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Amal Career-Prep Fellowship

The 3-month long Amal Career-Prep Fellowship is a professional development program to help our youth develop the resilience, positive attitude, and skills needed for a successful career and life. We follow a blended learning mode which combines online courses (Teachable), project works (Google Classroom), and activity based online sessions.

Watch the videos below to see some highlights of the fellowship experience and read the FAQs for further specific details.

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What You Get?

Fellows’ Skills Growth

Overall Growth 100%
English Communication 87%
Career Planning 100%
Interviewing​ 100%
Public Speaking 100%
Confidence​ 87%
Lifelong Learning 100%

Job Offer Rate

Monthly Household Income

Frequently Asked Questions

Fellowship Introduction

The Amal Career-Prep Fellowship is a dynamic, three-month program tailored for third-year or final-year university students and recent graduates poised to enter the professional world. This program is particularly beneficial for those pursuing job placements, internships, or entrepreneurial ventures.

Through a hands-on learning approach, the fellowship aims to narrow the gap between academic theory and practical industry demands. Participants are equipped with crucial soft skills and leadership abilities, such as purpose-driven work, self-efficacy, and resilience. Additionally, the program develops essential professional competencies including confidence, time management, teamwork, resume crafting, and interview techniques, all designed to foster professional success.

According to a survey by Naqeebz Consulting of over 150 companies in Pakistan, over 75% of employers are not satisfied with the skill level of the job candidates who apply for their companies. Almost 80% of these companies require additional personal development of candidates, and nearly 75% require soft skills.

More specifically, these companies have identified the following skills they value the most in employees:

  • 83% value verbal communication as a top skill;
  • 72% value a positive attitude;
  • 65% value team-work;
  • 59% value critical thinking;
  • 59% value self-confidence;
  • 57% value written communication;
  • 57% value drive and flexibility;
  • 47% value stress tolerance;
  • 46% value adaptability;
  • 46% value time management skills;
  • 45% value self-awareness;
  • 45% value planning and organizing skills;
  • 44% value integrity.

 

The Amal Career-Prep Fellowship focuses on developing all these specific skills and abilities, so that our Fellows can be more competitive in the marketplace.

The Amal Fellowship provides a unique opportunity to develop lifelong skills that normally take several years to develop on-the-job. This is a great opportunity for people who want to become leaders of the future or start their own business. Along the way, Fellows have the opportunity to expand their networks and develop lifelong friendships.

To learn more about what skills and subjects we develop, you can see the full syllabus at amalacademy.org/syllabus

We have graduated more than 13,000 Amal Fellows over the past 11 years with approximately 84% of job-seekers receiving employment offers within three months of completing this program. The key to their success is the hard work they have invested and their ability and willingness to apply the skills they developed with Amal.

While we don’t directly provide job placements, you’ll be happy to know that 84% of Amal Fellows have been able to secure job or internship offers within three months of completion of the program due to their hard work and by applying what they have learned in the Fellowship.

We’re so confident about the impact of the Fellowship that we have a money back guarantee where we pledge to refund the Rs. 15,000 Fellowship fee if a Fellow does not receive at least one job offer within 6 months of graduation. This is, of course, provided the Fellow has put in due effort both during the Fellowship and into their job-search. For more details about the money back guarantee, read through the Fellowship Fee section.

Fellowship Structure and Timeline

Currently there are two versions of the Fellowship being offered. These include in-person (in select cities), and online (via Zoom). Both formats have proven hugely successful, with 84% job success rates across 6,200+ online graduates and 6,900+ in-person graduates. 

For details of venues for the in-person format, please take a look at our application form. You should select the version of the program that will maximize your chances to fully engage and attend all sessions of the Fellowship.

The next semester for the Amal Fellowship is the Winter 2024 semester, with sessions starting around the last week of November 2024 and running till mid-February 2025.

We have three Fellowship semesters every year:

  1. Spring, which typically starts in February or March;
  2. Summer, starting in July or August; and
  3. Winter, which usually starts in November or December.

