."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com



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