I Made My Manager Work For Me
It was a really strange coincidence
Modestly speaking, I am his manager now!
Let’s get back a little bit when this riveting story began 8 years ago when I was between jobs. But let me spice up the story by going directly into the back end and tell you what happened finally that dramatically changed me.
The interviewer (my former manager): Why do you want to work for us?
Me: Because I wanting to become big.
The interviewer (my former manager): But your English is bad!
Me: Sorry, sir. I will to improve it and I want to working here because your company is beautiful and you deal different customers all over the world and I want to talking with foreign people to improved my English.
The interviewer (my former manager): You will never work for us because your English is not bad, but awful and I don’t know how the recruiters allow you to meet me. I will fire the ones in charge of your form because this is unprecedent.
Me: But I told them that I want to meet you urgently.
The interviewer (my former manager): Stop, please and now go because I might laugh at you thanks to your English.
That was me 7 years ago and I want you to feel how much her words sliced me deep, getting myself loaded with depression and anxiety after her voice was drained of emotions. Of course, I know that my English during the interview was terrible, but why did she insist to hurt me with her words?
I know that you think I am hurting now, and you are reading my story to help me at least with some tips on how to improve my English, or at least how to pass an interview, but let me explain how the scenario went.
After my graduation like anyone at the start of his professional life, I was looking for any job to get any money that would help me enroll in courses to start a career. In my country, customer service is the only rescuer to get money. As you know it has no specific qualifications, so most graduates work as customer service representatives although it seemed contrary to my plan as I wanted to graduate and find a good job, but the reality is your leader.
I gave up on my dream and started to search for any job that would be a customer service representative at a company in my country. I had a penchant for dealing with foreign customers to improve my English by which I would be able to get a decent salary and some other perks. but I couldn’t.
Without any exaggeration, I want to tell you that I would receive at least 80 calls in my shift trying to handle people’s internet problems and I can’t describe how disgusting it was talking to customers for 25 minutes per call to find a solution to their problems. My call was all about, “Sorry sir, I am trying to solve your problem now. Sorry sir, but your problem will be fixed after 2 days.” Whatever excuse I offer, they quickly became angry and I was inundated with insults not to me but to the company.
Try to find a new path….
Back then, I had no idea whether the internet had opportunities for me or not, but I didn’t believe in it that time to look for a job there. on a typical day and before I started my shift, I thought to myself, “Man, why don’t you start to improve your English level after getting back home from work?” It seemed easy and you might fight with me, but the fact can’t be described. I want you to tell me how you can get the hang of something, and you work for 12 hours daily, dealing with customers and their problems.
To have my plan in place, I would stay up extra 4 hours after work, studying the language, writing down notes, and then try to speak after the extra hours. I had no one to speak with as it wasn’t free practising English with someone and I had only a little money to get by.
After spending 6 months trying to enhance my language by watching movies, conferences, talk shows and so on, I felt that I am the English now.
I felt that it was time to resign from my current job and apply for a customer service job, but in order to support English people. Actually, my goal was clear as I wanted to get a good salary, practise my English, enroll in courses to learn something I enjoy to quit customer service.
When reality shocked me…
I want to tell you something that I spent 6 months trying hard to outperform my old version of myself regarding the language. It wasn’t easy at all getting back from my shift after noise being in my mind thanks to the customers’ complaints and how they were shouting to get their problems solved. I felt that I wanted to apply for a new job to be a little bit liberated and improve my livelihood.
I had my copybook with me everywhere In which I wrote the vocabulary I always studied with some grammar tips to make me maintain the flow of speaking English in harmony. I can admit that what I lacked was feedback. I kept speaking English without knowing or having someone give me feedback on whether I am right or wrong because the service was a bit costly.
I readied myself for the interview with passion and enthusiasm and went to the new company’s premises where I had my interview. The recruiter or the first interviewer responsible for the process of hiring felt that there is something wrong with my English and I remember being asked the question two and there times to make sure he could deliver the question correctly. Actually, I was halting not knowing what to say although I had studied the company’s profile on their website very well.
Things went all wrong, but the man was really understanding and told me to study and come back again for a new interview, but I insisted on meeting his manager in hope of getting accepted by showing him that I am a quick learner. If you get back to my conversation with the manager at the top of the page, you will now know what the rest of the conversation was like.
I am always upbeat
I remember keeping myself in my room in deep sorrow and depressed because of her words. Why did she react like this? Why didn’t she reject my application nicely? Why didn’t she give me advice and tell me to never come again, but at least I received some advice? I didn’t know why she did that but after 3 days of having myself in my room. I decided finally to quit my job and devote myself to the journey of learning English. Everything is learnable as long as you want to learn it. After sadness flooded over me, I decided to change.
After another six months, I was almost free of any duty or tasks. I dedicated my time to studying only. When you have a good intention to do something and by being a workaholic, God will reward you. Accidentally, I found a benevolent English coach who volunteered to teach English to non-native speakers and I was the first student to enroll because I had little money that time.
