A simple workshop for teaching fresh graduates the latest techniques in effective job seeking.

1. Job Seeking Guide
Workshop
Sunday - 18/11/2012
Jubail University College
by
Yousef Abugosh, PMP

2. The Resume’

3. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
General Advice
• It is easy to make mistakes, so proof read, and
then reproof read, and again, and again.
• Start with strong and clear examples of excellent
CVs.
• Always seek advice.

4. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
1. Typos and
Grammatical Errors
• Careful of what you know (Microsoft spell checker
does not know what you meant)
– Activities vs. Activates
– Launch vs. lunch
– Reminder vs. Remainder
– Dear vs. Deer
– Piece vs. Peace
– Parking vs. Barking
– Meet vs. Meat

5. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
2. Lack of Specifics
• Employers need to understand what you've done and
accomplished. For example:
A. Worked with volunteers in my community
B. Designed, printed, and distributed smart invitation letters to business
owners to attend university fundraising functions resulting in 78%
attendance prate and over 1 million Saudi Riyals raised.

6. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
3. Attempting One Size
Fits All
• Employers want you to write a resume specifically for
them. They expect you to clearly show how and why you
fit the position in a specific organization.

7. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
4. Confusing
Responsibilities with
Accomplishments
It's easy to simply start listing job duties on your resume. For
example:
• Attended group meetings and recorded minutes. (no)
• Worked with children in a day-care setting. (no)
• Updated departmental files. (no)
• Developed a new procedure for filing university records resulting in speeding up
students access of their records by 300% using Microsoft Access and my special program
(YES)

8. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
5. Not limiting your CV
to one page, or two
pages at maximum
One page can contain all of your information and
accomplishments. Recruiters get bored very quickly if they
cannot catch the meat of your CV after 30 seconds.

9. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
6. A Bad Objective
Employers read objectives, but if your Objective
statement is not clear by being to general, they will be
turned off and may choose candidates with specific clear
objectives.
"Seeking a challenging position that offers professional growth."
"A challenging entry-level marketing position that allows me to
contribute my skills and experience in fund-raising for nonprofits."

10. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
7. No Action Verbs
Avoid using phrases like "responsible for." Instead, use
action verbs: "Resolved user questions as part of an IT
help desk serving 4,000 students and staff."

11. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
8. Leaving Off
Important Information
You may assume that not mentioning that you ran your
own business after hours in construction or selling Real
Estate is better than mentioning it, but
typically, however, the soft skills you've gained from these
experiences (e.g., work ethic, time management, self-
starting, leadership, management, etc., are more
important to employers than you might think.

12. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
9. Visually Too Busy
If your resume is wall-to-wall text featuring five different
fonts, it will most likely give the employer a headache.
 show your resume to several other people before
sending it out. Do they find it visually attractive? If what
you have is hard on the eyes, revise it.

13. Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes
10. Incorrect Contact
Information
Imagine your mobile number is wrong on your CV? How
many calls will you receive?

14. Common Resume Mistakes
NEVER
• Title your CV as “CV” or “Resume”
• Say: “References available upon request”
• Use more than one font
• Use colors
• Put hobbies or interests

15. The Interview

16. Most Common Interview Mistakes
• Most common job interview mistakes that you
must avoid.
• Unfortunately, it's easy to make these mistakes
without even realizing it - and many of them are
more common than you might think!
• Take the time to prepare before your
interview, so you don't have to stress out about
blunders after it.

17. Most Common Interview Mistakes
Mistake # 1  Not Dressing Appropriately
• When you interview a job, it's important to look
professional.
• You should wear business casual clothing to an
interview for a non-professional job or startup
casual garb to an interview at a small startup
company - it's important to look well-dressed
and put together, no matter what the company.

18. Most Common Interview Mistakes
Mistake # 2  Arriving Late
• Everyone knows that first impressions are very
important in landing a job, but did you know
that you can make a bad first impression before
you even arrive at your interview?
• Running late not only suggests poor time
management skills, but shows a lack of respect
for the company, the position and even your
interviewer.

19. Most Common Interview Mistakes
Mistake # 3  Bringing a Drink With You
• Ditch the coffee or soda before you enter your
interview. If you need to fuel up, do it before you get
to the interview.
• It does not look professional, and it will distract you
from being focused on making a good
impression, answering questions, maintaining eye
contact with your potential employer, and paying
attention throughout the entire interviewing process.

20. Most Common Interview Mistakes
Mistake # 4  Bringing your Mobile Phone
• Before you get to your interview, turn off your mobile
phone.
• To resist the temptation to check your phone, leave it
in the car.

