Schlumberger, Recruitment Process

Salam w.b.t and hello everyone,

How are you doing? I am doing great. Actually, I just got back from Labuan last Saturday. It was a fantastic experience in Labuan and I pray with all my heart that I will successfully be part of Schlumberger. In this entry, I would like to share my experience throughout SLB recruitment process. Just in case anyone does not know, SLB is a short name of Schlumberger. Okay, cool? Alright, let me proceed. The recruitment process was lengthy and the competition was so tough. Just a reminder, what I went through may be different for a different positions, segments, and interviewers. This is based on my experience and opinion, thus do not rely solely on this.

Throughout the process, I always bear in my mind what recruiter said when I visited the company early of this year. He said (approximately), "They are not looking for reasons to reject a person from joining the company. Instead, they are looking for a right person to join the company as the lifestyle is not for everyone". Since then, I always keep the saying in my mind and evaluate the type of lifestyle I really want. Yes, it is always my passion to become an engineer who is working in the field, specifically in oil and gas industry. Thus, I am well aware of the challenges that I will face and the hectic lifestyle when I decide to have a career as a field engineer. So, the first thing you will need to be honest with yourself is, "Am I up to the challenges and ready to have an absolutely different lifestyle compared to ordinary people?". Okay, lets start with the process and I will try my best to give detail explanation for each stage of the process.

1. Online Application

• I sent my application on 17 January 2014 via the SLB website. The online application process was quite simple because you just need to upload your resume and fill up all the required fields as accurate as you can. There is no essay or questions that require you to elaborate anything in details.

• Although you have submitted the application, you can still edit and add any documents online.

2. Group Interview

• I prayed and waited everyday with hope the company will call me soon for the next stage of recruitment process.

• The waiting time was not short. I received a call from the recruiter on July 4 and he asked several questions. (Can you see the long wait I experienced?) After the chat, he invited me to come for the group interview which will take place on July 8 at Menara Rohas Perkasa, Kuala Lumpur.

• I was so excited because this may lead to my dream job, field engineer. In preparing of the upcoming interview, I read tips on the internet shared by people who had gone through this stage.
• On the interview day, the registration started at 8.15 am. I was not surprise to see many candidates at the lobby. Then, we were brought to a meeting room and I could see there was 14 of us.
• The process started with the introduction of the company as not everyone knows what SLB is dealing with. The introduction was presented by the HR Manager and it lasted about 1 hour. Do ask questions if you do not understand anything, they will not kill you if you ask questions.
• The next thing was, everyone of us will have to present ourselves. Actually, we already given what we need to talk during this session. Each candidate will have three minutes to introduce themselves, give three strengths and three weaknesses, and explain the reason why you want to work with SLB. Please mind your time as you will be stopped by the recruiter if you exceed the allocated time.
• Then, we were divided into three groups and we have to design a bridge that will allow a car to move on it safely. There are criterion and requirements that need to be fulfilled for a bridge to be considered successful. The team has 10 minutes to discuss and design the bridge, 20 minutes to construct the bridge by using given materials.
• In this session, I believe they want to see how you communicate with the members, task distribution, practicality, and teamwork. The bridge constructed by my team worked perfectly and my we were the only winner in this challenge. The main thing is, I do not think the recruiter is looking for the winner. Instead, they focus on the teamwork.
• Then, each group will need to do a simple presentation on their bridge as well as their team. The group will be called into the room one by one. The recruiter will bombard you with a lot of questions, such as do you appoint a group leader, who are they, what is the change that you will make to your design if you have the opportunity, and others. In this session, be a good speaker and also excellent listener. Listen to what others want to say and give your opinion to make a good presentation.
• Once all groups have presented, the recruiters will go out and discuss among themselves to select the suitable candidates for the next round. It was a nerve wrecking moment when the recruiter started to call out the names. The names they called are the people who made it to the next stage, while others will have to leave the room. During my time, only 7 out of 14 made it and I was one of them and I am really grateful for being selected to the next round.

3. Interview with HR Manager

• The next round was the one-to-one interview with the HR Manager which was 20 minutes. This interview held the same day and my turn was at 2.30 pm.

• In this session, the HR Manager asked questions about myself. I believe in this session, he wants to see whether the candidate is suitable to work in the field or not.

• Again, the suitable candidate will be called for the next round, the interview with the Segment Manager.

4. Segment Manager Interview

• Exactly after 14 days, in the Monday's evening I received a call from the HR recruiter informing me that they would like to invite me to the next stage of the recruitment process. Actually, I was not with my phone then I saw about 4/5 miscalls and an email of them trying to contact me.
• I did not expect I made it to the next round as the competition was so tough, plus there was many candidates who were so good. Alhamdulillah, I managed to go to the next round which will happen on Wednesday in the same week.

