Assessment Cover Sheet

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Assessment Title

Ali Salman

Programme Title:

BILM

Course No.:

GSP5203

Course Title:

Market Yourself

Student Name:

Ali Salman

Student ID:

201100901

Tutor:

Eman

Due Date:

09/11/2014

Date submitted:

09/11/2014

By submitting this assessment for marking, either electronically or as hard copy, I confirm the
following:

This assignment is my own work

Any information used has been properly referenced.
I understand that a copy of my work may be used for moderation.
I have kept a copy of this assignment
I have read and/or attached the Turnitin Originality Report

Do not write below this line. For Polytechnic use only.

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Grade/Mark:
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Date of Marking:

Introduction
This assignment will provide details about a particular job using two research methods; interview and
internet to provide the information and compare between the two methods of research used.

Research
Two types of research were used to gather information about the job of an electrical engineer, an interview
with a person currently working in this job and an independent research using the internet as the main
source.

Interview
The interviewee was Mr Abbas Habib Salman, Head of Operation and Maintenance in Riffa Power Station.
Abbas Habib is an employee of the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) and the head of operation and
maintenance in one of the power stations in Bahrain, Riffa. The interview was performed on the 6th of
November in Abaass office.
Mr Abbas hold a Bachelors degree in Electrical and Communication from the University of Sulaimani in Iraq
and a Masters degree in Power Generation Management from Trinity college of Dublin, South Ireland.
Abbas has 34 years of experience in the field of electrical engineering and has been in his current position
as for Head of Operation and Maintenance around 4 years. He has also taken many training courses
throughout his career; courses such as Industrial Management, Maintenance Management, Safety and
Security, Project Management, Environmental Management, and more training courses. Abbas applied his
CV to many companies and sat interviews with many employers and then decided to take the job offered
from the Ministry of Electricity and Water which is now named as EWA. Abbas strated his career as a
Graduate Electrical Engineer in Riffa power station, afterwards he was acquired the position of Electronics
Engineer in the instrument department, later he was promoted to the head of Electronic Instrument
section and further on was promoted to the Head of Operation and Maintenance. (Habib, 2014)
Abbas states that nature of his job involves a very high frequency of field work as the engineers are
required to visit the sites and even handle technical issues which may inevitable occurs in the machines. He
also stated that the job is to some extent risky, and the health and safety regulations within the work
premises is very strict in order to avoid any injuries; Safety shoes and helmets must be worn at all times at
the site, while ear plugs are highly recommended. Although, the engineers also have some office work to
do, while the job position gets higher, the amount of office work also gets higher. (Habib, 2014)
When asked about the job satisfaction, Abbas stated that he is very satisfied with his job even though he
has been working in the same company for around 34 years. The reason for this satisfaction, as stated by
Abbas is that he never stopped learning since the start of his career until now even though he has been in
this industry for so long. The field of electrical engineering is constantly improving and new technologies
and systems are always emerging which Abbas finds it very interesting and uses it to constantly improve his
skills and knowledge which acts as a catalyst to his enthusiasm about the job. He was also required to make
many trips to other countries to meet with supplier which is interesting. The paycheck is satisfactory and
suitable for this profession, according to Abbas. (Habib, 2014)
Abbas stated that it takes a minimum of 10 years of work experience in order to reach a high level of
expertise. According to Abbas, skills such as Fault finding, troubleshooting, Monitoring, Time management,

machine operating, and leadership are some of the main skills required for being a successful engineer. In
order to be successful in your caree, Mr Abbas advices to work had, show a very high level of commitment
to your work and adapt to the changes of your job. (Habib, 2014)

Research
The basic requirement for acquiring a job as an electrical engineering is to have a Bachelors degree. Higher
qualifications such as master's degree or doctorate may be need to reach a very high position and
profession in the field. A very large proportion of universities around the world offer this degree which
mainly requires 4 years to be completed. In Bahrain, the two main universities offering the electrical
engineering degree are University of Bahrain and Bahrain Polytechnic which both require a minimum of 4
years. Courses heavy in math, physics, computer science, chemistry, statistics and basic engineering are
expected in an electrical engineering Bachelors degree. (University of Bahrain, N.D) (Bahrain Polytechnic)
Electrical engineering is fields were practical skills are very important and the engineers should be skillful in
order to become successful, just having the knowledge is not enough. Computer skills are one of the many
requirements of electrical engineers; also, the engineers should be problem-solvers and creative in order to
overcome unexpected problems with the highest efficiency. The electrical engineers are always required to
come with innovative ideas in order to create new power efficient technology. Judgment and Decision
Making skills are very important as every engineer will inevitably be placed in a situation were they have to
make a judgment on the situation and later make a decision which will affect the outcome. In higher
positions, the engineers should also obtain management skills as they might be in charge of other
personnel and the operation. (Electrical Engineer, N.D)
The main task of an electrical engineer is to design and overlook electrical circuits and grids for the
electricity and can be on a low scale such as electronic devices, medium scale such as houses and large
scale such as a grid network for a city. Other tasks might also be required from the electrical manager,
however it depends on the job offered and the company. (Electrical engineer job description, 2012)

(Interview Questions)

Analysis
The two different types of research used could be compared and contrasted to provide an analysis. The
findings of the two research methods share some similarities such as the minimum qualifications required
for the acquiring a job which is a bachelors degree. Also some of required skills and competencies of an
electrical engineer were similar in both research methods; skills such as the problem solving, management,
and decision making. However, the interview provided more required skills which were not mentioned
using the other method; skills such as the Monitoring, Time management, leadership and machine
operating. The research using internet mentioned that IT skills are important for an engineer; however, the
interviewee mentioned that IT skills are not one of the main required skill, however, it is a minor
requirement which could help the engineer to become more efficient. The reason of the differences
between the two research methods could be that Mr Abbas was speaking of his own experience and the
skills which he had to acquire to get to this position in the company and field of work he is working for
which is a large power station while the other method may be based on a general electrical engineering
and may be concluded from assumption rather than experience.

Conclusion
Education and qualification are an important aspect of a career and provide the basis and foundation of a
persons career. Experience also plays a vital role in having a successful career and helps in improving the
skills of an individual, however, many companies refuse to employ someone who might be experienced
and skilful but lack the required educational background. As an example, many universities refuse to
employ lecturers who do not have higher education such as Masters or Doctorate Degree. An example of
how education is the foundation of a career is how Mr Abbas was able to reach a very high position in his
field of work because of his qualification and intensive training courses. Yes education is the only important
thing in a career, but it is the foundation of any career.
Based on my current qualification and level of commitment, I think I am ready for any job and am not
afraid to jump into any opportunity I could get, I think that I will be able to achieve high goals and progress
my career into a success. If the opportunity doesnt knock for me, I will build a door of opportunities by
myself.

Bibliography
Bahrain Polytechnic. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.polytechnic.bh/
Electrical engineer job description. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.totaljobs.com/careers-advice/jobprofile/science-engineering-jobs/electrical-engineer-job-description
Electrical Engineer. (N.D). Retrieved from http://job-descriptions.careerplanner.com/Electrical-Engineers3.cfm
Habib, A. (2014, 11 6). Head of Operation and Maintenance. (A. Salman, Interviewer)
University of Bahrain. (N.D). Retrieved from http://www.uob.edu.bh/english/