Fernando Academia Jr., CDMP, PCM

Full Stack Marketer | Digital Marketing Instructor | Speaker/Trainer

I solve marketing technology challenges for mid-market companies ($5M-$50M revenue) across FinTech, HealthTech, and E-commerce.

Build and optimize marketing technology ecosystems driving measurable outcomes:

→22x-31x ROI improvements through platform optimization
→100% client retention across $50K-$66K MRR portfolios
→12-40% performance gains in customer acquisition and retention
→Email engagement improvements from 12% to 40% through AI-powered automation

📌 My MarTech Expertise

Platform Strategy & Implementation
Marketing automation (Netcore Cloud, MoEngage, Salesforce, CleverTap), CRM systems (HubSpot, Odoo, Pipedrive), analytics platforms (Tableau, Looker Studio, Power BI)

AI-Powered Optimization
Customer segmentation, predictive analytics, campaign automation, personalization at scale

Integration Architecture
Connect marketing platforms with CRM, data lakes, e-commerce systems, and enterprise applications

Team Development
Build marketing technology capabilities through training, process design, and change management

📌 Experience Highlights

Previous Leadership:

• Strategic advisor managing portfolios for top 3 digital banks, largest telemedicine platform, international e-commerce brands, and 90M+ user digital wallet
• Marketing strategist for US-based growth consultancy serving 5-10 clients
• Instructor at CIIT Philippines, teaching digital marketing to 80%+ student satisfaction

📌 Education & Executive Training
Executive MBA, Asian Institute of Management (2025)

Executive Education:

‣ Digital Transformation (Global Network for Advanced Management, Dublin)
‣ Customer-Centric Innovation & Metrics (FGV EAESP, São Paulo)
‣ CMO Leadership Program (Asian Institute of Management)

🤝Fractional CMO Services
Available for select engagements helping companies:

→Audit and optimize marketing technology stacks
→Implement AI-powered customer engagement platforms
→Build customer data and segmentation strategies
→Develop marketing performance measurement frameworks
→Train teams on marketing automation and analytics

🚀 Current Venture
Building SukiNomics, a networked, gamification-powered loyalty platform transforming customer engagement for Philippine MSMEs.

Open to: Fractional CMO roles, advisory positions, and strategic partnerships with growth-stage companies needing marketing technology leadership.

Not available for: Direct competitors to telecommunications industry.

Member

Fernando Academia Jr., CDMP, PCM, CSSWB

Time to doubt if you’re really customer-centric…
Hear me out…

Just got this a few days back… My completion certificate for the Customer-Centric Innovation, Disruption and Metrics program with FGV EAESP  in São Paulo.

Three insights I am applying immediately that I see applicable to most enterprises in the Philippines:

1️⃣Customer value chains (not the Porter’s Value Chain) reveal where disruption happens.

Professor Thales Teixeira #decoupling framework shows that startups win by breaking apart activities incumbents bundle together.

The threat comes from unhappy customers, not new technology.

2️⃣Firm-side synergies are different from customer-side synergies.

Most companies optimize for their own efficiency. The winners optimize for customer convenience. 

Magazine Luiza’s transformation proved this works even in traditional retail.

3️⃣ Growth metrics must follow customer behavior.

Measuring what matters to the company is easy. Measuring what matters to customers requires discipline.

The gap between these two measurements signals opportunity or vulnerability.

Knowing this now, would you still say you have a customer-centric orientation?

OR are you inherently firm-centric trying to appear customer-focused?

Thank you to Professor Leandro Guissoni, Ph.D.  and the FGV team for an awesome learning experience.

Fernando Academia Jr, EMBA, CDMP, PCM

Marketing Technology and Digital Transformation Leader | Building SukiNomics | 15+ Years helping eCommerce/SaaS/FinTech scale with MarTech & Strategy

You bought the tools. You hired the people. You scheduled the meetings.

Why does nothing move?

Here is the uncomfortable truth:

Organizations invest in tools. They invest in campaigns. They invest in talent.

But nobody invests in the person who connects it all.

Look around your company right now.

Everyone attends meetings. Everyone brainstorms. Everyone operates within their own system.

But nobody owns active governance.

