Akhtaboot Participates in King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Job Fair in Dahran, KSA

As part of Akhtaboot’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its presence as the leading recruitment solution provider for the Middle East and GCC region, Akhtaboot has participated in King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Open Day for Employment, which was held on KFUPM campus during the period 17th - 20th of May, 2010, in Dahran, KSA.

The annual job fair was organized by KFUPM and was held under the Patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province. For the 27th year in a row, around 120 government organizations, private companies and institutions were invited to exhibit their field of activity, offer employment and training opportunities as well as to become acquainted with the University and its range of specializations.

The job fair was attended by 2,500 university students and job seekers, as the first 2 days were dedicated for KFUPM students only and the other 2 days were open for the public. Akhtaboot’s booth was approached by about 1,000 high caliber job seekers who truly reflected the high educational standards that KFUPM is known for.
Akhtaboot’s participation in this event marks its commitment to establishing a cooperative partnership between Akhtaboot and KFUPM, while maintaining an ongoing presence within KFUPM campus through the Akhtaboot Cares Initiative – Akhtaboot’s CSR arm.

Akhtaboot’s recruitment services were described by both companies and job seekers as unique and effective due to the user-friendly website, unique brand and excellent team, which as a result attracted a number of major companies who were looking to recruit high caliber candidates through Akhtaboot.

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Akhtaboot Participates in Meydan Launch at Zara Expo on May 15th

Meydan, a new age accelerator for Business Start-ups with focus on reducing time from Idea to Revenue (I2R), announced its official launch at Zara Expo Hall B - on the 15th May, 2010. The non-traditional event gathered under one roof a number of pioneers, thinkers, entrepreneurs, businessmen, investors and other Meydan community members to celebrate what might just be Jordan’s platform to develop a growing economy that rivals the best in the near future.

Initiated in 2010 by Al Jude for Science Care, Meydan runs three programs almost in parallel; the Accelerator, Idea Space and Volunteer program(s). These programs provide the Jordanian creative and innovative minds with the platform and support system that enables them to generate ideas and build upon them.

The value created at Meydan is 80% from wisdom and knowhow, and 20% from money with major focus on creating value@speed using packaged knowledge, proven tools, smart and hard work and the passion to make a difference.

With Meydan’s focus on innovative companies that are not afraid to show their thinking muscles in public, Akhtaboot was chosen to participate in the whiteboarding session of Meydan’s launch, which is a tool presenters use to illustrate their big ideas, both its value and business model. Presenters use 2X3m white-boards, 4 pens, and an eraser.

Akhtaboot showcased its recent CSR service - Akhtaboot Microsite Solution - a fully integrated job board which will be provided to universities and educational institutions, free of charge, to enable their job seekers and site visitors to benefit from the full features and targeted job content of http://www.akhtaboot.com directly on the university website as part of the Akhtaboot Cares Initiative - Akhtaboot’s CSR arm.

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Adapting to a New Work Environment

Akhtaboot presents a number of tips to help you overcome the challenges that might face you when starting a new job.

Have you ever been in a situation where your family had to move away and you were forced to change schools? Moving to a new job can have quite the same feeling. You will be going to a new position not knowing the kind of boss or colleagues you might face or the type of environment you might have to work in. Some companies may use the interview to brief potential candidates about their corporate culture, their policies and their work environment. However, you will not be able to fully understand the whole picture until you are actually put in the situation. The most difficult thing in getting a new job is the stress you might feel as a result of seeking a new support system within the new company while trying to fully comprehend the new rules and regulations.
It is very important to remember that it takes time to adjust to your new surroundings. The time span depends mostly on the people who comprise the organization; they might actually help you get accustomed to the new environment or may try to make it hard for you to cope. Here are a number of helpful tips to help you adapt to your new environment.

Prepare Yourself for Your First Day

Your first day will always leave an unforgettable and lasting impression on your coworkers and your boss. Start by getting a good night’s sleep in order to be well rested for the next day. Arrive to work ahead of time to show that you are organized and punctual. Moreover, dress professionally as people often judge you based on the way look. No matter how professional and experienced you think you are, many people will think less of you when you do not dress professionally. To learn more about workplace dress codes, read the article “Dressing for Success in the Workplace”.

