Originally from Tunisia, Mohamed Ben Mbarek spent the first several years of his career working for La Poste, the country’s postal service and largest financial institution.
With considerable hard work and skill, he worked his way up to the position of postmaster at Tunisia’s largest postal distribution centre. Even with this level of responsibility, however, he decided his best opportunity for a better life lay elsewhere, and made the decision to emigrate from Tunisia to Canada in 2012.
Once he arrived in Montreal, he quickly set his eyes on a career in international trade, which checked off all of his boxes for a potential new career path.
International trade is a fascinating, ever evolving field that never leaves you bored. Every day there are thousands of new things appearing in this fluctuating, hectic world.
How training led to achieving a major career milestone
Wanting to develop his skills and break into the job market, he enrolled at Cegep Marie-Victorin, one of FITT’s in-class educational partners, to take their FITT-accredited courses. He says taking the courses and earning his FITT Diploma in International Trade was invaluable in building his knowledge and preparing him for his career.
I highly recommend the courses, as they open doors to thriving careers. The courses are so rich and detailed, and helped change and mature how I understood international trade in many different ways.
“I especially enjoyed the International Trade Finance course and learning more about all of the legal aspects of trade.”
Earning his FITT Diploma also proved to be the crucial addition to the qualifications he needed to land his first job in international trade, and he says he’s not sure what he would have done without it.
“I was hired at Livingston International in large part because of my training. I used to send out 50 CVs a week and received close to nothing in return. Once I had my FITT Diploma, I started to receive at least 2 offers weekly! I was having trouble communicating my value, but having that credential made me feel more confident to negotiate and to sell my skills to employers. I highly recommend the FITT courses to every person looking to specialize in international trade.”
A strong knowledge base makes for a fulfilling career
Mohamed began working at Livingston International as a Release Customs Analyst in 2016, and has excelled in this position over the past two years. His work there mainly consists of classifying, billing and releasing client shipments, a major responsibility at one of North America’s largest customs brokerage, compliance and freight forwarding companies. With offices across North America, Europe and the Far East, his work has involved shipments moving across the world.
Balancing large volumes of shipments and ensuring everything is completed efficiently and correctly requires exceptional time management skills, attention to detail, strong communications and interpersonal skills, and extensive knowledge of customs laws and regulations on Mohamed’s part. He finds the position offers opportunities for growth and improvement, and enjoys his work enough that he has chosen to remain with Livingston despite offers from other major companies.
After working there for a year, Mohamed applied for and earned his elite Certified International Trade Professional (CITP®) designation. Having already earned his CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) designation in 2017, he was proud to add it to his list of accomplishments.
I wish I had known about FITT even longer ago, as the CITP® is the most highly respected international trade designation in Canada, and really makes your CV stand out from the crowd.
“Having it has been a huge leap forward for my career, and applying for it was one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life! It’s not something I take for granted, especially after all of the studying and hard work I put in throughout all of my courses. I’m proud and glad that I’m now certified as a highly trained and experienced international trade specialist by FITT.”
Now settled into a career he is passionate about, and with the skills and certification to take his work to new levels, he remains devoted to continuing to excel in international trade however he can.
Learn more about the CITP®|FIBP® designation
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION—CITP®|FIBP®
Advance your career and build your professional credibility in the field of global business by earning the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation.
Why Earn the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) Designation?
The Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation is the world’s leading professional designation for the field of international business. So whether you’re new to global trade or have over a decade of direct experience, you’ll find the CITP designation can help advance your career and build your professional credibility.
The CITP designation sets you apart in the competitive international business industry because it’s proof you possess the competencies global business experts have identified as being essential for a successful career in international trade. It also recognizes your dedication to ethical business practices and ongoing professional development—both of which are desirable traits for today’s global business practitioners.
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