Students practicing in job interviews

On Thursday, May 24th, as part of the Booster Program at Dhofar University, a job interview workshop was held at Ibn Khaldoon Hall for a group of students nearing graduation. Ms. Watheeqa Bait Said, Career Guidance Officer, and Ms. Janet Williamson from the College of Engineering held the workshop in both English and Arabic, in order to allow the students to consolidate the large amount of information and tips they received in both languages, in preparation for interviews in either language.

The Booster Program is a special program that was launched by Dr. George Najjar from the American University of Beirut last year and chaired by Dr. Mufeed Al-Abdullah, Ass’t Dean of the College of Arts and Applied Sciences, in order to help graduating students boost their skills in English, CV writing, and preparation for job searches, applications and interviews. The students who have participated each term have made tremendous headway in their language skills, under the tutelage of Ms. Layla Al Shahri, from the Office of Information and Public Relations, and were grateful to be given a lot of practice in English as well as practical advice on what to expect after graduation.

The students at Thursday’s workshop gave excellent feedback at the end of the workshop, suggesting that there be special help for those who hope to work as teachers, and also that workshops and language practice sessions such as those under the Booster Program begin earlier on in their university years, in order to give them a chance to gain more confidence at the outset of their studies. Dr. Shanker Menon, from the College of Commerce and Business Administration, who also attended the workshop, said that it was wonderful to see the students getting so much help in something so ‘real’ that would help them launch themselves into their careers after graduation.