• From the invitation email I received, the interviewer will be a Project Manager, not a Segment Manager. The lady name was Miss Mazatul Akma. In the email also, they acknowledged me which segment I located and the role's description. I will be in the Artificial Lift Segment as a field engineer.

• I started to read a little about artificial lift as a preparation for the upcoming interview. I was so thrilled and nervous at the same time.

• The interview will start at 12.00 pm and I arrived around 11.30 am. Since I arrived early, the interview started about 10 minutes after that. The interviewer, Miss Mazatul was so warm and friendly. It turned out to be that she is also an alumni of MRSM Terendak, the boarding school I went to during my lower secondary school. She graduated in late 1996, while I completed my study there in 2006 before move to other boarding schools. We were surprised and excited at the same time.

• In this interview session, it went well. Instead of calling it as an interview, I would prefer to call it a chat. Because, we talked about family, school, career, lifestyle, and many more. The Project Manager made the chat so interesting because she shared her experience with SLB and she already with the company for 12 years which is so inspiring.

• The interview lasted for about 40 minutes, and she escorted me to the elevator. She is so nice and laidback person. I like her and it will be my absolute pleasure if I could work together with her.

• Anyway, this is not a final stage. There is more to come if I am selected.

5. Field Exposure Program (17 Aug - 23 Aug)

• On the 15th day after the last stage, I received a call notifying me that the company would like to send me to Labuan for the Field Exposure Program (FEP) and asked me if I am available at that time. I did not wait long to answer, "YES, I am in".

• Then, they emailed me all the related information that is required for my travel to Labuan. I departed to Labuan on August 17 and return back to KL on August 23.  During this time, I stayed in Tiara Labuan Hotel. Oh, did I mention that all the costs were covered by the company? Yes, the flight tickets, accommodation, and transportation were all arranged by the company. It was so luxurious for one person, anyhow I am really grateful for it.

• On August 18, I reported to the engineer in my segment. I will tag along with them throughout the program. The engineers and the specialists I met in the segment will be the team that I will be working with once I successfully join SLB. I forgot to mention, the objective of the exposure is to give the candidate the chance to see the lifestyle of SLB field engineer, the working environment, and others before you make a decision whether you ready for it or not. In the meantime, it is also a way for the company to evaluate whether you are really the right person to join the company or not. 
• The exposure was really a fantastic experience for me, I met a lot of amazing people, and learn a lot of things. I would not trade it for anything else.
• Frankly, it will be very long entry if I describe what I did in the exposure since there were a lot of things happened. If you have questions, do not hesitant to ask me.
• Once I got back from Labuan, I wrote a summary and feedback on FEP then email them to all related parties. I hope and pray that I will successful joining Schlumberger and they will recruit me. There are a lot of stakes and I have sacrificed many things for this golden opportunity. I hope they will contact me soon with a good news.

Other tip I would like to share is, throughout the recruitment process regardless which company you want to join, just be yourself. Do not pretend of being someone else, because the company will know it. Plus, they are looking for an engineer, not an actor/actress. 

Surprisingly, two days after I got back from Labuan, which is today, I received the most awaiting call from HR Manager, Mr Sharizal. At that time, I just finished bathing my two hamsters. Hahaha...He asked and checked several things before letting me know the most awaiting news. Alhamdullilah, I am accepted to join SLB, and guess what? I will be located in Queensland, Australia. The funny thing was, he did mentioned the specific name of the place but I can't remember the exact location. It is either toowong, toowomba, tooway. I forgot the name, anyway, it does not matter as long as I am accepted to be part of SLB. Again, Alhamdulillah. Well, it does not stop here. I will have to wait for the formal offer letter, medical check up, passport, visa, and many more before going to placement there.

Alhamdulillah. Finally, my dream comes true.

I am sure this is life changing moment. I am excited, and also nervous at the same time as I am not sure what lies ahead. However, I know Allah will always be with me and I have the supports from my mother as well as my family. With all of these, I hope will be doing great. 

Ok, folks. I guess this is it. I hope this entry would give some insights for those who are seeking for the opportunity to join SLB. I would remind you again, the procedure may be different to different segment, position, location, interviewer, and others. If you have any queries, do not feel shy to contact me. I will try my best to assist you. Alright, see you guys in the next entry and take care.

Salam w.b.t


P/S - There is an epic twist in this process. I will share it in the next entry, and I look forward to share it with everyone. :)

Job Hunting - The Last Chapter

Salam w.b.t and hi guys.