The Fellowship is currently being offered in two formats – In-person and Online. 

Winter 2024 Online Fellowships will be held via Zoom and are open to people from across Pakistan who have consistent and dependable access to a computer with webcam and a reliable internet connection.

Winter 2024 In-person Fellowships will be held at various university campuses in Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad, and Karachi:

  • Lahore
      • University of Engineering and Technology (UET)
      • Institute of Administrative Sciences (IAS) Punjab University
      • Amal Campus (located at Upper Mall)
  • Faisalabad
      • University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF)
  • Islamabad
      • National University of Science and Technology (NUST)
  • Karachi
      • NED University of Engineering and Technology (NEDUET)
  •  

The application form allows you to indicate your preference for In-person or online format, however final placement will be based on which format will maximize your chances of attending and participating fully. Regardless of Online or In-person placement, Fellows are required to attend live interactive sessions with their batch twice a week over weekends (3 hours on each of Saturday and Sunday) and engage in group based activities and projects during the week, throughout the 3 month Fellowship program.

The Amal Fellowship is 3-months long, with live sessions held two days in a week (Sat and Sun), along with critical projects that help develop analytical business and professional skills such as leadership, teamwork, problem solving and communication.

The format is a blend between live interactive group sessions (65%) and project work (35%).

Group sessions are a combination of videos, class discussions, presentations, public speaking opportunities, role plays, case studies, and competitive activities. Sessions at the Amal Fellowship are very different from the traditional lectures and classes that you might have attended at university and are designed to make you the owner of your own learning experience.

Project work is a combination of online courses that have videos, interactive discussions, reflection questions, and tasks. This is a critical part of the learning experience, as there’s no better teacher than practical experience. This also gives each Fellow the chance to learn outside of the sessions, whenever the time is most convenient for them, and to develop an awareness of the subject so that they can build on that knowledge during the fellowship session.

The weekly live sessions will be held on both Saturdays and Sundays for 3 hours each day. There will also be online courses, project-based work which will require another 8-10 hours during the week, including midweek group meetings. On average, you should be prepared to invest 12-15 hours a week into growing yourself through the Amal Fellowship.

Our courses and sessions are meticulously crafted to equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to enhance your business acumen and professional capabilities. Each week, you’ll engage in projects that are directly tied to what you’ve learned in sessions and through our online courses. This practice and application are vital: without application, ideas remain abstract; but when actively applied and practiced, these ideas transform into tangible skills that can propel your career forward.

The Fellowship will require Fellows to have a dependable laptop equipped with a webcam and microphone, and a fast and reliable internet connection. Our selection team will not consider applicants who do not have consistent access to a computer. It is important to note that completing the Fellowship solely with a smartphone is not feasible.

Fellowship Fee

The Fellowship costs Amal Academy Rs. 60,000 per participant. However we have subsidized this to Rs. 15,000 for the entire 3-month program – this 75% subsidy for everyone is made possible by generous support from our donors. This Fee can either be paid in 3 monthly installments of Rs. 5,000 each, or as one lump-sum payment of Rs. 13,500 paid before the program – this includes a 10% prepayment discount. 

We also offer additional need-based financial assistance. Admitted Fellows whose families are unable to afford the Rs. 15,000 fee may apply for financial assistance after submitting their admissions application. If eligible (gauged through an interview), admitted applicants will only have to pay a one-time commitment fee of Rs. 4,000 for the entire 3-month Fellowship  (or even lower in special circumstances).

Amal Academy is committed to ensuring that no-one is denied access to the Amal Career-Prep Fellowship because of financial constraints. 

Please note that there is no application fee i.e. there is no fee required to submit an application.

The Rs. 15,000 fee is for the entire 3-month Fellowship. This is payable in three monthly installments of Rs. 5,000 each. The first installment is due before the start of the sessions to confirm your spot in the Fellowship; the second is due at the end of month 1 of the Fellowship; and the third installment due at the end of month 2. 

