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Post by curious786 on Sept 20, 2012 22:30:27 GMT
o all I am a new hire from the UK and want to thank the moderators and the contributors of this forum for creating such a valuable resource for people searching for information about Saudi Aramco. I have spent a great deal of time on this forum over the past year gleaning amazing insights and I hope to give something back in return to help others as I have been helped. To start with, here is my timeline which I hope to update as things progress.As has been said many times here-PATIENCE truly is the key-in fact applying to work for Saudi Aramco can be an amazing exercise in patience AND character building :lol: Dept/Loc: SAMSO / Dhahran Initial Contact : CV submitted during job fair - Oct 1 2011 Invitation to interview: Oct 14 2011 First Interview (VCI): Nov 13 2011 (Technical problems during interview) Second Interview (VCI): Jan 31 2012 (Cancelled/Postponed at last minute) Did not hear anything for the next 3 months Invited for a face to face interview in mid April 2012 F2F Interview at AOC London: June 26 2012 (Submit paystubs) Email Offer: Aug 01 Hard Copy: Aug 03 Deadline for acceptance Aug 08! Acceptance: Aug 07 BI/Medical: Forms Submitted Aug 07-Ongoing Visa Medical: (Physical exam, Blood/Urine tests/CXR) Sept 11 -Informed passed next day Visas:  Departure: expected end December as have a 3 month notice period. Would be good to hear from any other new UK hires about your timelines and experiences. |
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Post by Hsara on Sept 27, 2012 21:31:09 GMT
Hi mate, here is my timeline below;
Dept/Loc: XXXX Engineering/ Dhahran
Initial Contact : CV submitted during job fair - Sept 2011
Invitation to interview: Oct 14 2011
First Interview (VCI): Nov 21 2011 (Cancelled/Postponed at last minute)
Interview (VC): Dec19 2012
Did not hear anything for the next 3 weeks
asked for pay slips: mid Jan-2012
Email Offer: Apr02
Hard Copy: Apr04 Deadline for acceptance Apr09!
Acceptance: Apr07
BI/Medical: Forms Submitted Apr07- took 6 weeks get all clearances from BI/medial
Visa Medical: (Physical exam, Blood/Urine tests/CXR) Jun 02 -Informed passed 3 days after
Visas: took one week to get the stamp in the passport - 28 June-2012
moved to Dhahran: 11 August 2012
The whole process took almost one year - longest phase was from interview to the offer after that every thing moved very swiftly.
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Post by curious786 on Sept 29, 2012 6:34:25 GMT
Thanks for posting your timeline Hsara. Things seem to be moving fast since the offer. My relocation advisor in London has been very helpful, providing weekly updates and finding answers to most of my questions.
Are you on single or family status? Have you managed to get the iqama yet?
We hope to be flying with family but housing seems to be a bit of potluck. Will wait and see.
Have my orientation on the 11th Oct and will try and get more answers from AOC in London but would appreciate your tips and insights as you are in Dhahran.
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Post by riverside on Oct 2, 2012 9:49:14 GMT
Hi all
I am also a new hire from the UK and want to thank for creating such a valuable resource. I have spent a lot reading the forum.. in reply to the timeline...mine has been equally long but hopefully worth it... can't wait to start and join the community
Dept/Loc: SAMSO / RT
Initial Contact : CV submitted September 2011 before the BMJ careers fair!
Invitation to interview: Oct 2011
First Interview (phone): Oct 2011
Second Interview (VCI): November 2011
Third Interview (VCI): December 2012
Did not hear anything for the next 2 months
Submitted payslips Feb 2012
Email Offer: End of MAy 2012
Hard Copy: Last week of May and had 4 days to turn it round
Acceptance: May 2012
Handed in notice as 6 month notice period
BI/Medical: Forms Submitted May Ongoing
Visa Medical: (Physical exam, Blood/Urine tests/CXR) July -I
Visas: delayed due to notice and finishing work dates but finally have it this week!