21. Most Common Interview Mistakes
Mistake # 5  Not Knowing Anything About
the Company
• Don't let your potential employer stump you with the
question, "What do you know about this company?"
It's one of the easiest questions to answer.
• Background information including company
history, locations, divisions, and a mission statement
are available in the "About Us" section.

22. Most Common Interview Mistakes
Mistake # 6  Not Paying Attention
• Make sure you are well-rested, alert and prepared for
your interview. Getting distracted looks bad.
• If you zone out, your potential employer will wonder
how you will be able to stay focused during work.
• If you feel your attention slipping away, make the
effort to stay engaged, focused and concentrated.

23. Most Common Interview Mistakes
Mistake # 7  Talking Too Much
• The interviewer really doesn't need to know your
whole life story.
• Keep your answers brief, but complete and to-the-
point.
• Keep your answers focused and don't ramble.

24. Most Common Interview Mistakes
Mistake # 8  Not Being Prepared to
Answer Questions
• Don't let yourself be caught off guard. Prepare for
your interview by reviewing what questions to
expect, and how to answer them.

25. The Traditional
Interview

26. Traditional Interview
• In a traditional interview, you will be asked a series of
questions which typically have straight forward
answers like "What are your strengths and
weaknesses?" or "What major challenges and
problems did you face? How did you handle them?"
or "Describe a typical work week.“

27. Expected Questions – About You
• Tell me about yourself.
• What is your greatest weakness?
• What is your greatest strength?
• How will your greatest strength help you perform?
• How would your friends describe yourself?
• Do you work well with other people?
• Do you take work home with you?
• Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?
• Give some examples of teamwork.
• Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you
overcame it.

28. Expected Questions – About You
• How do you handle stress and pressure?
• What motivates you?
• What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make?
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
• What are you passionate about?
• What do people most often criticize about you?
• When was the last time you were angry? What happened?
• If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would
you do differently?
• If you know your boss is 100% wrong about something how
would you handle it?
• What are your salary expectations?

29. Expected Questions – Work History
• What were your responsibilities in a job role you had?
• What major challenges and problems did you face? How
did you handle them?
• What have you learned from your mistakes?
• What did you like or dislike about your previous job role?
• Which was most / least rewarding?
• What was the biggest accomplishment / failure in this
position?

30. Expected Questions – About the new job
• What interests you about this job?
• Why do you want this job?
• What applicable attributes / experience do you have?
• What can you do for this company?
• Why should we hire you?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• What do you know about this company?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What challenges are you looking for in a position?
• What can you contribute to this company?

31. The Behavioral
Interview

32. Behavioral Interview
• Behavioral based interviewing is interviewing based
on discovering how the interviewee acted in specific
employment-related situations.
• The logic is that how you behaved in the past will
predict how you will behave in the future i.e. past
performance predicts future performance.

33. Sample Behavioral Interview Questions
Behavioral interview questions will be more pointed, more
probing and more specific than traditional interview
questions:
• Give an example of an occasion when you used logic to solve a problem.
• Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it.
• Describe a decision you made that was unpopular and how you handled
implementing it.
• Have you gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, how?
• What do you do when your schedule is interrupted? Give an example of how you
handle it.
• Have you had to convince a team to work on a project they weren't thrilled about?
How did you do it?
• Have you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker? How?
• Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure.

34. During a Behavioral Interview
During the interview, if you are not sure how to
answer the question, ask for clarification. Then be
sure to include these points in your answer:
– A specific situation
– The tasks that needed to be done
– The action you took
– The results i.e. what happened

35. Questions to Ask the Interviewer
You may be asked "What can I answer for you?"
Have interview questions of your own ready to ask.
You are also interviewing the employer to assess
whether this company/position are good for you.
Sample Questions to ask:
– How would you describe the responsibilities of the position?
– How would you describe a typical week/day in this position?
– Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to
do?
– What is the company's management style?
– Who does this position report to? If I am offered the position, can I
meet him?
– How many people work in this office/department?

36. Questions to Ask the Interviewer
More sample Questions to ask:
– How much travel is expected?
– Is relocation a possibility?
– What is the typical work week? Is overtime expected?
– What are the prospects for growth and advancement?
– How does one advance in the company?
– Are there any examples?
– What do you like about working here?
– What don't you like about working here and what would you change?
– Would you like a list of references?
– If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?
– What can I tell you about my qualifications?
– When can I expect to hear from you?
– Are there any other questions I can answer for you?

