Maya Asarpota

I've worked in the field of communications since 1999 - as a journalist (with Gulf News) until 2004, the editor of a magazine until 2006 and then as a Communication Specialist with the Govt of Dubai (till present). Adapting my writing for various audiences (in terms of language, tone and brevity) is a trait I have developed over the years. Attention to detail is a given.

Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in commerce, master's in mass communication, Bid writing qualification.

As a journalist with the Gulf News (from 1999-2004) I wrote for various section of the paper, contributed to special supplements and ran a bi-weekly column for persons with disabilities and special needs (or Persons of Determination as we address them in the UAE). From 2004-06 I was editor of Challenge, Gulf's only English magazine dedicated to persons of determination. When the magazine couldn't sustain itself, in 2006 I joined the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (Dubai's regulatory authority for private education) as a English writer.

I wrote press releases, speeches, quotes, policies and FAQs, website content, internal comms and even content for CRM.

While my master's diploma in mass communication is the perhaps the most relevant to my work, my bachelor's in commerce gave me the commercial understanding and helped me explain figures in plain language while writing reports. I took a bid writing course as I was intrigued about putting together technical information in plain language for bid evaluators and decision makers. I read a lot on various subjects with an aim to make learning a daily activity.