“We were made to feel very welcome right from the start”
Jad Azar entered the EDP Distribuição universe through the EDP Trainee Programme. In January 2018, after completing the 3rd round of the programme, he took a further step by joining the company. He currently works in the Commercial Services Department, an area that requires a sharp ability to act and react.
But Jad Azar’s story begins four thousand kilometres away from Lisbon, in Beirut. It was in the Lebanese capital that he grew up, studied and graduated in Economics from the American University of Beirut. Afterwards, while pursuing a Master’s in Business Management, specialising in Marketing and Sales, the young Lebanese, born in 1994, decided to travel to Europe: “I decided to do my Master’s Degree and start exploring the world a bit, so I travelled to Madrid, where I studied at the Business Institute.” It was a journey of almost 3,500 kilometres to the Spanish capital.
Álvaro Puertas de la Morena was already there. He was born, grew up and studied in Madrid. He graduated in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnical University of Madrid and completed a Master’s in Industrial Engineering at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas.
In between internships and projects for his Master’s, Álvaro worked for Iberdrola and the Spanish Power Grid: “After finishing my Master’s, I was also recruited to join the 3rd round of the trainee programme,” explains the young Spaniard, who has also studied piano at the Federico Moreno Torroba Conservatory. Álvaro currently works in the EDP Distribuição Technology and Innovation Department:
My job is to identify new technologies, innovative ideas and new methodologies that can be integrated into pilot projects and developed into rollout solutions if they prove to be of interest for business
It was on the Internet that Álvaro discovered that EDP was seeking candidates to join the 3rd round of the Trainee Programme, to which he decided to apply. As for Jad, he found out about the programme through the job fairs organised by universities, where several companies are present: “EDP was one of the companies and I decided to submit my CV.”
The 500 kilometres between Madrid and Lisbon were still to be travelled. Even before having met, Jad and Álvaro left the same city for the same destination, with the same goal in mind: to become part of the EDP family and meet people from different backgrounds.
“We were made to feel very welcome right from the start”
Álvaro Morena
“I had the opportunity to meet several people from different areas, who were always available to help and motivate me”
Jad Azar
A company ready to welcome diversity
The Trainee Programme adventure began in October 2016, with the onboarding stage, and ended in December of that year. “We were made to feel very welcome right from the start,” underlines Álvaro. Of the 40 trainees who participated in the programme, approximately 25 were Portuguese, while the rest hailed from other countries: “There were a lot of people from Lisbon, who often invited us to play football. It was a very good idea to have such a high percentage of people from Portugal,” affirms the youngster from Madrid.
Jad believes that EDP Distribuição is undoubtedly a company that knows how to welcome people from other countries and is committed to diversity:
The company is adapting to a world in constant change, increasingly digital, international and global. I think EDP Distribuição is trying to do precisely that with the people they recruit.
Portugal, Spain and Lebanon were not the only countries represented amongst the trainees: “There was a Nigerian. There were also people from Iran, Germany, Brazil and India,” they recall. Jad believes that the presence of individuals from so many different origins and backgrounds made it possible to “multiply knowledge and enjoyable moments.”
Speaking Portuguese: the challenge overcome with flying colours
When they arrived in Portugal, Jad and Álvaro didn’t know each other and barely spoke Portuguese. Nowadays, they are friends, which is obvious from the way they interact and joke with each other as they talk about life at EDP Distribuição. And they do it in Portuguese, a language both had to learn.
This was easier for Álvaro than for Jad:
“Even if it seems that Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, I realised, from my interaction with many Portuguese friends, that we Spaniards aren’t used to speaking other languages.”
He started by trying to understand the language better; he currently speaks Portuguese fluently, even if with a slight Spanish accent.
Jad reveals that the language was what he struggled with the most during his first year in the new country. However, he saw learning as a challenge. For six months, he took Portuguese classes three times a week. Additionally, the support received from everyone at EDP and the company’s ability to integrate people from other countries once again made the difference.
“I had the opportunity to meet several people from different areas, who were always available to help, motivate me and offer me the necessary support when I needed it.”
The football group and the “Queima das Fitas” in Coimbra
Álvaro is “very much a football fan” and a Real Madrid supporter. During their first Christmas in Portugal, the group of trainees decided to organise a “Secret Santa”.
At the time I was lucky enough to be the “secret friend” of a Benfica fan, so my Christmas present that year was a Benfica scarf
Afterwards, Álvaro was often invited to watch the games and ended up joining a group that regularly went to watch Benfica. He even bought an annual seat to make sure he could watch all the matches at the Luz Stadium.
When asked about meaningful moments, Jad recalls his experiences in Seia, where he provided support to the contact centre, and Coimbra, where he worked in the Inovgrid Operations Department. Despite splitting his time between the capital and the university city (spending alternate weeks in Lisbon and in Coimbra), the young Lebanese reveals, with a smile on his face, that he managed to make time to attend the city’s major academic event: the “Queima das Fitas”.
The satisfaction of being part of EDP Distribuição
The relaxed, fun and jovial demeanour of Jad and Álvaro reveals that they enjoy living in Portugal and working at EDP Distribuição. They always make a point of emphasising that their working environment and the warm welcome and treatment they’ve received help them feel this way.
But they still miss their homes and countries. The Spaniard, who finds it easier to travel to his homeland, says that “friends and family” are what he misses the most: “That’s what I value the most.” Jad misses the typical food, although he is happy to see more and more Lebanese restaurants open near his workplace. Despite missing his family and traditions, his time at EDP Distribuição has allowed him to constantly evolve.
When you’re abroad, you need to embrace a new culture. It’s true that Portugal is similar to Spain, but there are differences. As for Jad, it must be even more different. However, we need to consider the codes of conduct that exist in each country; this broadens the mind.
In a good mood and joking with his Spanish friend, who is also laughing, Jad mentions that the biggest development lies in the much bigger number of languages he can now speak:
I already speak five languages: Portuguese, Arabic, French – because Lebanon was a French colony, so the language was taught in almost all schools – and English. And when I went to Madrid nobody would speak English to me, no one wants to speak a different language, so I had to learn Spanish.
Learning the language is Jad’s main piece of advice to anyone who wants to work in Portugal: “Communication is an invaluable asset. It’s what allows you to get your message across.”
Álvaro’s initial advice also involves learning the language; however, he ends up praising the Portuguese hospitality: “If I were to offer a piece of advice, it would be to make the most of the people’s welcoming nature.”