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            Graduates of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) start their professional career. The most talented of them will become staff members of leading transnational oil and gas companies. Akhmed Gelenderli who graduated from BHOS with honors as Chemical Engineer is one of them. Soon he starts working at BP company in Azerbaijan.

 

               – You were selected the Chemical Engineering Student of the Year. What have learned at BHOS?

               – During my studies, I obtained not only a profession, but also a bright future and real friends. I will have keep very memories about my Alma Mater. The Higher School played a very significant role in my life as well as in the life of my fellow students. Young people enter BHOS to receive engineering education, but they receive much more than that. We have been taught to use the knowledge we gain, take responsibility and be a leader, work in a team, and we have acquired other qualities. Having these and other skills, I managed to obtain employment at the world-known company.

 

                – You have managed to achieve your goals, have you not? 

                – Yes, indeed. I wanted to receive good technical education, and I did. At the same time, I have achieved other purposes, too. From the very beginning, I dedicated all my time to studies. However, I also participated in various conferences, workshops and other activities, as BHOS management always supports students’ initiatives. In 2014, I became a winner of II Student Scientific and Technical Conference held at BHOS. Later on, I won the 8^th Grant Contest conducted by Youth Foundation of Azerbaijan under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic. As to other graduates and their future paths of life, I am sure that they will be very successful because they possess qualities they obtained at BHOS.

 

                 – What someone needs to do to join a company like BP?

                 – Nowadays, possession of excellent technical knowledge is not sufficient to become a staff member of a transnational company. Of course, you must be a technical expert in your field; otherwise, you should not apply at all. At BHOS, I did receive such kind of knowledge, as our curriculum was based on the modern international academic programs. However, you must have other skills to work in a large company. You must be able to work in a team, to make decisions, take responsibility and be a leader. Without these qualities, you will never succeed in your attempts to get a good job.  

 

                 – How was the selection of candidates organized?

                 – There is a unique staff recruitment system at BP. They need to select best of the best candidates from thousands of applicants. It is a difficult choice, as only strong candidates apply to work at transnational company like BP. You need to differentiate oneself from your competitors, and this is a formidable challenge. I think that BP management has their own selection criteria, and the successful candidates shall meet these criteria to be invited to work for the company. Ability to prove your knowledge and expertise and a strong desire to join the company are also important. BHOS helped me develop these skills, too. During two terms, we attended classes to study Azerbaijani language, rhetoric and speech culture in depth. In addition, being a member of BP team means that you can lead others, make decisions, and that you are not afraid of taking responsibility.

 

                 – While a student, you had opportunity to undertake on-the-job training. Will it be useful for your work? 

                 – I am confident that such experience is a crucial part of training of future engineers. It is impossible to master the profession only by reading textbooks and learning theory. On-the-job training at BP and Petkim were very useful and helped me to obtain practical knowledge and learn more about modern oil and gas industry. Moreover, the internships also helped me understand how to work in a team of professionals, how build relations with colleagues and what rules of corporate culture and ethics I need to follow. I believe that these skills and qualities would contribute to my successful career in the future.