Nobody targets the silos. Nobody bridges the gaps between teams. Nobody connects the dots across sporadic efforts.

This is “the thing that no one owns.”

And it is killing your results.

Systems thinking calls this policy resistance. Multiple actors pull in different directions. Each resists changes made by others. Massive effort maintains a state nobody wants.

The data confirms it.

McKinsey found that martech is often used in isolation with little support, ownership, or visibility from senior leadership or the broader enterprise. 

Gartner reports that only 33% of martech capabilities are being used today. That number dropped from 58% in 2020 to 42% in 2022 to its current level. 

Read that again.

Two-thirds of what you paid for sits unused.

The problem is not that the tools lack power. Organizations lack the infrastructure, proficiencies, governance and integration to make use of them. 

47% of martech decision-makers cite stack complexity and integration challenges as key blockers that prevent them from getting value from their tools. 

So what is actually missing?

Someone needs to connect Marketing campaign data to IT infrastructure. Someone needs to align Brand messaging with Customer Experience touchpoints. Someone needs to feed Customer Support insights back into Product roadmaps. Someone needs to translate what Analytics discovered into what Operations can execute. Someone needs to ensure Customer Success metrics inform Marketing’s next move.

In systems thinking, this is the highest leverage point: information flows. Who knows what. Where data goes. What gets measured and reported. Missing feedback is one of the most common causes of system malfunction.

Here is the problem.

That role requires focus. That role requires authority. That role rarely exists on org charts.

Without cross-functional buy-in or visibility, every team tries to solve their problems their own way, leading to redundancy. 

So companies accumulate 75 tools on average. They tolerate overlapping functions. They accept data sitting in silos.

They resource everything except the integration layer.

The outcome gap is not a capability problem. It is a governance problem.

If you want enterprise outcomes, prioritize enterprise coordination.

No alternative text description for this image

Channel handoffs are where revenue goes to die. This breakdown from NRF 2026 shows how to fix it with two real examples. Read full post below 👇 

This matches what I see in enterprise environments.

Fragmented architectures where customer context resets at every channel switch.

The cost shows up in abandoned journeys and manual workarounds.

The critical shift: manage omnichannel as a business capability, not as separate channel initiatives.

Read more below 👇

SVP Latam | Global Executive & Board Member | P&L & Business Transformation | Bridging AI, Strategy & Behavioral Science for Sustainable Growth

Omnicanalidade e Agentic Commerce 

Operar uma única jornada, com continuidade de contexto, dados e execução, foi um dos pontos que destaquei na NRF 2026 ao discutir a evolução para Agentic Commerce.

Omnicanalidade sem fricção acontece quando essa jornada deixa de reiniciar a cada troca de canal e passa a ser operada de forma contínua entre digital e loja. Do contrário, o impacto aparece em abandono, queda de produtividade, exceções operacionais e aumento de custos.

Essa capacidade exige integração de canais, estoque e dados, garantindo reconhecimento do cliente em todos os pontos de contato. 

Isso viabiliza decisões mais rápidas, com governança, e sustenta a evolução para Agentic Commerce, quando decisões antes manuais passam a ser orquestradas por sistemas e agentes, sob regras claras de risco, serviço e custo.

Para mostrar a execução, compartilhei dois exemplos reais da Thoughtworks: 

↳ transformação do fluxo de venda em loja com um app que leva contexto e conclusão para a ponta; 
↳ e Click and Collect tratado como decisão dinâmica para melhorar previsibilidade, produtividade e cumprimento da promessa e uso de IA e Agentes no processo.

Para a agenda executiva, isso precisa ser tratado como capacidade de negócio, não como projeto de canal. 

Na sua operação, omnicanalidade é iniciativa por canal ou capacidade ponta a ponta com governança e evolução clara rumo a Agentic Commerce?
___

English Version:

Operating a single journey with continuous context, data, and execution was one of the points I highlighted at NRF 2026 when discussing the evolution toward Agentic Commerce.

Frictionless omnichannel happens when the journey no longer resets at every channel change and is instead operated continuously across digital and physical touchpoints. 

When it does reset, the impact shows up in abandonment, lower productivity, operational exceptions, and higher costs.

