The International Business Relations (IBR) Committee of the Graduate Student Council, in collaboration with KAUST's Career Development Office, Saudi Initiatives and the Alumni Affairs Office, held its inaugural Alumni Panel during the annual fall 2014 Career Fair. Graduate Student Council moderators Michael Margineanu and Nadia Kouraytem opened the session with welcome remarks. Craig Hastings, the Saudi Initiatives Manager of Specialized Enrichment then outlined the activities of Saudi Initiatives in supporting in-Kingdom employment. Six alumni working in the Kingdom shared their experiences and insights, interspersed with presentations by three out-of-kingdom alumni via video recordings.

Participating alumni from the Kingdom were Alfonso Caraveo PhD '13 and Mohammed A. Khan PhD '13 (SABIC), Muhammad Khogali MS '10 and Mona Al-Saydalani MS '13 (Dow), Yasmeen Najm MS '13 (KAUST), Umesh Patil, a former KAUST Postdoctoral Fellow (Baker Hughes), and via video from the UK Matthew Debont MS '11 (Joint Conservation Committee), as well as from Mexico Flavio Siller MS '13 and Luisa Javier Fregoso MS '11 (entrepreneurs).

The alumni panelists shared their experiences and successes, and answered students' questions, emphasizing the importance of being creative and passionate about career choices after graduation. Flavio Siller, recommended to his fellow KAUSTians to, "Look through the company profiles; there are many different visions to be fulfilled and they need people with talent. For that use all your resources; you have KAUST, your former universities, LinkedIn, friends… But if you don't find what you need, don't be afraid and make a commitment to yourself to start what you think is going to be rewarded."

The panelists highlighted the importance of participating in career development activities and events, and availing themselves of the comprehensive services offered by the KAUST Career Development Office and Saudi Initiatives In-Kingdom Job Placement team. Working with these professionals and utilizing these services enables students to provide employers with good first impressions during the interview process, thereby ensuring successful employment outcomes.

At the end of the event students networked with participants and asked more personal career related questions. Ann Khoaz, Alumni Affairs Manager, was delighted to see the alumni back on campus and sharing their positive career experiences with the students. Jerry Mc Donald, Lead Career Counselor, noted that, "The event was exceptionally successful, and the IBR Committee deserves significant credit for making it happen. Their leadership with support from the different campus offices resulted in a positive outcome."

"This was a stupendous event," said Dr. Najah Ashry, Vice President, Saudi Initiatives. "I must applaud the effort of and excellent results achieved by the Student Council and Alumni Office. Their collaboration with Career Development and Specialized Enrichment guaranteed strong turnout, extremely beneficial conversations between panelists and students, and that topics important to students were covered."

When asked what thoughts she wanted to leave with postdocs and graduating students, Dr. Ashry replied, "It is critical that they think about the next steps in their professional lives now; it is easy to put it off, but working with our staffs now will give them an edge in their careers and fulfilling their dreams. Our team in Specialized Enrichment can assist them in accessing many excellent opportunities in Kingdom that will not only benefit the nation, but also the world, and that is what KAUST is all about."

By Nadia Kouraytem, KAUST Graduate Student Council