LinkedIn Learning

Alumni Unit Helps Guide Students' Futures

  On March 3, 2020, Hassan Costello delivered a workshop titled 'Résumé and Cover Letter Basics'. The workshop, under the supervision of Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, was developed to help Bachelor of Arts in English program upperclassmen and alumni effectively communicate their qualifications to prospective employers. Many of our upperclassmen or alumni often say that building a résumé or cover letter mystifies them. To address this, Mr. Costello explained that the first step is not to treat the résumé or cover letter as a formality. Rather, he related, job seekers should understand how an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) tailored résumé and cover letter can help them land their first interview. Guidance and Counselling Unit Supervisor, Dr. Dawood Mahdi, Alumni Unit Coordinator, Mohsin Khan, and 25 students attended the workshop.   As ATS software is the standard recruitment tool for HR departments, Mr. Costello framed the workshop on how students can build their 'no experience' résumé or cover letter to get past the wall of bots and onto the desk of a recruiter.   In his presentation, Mr. Costello introduced participants to their challenge as an English major – transferable skills. "Think about how what you've learned as an English major is transferable to work situations. All companies need employees with skills in writing, editing, critical analysis, and managing information," he said. He then explained how literature, and specifically our ENG 431 Novel Course, offer stimulating examples of complex material that will develop critical thinking skills of evaluation, description, and comparison.   Mr. Costello then distributed curated handouts that provided an introduction to and the best practices of the following:   Conveying skills and abilities to a potential employer with no professional experience; Writing a functional format ATS-friendly resume; Writing an ATS-friendly cover letter; Using targeted keywords.   While acknowledging that writing an ATS-friendly resume and cover letter with little to no experience is a challenge, participants were encouraged that the skills most employers report they are after can be obtained from the Bachelor of Arts in English Program at the Faculty of Languages and Translation. "Using targeted keywords matching the job description will get you to an interview. In the interview, show that you have the ability to see things through other contexts. Show them that you are flexible and adaptable, "Mr. Costello said.   At the end of the workshop, Mr. Khan announced, along with Dr. Mahdi, that eligible students will be able to put themselves up for nomination to the new LinkedIn Learning program. They both explained that 50 Students will be selected, noting that enrollment is on a first-come, first-serve basis. With over 13,000 courses to enroll in, LinkedIn Learning represents an exciting new development to hone the top three 'soft skills' wanted by employers: creativity, persuasion, and collaboration. Date: 3/6/2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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LinkedIn Learning: Helping Students Land a Job or Internship

  On February 26, 2020, Alumni Unit Coordinator, Mohsin Khan, delivered a workshop titled 'LinkedIn Learning'. The workshop, under the supervision of Vice Dean for Academic Development & Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, was developed to address the main problem – lack of knowledge. Not enough students know about the availability of LinkedIn Learning, and it could be advertised to the student population more. To combat this, Mr. Khan explained that the first step is increasing awareness of how to create a LinkedIn account and how to use LinkedIn learning. Members of the FLT staff and a group of students attended the workshop.   As LinkedIn Learning now offers 13,000 online courses, Mr. Khan framed the workshop on courses of interest to our students and faculty. He started off by explaining that LinkedIn Learning is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) provider similar to KKUx or Coursera and that there is an option to create and save lists of courses. After showing workshop participants how to register, navigate, and access from any desktop or mobile device, Mr. Khan provided the key pointers of LinkedIn Learning as follows:   Unlimited access to video tutorials; Personalized recommendations on the most in-demand skills based on preferences; Helpful resources like quizzes and exercises.   Vice Dean Almosa said that both faculty and staff should take advantage of all resources available to them, explaining that the Alumni Unit at the Faculty of Languages and Translation aims to drive adoption of LinkedIn Learning as a tool for professional development, which is free of charge to Bachelor of Arts in English program students.   Mr. Khan closed out the workshop by explaining the "badging" feature. "LinkedIn Learning is connected to your LinkedIn account. I encourage you to open an account today and register for a course. Badges will be added to your profile when you complete a course. Think of the badges as credentials for your skills, which will help you find a job or internship," he concluded. Date: 2/26/2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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