Senior students and alumni of American University of Sharjah (AUS) attended the Job Search Preparation Day held at the university on November 17, in order to prepare themselves for career opportunities in today's challenging job market. The successful day-long event was organized by the Career Services division of the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs (ODAA) in collaboration with prominent leaders in the field of human resources at top multinational firms.

The event featured several presentations about different career opportunities within participating companies and their respective industries, long-term industry outlooks, major recent developments, and the competitive environment in the upcoming months. Speakers used the workshops to give advice about specific skills on seeking a job, what to include in a resume and cover letter, how best to present oneself in job interviews, and common mistakes to avoid. In addition, students presented themselves and their credentials during mock job interviews and received feedback from participating industry professionals.

Senior human resources and business development officers from leading companies such as Bayt.com, BRF, BuroHappold, Cummins, Dow Chemical, EY, Gemalto, GSK, Henkel, KPMG, Mars, Nestle, Standard Chartered Bank, and Technip participated in the event.

Cassandra Moore, the MENA Graduate Recruitment Leader at EY, said that her firm was always happy to participate in the Job Search Preparation day and advised AUS students to develop their own personal brand. "As a job seeker, your interest will best be served if you invest some time in thinking about and developing your Unique Selling Proposition, or USP. You should identify what makes you unique and distinguishes you from the crowd and connect it to the needs of the market," she said.

Reiterating this advice, Asha Sathe, the ME & Turkey Recruitment Leader at Cummins, said, "You should know where you want to be and recognize one exceptional characteristic or skill-set that could make a big difference in getting you the position."

Speaking of ways to utilize social networks, Cengiz Cam, Talent Acquisition Manager at Technip, mentioned that it is very important to have a LinkedIn profile to tell potential employers who you are. "Not only do graduates use LinkedIn in their job searches, but more and more employers are using LinkedIn as a recruitment and hiring tool. LinkedIn is all about establishing connections. When you connect with other professionals in your field, you're gaining more knowledge and insight that can help accelerate your career."

Ramy Labaky, Business Development Manager at Bayt.com, encouraged students to register at job search agencies such as Bayt.com to treat a job search as a full-time job.

With the participation and support of the many corporate entities present, the event proved an excellent opportunity for students to learn how to successfully secure a job after graduating by taking advantage of the advice offered by human resources officers.