BAHRAIN POLYTECHNIC

Reflection
GSP 5203 Market Yourself
Mohammed Haji
201100040

Assessment 1 part 2
Supervised By: Eman AlShamlawi
Word Count:

For this assessment, I was required to be prepared for an interview with BAPCO for the
position of Assistant manager graduate training program. In order to prepare myself for the
interview I had to look at many aspects and do some research regarding what to wear, how to
speak, and what to talk about. Also, how to answer questions was a very important role in the
interview by giving examples from the past experiences, and to always ask questions at the end.
The gestures and facial expressions were also essential parts in the interview, as well as giving
the interviewer a good impression about yourself while stepping into the interview room, and
finally thanking the interviewer after ending the interview.
Before going to the interview, I was required to write up my Curriculum Vitae (CV) and
cover letter. The CV includes general information about my high school diploma, what I have
studied in university with my up to date average Grade Point Average (GPA), my work
experiences, my hobbies, achievements, and contact information. Before I had read the
template given on moodle and the job advertisement, along with watching helpful videos on
youtube, my CV was almost three pages long. It included my high school subjects and my final
GPA, what I learnt in university by listing all my subjects, my career, my extracurricular hobbies
and activities in details which didnt relate to the job I was applying for, and obviously my
contact information. After understanding the reason behind why we write CVs, an immense
amount of unnecessary information was removed from my previous CV that I already had and
added the requirements needed for the position Im applying for. Even though it was a difficult
challenge, I managed to combine all the information in one page so it would not bore the
interviewer with many pages to read.
The cover letter I had written years before I enter university, while still in high school,
was a disaster. Of course there were a few changes along the years and it did actually get me
into three interviews; one time with a company called Lingo-ease which teaches students
different languages including Spanish, German, French, Arabic and English, in which I actually
got the job however their benefits did not meet my requirements so I left within a week, and
the other two times were with Zain, one of which they informed me that I didnt meet their
requirements and the other which got me the job that I am currently working in. By watching

the videos and reading the templates and examples provided on moodle, I had to rewrite the
entire cover letter. The main purpose of the cover page is to wow the reader and making
them want to continue and read the CV. If both the cover letter and CV were a success, the next
step is you would get a call from the company informing you that you were a chosen candidate
for an interview. They will assign the date, time, and place of the interview, which youll have to
be there 15 minutes beforehand.
After assigning the date, time, and place of the interview, I researched what to wear to
fit the persona for this position. Normally, for men in Bahrain its either a shirt (usually white),
pants (black or dark colors), a tie (not flashy), and a suit (to go with the pants which is optional),
or traditional Bahrain clothing such as thob. Since its winter, I chose to go with white shirt, dark
pants, a necktie, and a black sweater. In videos of mock interviews on youtube, when the
interviewee first steps into the room, they shake the hands of the interviewer. In Bahrain,
usually men dont shake hands with women directly; they greet them with a smile, as what I did
in my interview. The type of interview was a panel interview; however I was only being
questioned by one of the three interviewers. Many questions were asked in the interview, such
as tell me about yourself, why would you want to leave our current company, what
relation does your current job and what you are studying have to do with the position youre
applying for, what are your weaknesses, and lastly any questions. I was prepared for these
types of questions because of the documents uploaded on moodle. These documents provided
the common interview questions and tips on what to say in interviews. Sometimes when I was
asked a question and I didnt know how to answer it, I would say thats a good question to
buy more time. Other tips I used were I smiled a lot and minimized my hand gestures.
Overall, I would say the interview was a success, as I could feel it from the way they
were speaking to me and their face expressions that they were satisfied with my answers. I
learned that I should always ask at least two questions when they ask me if I have any other
enquiries at the end of the interview. Another thing I learned from the interview that the key
for a successful interview is to have confidence, because without confidence they might find
you weak or not suitable for the job. For example, in my first interview with Zain, I was not

confident, I did not look fresh as I had just woken up, I wore a suit and tie but my necktie was a
bit loose, and I did not look sharp. My answered short answers when they were asking
questions, and when they gave me a scenario as to see how I would react, I said that I dont
know. Obviously it wasnt a successful interview as I didnt look confident and sharp, their first
impression of me was bad. I applied to Zain again after taking the Human Resources course in
university, where we also had a mock interview and learnt what to do in interviews. The second
time I was called to Zain, I got the job because the interview was a success.
A suggestion for an interview is to arrive at least fifteen minutes before the interview. If
you dont know where the location of the interview is, make sure you visit the place one day
before so you wouldnt get lost on the interview day and be late. For example, when I was
called for an interview in Lingo-ease, I drove there one day before to know where it is, and the
day of the interview I arrived twenty minutes early. Another suggestion would be to sit straight
and have eye contact with the interviewer. This will show your eagerness, confidence, and
willingness to work.