Departure: expected mid December
Would be good to hear from any other new UK hires about your timelines and experiences.
dear curious786 ... would be great to hear from you.. i'm assuming you are also a medic.. whats your speciality/where are you based here? i have tried the pm but can't get it to work... would be great to get in contact
bw
riverside
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Post by vpainter on Oct 4, 2012 5:00:20 GMT
Dr54tar, PM privileges come after your approval period.
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Post by curious786 on Oct 4, 2012 12:33:20 GMT
o dr54tar/riverside Good to hear from fellow medics/doctors-there has been a real dearth of physicians on this forum and maybe we can fill the gap  Congratulations on the visa! I guess that is the final hurdle in this long process. I don't know how long it takes to get PM privileges but you are welcome to contact me on my email maverick2748 at gmail.com. I am planning to leave in end December as well so we should be there around the same time. Hope to hear from more new UK hires. |
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Post by CAWDORDON on Oct 5, 2012 12:06:56 GMT
Dept/Loc: XXXX Engineering/ Dhahran
Accomodation: Abqaiq
Initial Contact : Recruiter sent me speculative e-mail about a job vacancy for power systems engineering specialist role c£130000K 11th Aug 2012
Replied to say job might be a bit out of my league but if they had any other vacancies then to get in touch 14/08/2012
First Interview (f2f): 12th September 2012 London office
I got a call the next day to say would i be interested in another role? Exact role not decided yet!
Did not hear anything for the next a week or so only that the saudis were on holiday and they were considering me for another job.
E-mail from my recruiter saying they are going to make an offer and asked for pay slips and passport: Saay 29th Sept-2012
Sunday 30th 2012 Sent payslips and passport electronically
04th October 2012 Telephone call from recruiter saying he had just e-mailed the offer(panic sets in)
Email Offer Received: Generous offer for position.
Spoke to recruiter to say generous offer but to up sticks with my family offer would need to be improved, he has now gone back to Aramco to discuss this and may be in touch Monday 8th October.
I was polite about pro's and cons for the job and at the moment my life seems to be upside down. I have a another interview with National Grid at home which is not until the end of the month (oct 2012).
New revised offer accepted
Updated Saay 20th October
London Relocation advisor contacted me on Monday 15th October
BI and medical forms issued by e-mail,
also asked if i could relocate before the end of the year. (scary)
BI and medical forms completed and submitted Wednesday 17th October
BI investigator contacted me for some more info Friday 19th October
I get and e-mail out of the blue from one (if not the) biggest oil companies in the world and have been offered a job with them. I had no preconceptioons about what to do or how to approach the whole process as i was not looking for a job out in the far east, but i went to the interview for the experience. The interview was great, one to one with a saudi engineer.
At the moment i am dumstruck with fear and possible excitement on a opportunity that could change my life (my families also) or ruin my life (my families also).
Anyone with some advice to calm my insides down and stop me from going mental!!
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Post by vpainter on Oct 8, 2012 16:38:29 GMT
First, the hiring process is long, so don't get anxious. You will have time to do your interview with the National Grid at the end of Oct.
You will have plenty of time to research whether or not this would be a good move for you and your family. Start by reading the forum discussions. Do searches on topics that may concern you or your family. If you cannot find answers to your questions, then ask questions here after your search.
Most families love it here, but they come with an atude of adventure. If you come looking for things to be like back home, you will be disappointed and will leave. There are a lot of opportunities here but it takes an adventurous spirit to get past the cultural differences. If you or your family cannot deal positively with change and some level of frustration while getting used to the culture, you probably will not be happy here. Only you know what your and your family's ability to accept change is, if you all can make adjustments to differences in culture and how things get done, you will find you can enjoy living here.
bless as you make your decision.
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Post by CAWDORDON on Oct 8, 2012 17:54:40 GMT
Now that I have calmed down a bit and focussed on the whole bigger picture, I thank you all for your advice.
As this job opportunity came out of the blue, it seems a slight bit surreal, and against the grain of my relatively normal family life, to be given the chance to work in KSA.
