What it does: The Fatima Group is a diversified conglomerate involved in commodity trading, a diverse range of services and manufacturing based in Lahore, Pakistan.
Best known for: Being a major contributor to Pakistan’s economic development.
Financials: Recently made nearly Rs 14 billion in net sales, generating over Rs 300 million in profit. While by no means a record, the performance indicates a healthy jump from previous years.
The good: Well-known brand.
The not so good: Occasional long-distance travel. Slow career growth.
Hiring grads with degrees in: business and management; accounting and finance; mechanical engineering; software engineering; electrical engineering.
The Fatima Group began in 1936 as a commodities trading company. While it saw many decades of success in this regard, it rose to prominence through making great strides in the agriculture sector, founding textile and sugar mills. By 2003, the Fatima Fertiliser Company was founded, soon becoming a crowning achievement. It grew to produce not only chemicals like ammonia and nitrogen phosphorus potassium but housed its own private 56MW power plant.
Today, the Fatima Group continues expanding throughout Pakistan with the aim of bolstering the country’s economy. It seeks to expand the agriculture sector with sustainable business practices and social contributions.
The most compelling part of Fatima for engineering graduates is the Graduate Engineer Trainee program, which many large Pakistani companies run. While not too different from those you’d find at other companies, successful applicants can expect mentorship and valuable work experience in a variety of industries. As the Fatima Group owns textile mills, fertiliser plants and energy companies, the work is diverse and demand for engineers skilled in various disciplines is constant, so it’s a reliable place to start.
There’s also the Management Trainee Officer program. These operate on a similar structure to the engineering programs, often acquainting successful applicants with the day-to-day overarching operations in whichever mills or factories they’re assigned. A useful opportunity to shadow experienced managers and learn what it’s like to oversee a Fatima operation.
One of the issues with both programs is travel. For instance, young engineers have to sometimes go far outside of Lahore to reach the many mills and factories owned by the company, which can be daunting. Fatima also falls victim to the trappings of other companies in its category, including long hours, unpaid overtime, frequent denial of leave requests and general bureaucracy. Previous employees sometimes describe the managerial style as 'militaristic', making it hard to suggest improvements or new ideas.
Promotions only go to those who can quickly learn the many complex procedures inherent to being an engineer at Fatima, or the stringent rules and regulations observed by its managers. The career track from trainee to manager is rough, even as a management trainee, so the primary value in working here comes from those first few months of learning. But after a year or so, it’s often wise to go elsewhere.
The process of becoming an engineer or management trainee is nearly identical. Fatima conducts regular recruitment drives on university campuses, which you’ll likely have seen during your time at university. Simply approach their representatives with your CV and express your interest.
If you made an impression, you will move to ah aptitude test consisting of IQ and technical sections. The IQ section is the same for both programs, consisting of basic verbal and quantitative reasoning questions. The technical section will feature job-specific material, which you’ll have likely learned during your degree. Passing this test will lead to an interview with HR at your local Fatima office, which is just a friendly way for them to get to know you.
If they like you, next up is an assessment centre. This consists of all shortlisted applicants getting together to complete group discussions. Your participation here is evaluated based on the quality of questions you ask and how you communicate with your peers. Get through all that and you’re in!
The Fatima Group wishes to create ‘continuous value’ for consumers through industries that support economic growth in the country. They have several values to facilitate this:
The Fatima Group aims to build a hospital for underprivileged Punjab residents. The Fatima Fertiliser Welfare Trust Hospital will be an integrated healthcare centre, proposed to contain X-Ray machines, portable ultrasound devices, a radiography system and more.
The company also runs numerous sponsorship initiatives in partnership with NGOs and charities.