This capability depends on integrating channels, inventory, and data, ensuring consistent customer recognition across touchpoints.

That enables faster, governed decisions and supports the shift toward Agentic Commerce, where previously manual decisions are orchestrated by systems and agents under clear constraints around risk, service, and cost.

To illustrate execution, I shared two real Thoughtworks examples: 

↳ transforming in-store sales with an app that brings context and completion to the frontline; 
​​↳ and Click and Collect treated as a dynamic decision to improve predictability, productivity, and promise-keeping ( AI and Agents embedded in the operation).

From an executive perspective, this must be managed as a business capability, not a channel project. 

In your organization, is omnichannel managed by channel initiatives or as an end-to-end capability with a clear path toward Agentic Commerce?

Fear sat at my table for years.
I burned through it. This is what remained.

I managed 5 concurrent jobs at one point.

I delivered well enough to win awards.

3 career resets. Each one compounded.

I learned...
...in classrooms,
...in masterminds
...in conversations
...through certifications,
...through YouTube,
...and through execution.

Solo. With teams. In chaos. In structure.
Follower. Connector. Leader

In abundance. In famine.

I performed when resources were plentiful.
I performed when there was nothing left but willpower.

But none of that mattered until I dealt with fear.
↳Fear of office politics and its unspoken rules.
↳Fear of being overlooked.
↳Fear of being misunderstood.
↳Fear of being seen as arrogant.
↳Fear of being stuck in environments that do not match my pace.

Fear had a seat at my table for years.

I processed all of it.
Extracted the signal from the noise.
Kept what served me.

I no longer carry those fears.

What remains:
↳ Clear intentions about what I am building
↳ The resets. The repetitions. Enough to trust myself to lead.
↳ Freedom to choose the mission. Not just the job.
↳ Directness without tiptoeing around egos
↳ Genuine care for people and outcomes
↳ Comfort with mistakes. I course-correct fast.
↳ Relentless drive. A sense of urgency that moves before the room is ready.

BUT fear does not disappear on its own.

You burn through it until it stops controlling you.
What remains is who you actually are.

That clarity is the signal. Fear was the noise.

Most people don’t read About sections.

Here’s why....



Since you tapped “see more,” let me tell you.. that opening was intentional to read this section and this is probably for you.

Not because people don’t care.
Because most About sections give them no reason to pause.

We live in a fast-paced age.
Recruiters scan in seconds.
Long explanations become friction even for you.

I work in HR and digital transformation.

Most hiring problems are not people problems.
They are systems problems.

I’ve seen this from both sides of the table.

As a candidate, I experienced silence, repetition, and confusion.
As an HR leader, I reviewed thousands of CVs and saw how easily good people get lost.

The pattern was always the same.

Too many versions.
Too little clarity.
Too much noise around decisions that matter.

Careers were treated like documents.
Hiring was treated like administration.

That never made sense to me.

My work focuses on building calmer, clearer hiring systems that respect the human on both sides.

Out of that work, Tabbio was created.

Not as a product idea.
As a correction.

A career should be a living identity, not a file rewritten every few months.

I care about fewer documents.
Clearer signals.
Hiring that works without friction.

You can create a free CV here:
https://www.tabbio.com

Ahmed

Ahmed AlDhraif

A salary increase feels good for a moment.
A great company culture feels good every single day.

Getting a raise matters.
But culture is what makes people stay, grow, and do their best work.

When the culture is right, employees don’t just work.
They feel valued, respected, and supported.

Here are 13 green flags of a great company culture:

 → I feel respected and valued for who I am
 → My manager listens and genuinely cares
 → I feel psychologically safe to share ideas
 → My work is appreciated and recognized
 → I have opportunities to learn and grow
 → My achievements are celebrated
 → I am compensated fairly
 → I have the tools I need to do my job well
 → I have a healthy work life balance
 → My manager leads with empathy
 → Diversity and inclusion are truly practiced
 → I feel secure, supported, and trusted
 → I’m proud to be part of this organization

Great culture isn’t about perks.

It’s about how people feel, every day they show up.
Do you agree?

♻️ Repost to support healthier workplaces
➕ Follow Ahmed AlDhraif for more insights on leadership, culture, and growth

People don’t leave companies.
They leave control.

