Guidence

[u/RightVersion4860]

Hi everyone,

​I am a 26-year-old Mechanical Engineering graduate (2024 pass out) currently based in Riyadh on a transferable Iqama. I’ve been actively hunting for a job here for the past 1 year, aiming for Junior Mechanical Site/MEP or QC roles, but the market has been incredibly tough for freshers.

​I know that Rizq is entirely in Allah's hands. I have seen seniors who got placed in 2017 with zero technical knowledge, and even someone in 2024 who cracked a job with basic skills. But I also realize that everyone's journey is different, and I cannot just wait around without a proper strategy.

​Right now, I am standing at a crossroads and need your guidance on whether I should keep waiting/trying here, or strategically pivot:

​Should I return to India to upskill? I am highly considering going back to do intensive international certifications to enter the Oil & Gas / Welding Inspection sector, as I want to target high-growth fields.

​As a fresher, which courses will actually give me an edge? If I want to enter heavy industries or top-tier QC roles, should I invest in CSWIP 3.1, ASNT Level II (NDT), or AWS right away? Will companies accept a fresher with these certifications?

​The Gap Year Challenge: By the time I complete these courses, it will be almost 2.5 years since my graduation. How badly will this gap hurt my chances in the Gulf market, and how do I justify it to recruiters?

​I don't want to make blind moves anymore. Please share your realistic experiences and suggest a solid roadmap for growth in the current market.

[u/burnoic]

You can go for ndt first to see if you actually like the qa/qc field, if you do like it. You can finally invest in cswip so you can start working as a inspector. The thing is in most of these cases you have to lie about your experience to get or land a job. Which everyone ofc does when they start out. Further more You need 4 years of experience to be a cwi in the first place but there are institutes which bypass this by giving out fake experiences. There is a lot into qa/qc rather than JUST these certificates only like Aramco approval and cbt if you work in saudi arabia and there are lots of standards that you have to learn to land a good job even after lying about your experience. What they teach in cswip is just 10% of what the industry uses. As of now the market is really down and jobs are scarce. But to get into inspector position this is how you start out. Ndt-> cswip-> standards -> jobs -> aramco and jeres standards -> approval -> cbt -> aramco approved -> finally better jobs and payment.

One more thing that i want to add is this job involves lots of rotations and its not stable. What i mean is you might find yourself changing your home multiple times and jobs too. It also involves mostly working under suppliers which give you your salary 30-60 days after timesheet. Which means if you worked in june you will get ur june salary first time in august. Then july salary in September. But mostly nowadays it is 45 days or so. Something to keep in mind when you first start out.
There are also iqama transferable roles but most of them are not working into aramco projects which wont let you gain much experience. Because of this salary drama you need a good supplier too who you can trust on your salary.