If paid in full before the start of the Fellowship, there will be a 10% discount, and the total payment will be Rs. 13,500.

For those selected for the financial assistance, the Rs. 4,000 commitment fee is for the entire 3-month program, payable in full upon selection to guarantee a place in the Fellowship.

Details on how to pay/deposit the Fellowship fee will be communicated to you if your application for the Fellowship is successful.

Please note that there is no application fee i.e. there is no fee required to submit an application.

Firstly, the increase in fee to Rs. 15,000 is only applicable to those who can afford this amount. Anyone who can’t afford this amount but otherwise deserves the Fellowship will be able to avail financial assistance to bring the program within their reach.

Secondly, the actual cost of delivering the Fellowship is more than Rs. 60,000 per participant. The Rs. 15,000 price point is already subsidized by 75% through generous donor support. We selected the Rs. 15,000 price point as we’ve determined through surveys and focus groups that Rs. 15,000 is entirely affordable by a majority (more than 60%) of our applicants and Fellows.. 

Thirdly, our philosophy is that we should encourage people who can afford more to actually pay more,  as this increases our ability to accommodate and support applicants who really can’t afford the program even at these subsidized rates. In short, this approach includes our Fellows as partners to help increase the impact of every dollar of funding we receive by reaching even more deserving students.

Fourthly, the increased financial stability that this brings helps us ensure that we will be around for the long term and will continue to impact many millions of lives. Our vision is a society that reaches its full potential, and we believe the society should take ownership of this as well.

Lastly, our alumni testify that this program is transformational – you can reach out to our alumni and ask them how much the Fellowship has helped them (contact them here). To put some numbers to some of the results of the Fellowship: 84% of our job-seeking graduates are successful in finding employment within 3 months of program completion, and their first job-offer results in an average increase in their household income of 64%.

No, not one bit. The Fellowship experience and teachings will be exactly the same for those paying the Rs. 15,000 fee and those paying the Rs. 4,000 commitment fee.

The reason behind charging a higher fee for some candidates is to try and cover some of the Fellowship costs through candidates that are able to afford a less-subsidized fee. This ensures Amal can continue and enhance its support of candidates that need the Fellowship experience but absolutely cannot afford it.

No. Admission to the Fellowship is 100% need blind. That means if you are passionate about your personal and professional development, and if you are likely to benefit from attending the Fellowship, then you’re just as eligible for selection as anyone else that applies for the program regardless of your ability to pay for the program. You may apply for financial assistance following the instructions given after you have submitted your Fellowship application form.

No, the Fellowship fee is not refundable. 

This is to ensure commitment and seriousness from Fellows. This allows us to efficiently allocate resources, plan sessions, and maintain the quality of the Fellowship. Once enrolled, we commit significant resources to each Fellow, and this non-refundable fee helps us sustain these efforts and continue supporting other deserving students. 

We do, however, have a Money Back Guarantee for those Fellows paying the Rs. 15,000 / Rs. 13,500 fee amount. Quite simply, Amal will give you your Rs. 15,000 fee back if you do not receive at least one job offer within 6 months of graduation, provided that you put in due effort both during the fellowship and into your job-search. In order for the money back guarantee offer to remain valid, you must maintain a minimum Fellowship Score of 85%, and be actively searching for a job (measured through number and quality of job applications) throughout the period following your Fellowship.

Amal Academy does not take any responsibility for your travel to your chosen venue, which means you will have to bear all costs associated with attending the Fellowship. Don’t forget you’re already receiving a scholarship worth at least Rs. 45,000 to attend the Fellowship!

Selection Process

Please visit our website www.amalacademy.org and click on the ‘Apply Now’ button at the top of the page. The application form is completely online and will take 10-15 minutes to complete.

Note that if the application for next semester is not yet live, the ‘Apply Now’ button will allow you to enter your contact information for notification once applications are launched.