As my wife is a school teacher, and the children at the local village school, can my wife follow me in 12 months time, or does it have to be within 3 months of my arrival.
My wife teaches history in a secondary school 11 to 18, are there any teaching opportunities in the compound schools.?
I' m certainly looking forward to the opportunity, and I'm looking at it as an adventure and for my family, especially my children to experience, the multi-national culture, travel, holidays and schooling.
I have found this forum a great source of information. So thank you again
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Post by Oilcowboy on Oct 8, 2012 19:49:55 GMT
Cawdordon, I note that you will be working in DHA and living in ABQ. Make sure you negotiate to live in DHA. Just search this forum on the issues re. the commute between ABQ and DHA.
All the best...
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Post by vpainter on Oct 13, 2012 0:13:52 GMT
Your wife would be able to apply for any teaching positions open in the Aramco School. You could even go talk to the principal and even the Superintendent of schools in DHA.
You could come on Bachelor status and then apply for family status when you're ready for your family to come also.
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Post by CAWDORDON on Oct 13, 2012 9:18:32 GMT
Thanks again everyone for your welcome replies. You don't realise how helpfull they are and really puts your mind at ease.
I have had a revised offer from my recruiter in London, with a increase in base , additional and yearly suppliment figures. This increased offer met me half way for what i was prepared to accept.
So to all new potential interview candiates there is some room for negotiation if you ask nicely enough.
Prehaps i could have held out for more, but not being a betting man, "slowly slowly catch the monkey" comes to mind.
I have accepted this offer and await the fedex parcel to arrive and looks like i'm now in the "aramco machine" recruitment process for real.
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Post by Swansea on Nov 6, 2012 13:46:27 GMT
Hi all,
Just wondered if there was anyone on here working in Dharhan? for the King Abdulah Aziz Centre for World Heritage ? I have been offered a post there and have accepted but currently going through clearence and medical.
I have huge reservations about moving out but the recruitment team have been great at answering my concerns.
I am also worried about living in Abqaiq and really dont fancy the bus journey to Dharhan everyday. Ive worked in Egypt and seen the driving out there and have been told that its a lot worse in Saudi?? Any responses would be good...
My timeline:
Submitted a CV to the SA website in August 2012 cant remember exact date. Never ever expected to hear back.
Telephone call from recruiters in London on September 18th (asked me to go to London for interview on the 20th) I accepted
Wednesday September 19th I cancelled the interview because my family were dead against it.
Thursday September 20th SA recruiters got back to me and asked me to SKYPE interview...I accepted. Interview went really well, in fact it was the most relaxed interview ive ever had.
Friday September 21st contacted by recruiters who said there was positive feedback from the team and that there could be an offer coming.
Time to get scared! I emailed them with lots of concerns and heard nothing at. I honestly believed that they were no longer interested.
Then on Wednesday October 24th I received a telephone call and email with an offer.
Hard copy arrived on the 25th with an accept by date of October 31st.
Have accepted today after emailing lots of paperwork/payslips/passport etc.
Still very very unsure what to do. Watch this space...
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Post by danc2188 on Nov 20, 2012 13:31:53 GMT
Hi Curious786,
I have just posted something on this forum asking a timeline for getting something through the post or via email from Aramco. I see patience is the key indeed! I have been told that the interview had gone well and that, pending a medical and accepting an offer that the job was mine. I am looking forward to starting and cannot wait to get stuck into the new role, I was told that i should expect to still be here in the UK until the new year but i wondered about when i would be recieving some paperwork through so i can make arrangements back here (should everything go according to plan, ofcourse).
At the moment i have been waiting about 5 weeks and the new year will take me up to approximately 10 weeks.
I see a lot of peoples timelines differ greatly.
Hope all gets sorted out for you.
Regards
Dan
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Post by vpainter on Nov 24, 2012 19:23:44 GMT
Timeline for receiving paperwork can be a few weeks to over a year. I hope your wait is on the shorter side.
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