Reflection ONE

This was the first interview of the day; it was on Sunday, 19^th February, 2012, at 8:15 a.m.

 The interviewee was Abdul Aziz. He was applying for a Mechanical Engineer position.

Hedley introduced himself and two other interviewers, which were Mohammed Abdullah, and Omar, and then asked the interviewee to briefly introduce himself. Which he did, stating his name, age, which is 19 years old, and then went on to explain his degree and when he graduated.

Mohammed asked him what qualifications he had; he replied saying that he studied engineering as a bachelor student from Higher Colleges of Technology, and will continue for a master’s, with a GPA of 3.5. Mohammed also asked where Abdul Aziz sees himself in 3 years’ time; he replied that he sees himself in a manager’s position, or in an important place. Can you work under pressure? I think so, he replied. Do you consider yourself creative? Yes, he replied, and went on saying that he created a car engine with his group in college. How much salary do you want? Not important; salary comes second, work comes first, and yes, I like challenges, he replied. Interviewee asks “Who would I be working for?” You would work in our company, we would hire you at a level that verifies your certificate, and you would work until 5 p.m.; salary will be DHS 35,000, excluding bonuses.

Hedley and the other interviewers thanked Abdul Aziz for coming in, and the interview was done by 8:30 a.m.

Reflection TWO

The interview was on Sunday, 19^th February, 2012. It began at 8:35 a.m. Hedley introduces himself and the two other interviewers, Omar and Mohammed Abdullah.

The interviewee is Abdullah Ahmed.  The job he is interviewing for which is as a waiter in a restaurant

Abdullah Ahmed introduces himself and where he studies, his major, which is in engineering, his GPA which is 3.85.

Abdullah was asked why he wants this job. He replied saying “I want this job because it’s a good job for my age for pocket money whilst I study, and I’m also interested in meeting new people.” Does meeting people of different nationalities interest you? Yes. You said you got a chemical engineering certificate, so how would you be able to work as a waiter? I don’t have any experience, but I am willing to take courses. Omar asked him if he was going to leave after he graduates; he replied saying yes of course, it’s only for a few months.

How much salary do you want? He is satisfied with the minimum wage, which is around Dhs 1,500. Where do you see yourself in 3 years’ time? Graduated, and pursuing my master’s degree. Can you work under pressure? “Yes, I think I can work under pressure, I’m always nervous but I respond to the pressure and produce the goods”, he replied.

Hedley and the other interviewers thanked Abdullah Ahmed, and the interview was done by 8:50 a.m.

Reflection THREE

The interview was on Sunday, 19^th February, 2012. It began at 8:55 a.m. Hedley introduces himself along with the two other interviewers.

The interviewee is Abdullah Ali. The position he is interviewing for is as a chemical supervisor in one of ADNOC’s companies

They all introduced themselves. And Abdullah Ali was asked to tell the interviewers about himself. Born in 1989 in Abu Dhabi, Abdullah Ali who is now 20 years of age, studied chemical engineering in HCT, and graduated with a GPA of 3.93; he says that he previously worked in another ADNOC company, and has learned a lot of information and ideas. He was asked where he learned his English; he replied that he learned English in school, although they didn’t help him that much, so he said it was more through music, movies, and travelling. “Why should I hire you” he was asked; he replied saying that in his previous job, he finished his work and understood what he needed to do in 5 months, which he sees as a good thing because his colleagues couldn’t do that in 3 years. Greatest strengths? Whenever he faces something he doesn’t know, he would ask anyone he does and doesn’t know, and if they weren’t able to provide him with answers, he would piece together all the information until he gets an answer.

Interviewee asks: let’s hope you accept me for this job, how long will it take for you to promote me? “That depends on your position; as I told you, we have grades and each grade has a type of promotion; we also have a policy that every year an employee gets a 3% increase in salary".

Hedley and the other interviewers thanked Abdullah Ali, and the interview was done by 9:05 a.m.

Reflection FOUR

The interview was on Sunday, 26^th February, 2012. It began at 8:15 a.m. Hedley introduces himself along with the two other interviewers.

The interviewee is Saleh Awadh. The job he is interviewing for is to be a section head in oil operations. Saleh introduces himself; he is 28 years of age and states that he is basically experienced and can handle any kind of operations,  and is experienced  and flexible. How many years did you work? He replied with short answers, saying 10 years, and seemed very quiet and not confident. Which company? ADCO, he replied. What was your last position? “I was a supervisor in oil operations. This job would be a promotion”, said Saleh. Did you hear anything negative about our company? He said that he only heard good things about the company.  Why did you apply to our company? “I have the ability” he replied, which was not a detailed answer. What are your greatest strengths? He is a motivator, problem solver, and is prepared for emergencies and had to handle one 2 years ago, an emergency  in oil; there was lots of pressure, so he had to reduce the pressure; people tried to continue running it, but he went to the site and closed it, by closing the valve, manually. What about your weakness? If he focuses on small details, he misses the big picture. Why should I hire you? He thinks he is sure he has the ability to do this job, with experience as a motivator. You seem too quiet to be a motivator, how can you motivate people like that? “On the site, I am a different person when I’m not being interviewed”, he said.

Interviewee asked; when can I start? We will see after one month. The interviewee automatically assumed he was accepted for the job, which is not a good thing.

Hedley and the other interviewers thanked Saleh Awadh, and the interview was done by 8:30 a.m.