TechWomen Interview

Dear TechWomen 2018 applicant,

"The first round of screening and selection of TechWomen applications is now complete, and we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to advance to the next round as a semifinalist for the 2018 TechWomen program....U.S. embassy will contact a select group of finalists to schedule an in-person, Skype and/or phone interview. 

Photo credit : Saul Bromberger

Receiving this email made me very excited...it meant that I should start preparing my TechWomen Interview ...I have contacted my mentor Fatima Zohra BENHAMIDA to give me tips ...I have asked my friend Yasmin SEGHIER to coach me by conducting mock interviews...I spent evenings preparing Q&A,reviewing my application,reading TechWomen blog and watching TechWomen YouTube channel

TechWomen Interview was scheduled on April 15th,2018

Why TechWomen ? I'm interested in participating in the TechWomen program because it's one of the best program that offers customized learning experience.As Salma ,I'm sure that if selected ,I'll be matched to the suitable company and to the right mentors that help me achieve my career goals. I want to be in the TechWomen program because I need to learn more about new trends of recruitment and digital marketing.

What is your biggest achievement ? I consider my blog "Salma Share" as my biggest achievement.I love writing but I had a big fear to expose my ideas to public .I felt the fear of being criticized by others.I created my blogger account but I couldn't start ...I waited a lot until I could write my 1st article ...in the beginning I was writing only my experiences ...then students contacted me to give me feedback and suggest new topics ... After that, I became as a journalist who look for people's experience in labor market and studies abroad

What are your fears about traveling to the United States ?Traveling to USA would be a new experience for me and I'm sure that I'll get adapted easily. My big challenge would meeting my mentors and coaches expectations.

PS: After TechWomen experience, I can say that challenges I've lived there were unexpected .I'll share content about Techwomen challenges soon inchallah .

After participating in the TechWomen program, how would you leverage your experience in Algeria?As a blogger I commit to share my experience on social media mainly LinkedIn and Facebook ,on my blog "Salma Share"and my YouTube Channel "Salma Bekkouche"

I want to say that I'm involved in the TechWomen community since 2015 when I took part in the organization of International Women Day 2015 with Women Techmakers Algiers. We invited Hanan KHADER‬ ,The Jordanian TechWomen fellow to share with us her experience as woman entrepreneur.I was inspired by her talk and story of her business "Hello World Kids" that she founded after returning from TechWomen 2013.

I was so honored to receive 2017 Algerian TechWomen fellows Meriem Touami and Fatima Zohra BENHAMIDA on Salma Share to share with us their experience in Techwomen 2017.

In February 2018 , I was so delighted to join Startup Weekend Women as a coach with 3 amazing ladies , 2013 Algerian TechWomen fellows Nassima BERRAYAH,Imen Rahal and Djamila DOUACHE.

When I come back to Algeria ,I'll continue my activities as blogger and mentor and I will leverage my experience as speaker at universities and tech events.

As RedMed employee in Hassi Messaoud ,could you tell us how will you manage your 6 weeks absence from the company ?I'll ask for my annual leave 42 days

What are your long term objectives ?...

We have finished our questions do you have questions or something to add?

Thank you so much for inviting me today .I look forward to hearing from you and I really hope being selected this year to represent Algeria in The TechWomen program 2018.

One of the selection committee member answered me: Perhaps you don't know me but I know you very well .You're doing great job on social media and I'm one of your follower .Please continue :)

The end 

I would like to share with you helpful article about TechWomen Interview written by Djamila DOUACHE,2013 TechWomen fellow on her blog 

"Safari Njema Bon Voyage"

Interview

If you understand the Algerian dialect ,I invite you to watch my video about this interview

TechWomen Interview المقابلة الشفهية

Let me know if you have more questions :)

I'll be more than happy to help TechWomen semifinalists 

Good luck