Offered Job, Now what to expect?

Congratulations on your job offer. There are quite a few now people who have posted their experiences in the forum, please do use the search feature to find their posts. Most of your questions will be answered then.

I don't have answers to your questions as I'm still behind you. I just did an interview on Feb 4 and still hoping for a positive reply. Could you please share you timeline as how long time between the interview and offer letter?

Congrats on your job offe!. As previously noted this discussion board is a wealth of information. Like yourself I was offered a job back in December 2011. Most of my questions have been answered by simply typing in my topic of interest in the search bar. I can only speak from my personal experience but the whole recruitment process is extremely choreographed by the SA administrative offices in Houston (at least for U.S. employees). I was recruited from Florida so all my medical stuff was arranged locally by Houston. In other words, I didn't have to go to Houston. The medical stuff is extremely important, so when you get the paperwork to get it done--you need to get it done and get it in! Most of the time they will provide you the pre-paid Fedex envelope to get things back to them overnight. So you'll have no excuse to not mail things back promptly.

The background investigation is the other important thing that has to clear. Mine seemed to take around 2 1/2 weeks. I was contacted once by my investigator to give them some information but after that I wasn't contacted again. They absolutely do call the references which you put down on your application and they do absolutely call previous employers, in addition to doing a national agency check (criminal and public records). I actually emailed the guy doing my investigation after two weeks to get an update, and he told me it had been completed. He even told me it "looked good"--which was a great relief.

One thing I want to emphasize here. If you have "any" questions, or if you feel something is not going right, or if you are curious as to your status anytime during the process, do not hesitate in contacting your assigned re-location advisor. They are used to this and fully understand that applicants get anxious and will have questions. Don't feel you are bothering them or just sit-back and wait for them to get back to you. It's ok to be proactive on your own behalf. Just remember to be judicious about it.

The only thing I am waiting for is my visa clearance from Dhahran. My medical and background check have been completed. To me those are the two most important hurdles to cross, since the visa clearance is pretty much based on clearing "satisfactorily" your medical and background check. Obviously applicants can have have their offers pulled if something "negative" turns up in either the medical or background check.

I would say the entire process in general takes anywhere between 45 to 60 days from offer to getting on the plane. Hold-ups will occur if you don't get paperwork back to them when requested or they have to send stuff back to you for corrections or missing information. Alot of time can be shaved off if you make sure everything you are asked to fill out is as complete as possible. Instructions on how to fill out the forms are always provided with the paperwork. Yes, it's alot of paperwork. Just try and organize everything. And above all, make a copy of everything you send them. I made myself 3 folders--one for medical, household shipment, and pay and benefits. And believe me, it's all going with me on the plane!

In the interim, while you're waiting for the process to finish, find out as much as you can about Saudi Arabia and the Arab culture. I have bought a few books on Saudi Arabia. And of course this discussion group is great! It will pay off for you in the end to do as much homework as possible before getting over to the Kingdom. Be proactive and show interest in your new job the new culture you are going to be living in. Good Luck!

The quick answer to your question is no. The offer letter comes first and is completed and signed (by you) before the background check is ever started.

They call your past supervisors when they start the background investigation phase.

Hi
I attended Interview two weeks back. It was face to face interview.
Techincal interview was Very fine, HR explained about the company and life in saudi and said 99.9% it is conformed, he said we will gat back in two weeks. I completed my PG recently. He said we are recruiting freshers after a very long time. So when can I get the call from them.