The fastest way to push strong performers out the door?
Treat them like they can’t be trusted.

Top talent doesn’t need babysitting.
They need clarity, autonomy, and respect.

What keeps great people around?
↳ Clear goals instead of constant check-ins
↳ Freedom to decide how the work gets done
↳ Feedback that guides, not polices
↳ Space to experiment and learn
↳ Recognition that isn’t reserved for “heroes” only
↳ Managers who protect focus, not steal it
↳ Growth paths that are real, not promised
↳ Time respected as much as output
↳ Balance supported, not judged
↳ Leadership rooted in trust, not fear

When people feel trusted, they stay.
When they feel watched, they plan their exit.

The irony?
Micromanagement is often framed as “care.”

But it’s experienced as doubt.
If you want commitment, start with confidence.
In your people.

What’s one leadership behavior you’ve seen make people stay?

♻️ Repost if this resonates
💬 Share your perspective below

When praying for a job, pray for more than an offer.

Getting hired matters.
But where you land matters just as much.

Here are things worth praying for during your job search.

1. A leader who supports you
Not someone you fear.
Someone who helps you grow.
↳ Pray for guidance, not micromanagement.

2. A team that values you
Skills can be learned.
Respect should be standard.
↳ Pray to be seen and heard.

3. Work that challenges you
Growth does not come from comfort.
But it should not come from burnout either.
↳ Pray for learning with balance.

4. Peace at the end of the day
A job should not cost you your health.
↳ Pray for work you can leave at work.

Not every opportunity is aligned.
And that is okay.

📌 Save this if you are job searching
♻️ Share it with someone waiting on their next step
➕ Follow Ahmed AlDhraif for more human-first career advice

17 Smart Questions to Ask During Your Job Interview

And why they are important to ask

A job interview is not just about getting selected.
It’s about deciding if the role, manager, and company are right for you.

Here are 17 must-ask questions and why they matter:

1. What are your expectations for me in this role?
 ↳ Sets clarity early and avoids unspoken assumptions.

2. What’s the most important thing I should accomplish in the first 90 days?
 ↳ Shows how success is defined beyond onboarding.

3. What metrics or goals will my performance be evaluated against?
 ↳ Prevents subjective feedback and shifting goalposts.

4. What are the most immediate projects I would take on?
 ↳ Gives a realistic picture of day-to-day work.

5. What skills is the team missing that you’re hiring for?
 ↳ Helps you understand why this role exists.

6. What are the biggest challenges I might face in this position?
 ↳ Reveals pressure points and growth opportunities.

7. Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with?
 ↳ Team dynamics impact job satisfaction more than titles.

8. How long have you been with the company?
 ↳ Longevity often reflects culture and leadership stability.

9. How long have you been managing this team?
 ↳ Management experience shapes your daily experience.

10. What’s your favorite part about working here?
 ↳ Genuine answers reveal real culture.

11. What gets you most excited about the company’s future?
 ↳ Shows confidence, vision, or uncertainty.

12. How would you describe the company’s values in practice?
 ↳ Values matter only when they guide decisions.

13. How has the company changed over the last few years?
 ↳ Growth can mean opportunity or instability.

14. What are the company’s plans for growth and development?
 ↳ Indicates long-term investment in people.

15. How has the company changed since you joined?
 ↳ Helps you understand direction and momentum.

16. What’s different about working here compared to other places you’ve worked?
 ↳ Comparisons reveal culture faster than branding.

17. Who will I work with most closely, and how do teams collaborate?
 ↳ Clarifies communication, influence, and accountability.

An interview should always be a two-way conversation.
A quick note for job seekers

Strong interviews start long before the interview.

♻️ Repost this to help someone prepare better
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Founder @Tabbio, Building Smart CVs

The UAE just sent a strong signal to Pakistan. 🇦🇪 x 🇵🇰 

And it’s not just diplomacy.

HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arriving in Pakistan for his first official visit isn’t about ceremonies.
It’s about continuity.

This relationship has always been built on people first.

For decades, Pakistani talent has helped build the UAE.
Not temporarily.
Not on the sidelines.