How things are going? I hope everyone are doing great and also do not forget to pray for our Muslim families in Gaza. In this entry, I am going to share the last chapter of my job hunting experience. Hopefully, this will give some insights and tips in getting a place to start the career. Honestly, I would say my journey in getting into my dream company is full of setbacks and there were many times where I stumbled and nearly lose my hope. Ok, that will be shared in another entry. Long story… Just in case you missed out the previous chapter, you can check it out by clicking this link Job Hunting - Chapter 3.

NINTH: Sime Darby (SD)

I applied Sime Darby (SD) through website under management trainee program sometimes in April. There were two type of programs; (a) management trainee and (b) apprenticeship program. I applied for both but my application went under the former option. Alright, that is fine as long as my application is in process. Then, I was invited for the online assessment where I had to answer mathematics and English questionnaires.

In May (if I am not mistaken), a recruiter from SD called me and conducted a phone interview. Her name was Shakilla, and she asked several questions such as if I am still looking for job or not, what do I know about the program, and others. At the end of the conversation, she invited me to proceed to the next interview which is face-to-face interview. The interview will be one month from the day she called me, about end of June. I was excited but one month? That is a long time to wait.

While waiting for the interview day, I checked on the website that the application was no longer under management trainee program. There was a change to the name of the program, the new name was Skim Latihan Malaysia - Management Trainee Program. I did not feel good about this because this gives indication that the position offered may not be permanent. The most important is there will be no salary, but the allowance only which I am not sure how much it will be. I emailed the recruiter the range of the wage but the response was "The amount is confidential". It was devastating but I tried to keep myself positive. 

Packages offered by Sime Darby throughout the training

After a month, I went to the interview. The interview took place at PNB Darby Park, behind Tabung Haji Tower and PNB Tower and started at 8.15 am. At first, I thought PNB Tower is similar to PNB Darby Park. Actually, it was different building. So, I had to walk very fast from PNB Tower to go to PNB Darby Park. It was a very silly mistake, so please make sure you check with the guards if you come to the right place or not.

When I reached to the venue, I was "WOW" by the arrangements at the venue. The arrangement was touched by the corporate style. I am not sure if you got what I am trying to say, the environment was so elegant and high-class. There were registration counters and the SD staffs were so professional. There was also a lot of candidates and in front of the venue was a corporate slide show. I know the interview will be formal, but I did not expect the formality will be at this level. At that moment, I felt small among others. Never mind, I went to registration counter and took a seat at the candidates area. I would say, the staff at the counter who welcomed me was not so friendly and hard to put a smile. I was not sure, but from the registration sheet, I was placed under the Plantation Division. I seriously had no idea about the allocation and I did not read a thing about this division. I asked about this to the candidate sat next to me, but she said it mentioned in the email or phone call. I was surprised as I completely sure I did not receive this information. Then, I said to myself just to calm down and try my best not to screw up the interview.

There were two interviewers, a female and male. The female was a HR person, and the male was an engineer. Typical questions were asked during interview, like introduce yourself, can I work in a team, what drives me either money or career stability, e.tc. I answer all the questions as best as I could. Throughout the interview, I can see that the engineer (male interviewer) was not focus. I am saying this because he cannot kept eye contact, look around, wondering, and not talked much compared to the HR person. It is not  about evaluating the candidate only, I am also evaluating the employer. Maybe he was boring and want to finish the interview session as soon as possible. I don't know, but I don’t feel comfortable with it. The interview lasted for about 20 minutes then I left. The result will be known in two weeks time.

Lesson: Please make sure you come to the correct venue for the interview. Other thing is please be alert with any changes to the position offered by the company as it will significantly influence the type of employment, either permanent or temporary and also the amount of pay that you will received throughout the program. Just a friendly reminder, do understand what are the differences between joining the company through Skim Latihan 1 Malaysia (SL1M) or hired directly by the company. There are huge differences and make sure you know them clearly.

TENTH: Schlumberger (SLB)

Alhamdulillah, I got the opportunity to be interviewed by SLB. Well, although it just an interview, I feel extremely grateful because this can lead to a job I have been waiting for a long time which is offshore field engineer. It was a long process, and while I am writing this sentence, I am still waiting for the outcome of the fourth stage. Yes, I am in the fourth stage of the interview and I am praying I will make it to the final stage and be part of the SLB. Please pray for me and I really hope I will be successful in the process and joining SLB soon.

I will not share the experience at SLB in this entry since it is still in the midst of processing. I will share the full experience in another entry which will be very exclusive for SLB. Again, please pray for me. Thank you, guys.