37. Questions NOT to Ask the Interviewer
– What does this company do? (Do your research ahead of
time!)
– If I get the job when can I take time off for vacation? (Wait
until you get the offer to mention prior commitments)
– Can I change my schedule if I get the job? (If you need to
figure out the logistics of getting to work don't mention it
now...)
– Did I get the job? (Don't be impatient. They'll let you know.)
– Don’t ask the interviewer ay thing personal like you became
friends… (So, how old are you? Do you like hilal? How is the
big boss here? Are you having any issues with him?)

38. How to Get the Advantage for Job Interviews
Visit the Company Website
– Review the company mission statement and
company history, products and
services, management, as well as information
about the company culture.

39. How to Get the Advantage for Job Interviews
Use LinkedIn
– LinkedIn company profiles are a good way to
find, at glance, more information on a company
you're interested in.
– You'll be able see your connections at the
company, new hires, promotions, jobs
posted, related companies, and company
statistics. Take a look at your interviewer's profile
to get insight into their job and their background

40. How to Get the Advantage for Job Interviews
Use Social Media
– Check Facebook and Twitter. Become a Fan of the
company on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.
You'll find information you may not have found
otherwise.

41. How to Get the Advantage for Job Interviews
Google and Google News
– Search both Google and Google News for the company name.
• Sipchem
www.sipchem.com/ - Cached - Similar
Welcome to Sipchem website where you will find all the relevant information related to the company that
was established on December 22, 1999.… more ...
• Sipchem announces groundbreaking of EVA films project in Hail City
AME Info - 3 days ago
Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem) announces the groundbreaking of its Ethyl Vinyl
Acetate (EVA) films project in Hail ...
• Work on Sipchem's solar films plant begins
Construction Week Online - 3 days ago
Sipchem said that the project would create investment opportunities and employment for the people of
Hail region. The plant is likely to be ...
• SAUDI ARABIA
Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production Magazine - 1 day ago
Saudi Sipchem starts building USD 31.9mn solar films plant. Sipchem Chemicals Company, a 100%
subsidiary of Saudi International ...
• Sipchem announce Q3 interim financial results
Saudi Gazette - Oct 18, 2012
Sipchem announce Q3 interim financial results. Last Updated : Friday, October 19, 2012 12:24 AM.
JEDDAH – Sipchem announced the interim financial results ...

42. How to Get the Advantage for Job Interviews
Tap Your Connections
– If you have a connection that will help you find
inside information, use it. Do you know someone
who works there? Ask them if they can help.
– Ask your Career Office if they can give you a list of
alumni who work there. Then email, send a
message, or call and ask for assistance.

43. Tips For Work
Success

44. Tips after you get the job
– Be very well dressed.
– Go early.
– If you are a coffee or tea drinker in the morning, drink before you
go to work. IT is not a good impression to start asking about coffee
and tea your first hour. Chances are they are busy to introduce you
to others they may forget about the coffee and tea.
– Act like you are very friendly
– Be very patient. Even if you are neglected totally on the first day..
just do whatever they tell you to do without asking why?

45. Tips after you get the job
– When introduced to others, try to remember names. First
impressions on the first day can be amazing for your future.
– Ask questions if you do not understand an instructions… follow the
sandwich technique:
• Thanks for your explanation
• Could you explain the last part again please?
• Thanks very much again.
– Try not to impress anyone by acting that you know. Everyone is
expecting you to only look around and get familiar with the
environment. Impressing others is coming soon enough, just try to
absorb and learn like a sponge.

46. Tips after you get the job
– After few days, start asking how you can assist in anything.. but
only after few days.
– Be very focused on everything you see, hear or learn
– After few weeks, do your best to complete your tasks to perfection.
Keep asking questions, but please pay lots of attention before you
ask questions.

47. Tips after you get the job
– The most important skills for professional success:
• Be proactive
• Have clear goals (ask for them)
• Listen very well, and communicate clearly
• Accept any assignment even if it scares you (positive before fear), even if you do
not know how to do it, then go google it. 
• Complete all tasks ahead of time, on time, but never late.
• Never gossip or talk about others in their back
• Have total integrity. Always display character.
• Care about company resources
• Give complements and thanks anyone who helps you sincerely
• Always smile
• Let others know that you can be trusted
• Have a long-term strategy – So, ignore short term unfair events… low grade, low
performance appraisal, poor boss recognition, office jealousy…

48. Best of luck and success
Note: (In many places if this presentation, the textual content came from several web sites through search engines)