But across construction, energy, healthcare, technology, logistics, finance, and leadership roles.

That matters.

Because when partnerships are built on people, they don’t disappear when markets change.

Why this visit matters right now:

✓ It reinforces long-term trust, not short-term headlines
✓ It strengthens economic and workforce collaboration
✓ It signals continued investment in skills, infrastructure, and stability
✓ It shows how serious the UAE is about regional partnerships that last

This isn’t new.
It’s consistent.

The UAE doesn’t wait for noise to act.
It builds quietly.
Patiently.
With intent.

Pakistan remains a key partner because of its people, scale, and resilience.
And the UAE understands that sustainable growth is always human-led.

This is what future-facing leadership looks like.

Quiet.
Strategic.
Long-term.

What’s your take?
Do you see this partnership growing even deeper in the coming years?

Work will always be there. Your life won't.

(Here's why luxury is killing your joy.)

The truth:

Many professionals say they'll relax when things slow down.

But let's be honest, things never slow down.

→ There's always another deadline.
→ Another "quick" call at 9 PM.
→ Another urgent email.

And before you know it...
→ Your weekends blur into your weekdays.
→ You're checking Slack/Mail at dinner.
→ Your personal life is completely drained.

The cost of always being 'ON':
→ Creativity drops
→ Productivity suffers
→ Relationships weaken
If you don't set boundaries,
your work will take all the space you allow.

The solution?
→ Close the laptop without guilt.
→ Make your weekends fun-filled.
→ Define your 'no-work' zones. Whether it's dinner, the gym, or Sunday mornings.

Because the best leaders don't just work hard.
They know when to unplug.

So, are you shutting off this weekend?
Or will work creep in again?

♻️ Repost and share it with someone who needs to hear this
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Strong leaders create calm.

Weak leadership creates tension.

When leadership is driven by ego, teams operate in survival mode.
People hesitate.
Ideas get filtered.
 Progress slows.

When leadership is built on trust and collaboration:
→ people speak honestly
 → different viewpoints are welcomed
 → ownership replaces fear

Real leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about creating the conditions where the best answers emerge.

Leaders don’t push progress alone.
They unlock it through others.

What kind of leadership have you experienced?

♻️ Share if this resonates
 ➕ Follow Ahmed AlDhraif for more human-first leadership insights

Your best hire
might already work for you.

But they’re easy to miss.

Because it feels faster to look outside.
Post the role.
Scan new CVs.
Start fresh.

Meanwhile, someone on your team is:
Showing up.
Learning fast.
Quietly growing.

They’re already 80% there.

The question isn’t talent.
It’s opportunity.

Did you give them the tools to grow?
The trust to stretch?
A clear path forward?

When growth is missing, loyalty fades.
Not because people want to leave.
But because they don’t see a future.

Hiring externally fills a role.
Developing internally builds a culture.

Before you post that job listing, pause.

Look around.
Look within.

You might be overlooking your best hire.

♻️ Repost if this resonates
💬 Comment if you’ve seen this happen
➕ Follow Ahmed AlDhraif  for more people-first hiring insights

Before hiring an external candidate promote your internal members 

I used to think my skills were “nothing special.”

Because when you live with your knowledge every day…
it feels normal.

But then something happened.

After a workshop + some content I shared, people started telling me:
“You helped me choose my career.”
“You changed how I think.”
“You gave me confidence.”

Some even stopped me in career fairs just to say thank you.

And I realized:

A post doesn’t need to go viral to change a life.

One sentence can stay in someone’s heart for years.
One tip can save someone months of confusion.
One message can be the reason someone doesn’t give up.

So please…
Be careful what you share on social media.

Words are powerful.
Even the small ones.

💛 What’s one post / advice that truly impacted you?

#growth #mindset #career #contentcreator #impact #community #motivation #selfbelief

Most interviews don’t go wrong at the hard questions.
They go wrong at the easy ones.

 “Tell me about yourself.”
 “Why do you want this role?”
 “What’s your weakness?”

Good people overthink.
 Clarity disappears.

I wrote a newsletter breaking down 10 interview questions you will almost always be asked and how to answer them without sounding rehearsed or unsure.

No scripts.
No tricks.
Just clear thinking.

