Market Yourself

By

Samer Hammad

For the

Career Day
 Market Yourself

•Market Analysis

•Job Priorities

•Resumes

•Interviews

•Recommendations

•Conclusion
Market Analysis

:Saudi Old Job Market

High demand
Plenty of opportunity
)easy(

:Saudi Present Job Market

Saturated

High competition

Low demand

Selective

Specialized

)difficult(
Job Priorities

:Define

Goals & purposes?

Salary amount?

Where you want to work?

Working conditions?

What kind of company?

What knowledge/skills Needed?

Job Priorities

:Learn
Your needs
Your position in the market

: Adjust
your needs & position to market demand
Résumés
A well-written résumé is 
clear
concise
easy to read
understand &
Résumés
       gives
Personal data
Career objectives
Education
Work experience
Descriptions of relevant
,competencies
activities, and personal
information
Names, addresses, and
telephone numbers of
references
Résumés

Many companies now accept 

electronic résumés submitted over
the Internet

May be scanned and searched 

electronically
Résumés
MAJOR PARTS:
• Purpose
• Contact section

  •Objective statement
• Education section
•Experience/Employment section
• Professional activities &
accomplishments
• Other information
Interviews    
Vary in ability to predict on-the-
job performance

An interview can be misleading

Interviewer tend to decide about a

person early in the interview
 Interviews
Situational Interview   
Assessing different situations

Better predictors of performance

Test
Test for candidates to predict job
performance more accurately

Cognitive
Ability
test

Personality
test

Performance
test
Interviews
Cognitive Ability Test

Measures general
intelligence
Verbal, Numerical, and
Reasoning Ability
Have proved to be
relatively successful in
predicting which
applicants are qualified
for certain jobs
Interviews
Personality Tests
Assess unique blend of
characteristics that
define the individual

Assess the individual

personality

Assess the individual

Conscientious
Interviews
Performance Test

Requires candidate to
perform simulations of
actual job tasks

e.g., a code-writing test for

computer programmers
 
Interviews
: Interviewers
Tend to decide
about a person
early in the
interview
Then spend the rest
of the time
seeking
information to
support that
decision
But, early
impressions often
are erroneous
 Interviews
Interviewer Analysis   
Present abilities vs. Future
potential

What to Consider
• How do you handle failure?
• How do you solve conflicts?
• Are you flexible, honest, loyal?
• Have you traveled outside Saudi?
• Can you work on more than 1
task or project at the same time?
• Have you set goals and met
them?
• Why are you here at our
company?
Interviews
:Remember

“The interviewer and the

company have needs. They
are under pressure and must
produce benefits from the
students they choose. The
questions they ask you clearly
show this in some of the
application forms.”
Interviews
Review of Key Qualities

Leadership
Problem-solving
Teamwork
Innovation
Communication
Interviews
:Sample – Q&A

TOPIC: Leadership
“Give an example of when
you as a leader of a group,
set direction for them,
gained their commitment,
and led them to achieve
outstanding results.”

Examples:
• group work in class or project
• club, hobby, Co-op, Summer work
• sports, family situation, other
responsibilities
Interviews
:Sample – Q&A

TOPIC: Problem-solving
“Describe a challenging and
difficult project which you
have done. What did you do,
why and what was the
result?”

Examples:
• Co-op and report/presentation
• Research work for senior project
• Student club or group work
• Family life problem, but good
grades
Interviews
:Sample – Q&A

TOPIC: Teamwork
“Give an example of when
you developed effective
working relationships with
people from different
backgrounds to accomplish a
goal.”
“Describe a situation where
you had to involve others to
achieve a task.”
Examples:
• Co-op work, group projects at
KFUPM
• Personal life, relationships
with professors
Interviews
:Sample – Q&A

TOPIC: Innovation
“Describe a situation where
you used a new approach to
solve a problem.” “Give an
example of when you thought
of a new idea or a better way
of doing something.”
Examples:
• Using internet to do research
• Time management to get more
homework and studying done
better and faster
• Looking up the company website,
instead of just talking with other
students about it
Interviews
:Sample – Q&A

TOPIC: Communication
“Give an example of when you
organized your thoughts,
effectively communicated
them and got others to agree
with you.”

Examples:
•your Co-op presentation or
Senior project
• group work in class on project
• any work experience !!!
Interviews

Interviewer’s Question
Strategies

CLOSED

OPEN

Be Aware to Avoid !!!

Interviews
Market yourself
through your answers!

• What do you know about our

company?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What interests you about our
products/services?
• Why do you want this job?
• Why did you choose your major
(or change your major)?
• How much salary do you want?
Research, Sales, Persuasion,
Negotiation, Logic, Positive
Attitude & Communication
 10 Interview Tips

1. SMILE. Know your resume very

well
2. Read about company BEFORE
3. Know WHY you are there (Job Tree)
4. Look good. Appearance and NVC
5. Stay alert for “open” & “closed” ?s
6. Be aware of “tell me about yourself”
7. Relate Your Info. to Their Needs
[market yourself as a product that
meets and exceeds their desire/needs]
8. Answer questions, then stop talking
9. Ask questions. Know what to say
about salary
10. Say “thank you” & ask for business
card. SMILE!!!
In conclusion . . .

•Stay balanced.
•Islam is the “‫لوسط‬AA‫”دينا‬
•In other words, how many people just
before their death ever said:
“I wish I had spent more time at my
office.”
• Be aware to avoid a big mistake in life
--using “ladder of success”
: ‫نصيحة يا شباب‬
•Keep a balance between life
and work; between job and
family; and between this world
and the next.

•And, look for the true success

‫في الدنيا واآلخرة‬

click to continue for

more information
 ‫اكم هللا خير‬9‫شكرا وجز‬

hammads@kfupm.edu.sa

http://faculty.kfupm.edu.sa/hammads