Since I was about 17 years old, I was tutoring, and helping my colleagues and relatives in their school homework and exam preparation. Even I chose to study Business Administration, but I didn't stop to follow my passion in education and volunteered in many activities related to the children and teaching roles. I decided to support it with a formal certificate and I finished my Diploma in Education during my military service.

       Why I am telling you this boring and common story of millions! Well, because every day we listen to thousands of youtube videos and read a lot of articles about the inspiration and time to live happily but no one of us has the courage to take this kind of decision and follow his dreams.

Don't be afraid to follow you dream, it's the shadow of your future.       After nine years of administrative experience and working in NGO, military, and industry' offices. I decide to take the risk of making a big shift in my career by starting and employing all my organization and people skills in Education field. All together with my previous volunteering experience to make a new combination which I feel confident that will make me a valuable asset and investment for the school.

       I was so afraid to be rejected after my first interview with The International school of Choueifat as all I have are a certificate and some volunteering activities. But now I am so grateful for both of Mr. Kevin Rabbitt in Recruitment Dept. and Mr. Armen Mansourian, the School Director at Sabis Educational Services in Sultanate Oman, who trusted me and saw beyond the nice formatted CV more than well administrative experienced and skilled candidate.
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       While I am counting the days left to join The International School of Choueifat in Oman, I more believe that I found finally that kind of balance, happy in your life - happy in your work. This was the main reason to share my experience in public! I would like to encourage all of you to stay focused on your dreams and never fed up whatever it could take time and effort.

Here I would like to share in public some of my secret tools which help me to go beyond the stage of "Sending the CV and waiting for a call"
1. FTL app:
My most favourite app when I apply to LinkedIn jobs. FTL is the short name of FindThatLead, where through it, you can find the email of the LinkedIn profile. So let's suppose you find the LinkedIn profile of recruiter or HR officer of your favourite company which you always dream to be part of it, by one click and FTL will give his/her email with the accurate percentage.
The app is free with 10 profile emails to check weekly. If you would like to get more, the prices are affordable in various plans.
http://findthatlead.com/

2. Mailtester.com website:
Following to the previous app function, let's suppose the provided accuracy of email is less than for instance 70% so this website can check for free if the email is active or not, correct or not. (remember to ask MR. Google also!)
Watch this video, to learn more how to find anyone's email (I recommend to check all of Johnny Campbell videos on "Social Talent" channel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1rIn-ac3rg&index
http://mailtester.com/

3. Jobscan.co website:

You find your dream job advertised and "Yes!" it's your opportunity to say to the company "Hello, is it me you're looking for?" :)
But in usual, because of ATS you are dismissed and your CV was sent to the black hole. But not anymore with this paid website (unfortunately) as it compares between your CV and job description, trying to match your CV with the keywords mentioned there. A nice matching percentage appear with full details. I highly recommend it as you can then include what are missed in your CV before sending even by email.
https://www.jobscan.co/

4. TagCrowd website:
Well, I leave it at the end of the list as it helpful in some limits. I mean, it calculates the keywords in your CV. Let me explain. If the word "administrator" is repeated five times and the word "officer" two times in your CV, so logically, if recruiter used the word "officer" as a requested keyword, then ATS will leave your CV at the bottom of the list as it's not repeated as much as other CVs.
On another hand, I prefer to use it as a guidance, not any more than this purpose.
http://tagcrowd.com/

Finally, I will try to update this post each time I discover a new cool tool or website help us as a job seeker. Also, all of us will be happy to share and know any other exciting websites, so let us know about it :) 

So, how we can face this kind of technology challenge as a job seeker! Let’s take a look at these suggestions:

1. Time to change your CV.

Maybe you spent days to design and shape your CV to look so attractive and reflect how you are professional MS Word user. But, I think we have to listen to Mama advice: “Simple is better”. At the end, it is a CV and not an article or essay so just include clear short statements about your skills and be careful about your used verbs.
We will talk more about this point in a separate post.