If you have an interview coming up, this might help.

👇 Sharing it here.

View newsletter: HR to Jobseeker Insights

And how to answer them with clarity and confidence Getting an interview is exciting. It is also where most candidates start overthinking. Interviews a

Open article: 10 Common Interview Questions by Ahmed AlDhraif • 3 min read

A lot of people ask whether using #OpenToWork helps or hurts their job search.

I wrote a short newsletter breaking down what the feature actually does, where the fear comes from, and how to use it without hurting your professional signal.

No hype.
No scare tactics.
Just clarity.

Sharing it here in case it helps someone in your network. 👇

Let’s Separate Signal From Noise Every job search eventually leads to the same question: Should I turn on #OpenToWork? For some, it feels empowering. 

Open article: Should You Use #OpenToWork on LinkedIn? by Ahmed AlDhraif • 3 min read

Stop micromanaging things that don’t actually matter.

Especially the constant:
“What are you doing right now?”
“Are you online?”
“Are you really working from home?”

That behavior isn’t leadership.
It’s insecurity disguised as management.

Here’s the hard truth most owners and managers need to hear:
👉 Obsessing over activity kills outcomes.
👉 Monitoring presence doesn’t create performance.
👉 Control doesn’t equal productivity.

When leaders fixate on visibility instead of value, teams don’t perform better; they shut down.

What actually works?
↳ Trust over tracking
↳ Clarity over constant check-ins
↳ Outcomes over online status
↳ Respect over fear

When people feel watched, they do the minimum to survive.
When people feel trusted, they surprise you.

Leading with fear creates:
➤ Anxiety
➤ Burnout
➤ Quiet quitting
➤ High turnover

Leading with trust creates:
➤ Ownership
➤ Accountability
➤ Creativity
➤ Real performance

Give people room to breathe.
Respect their time.
Respect their privacy.
Get to know how they work, not just when they’re online.

Because here’s the irony:

The more you spy, the less you actually know your team.
The more you trust, the more people show you who they really are.

Micromanagement feels like control.
But trust is what scales.

Let your people breathe.
Then watch what they build.

👉 If you’re a leader, ask yourself:
Are you managing outputs… or policing behaviour?

♻️ Repost if this needs to be said louder
💬 Comment if you’ve experienced micromanagement
➕ Follow Ahmed AlDhraif for more people-first leadership insights

Micromanagement destroys employees growth

9 Signs Your CV Is Blocking Your Job Search
 (and why recruiters move on)

1. Recruiters don’t get you fast
 ↳ If your value isn’t clear in seconds, you’re skipped.

2. Your CV lists duties, not results
 ↳ Tasks don’t sell. Impact does.

3. Your CV sounds like everyone else
 ↳ Generic CV = invisible candidate.

4. Your CV isn’t ATS-friendly
 ↳ Wrong format means it never gets seen.

5. Your career story is confusing
 ↳ Too many roles. No clear growth. No direction.

6. Your achievements are weak
 ↳ No numbers. No impact. No proof.

7. You use the same CV for every job
 ↳ Different roles need different CVs.

8. Your CV is outdated
 ↳ The market changed. Your CV didn’t.

9. Your CV doesn’t position you clearly
 ↳ Experience without clarity doesn’t convert.

If any of these sound familiar,
 your CV isn’t reflecting your real value.

That’s exactly what Tabbio fixes.
→ Clear CV structure
 → Strong impact statements
 → Role-ready CVs in minutes

♻️ Repost to help someone stuck
➕ Follow Ahmed AlDhraif for practical job search systems

9 signs your cv is blocking your job search 

10 Things You Should Avoid Revealing During Your Job Interview

And why they are better left unsaid.

A job interview is a professional screening, not a deep personal confession. While honesty is key, over-sharing can inadvertently signal "red flags" to a recruiter.

Here are 10 things to keep private and why it matters:

1. Excessive Personal Detail 
↳ Over-sharing suggests a lack of professional boundaries or low EQ. 
↳ Pro Tip: Keep answers between 2–3 minutes and focused on the job.

2. Negative Reasons for Leaving 
↳ Complaining about a "bad boss" or "boring work" makes you look difficult to manage. 
↳ Pro Tip: Frame your departure as "seeking new challenges."

