Qatari career coach Noora Salem Albuhaddoud Al-Dosari
Doha, Qatar: Many young people struggle with career choices not because they lack ambition, but because they are often pressured into following paths chosen by others, according to Qatari career coach Noora Salem Albuhaddoud Al-Dosari (pictured).
Al-Dosari, an experienced human resources professional and certified career coach, believes one of the biggest challenges facing young people in the region is parental pressure to pursue careers that align with family expectations rather than personal passion and aptitude.
Speaking in an interview with The Peninsula, Al-Dosari stressed the need for parents to support their children in discovering their own strengths and interests instead of imposing long-held family preferences.
“Let them be themselves,” she said, reflecting on what she considers one of the most important conversations families should have about career development.
According to her, many students enter university programmes simply because they want to meet family expectations, often choosing professions such as law or medicine despite lacking genuine interest in those fields.
“Sometimes, parents say, ‘You have to go to law school’ or ‘You have to become a doctor,’ and the child follows that path because they feel this is what the family wants, not necessarily what they want,” she explained.
Al-Dosari said such pressure often leaves young people disconnected from their aspirations, eventually leading to dissatisfaction and career frustration.
Drawing from her coaching experience, she recalled the story of a student who approached her while preparing for university. Although his family wanted him to pursue law, career assessments revealed his strong interests and abilities lay in science and healthcare.
The student eventually decided to repeat part of his studies to reposition himself for a career aligned with his passion rather than continue down a path he believed would leave him unfulfilled.
“He told me he would rather lose two years than regret losing many years doing something he did not want,” Al-Dosari said.
For the Doha-based coach, the conversation around careers should move beyond status, tradition and financial security toward personal fulfilment, self-awareness and long-term purpose.
Al-Dosari’s perspective is shaped partly by her own journey. Despite graduating from high school years earlier, she only completed her bachelor’s degree in 2019 after navigating personal and academic interruptions.
Initially entering university because of parental expectations, she later dropped out as was not able to choose her career path before eventually returning to higher education through community college, graduating with honours.
That experience, she said, strengthened her determination to help others avoid making career decisions without clarity or guidance.
“I do not want students to fall into the same trap,” she said, adding that many young people struggle because they lack proper career direction and fail to distinguish between simply having a job and building a meaningful career.
Since becoming a certified career coach in 2022, Al-Dosari has worked with more than 20 clients, helping individuals better understand their interests, strengths and long-term goals.
She emphasised that coaching is not about telling people what to do but helping them discover answers for themselves.
For parents, her advice is simple: support children even when their choices may seem uncertain.
“Sometimes what they choose may not be correct, but they need to experience it and learn,” she said. “If we always say yes, no, do this or do not do that, they will never learn.” She also urged individuals contemplating career changes not to believe it is too late to start over.
“You go backwards like a bow before moving forward,” she said. “Do it now rather than regret it later.”
