Royal Jordanian’s role as Jordan’s national carrier has now long been established since 1963. Strategically located in Amman, Royal Jordanian’s central hub provides the ideal location through which Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East can be easily reached. Today, it has ascended from humble beginnings with three aircraft and four regional destinations, to become one of the elite members of a global alliance, a fleet comprising more than 30 aircraft, and a destination network of 60 global stops. In a very special interview, Bayt.com met with Royal Jordanian’s Recruitment Manager, Bashar Alqudah who told us more about his career at RJ and advice for job seekers in Jordan and across the region.
Bashar Alqudah is the Recruitment Manager at Royal Jordanian Airlines. Bashar has a BA in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Information Systems. Bashar has been the Recruitment Manager at Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) since 2012. Before that, Bashar was the Internal Audit Manager at RJ from 2006 until 2012.
After 7 years in the Internal Audit department at Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ), I was offered the opportunity to become RJ’s Recruitment Manager. RJ is one of the leading companies in Jordan; it offers its employees interdepartmental growth opportunities as long as they have the necessary skills and qualifications. My transition from internal Audit to HR was a step in that direction supported with a great deal of trust from the management.
The recruitment manager position is a highly demanding job; there are a lot of tasks to perform and issues to handle. One a regular day I would meet applicants, answer inquiries, screen CVs, conduct interviews, follow-up the team’s work, handle internal and external communications, arrange for work plans – everything has to be done be on time and with the best results possible.
I believe that the process of acquiring qualifications and skills is a never-ending process. I also believe in hard work, surpassing expectations, building a good reputation in the workplace, being loyal to your company, having a healthy relationship with your co-workers and customers. If you make sure you do all of the above, then you will see chances coming your way.
RJ is a Jordanian company with a global reach; we have employees from many nationalities and deal with various cultures. At RJ, we meet hundreds of applicants, talk with them about their background, education, experience, their future plans, discuss how they can fit into RJ’s profile and vacancies – it is all very interesting to me and can be extremely rewarding to meet new people every day and know about other cultures.
Talented and dedicated employees are hard to find, and retaining them requires employers to be aware of their specific needs. Employers need to realize that employees need to feel valued, be able to demonstrate their potential in a supportive environment, contribute to something meaningful, and receive adequate compensation. Employees also need to be rewarded for their achievements and to have an overall satisfactory career.
Always be prepared for the next step, no matter how different this next step is from your current position.
Job seekers should build CVs that don't just list their past achievements, but also display their future career goals. I also encourage them to create online profiles on professional job sites, improve their written and verbal communications, and practice proper interviewing skills and techniques. For the interview, always research the job and the company profile to prove their ability to handle the job responsibilities and to fit in the company’s culture.