3. Outside Career Ambitions 
↳ Mentioning side hustles or plans to start your own business suggests you aren't committed. 
↳ Pro Tip: Emphasize your passion for this specific role.

4. Financial or Job Desperation 
↳ High urgency can be a turn-off; employers want someone who wants the role, not just a paycheck. 
↳ Pro Tip: Project a calm, confident persona regardless of your situation.

5. Indicators of Age 
↳ Unfortunately, age bias exists. Dated tech (like fax numbers) or old email domains can hurt you. 
↳ Pro Tip: Modernize your contact info and focus on current skills.

6. Retirement "Exit Strategies" 
↳ Saying this is your "last stop" makes you a liability for growth-focused roles. 
↳ Pro Tip: Don't mention how many years you have left in the workforce.

7. Medical History 
↳ Disclosing disabilities or pregnancy early can trigger illegal but real unconscious biases. 
↳ Pro Tip: Discuss accommodations only after a formal offer is made.

8. Political or Personal Beliefs 
↳ Politics are polarizing, and you don't know the interviewer’s personal stance. 
↳ Pro Tip: Stay neutral and professional to avoid unnecessary friction.

9. Previous Salary 
↳ Disclosing a past low salary allows the employer to lowball your new offer. 
↳ Pro Tip: Quote market rates for the role, not your past paycheck.

10. Long-Winded Explanations 
↳ Nerves lead to rambling, which makes recruiters fear you’ll bore future clients. 
↳ Pro Tip: Practice your "pitch" to ensure you stay clear and concise.

An interview is about showing you are the solution to their problem. Protect your professional image by sharing what adds value, not what adds risk.
Strong interviews are built on strategic transparency.

♻️ Repost this to help someone navigate their next interview 
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 Interview Red Flags: Quick Guide
Here is a condensed summary of what to keep private during your interview to ensure you stay in the "yes" pile.
1. Excessive Personal Detail
Why: Over-sharing suggests a lack of professional boundaries or low EQ.
Pro Tip: Keep answers between 2–3 minutes and focus strictly on the job.
2. Negative Reasons for Leaving
Why: Complaining about a "bad boss" or "boring work" makes you look difficult.
Pro Tip: Frame your departure as "seeking new challenges" rather than "escaping a bad situation."
3. Outside Career Ambitions
Why: Mentioning side hustles or plans to start a business suggests you aren't committed.
Pro Tip: Show passion specifically for the role and industry you are interviewing for.
4. Financial or Job Desperation
Why: Urgency can be a turn-off; employers want someone who wants the role, not just a paycheck.
Pro Tip: Project a "cool customer" persona, even if you’ve been out of work for a while.
5. Age & Retirement Plans
Why: Revealing you pla

Why do qualified candidates still get rejected?

I wrote a new article on 6 hiring red flags leaders actually notice, backed by HBS research.

👉 Read it and tell me which one you’ve seen most often.

(And how clarity, courtesy, and coherence prevent them) Hiring decisions rarely fail because of a lack of technical skill alone. According to a survey

Open article: 6 Hiring Red Flags That Quietly Eliminate Strong Candidates by Ahmed AlDhraif • 3 min read

6 Hiring Red Flags That Quietly Eliminate Strong Candidates

If you’ve ever been asked,
 “So… do you have any questions for me?”

 and didn’t know what to say, this one’s for you.

👇 Just shared a new newsletter. Would love your thoughts.

(And why this moment matters more than most candidates realize) “So, do you have any questions for me?” This is the part of the interview many candida

Open article: 33 Smart Questions to Ask in a Job Interview by Ahmed AlDhraif • 3 min read

33 Smart Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

Job interviews can feel overwhelming.
Especially when you really want the role.

Standing out is not about saying the perfect thing.
It is about how you prepare, how you show up, and how you connect.

Here is a simple framework to keep in mind before your next interview.

