Welcome aboard the OQ Graduate Hiring Program where you will undertake a transformational journey that is exciting, challenging and career-defining. In-depth projects, sessions and learning experience that will broaden your horizon await you on this journey.

Joining Graduate Hiring Program is a great opportunity to gain new knowledge while applying the theories you acquired in your studies.

Consider yourself among those talented young Omanis who are here to make a difference. You have been chosen because you are bright, motivated, have diverse interests and boast of a great academic and personal track record.

OQ is delighted to have you and shape you to become an integral component of the organisation’s future. You are joining one of the most rapidly growing businesses in the Middle East, whose strategic growth projects will fundamentally reshape and add further value to Oman’s energy sector.

OQ is a great mentor. It is a dynamic platform that allows you to apply your knowledge practically and be the agent of change.

Safety is our top priority, so please ensure you fully understand and comply with the safety and regulations. Your commitment to the training sessions will translate into high performance and great achievement for you and for OQ.

Welcome again. Let’s thrive together.

1- What is the objective of the Graduate Development Program now in its tenth year?
Through this program, OQ aims to support and accommodate the largest number of young Omani graduates from various disciplines and meet the Company’s operational needs at its various locations across the Sultanate.

2- How many candidates cleared all assessment phases from each specialization group?
A total of 192 graduates cleared all assessment phases classified as per specializations as follows: 71 for administrative majors, 73 for engineering majors, 47 graduates for operators and technicians.

3- Can you name these phases and their purpose?
The phases are as follows:

1. An English proficiency test to measure the applicant's language skills
2. General ability test (logical, numerical, verbal)
3. Specialization knowledge test to measure the applicant's specialized knowledge
4. Behavioral interview, to test the applicant’s ability to deal with the different situations he may face.
5. A final interview to measure the suitability of the applicant for the job.

4- Why was registration for the graduate program announced without mentioning the number of vacancies?
OQ Group has been announcing registrations for the graduate program annually since 2011 (the first batch). The number of vacancies depends on several factors, some of which are related to active projects. Usually, the final number is communicated after inviting registrations.

5- Has the company considered internal recruitments instead of appointing graduates who applied for the program?
No. OQ has recruited graduates according to vacancies specified for the program. The Company continues the internal recruitment process based on positions specified for internal hiring only. OQ also continues hiring for vacant positions specified for external recruitment, as per requisite experience and qualifications

6- Will the 192 candidates accepted in the tenth batch of the Graduate Development Program be the only people to join OQ?
Many job opportunities will be announced depending on the emerging needs of the Company's operations and sectors. In such a case, the company will consider the final waiting lists. Our statistics show that the number of applicants will exceed this announced number of vacancies.

7- What are the specializations accepted into this year’s program?
A range of technical and non-technical specializations have been announced. These have been divided into three groups:

• Administrative specializations: These include bachelor’s degree holders in information technology and similar disciplines, management, finance and accounting.
• Engineering specializations: This group includes bachelor’s degree holders in chemical and process engineering, petroleum engineering, civil engineering and others.
• Technical specializations: These include production operators and technicians with higher or technical diplomas.

8- What was the final selection of applicants based on?
The percentage obtained by the applicant in each phase. The overall rating is 100% (20% for each of the five phases).

9- What was the reason behind the slow evaluation process?
The delay is attributed to technical and logistical challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to delay and postponement of some projects.

10- What plans does OQ have regarding data of candidates who cleared all the evaluation stages but were not selected due to limited vacancies?
The applicants’ data will be used if additional vacancies emerge till the end of 2021 and if the specializations are among the disciplines that have been announced. In such a scenario, the applicants will not need to go through evaluation procedures again, but will have to appear for a final interview.

11- Has a candidate, who earlier received a letter of apology from OQ for not being selected among 192 candidates for the Graduate Development Program, been later contacted and informed that he has been accepted?
Yes. This can happen when an accepted candidates withdraws, fails to pass the medical examination,. In such cases, those on the waiting list with highest marks will be contacted based upon the required academic qualification and the candidate’s degree.

