A workshop was held at Hisham Hijjawi College of Technology with the title “How to prepare yourself for the working market”, the workshop which was supervised by Eng. Shafiq Yasin, instructor at the college, was attended by the college graduates of the previous and the current semester. The workshop discussed the requirements and skills the graduate needs to aid their integration into the labor market.
Eng. Yasin clarified that graduates in general usually face difficulties trying to express themselves and market their skills when they first start pursuing job opportunities. The workshop focused not only on the methods of writing the curriculum vitae (CV) but also the most efficient ways of job searching. This can be done through traditional ways like looking for advertisements in newspapers, publications and magazines, or registering at recruitment or labor offices and agencies. Another option would be to search online or even to contact companies and organizations directly leaving your CV.
Eng. Yasin then explained to graduates the methods of writing the CV, which is considered an identification card, that should be clear, honest and to the point to attract the employers. He added that it is important that the CV is divided into headlines or sections taking into consideration reason and time sequencing, with focus on the contact data.
Concerning the job interviews, Yasin pointed out that many applicants usually go to interviews without having taken the minimum background research into the company or organization. The applicant is sometimes not even aware of the exact job title they are applying for and that usually means the applicant is not prepared to ask the appropriate questions regarding the position or they may even leave off vital papers or certificates that would be required for the job.
He later gave some advice on how to make a good first impression, whether in terms of appearance or in the way of addressing or talking to the interviewer. The interaction with the interviewer usually shows the tension or comfort and self confidence of the applicant.
The workshop was attended by almost 40 graduates who have shown noticeable interaction. It deserves mentioning that this workshop is considered part of the preparation for the recruitment day which will be organized at the college in the coming few weeks. Its aim is to target local companies, factories and unions to understand the high level of work produced at the college and present the unique projects of its graduates to help them pursue job positions.