1. Do your homework
↳ understand the company beyond the job description
↳ know what problems the role is meant to solve

2. Prepare your stories
↳ choose examples that show impact and learning
↳ connect your experience to what the role needs

3. Practice with intention
↳ rehearse your introduction
↳ pay attention to tone, posture, and clarity

4. Make it a conversation
↳ ask thoughtful, open-ended questions
↳ listen and adapt instead of rushing to impress

5. Stay calm if things go wrong
↳ redirect gaps toward your potential
↳ focus on the next question, not the mistake

The goal is not perfection.
It is clarity, confidence, and connection.

📌 Save this before your next interview
♻️ Share it with someone preparing
➕ Follow Ahmed AlDhraif for more human-first interview advice

How to Stand Out in a Job Interview

If there’s no room to grow,
it doesn’t always feel wrong.

It feels safe.
Predictable.
Comfortable enough.

So you stay.

You tell yourself:

“Things will change.”
“I just need to be patient.”
“At least I know what to expect.”

But while you’re waiting:

Your skills stay the same.
Your curiosity gets quieter.
Your confidence shrinks a little at a time.

No new challenges.
No real stretch.
Just repetition disguised as stability.

They call it loyalty.
You feel it as stagnation.

Growth isn’t only about titles or promotions.
It’s about learning.
Being challenged.
Becoming more than you were last year.

And when there’s no space to expand,
you don’t stop growing.

You start adjusting yourself instead.

Choosing growth isn’t quitting.
It’s choosing your future.

Because the biggest career risk
isn’t leaving too early.

It’s staying long after you’ve stopped growing.

Your growth doesn’t need permission.

♻️ Repost if this resonates
💬 Comment if you’ve ever felt stuck
➕ Follow Ahmed AlDhraif  for more career clarity

If there’s no room to grow it’s time to go

A micromanager doesn’t lose people overnight.
They lose them slowly.

By standing too close.
By double-checking everything.
By fixing things that weren’t broken.

They call it “support.”
Their team feels it as distrust.

Here’s the part many miss:
High performers don’t need constant supervision.
They earned their role through judgment, skill, and results.

So when every decision is questioned,
every task is monitored,
every win is corrected…

The message is loud, even if unspoken:

“I don’t trust you.”
“I don’t believe in your capability.”
“I know better than you.”

That message has a cost.

Energy drops.
Initiative disappears.
Creativity shuts down.

And eventually, the strongest people walk away.

Not because the job was hard.
But because the environment made them feel small.

Great leaders manage outcomes.
 Not every move.

They create space.
They build trust.
They let talent breathe.

If you’re leading people, remember this:

Control keeps people compliant.
Trust keeps them committed.

♻️ Repost to remind leaders what really drives retention
➕ Follow Ahmed AlDhraif for people-first leadership insights

Meetings are not the problem.
(Sync thinking is.)

If your day disappears into scheduling, updates, and recap notes, the issue is not productivity.

It’s how information moves.
Asynchronous communication flips the default.

Instead of pulling everyone into a room or a call, updates are recorded once and consumed when it actually fits the work. Tools like Loom turn explanations into short videos that teams can watch, rewind, and reference without friction.
The result is simple:
 • Fewer meetings
 • Clearer context
 • Deeper focus
 • Real work saved for real collaboration

Live meetings become rare and intentional. Reserved for decisions, problem solving, and momentum, not status updates.

This is not about working more. It’s about getting your time back.

الاجتماعات مب هي المشكلة.. المشكلة في التوقيت 🛑
إذا يومك يضيع بين جدولة، تحديثات، ومحاضر اجتماعات، فالمشكلة مب في إنتاجيتك، بل في طريقة نقل المعلومة.

التواصل غير المتزامن هو الحل.
بدل تجمع الكل عشان تحديث بسيط، سجّل المعلومة مرة وحدة وخلي الفريق يشوفها بوقته. أدوات مثل Loom تختصر الشرح بفيديوهات قصيرة ترجع لها بأي وقت.

الاجتماعات تكون نادرة، فقط للقرارات والمشاكل الكبيرة.
الموضوع مب تشتغل أكثر، الموضوع تسترجع وقتك ⏳

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Ahmed AlDhraif

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taplio

The Battle

Fernando Academia Jr., CDMP, PCM, CSSWB

Ahmed AlDhraif

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Fernando Academia Jr., CDMP, PCM, CSSWB's LinkedIn Performance

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