Once a candidate has completed and submitted their application for the Fellowship, they will receive a link to the Financial Assistance Application Form.

The selection process focuses on selecting those applicants who are committed to hard work and have the passion to focus on their personal and professional development. We prioritize applicants from public sector and tier 2/3 private universities, as we have found that these students benefit the most from the Fellowship.

We feel everyone has the potential to become great, but we focus on admitting those who need the Fellowship the most, who are truly driven to succeed, and who are willing to put in 100% to achieve their goals.

Remember that admission to the Fellowship is 100% need blind, which means if you are passionate about your personal and professional development, and if you are likely to benefit from attending the Fellowship, then you’re just as eligible for selection as anyone else that applies for the program.

Anyone currently attending the last two years of their university degree, or has recently graduated is eligible for the Fellowship. We prioritize applicants who have plans to start their careers in the near future be it a job, an internship, or pursuing an entrepreneurial venture.

For CA students, eligibility requires either completion of the CA Inter (CAF) qualification or having no more than one or two papers remaining. Additionally, candidates should be planning to start their articleship within the next 3 to 6 months after completing the fellowship.

In the past, we have not been able to select many applicants simply because we did not have enough space/capacity. However, we have been working hard to expand our partnerships with universities and the size of our team, so that we can support more Fellows, so we really encourage you to re-apply if you meet the eligibility criteria. To improve your chances of selection, please be sure to write detailed responses to the essay questions in the application, these questions help us get to know you better.

No, there are no charges for submitting the application form.

We do not require any document at the time of application. However, once you are admitted to the Fellowship, we will collect a copy of your CNIC amongst other documents for verification.

The financial assistance application will require providing supporting documentation to prove a candidate’s need for financial assistance. This could include but not be limited to the candidate’s parents’ salary slips or tax returns, utility bills, and proof of receipt of financial aid from their current place of study.

The Fellowship is generally available to people residing in Pakistan. While it may be possible to participate in the Online version of the Fellowship if you are living abroad, it is worth noting that our selection criteria prioritizes applicants from public sector and tier 2/3 private universities in Pakistan, as we have found these students benefit the most from the Fellowship. If you decide to apply, please use your essay responses in the application to tell us how you will benefit from the Fellowship; this will increase your chances of selection.

The selection process comprises five steps. 

  1. Shortlisting: Applicants are shortlisted for an interview based on eligibility, need, and passion as indicated by your application responses (especially the essay). 
  2. Interview: Shortlisted applicants are invited to an online interview for a candid discussion to further explore your desire and motivation for the Fellowship.
  3. Financial assistance interview: Applicants seeking financial assistance are called for an interview to assess the applicant’s personal and financial situation, as well as their need for financial assistance. 
  4. Selection center: Those who clear the interview stage are invited to a “Selection Center” session (either online or in-person) to interact with other applicants in a collaborative exercise. This is an opportunity for applicants to get a feel for the real Fellowship sessions. It also provides more detail on the Fellowship format and structure.
  5. Accepting the offer: Once you receive your offer, you will have 2-3 days to submit your fee to confirm your spot in the Fellowship.

The selection process can take up to 30-60 days after your application is submitted.

  1. Apply early – The sooner you apply, the greater your chances of selection.
  2. Get a recommendation from a supervisor, teacher, or even a senior; details on submitting a recommendation form are included in the application.
  3. In the application: Answer the essay questions genuinely, tell us about yourself and your background. Your responses to these questions play a crucial role in helping us understand how the Fellowship can help you. There is no right or wrong answer, and no minimum or maximum word limit. But please do write at least 2-3 sentences for each essay response so we can get a better sense of who you are. 
  4. Before your interview: Do some research on Amal Academy and the Fellowship, think about why you’re interested and what you’ll do to keep up with the workload. We want to see that you are committed to improving yourself. If you can think of any stories that showcase this commitment, or of a conversation with someone that convinced you to apply, please come prepared to talk about these. Better yet, also write about them in your application essay!
  5. For the selection group activities: Make sure to join on time, have your camera-on if joining online, pay attention, and ask questions when something is not clear.

