The Power of Communication: Lessons Learned at the Celts Breakfast Club

By Brian Ehlinger—On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, I was among the selected CSB and UST students joining the Celts Breakfast Club guest speaker, Habeeb Gnaim, who has eleven years of experience as a tax attorney. Mr. Gnaim graduated from UST in 2000 with an Economics degree, received a J.D. in Law from SMU, and then graduated from Georgetown University with a LL.M. in Tax Law. During the breakfast, Mr. Gnaim discussed his work experience and recommendations for interviewing.

Work Experience

After graduating with his law degree from Georgetown University, Mr. Gnaim came back to Houston. He lived at home with his parents in Pearland while he was searching for a job, and he never gave up on seeking his desired job. Currently, Mr. Gnaim serves as the head of the Tax Planning & Business Transactions Group, and the Co-Chairman of the Recruiting Program at Chamberlain Hrdlicka. At Chamberlain, Mr. Gnaim became the first attorney to become partner within five years. Mr. Gnaim is constantly busy from reviewing resumes to structuring and reorganizing companies. Technology has changed the communication of the attorney and their clients. Mr. Gnaim stated that typically, he would meet with all the clients and staff members to get signature for closing the transaction, and the meetings could lead to possible re-negotiations of the transaction. This could take sixty to ninety days to buy a company. Today, the communication for the signature is done virtually through email, which is a more efficient method. When the oil and gas sector is increasing, Mr. Gnaim deals with more transactions of companies buying and selling. On the other hand, when the oil and gas sector is decreasing, Mr. Gnaim does more restructuring of organizations. H Texas Magazine has recognized Mr. Gnaim as a Lawyer on the Fast Track and one of Houston’s top lawyers.

Interviewing and Job Search

One of the main criteria that Mr. Gnaim looks for on a resume is that it is within one to two pages in length. Mr. Gnaim emphasized that communication is very important during an interview. For example, would an outgoing and talkative candidate be hired over a shy candidate for a position? Mr. Gnaim stated that he would hire the outgoing and talkative candidate since the candidate is confident about himself. Communication can be achieved by emailing a recruiter to review one’s resume for a job posting or to call the recruiting coordinator. One can call the recruiting coordinator, provide a quick intro about them, and ask about potential job openings. Similarly, Mr. Gnaim recommended students to utilize their friends for possible connections to jobs. Mr. Gnaim was rejected two times by Chamberlain, and then one of Mr. Gnaim’s friends knew a partner; Mr. Gnaim had a interview with the partner and was hired within 48 hours. Students should not take rejections personally. I will remember Mr. Gnaim’s suggestions as I move forward with my job search.

Conclusion

The Celts Breakfast Club allows CSB students to meet UST alums that work in the corporate business world. The opportunity to converse with local CSB alums is beneficial to students so that they learn about the alums’ experiences and recommendations for a career path.

Brian Ehlinger
UST – BBA/MBA Candidate, Cameron School of Business