From his perspective, he said, “Karim, your level is now high-quality, and you can apply for any English job you want. You are a hard-working student and I like your effort.” his words motivated me, and I started to send my C.V not to the company where a remorseless manager worked, but to other companies that had that time good reputations.
I got accepted immediately thanks to my level and started to deal with different customers although I dealt also with complaints. It mattered to me because I would deal with people from Europe countries with whom I would talk and enhance my English.
I had been working for two years before I got promoted to become a team leader responsible for a team under my supervision. Of course, Everything you achieve in life will bring you happiness and I became a team leader, besides getting rewarded many times in my company thanks to my performance.
A new decision and a new career
Getting in touch from time to time with my coach, studying English, and dealing with foreigners daily for 8 hours, it boosted my confidence and made me think to change my career using my language. I had been looking for any alternatives with a steady income far away from the call center career for months before I found a new course teaching me how to be an English instructor. I quickly enrolled in the course and started to learn how to be a teacher. That happened in parallel with my job as a team leader.
Say goodbye to my company
Although I considered the company a home for me thanks to the treatment I received, I realized that it’s time to find something challenging with the tool that I had that time — English.
After finishing the course that really taught me how to become an English teacher, I decided to quit. But one step before I quit was to teach people in my country how to pass any English interview if they want the pursuit of the call center career.
Contrary to what I received in my early professional life, I decided to help!
I made a video for free explaining how to pass any English interview from the perspective of two of the biggest customer service companies in my country. As you can see my stats, it’s still booming!
I am really sorry about the language of my video because it was for people in my country. It’s written in Arabic.
She came to work for me
After 2 years of working as a teacher thanks to the practical experience I gained whether from the course, my research, or schools. I decided to run my own business as an English instructor to teach English to non-native speakers. You can have a quick look at my business journey here.
A year ago, I was looking for a female teacher for a group of girls coming to improve their English and I advertised on the internet, looking for someone suitable. I got a good resume from a girl seeking an English instructor position. One of my team called her to schedule an interview and the final one should be carried out with me to have everything settled, especially financially.
While I was phoning my friend ready for her to enter after finishing her interview with the interviewer, she knocked on the door and I replied instantly, “Come on in, please.”
Can you imagine interviewing someone who depressed you one day and now you take the lead? Please, tell me what would you do if you were in my shoes now?
I think it was her first time to stare at someone like that.
But I was better and more understanding than her…
This is what happened in brief after I allowed her to have a seat:
Me after shaking hands: You are welcome. Please, have a seat.
My former manager: Thank you. Are you an employee here?
Me: Yes, consider me the one who will decide whether to hire you or not. (with a broad smile)
My former manager: Why? I think I saw you before. (she was thinking)
Me: Do you know that I am the owner and you were a turning point in my life?
My former manager: Huh?! How? Why me?
Me: Sometimes, some people appear in life to give a lesson to someone to wake them up and you were my lesson. years ago, because you rejected me when you were a manager, I promised myself to be better. Do you think I will reject your application now?
My former manager: (she could now remember who I am) Now, you can do what you want and have the ability not to accept me. (She became upset and didn’t know what to say or even didn’t understand whether this was real or imaginary)
Me: (To make her relax) Can you speak English well?
My former manager: Yes, sure.
Me: Can you make a good lesson plan or know how to teach adults?
My former manager: No, sorry. I have no experience in teaching. Is it a must, sir?
Me: It’s a must, but that will not stop the process of hiring you.
My former manager: How?
Me: Simply, I will give you a book about how to teach adults and then you apply again after a month. I am sure that you will boom and I am waiting for you to accept your application.
My former manager: Do you have the intention not to get me in your company?
Me: People should see the illuminated part of each other. Simply, your English is good and the book is written in English, so you will be able to understand it quickly. Regarding the technical stuff, keep it now and we are all here willing to help you after you pass the interview.
She stood up not knowing whether to shake hands or leave or apologize. I want you to look closer at what I said to her. I treated him with a smile, leaving what had happened to me behind. The difference is that I wanted to help her reach her peak, but she treated me earlier as if she wanted to exclude me from the world of jobs. I gave her another chance to pass, but I had received nothing from her earlier.
The following month she came and did a great job in the interview. She apologized to me for what she had done. I accepted her apology and taught her the 2 lessons: the first one I taught her some technical points to use in her lessons, and the second lesson was that life is too short to treat people badly and we should give each other opportunities because sometimes, people might have something you have been looking for, for ages.
I remember she said, “This is the first time to feel that I was wrong about what I had said to you. You taught me how to be a leader, but when you sat in front of me, you were shivering. I can say now that your system is organized, and you are my manager now.”
Please, never treat anyone with disdain. We don’t know what the future holds later!
Thank you for reading my true story and if I wasted your time, I am really sorry, but I wanted to express my feelings.