Yes, you must fill out the full application form to be considered for admission.

If you sign up while applications are closed, we record your contact details and send you an email notifying you once applications are open for the next semester – then it’s your job to apply.

Background of Amal Academy

Amal Academy is not an academy or a tuition center: we are an education venture with a vision of changing the education system in Pakistan in order to create lifelong learners, self-starters and problem solvers.

We envision a society of self-aware, resilient, hardworking, proactive, and responsible citizens; of life-long learners, critical thinkers, and problem solvers, who act with a strong moral compass, and improve their own lives as well of those around them. Individuals who contribute to the well-being of their families and their communities, and who consequently live a more secure, fulfilled, meaningful, and productive life.

Our core values, developed through stages of deliberation and critical analysis, aim to foster a culture of:

  • Compassion: Cultivating deep-seated empathy and respect, treating others as we would be treated, and fostering a supportive community.
  • Reliability: Committing steadfastly to our promises, persevering through obstacles with determination, and ensuring dependable support for our team and fellows.
  • Integrity: Upholding the highest standards of honesty and consistency, ensuring our actions fully align with our values, with no room for compromise.
  • Continuous improvement: Championing lifelong learning and relentless improvement, pushing ourselves and our fellows to explore potential and embrace challenges with a solutions-focused mindset.
  • Critical thinking: Encouraging thoughtful deliberation and critical analysis in all decisions, promoting a culture of insightful inquiry and informed action.

At Amal we seek to create a safe space for our team, Fellows, and the community to come together to learn and grow by cultivating grit, resilience and a growth mindset. We encourage conflict of ideas and debate exhibiting acceptance and a collaborative environment.

There is a zero tolerance policy for hate speech, harassment and any other inappropriate/unethical behavior. The phrase “Amal family” fully embraces all past, present and future members!

The Fellowship was initially funded by Stanford University, with additional support from Acumen (US), Echoing Green (US), Montpelier Foundation (UK) and Peery Foundation (US). Additionally, we have also provided corporate training to different companies including Nestle, Arbisoft, INTECH, Bank Alfalah, Allied Bank, etc. in order to generate revenue and support our cost of operations. Currently, the bulk of Fellowship costs are graciously covered by PepsiCo Pakistan through the PepsiCo Foundation as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility focus on youth and women empowerment.

Amal Fellowship is built on the foundation of a very diverse, dedicated and committed team comprising graduates from Stanford, Notre Dame, Harvard, Acumen, Fulbright, LUMS, LSE and many others, including Amal alumni. In addition to the team, we have a very strong network of advisors and mentors, such as Syed Babar Ali (Founder LUMS, Packages), Jacqueline Novogratz (CEO of Acumen), Chris Anderson (Curator of TED), Jawad Aslam (CEO of Ansaar Management Company), Dr. Kamran Shams (CEO of Punjab Education Endowment Fund), Yasser Bashir (CEO of Arbisoft), and others. Through their support, we are able to fine-tune the Amal Fellowship into the best experience for our Fellows.

The Program Managers and Associates are the ones who will be closely working with you during the course of the Fellowship and assisting you to reach your full potential. The Program Managers come from an average of 2-3 years of strong work experience and are graduates from US institutions through Fulbright programs, UK, Turkey and Pakistani institutions like LUMS, IBA, and LSE. In addition, the Fellowships could not be managed without the support of the Program Associates, who are Amal Fellowship alumni, and graduates from reputable institutions like PU, UET, GCU, NUST, etc.

  • +92-301-8454761
  • hello@amalacademy.org
  • 259/B, Khizar Road, Upper Mall, Lahore (Opp. Gym Khana)

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Amal Career-Prep Fellowship
Winter 2024 Semester

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Amal Career-Prep Fellowship

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