Shireen Deeb, 2020 Woman of Courage Awardee

Shireen Deeb and her husband, Ali, had a comfortable life in Dubai with their family. They wanted to provide a better life for themselves and their children and decided to emigrate to the U.S. They both have advanced degrees and years of professional experience in law, finance, and marketing but struggled to find jobs in Pittsburgh.​

After getting settled, Shireen attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and received her Master in Laws degree for foreign-trained lawyers, yet she still was not receiving any job offers. She discovered Pennsylvania Women Work at a local job fair. “I had a difficult time finding a job. Employers struggled to understand how my international experience translated to the needs of their organization.” Shireen remembered. “Not only would PA Women Work help me, but they could also support my husband, Ali.”          

They both participated in the RISE program — Refugee and Immigrant Services for Employment — and received assistance with their resumes, filling out job applications and answering interview questions. Shireen participated in 3 Cups of Coffee to build her network and discover new job search strategies.

“I am so thankful to everyone at PA Women Work that helped us along the way. I was continually treated like a local person and never felt like an outsider. And the services I received directed me to a job I love,” Shireen said.

Ultimately, Shireen found a job as a contract attorney. Shortly after, her husband was offered a part-time to a full-time position as a financial specialist at a local financial institution. He didn’t initially think he could accept the offer because they wouldn’t be able to afford childcare for their daughters.

“The caring staff at PA Women Work encouraged him to accept, explaining it provides experience that could lead to a larger opportunity. Most importantly, they helped us with the tuition for childcare for the first month, so Ali was able to take the job,” Shireen explained.

Shireen has continued to grow as a professional, and the two have taken on new opportunities. Ali recently started to pursue his Master’s degree in law and Shireen has been working from home with Crown Castle since the start of the pandemic while also taking care of their three daughters.
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“The help and assistance we received from PA Women Work were priceless,” Shireen expressed. “It’s not only from the program but also the people that welcomed us, treated us equally and helped us start our careers in Pittsburgh.”

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