12- Why were names of those admitted to the OQ Graduate Program not announced?
They may be announced after completion of medical check-ups and employment formalities.

13- I was interviewed by non-specialized committees despite my academic qualifications. Why?
Some administrative specialties require the applicant to have knowledge of technical and administrative specializations. Besides, the interview panel will include a representative from the hiring department.
Examples:

• There are many jobs in the Human Resources Department wherein it is desirable to have graduates from engineering, finance, accounting and commercial disciplines. Their skills are valued in fields like salaries and benefits, training and development, and employment.
• In commercial departments such as sales and marketing, it is preferable for the candidate to have technical knowledge related to specifications, standards, petroleum products and their byproducts.
• There are many jobs in the engineering, projects and operations departments, for which the applicant must be a graduate in an administrative disciplines such as information technology.

14- Were some specializations excluded from appointment despite the applicants passing the assessment phases?
The Company did not exclude any of the previously announced specializations. However, the competition was very tough for certain specializations, especially administrative. In such case, the Company had to select candidates with the most appropriate qualifications.

Example: Most of the administrative sub-specializations have been accepted for vacancies in the Human Resources Department, such as human resources, public administration, finance, marketing, commerce, media, translation, logistical support, and information technology.

15- I appeared for the interview but was asked to take it again. Why?
This may happen. A group of graduates were called again for the following reasons:

• Having very close or equal accumulative percentage with some specialization graduates.
• Emergence of other vacancies that were in line with specializations the applicants have applied for.
• Some departments’ Leaders requested to interview the graduates who had reached the final stage.

16- Is there a way to contact the Company directly to know the details of the program or to get more information?
A special email (staffing.inquiries@oq.com) was recently created in order to enable candidates communicate directly with the Company for enquiries.

17- A group of candidates were contacted by the Information Technology Department before announcing admission to the Graduate Development Program in order to undergo a training program in the SAP system. Other groups were contacted but not accepted into the Graduate Development Program. Why?
OQ, in coordination with SAP, one of the largest software companies in the world, has conducted a training program for a group of IT graduates in order to help them gain experience and knowledge in this field. 24 graduates from the IT major were nominated from among those who reached the final stages for the Graduate Development Program. Ten graduates were accepted, including those who passed the SAP exams (as this program is not related to or included in the OQ Graduate Development Program for the tenth batch, but rather an opportunity to develop and acquire specialized knowledge).

18- How did the Company deal with the objections it received from applicants?
The Company received objections from some applicants who could not attend the final interview for various reasons. Records show that 84 out of the final 1,261 applicants were not called for interviews – 6.6% did not attend for various reasons such as:

• A group of them registered through their college/university email IDs and did not access these later on as their college had deactivated them. Hence, they were unable to access the interview invitations.
• Some applicants were not able to attend or complete their interview due to unstable internet connection.
• Some candidates were not in the Sultanate on the date of their scheduled interview.

Despite these obstacles, the company listed down names of those who could not attend the interview, to assess their ability to compete for the job if they were given the full mark for the final interview (20%). Only 13 applicants from that group whose total grades were eligible to run for the competition and enter the selection list, given that they obtained the full mark for the final interview- 20% at the final assessment.

Accordingly, these candidates will be called to compete for any vacant positions due to the withdrawal of those accepted into the program. They will be also called to compete for new vacancies that meet their specializations.

19- Graduates from which academic years were accepted for Graduate Development Program?
The program’s registration announcement published on 7/16/2020 stated that graduates of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 batches could apply because OQ wanted to this opportunity to the maximum number of graduates. This justifies why the number of applicants crossed 11,000. Those who were selected are applicants to the tenth batch according to the aforementioned recruitment announcement. They are not from the program’s previous batches. For more transparency, the names of those accepted will be announced upon completion of the recruitment procedures.