AUCians Find Opportunity with Dirty Cookies

Reporter: Yasmine Morsy  @yasminemorsy1

A small dessert shop in the heart of New Cairo is changing the way employers think about hiring fresh graduates.

One of Dirty Cookie’s many missions was to tear down the stereotype of privileged AUCians not working while studying. Throughout the past year-and-a-half, they hired a total of six AUCians who worked as servers, sales personnel, and pastry chefs; one AUC hire did so well that she was promoted to Operations Manager. 

Nicole Iskandar, a graduating senior majoring in Communication Media Arts says one of the biggest challenges she faced in taking on such a huge responsibility is the amount of time and energy she would have to sacrifice. 

“Ever since I started being a manager, I don’t recall sleeping eight hours straight. I have to be available 24/7 in case anything happens,” said Iskandar. 

She succeeded in proving to her team and her parents how much time management works by maintaining a full-time job aside and being a student. 

“My parents weren’t encouraging at first, but I made it work. I started putting effort into both my career and studies. I actually put more effort into my studies than usual,” she said. 

By becoming a self-sufficient young woman responsible for all her expenses, she is slowly changing the perception some may have that AUCians are coddled. 

She explains that since the beginning of her career at Dirty Cookie, other than time management and having a job, she learned how to spend her money wisely. 

Iskandar’s efficient time-management skills and dedication impressed Assem El-Madbouly, Dirty Cookie’s former operations manager.

“Giving my position to a younger student was a hard decision to make, but Nicole was always giving the impression of being capable of taking such a position for so long and she worked so hard to get it. If I were in her position, I’d definitely take this challenge,” said El-Madbouly. 

With her skill at multitasking, operating a whole store, and dealing with problems all while being a student, Iskandar has become a role model and is a motivating example to all her teammates at the Dirty Cookie.  

“Dirty Cookie doesn’t just offer you a 9-5 job, but it also invests in you as a person, which I rarely think happens anywhere else,” Iskandar days. 

“Believing in a 22-year-old girl to become a manager, that doesn’t have the ‘20 years of experience’ every company is looking for, and willing to invest in her and give her the chance to succeed is a huge opportunity.”

The rest of the Dirty Cookie team are at the beginning of their journeys, and believe that working there will jump-start their careers. 

Karim Rifay, the managing director of Dirty Cookie, had heard all about the stereotypes AUCians faced, but emphasized that they are by far the most dependable team he has ever worked with.

“We knew that by hiring students who are basically our main age group of clients, they would be the best fit for the customer to feel the excitement and the quality of our products throughout our team,” said Rifay.

Zeina Allam, an AUC freshman intending to major in Economics, recently started her journey with Dirty Cookie as a sales team member for five months. So far, she has proven to herself and others that her new employer was worth the effort. 

“I was intrigued by the fact that there is a place where I can work while still a freshman. Deciding to work in Dirty Cookie is worth the risk, although my parents didn’t approve at first because of my assignments and exams, however, I learned how to manage my time and prove that I am capable,” said Allam. 

Allam’s team member Ahmed Wael, an economics junior at AUC, believes that part of the experience at Dirty Cookie is that the work environment is filled with positivity.

“The work thankfully isn’t demanding or high maintenance as the managing team are aware of the fact that we must also prioritize our university, so it works well with our high demanding university’s academic work. I couldn’t have found a [more] perfect match,” said Wael. 

He added that the managing team supports them in balancing work and academic responsibilities. 

Farida Abdel-Maksoud, a Communication Media Arts alumna has been a loyal customer Dirty Cookie since Dirty Cookie opened. 

“ Other than the indulging cookies and ice cream there, Dirty Cookie is different. The vibe itself is just different than any other place … I believe it is definitely the team,” she says.

She says it was a smart choice to hire young AUCians as part of the shop’s team.

“I got the chance to be friends with them all, especially Nicole and I remember her doing her job as the cashier and now she is the Operations Manager,” Abdel-Maksoud said.

“I believe this will definitely inspire other AUCians to start their career journeys now.”