Concentrate on Your Work

A great way to adapt to your new environment is by doing what you do best; work. Your colleagues will come to respect and admire you when they acknowledge that you are a well experienced, skillful person, they may even come to you for help in some areas where you are more knowledgeable than they are. Nevertheless, no one expects you to know everything, therefore, do not hesitate to ask questions when you feel there is a need to it. People usually like to help others and it generally makes them feel good about themselves.

Listen and Observe

Each organization differs in the way co-workers interact with one another and the way employees communicate with their managers. Therefore, spend the first few weeks observing and listening to your colleagues and managers in order to figure out the best way to function. By doing this, you may save yourself from making a public mistake. Do not try to impose new ideas and suggestions until you feel that the company has accepted you and that you fully understand the way they work. Otherwise, any comment from your side would be perceived negatively.

Make Friends

Making friends might not always be easy; it actually depends on the culture of the organization and on your own personality. If you have a shy personality, then you need to sharpen your people skills to actually get along. Be friendly, smile as much as you can even to people who you don’t know and initiate discussions about interesting topics. If you find resistance then stop trying too hard. Give it a break and mind your own business until your colleagues approach you.

Stay Away from Gossip

Gossip is very risky as it is almost always based on unverifiable information. You may gain a few friends through gossiping but you definitely do not want to start your career with a reputation for being a gossip. Remember that we live in a very small world where your reputation may follow you for many years. Therefore, you should ask yourself the question “Am I willing to trade my reputation for a few friends who might end up gossiping about me?” If not, make sure that you stay away from gossiping and do not give your feedback on something you are not sure about. Pretending to be busy with work when gossiping starts is a great way to survive a situation like this.

People prefer to stay in their comfort zone by staying in one company for many years and building upon their experience and seniority. Yet, if you feel unhappy, bored or unchallenged in your current job then you should realize that it is about time to start thinking about changing it. No matter how challenging the transition period may be, do not allow it to stop you from seizing new opportunities. Believe in yourself and follow the above tips in order to be able to start a new and exciting chapter in your life.

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Akhtaboot Sponsors the Career Wellness Area at INJAZ 8th Annual Job Fair, LINK2JOB – April 28-29, 2010 at Zara Expo, Grand Hyatt - Amman

For the 3rd year in a row, Akhtaboot - the career network has partnered with INJAZ for it’s annual Job Fair, LINK2JOB City 2010, which once again proved to be a first class hiring event in Jordan. The job fair was held at Zara Expo, Grand Hyatt Amman on the 28th and 29th of April, 2010. As a main sponsor of the Career Wellness Area, Akhtaboot Co-organized and managed the Career Wellness Area (Hall C) which was divided into 4 main sections, including The CV Clinic, Mock Interviews Area, The Career Intelligence Area and The Entrepreneurial Area.

The CV Clinic was comprised of HR professionals who provided personalized guidance to job seekers on how to write a professional CV in addition to one-on-one consultancy on the common mistakes they should avoid when writing their CVs and important elements they should include to stand out from the crowd in today’s competitive business world. Furthermore, job seekers were given the chance to test their interview skills at the Mock Interviews section before they actually head to company booths for the real thing.

Job seekers were also given the chance to test their English language proficiency as well as personality in The Career Intelligence Area in order to effectively choose the right job that matches their skills and character. The English Placement Test was provided by the University of Cambridge to determine the fluency level of each candidate. The MBTI Personality test was provided by Akhtaboot, the only career site in the Middle East that is qualified as a Myers-Briggs © (MBTI) provider, which is a tried and true indicator of your personality type in a career context

The Entrepreneurial Area, featured two round tables conducted by a number of well-respected local Entrepreneurs, such as Dr. Nader Atmeh founder of Keenwash and Hussein Natsheh, founder of Ciapple, who gave job seekers the opportunity to listen to some of the most astonishing success stories and to learn about the steps they need to take to fulfill their dreams.

The job fair aimed to link job seekers to the local business community where some of the largest companies in Jordan participated in order to perform instant interviews, screen candidates and provide them with work opportunities. Moreover, job seekers were given the opportunity to attend many career-related lectures that were given by professional trainers on CV writing, interviewing skills and workplace success.

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