1. Learn more about recruiters’ weapons.

The job market is so competitive and wild place where you have to fight and be brave to prove that you are worth investment for your potential employer.
Let’s take LinkedIn as an example. A lot of interesting jobs advertised daily, some of them requesting only to attach your CV while another lead you to the company website. If recruiters using LinkedIn for looking for their best candidates collection so we can you use the same weapon to reach the hiring decision maker. There cheap tools to get his/her email, and websites to evaluate how your CV contents are close to the job description.
Here are some of them: FindThatLead app, mailtester.com, tagcrowd.com, jobscan.co

1. Learn, surprise them and be creative.

Whatever your career type or nature, you have to show that there are some unique about you. For instance, I always hear the same comment or repeated conversation about how an easy job to be an Office Administrator, Secretary, Assistant, etc. Think it like when you go to the mall and decide to buy a biscuit. On the shelve, you will see the cheap prices and shock about the expensive types. So why you can not be the expensive biscuit which every recruiter starve to have you!
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… To be continued

The dream came a true, and I received the invitation email for Face-to-Face meeting to discuss my application for “Executive Secretary” position opened in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
   The interview was with Mr. Buland Iqbal, an Executive Director with 20 years of career at EY. I knew, this interview will not be as similar as the previous ones. I have one chance, one shot, one try!
   The preparation for the interview started once I got the confirmation of interview time and location. Going through dozens of articles and brochures about EY, matching and highlighting the major of my skills with the mentioned requirements in the job description, and little training courses with my lovely mirror! I mean, double check my language body and lovely smile.
   With high testosterone level, I walked to EY office in Etihad towers, floor 27. With a warm greeting from receptionists, I waited in the meeting room with WOW view from the window (attached down) and because I came before 15 minutes of arranged, I took my time to organise my breath, ideas and papers.
  The door was opened, and Mr Buland entered with so interesting charisma used to see it with senior managers and CEO. Immediately, I understood the name of the game! He acted as busy, and uninterested about our meeting. So negative signals raised in the first 10 minutes which could let anyone down and announce the surrender. Now, it is my turn! And I have to show him who is the next EY Executive Secretary!
   I tried in each answer I provide, attach an example of my current/previous experience related to his question and as a bonus, something related to EY vision or theories. For instance, for the question “Describe your current role responsibilities?” I made sure to mentioned that ones which are highly demanded on the job description and when I moved to Teamwork skills, I just added “… because I believe in EY Chairman and CEO message about teamwork culture, …”
   And when my time came to ask, the list of questions was well prepared. The first two ones just a review and a feedback about my interview in general. Then followed with questions about EY teamwork and my next position, and at the end, a conclusion to make sure everything is covered.
 Here were my questions:

1. Which of my skills do you see as most important for the challenges that come with the position?
2. Do you see any gaps in my skills or qualification that I need to fill?
3. What do you like most about working for EY?
4. Can you tell me a little about the team I’ll be working with?
5. What are the first priorities for this position?
6. What way is performance measured and reviewed?
7. What are the next steps in the interview process?
8. Is there anything we haven’t covered that you think is important to know about working here?
9. May I add you to my LinkedIn network, please?

  I know, nine questions are more than enough, but fortunately, questions 4, 5, and 6 were covered by his introduction about the position.
  At the end, any candidate should make his/her touch. I just asked him to accept my personal card which includes my name, website, contact number and email. He was happy to tell me that I have so exceptional and professional way to introduce myself.
   Now, While I am waiting for the golden call from HR Dept. I just review his comments about my skills to improve and polish it more!
  Please do not hesitate to ask my help about my secret plans to prepare for job interview :)

     I remember the first time I picked up the newspaper after few days of my graduation in purpose to start my job searching. It was simple, just read the published advertisements, call the office and arrange an immediate interview or dropping a CV day. Thank you for the technology to make it easier and reachable for job seekers to move or look for their suitable place to work. But on the other hand, we lost the human touch in this relation between job seeker and potential employer. I mean, sometimes the character and specific skills are more than enough for hiring decision maker.

      With billions of daily applications, I agree with the recruiters and HR officers to depend on Application Tracking Systems, more and more. At least, it makes their daily work and life more simple and easy. It needs only to type some key requested skills or words to filter a huge amount of inappropriately applied candidates. So, I am sure most of us know "taleo", this electronic evil who force always us to fill so long application manually in the most of the times, and at the end of process after attaching your CV and pressing submit button, you know in the deep of your heart that you are sending your lovely CV to the black hole of e-universe where to be lost with the other resumes!

          Like me, you spent hours on reading articles about the perfect CV format and watching dozens of youtube videos. The same advice is repeated, make it short, include keywords, recruiters have only 30 seconds to check it so make it readable, and many other so useful ideas. But when you are waiting for any reply in your inbox or a phone call and ending with nothing, I know that measurable feeling.

       I believe, it is the fault of job seekers to update their knowledge about the new technics of the current job market. So, I think, it is the right time to have two CVs! One of them, designed and formatted in a professional way. Just one page to reach the impression. It should be sent to the directly or personal email of recruiters, HR officer, managers, etc. The second one could be just a piece of two pages designed for Application Tracking System, with full of keywords and information which are more understandable for machine language.
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..... To be continued,