ELEVENTH: Technip

One day, I received a call around 6 pm from a lady named Miss Fara. I missed her call actually, then I called her back and once she introduced where she is from, I got excited. She called from Technip and would like to ask several questions. I applied for the position as a Subsea Graduate Engineer on the Technip website few months back. She asked whether I am still unemployed or already working. Then, she invited me to come to the interview session which will be held in two weeks time, if I am not mistaken. I was so excited and look forward to come to the interview. Hopefully I will make it.

The interview will be at 11 am at Menara Jcorp, Jalan Tun Razak. This tower is next to Wisma Technip and I drove from Batang Kali to the venue. I departed from my house at 7.30 am and arrived at the tower around 9 am. It was a gridlocked but I managed to arrive at the venue early. I sat at the lobby, read a book, wandering around while waiting the scheduled interview session. Around 10.30 am, I went to the office and waited for Miss Fara. From what she said, I will be interviewed by a French engineer named Sir Piere.

Well, I had to wait for another 20 minutes as Sir Piere was busy and still in the meeting. By the way, the interviewee was only me as the company will set one person for one day. Sir Piere is a nice and quite tall man. He is friendly and has beautiful eyes. He asked me the questions and I answered them as best as I could. The interview lasted approximately 40 minutes. And most questions were about technical knowledge, like how to connect the Christmas tree to the oil rig, how to connect the pipeline in the deep sea, and others.

After the interview with Piere finished, he escorted me to Miss Fara's desk. From his conversation with Miss Fara, I understand that I am fine and can be brought to the HR. At first, I do not understand than Miss Fara explained that the potential candidate will meet directly the HR Manager. Oh, that is how it works here. Then, I waited for another 5 minutes before invited to the Manager's room. The HR person was a woman known as Madam Hakimah. During this interview, most of the questions were related to more personal background such as family, education, example of group work, etc. The second interview lasted about 20 minutes. Then I left the building. The outcome of the interview will be released at the end of August. Hopefully I will manage to score a place at Technip.

Lesson: When attending the interview with Technip, do some readings related to the position offered. And also technical knowledge on subsea, offshore, as well as onshore. When speaking with the French, in my opinion pronounce each word properly so that the French can catch up with what you are trying to say. During the interview with Piere, maybe I spoke quite fast (I think it is normal speed for me), and he waved his hand to slow me down. He said he cannot catch up with me.

TWELVETH: Petronas

There was no interview actually. I applied through the website under Skim Latihan 1 Malaysia (SL1M) sometimes in June. I did not give so much hope to be accepted to this program since I am targeting another company. Besides, the competition to join Petronas will be very competitive so I just apply and that's it.

Surprisingly, in July I received a call from HR of Petronas, Madam Halimaton if I am not mistaken. Well, the phone call was a very simple, she asked whether I am still unemployed or not. Then, she said the result will be known in August if I successful or not. I was not sure if there will be another interview or not since she did not elaborate more on that. I also did not bother to ask more questions because she was in hurry and I also just get out from my car.

In August, I received an email notifying I am accepted to join the program. "Well, this is easy". However, I did not feel thrill about this because it is SL1M, not the permanent employment. According to the contract, the participants will also not be recognised as Petronas staffs and no benefits throughout the eight months training program only monthly allowance. Other than that, Petronas will also not guarantee the participant will get the opportunity to join Petronas as a permanent staff once the program finish. Yes, I clearly understood that this program is just to enhance the employability of Malaysian graduate not giving a job. However, I do not feel happy about this because it looks like the company is taking advantages from the participants. I don't know, it is just my two cents.

Anyway, I just accepted the offer to join the program and I will decide later on. At the moment, I will most likely not attend the Petronas program which will start on August 18. This is because I will go to Labuan on that day to attend the Field Engineer Program (FEP) arranged by the Schlumberger. This is the last stage of the interview with Schlumberger. Therefore, I will choose Schlumberger over Petronas.

Lesson: Again, do equip yourself with information on SL1M.

Ok guys. That is a wrap of my job hunting experience. If you have any questions, opinions, and would like to share with me, do drop me a line. I will try my best to assist you, if you want. I will create another entry to share my experience with SLB because the process is still ongoing. Hopefully I will successfully be part of SLB as a field engineer, InsyaAllah.

I would say the journey to start my career is full of challenges and obstacles, however I appreciate every moment in the journey. There were a lot of times where I feel so weak and hopeless, but I try my best to rise. I don’t want to disappoint my family and the most important is I do not want to let myself down. Same goes to you guys, do not give in and keep fighting. Alright, that’s it from me. Take care guys and see you in the next entry. Salam w.b.t.