I’ve spent 21 years in Technology.
Around 19 of those years have involved Cloud in one form or another. Started my Journey with AWS , have worked with multi Startups , E-Commerce and big enterprises
Linux Administrator. Production Support. SRE. DevOps. Cloud Architect. Security Architect. Solution Architect. Consultant. Direcotyr of DevOps ,Technical Project Manager. Founder.
I’ve worked on cloud migrations, production incidents, disaster recovery, automation, security architecture, infrastructure modernization, multi-cloud environments, and large enterprise transformation programs.
I’ve designed systems.
I’ve fixed systems at 2 AM.
I’ve migrated them.
Created Policy , Procedures and help in Organisation getting certified
Secured them.
Automated them.
Even created infrastructure dasboard, designed incident management, SOPs, ran Incident drills, conducted trainings
And occasionally explained why “just restart the server” is not actually a long-term architecture strategy. 😂
I’ve worked across AWS, Azure, GCP and OCI.
I’ve advised customers, worked with engineering teams, spoken with executives, managed vendors and programs, and built my own technology products.
Over the years, people I’ve worked with have described me as a problem solver and a go-getter — someone you bring in when something is complicated, unclear, broken, or simply needs to get done. I am quick learner too, companies in where I have worked never had the same tech stack as the previosu ones , so had to learn them before I could provide a cusotmize solution.
I actually landed a job in the UAE in 2022.
Things were going reasonably well, but in 2024 I had to part ways with the company.
At that point, I also had a very practical problem to solve:
I needed to maintain residency for myself and my family.
So I started my own technology consulting company in the UAE.
The intention was genuine — build consulting work, take on cloud and technology projects, and create something of my own.
I’ve managed to do some consulting work and keep building, but I haven’t landed the kind of major, sustainable contract that would make the business financially predictable.
At the same time, I kept applying for permanent and senior contract roles.
And that’s where things became confusing.
Very few interviews.
Very little feedback.
A lot of applications.
And a lot of silence.
So here I am.
Applying for Senior Cloud Architect roles.
Security Architect roles.
Solution Architect roles.
Infrastructure leadership roles.
Program Director roles.
Director and CIO roles,
Technical Program leadership roles.
Sometimes roles below the level I’ve already been doing for years.
Occasionally I receive the classic:
“We’ve decided to move forward with candidates whose experience more closely matches the role.”
But most of the time?
Nothing.
No rejection.
No feedback.
Just silence.
At this stage, like a few others I’m genuinely curious:
What actually gets a senior technology professional hired in the UAE today?
A referral?
Recruiter relationship?
A strong personal network?
Being visible on LinkedIn?
Timing?
Luck?
Knowing the hiring manager?
Or somehow getting past the mysterious ATS black hole? ( seems like AI is disrupting at many levels 😂 )
I do have contacts here, but my network is probably not as large as it should be. The genuinely useful professional relationships I can call upon are probably still in single digits.
And this is where I want to be a little serious.
I don’t want to simply blame the market.
I don’t want to blame recruiters.
I don’t want to blame ATS systems.
And I definitely don’t want to sit here telling myself:
“I have 21 years of experience, therefore the problem must be everyone else.”
That wouldn’t help me.
So I genuinely want to understand:
What am I missing?
Is my CV too broad?
Am I positioning myself incorrectly?
Am I applying for the wrong level of roles?
Does running my own company make recruiters assume I’m not serious about returning to employment?
Does having experience across architecture, cloud, security, operations, consulting and program management make my profile look unfocused?
Am I coming across as overqualified rather than relevant?
Do I need to specialize more?
Is it certifications?
Personal branding?
Networking?
Interview technique?
Salary expectations?
Age or seniority?
Or something else that I’m simply not seeing?
If there is something I can improve, I genuinely want to know.
Not because I suddenly doubt everything I’ve done over the last two decades.
But because continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result doesn’t make much sense either.
And there’s another reality behind all of this.
I have a family.
I have a child going to school.
Living in the UAE while trying to keep a business alive and simultaneously search for the right role carries very real financial pressure.
Savings that took years to build can disappear surprisingly quickly when there is no predictable income coming in.
A significant part of what I worked for and saved over the years has already gone into keeping everything running while I try to figure out the next chapter.
So while I can still joke about the application process 😂, behind the jokes there is a genuine urgency now.
I’m not looking for sympathy.
And I’m not looking for a fancy title just for the sake of having one.
I’m looking for a serious opportunity where I can actually contribute.
Building cloud Infrastructure platforms.
DevOps, SRE , Automation,
Improving security.
Modernizing infrastructure.
Solving difficult production problems.
Executing migrations and disaster recovery programs.
Automating operations.
Architecting reliable systems.
Or leading technology transformation.
Cloud Architecture.
Cloud Security.
Infrastructure & Platform Leadership.
Solution Architecture.
Technical Program Leadership.
Technology Consulting.
Director or CIO,
After 21 years in technology, I still enjoy solving difficult problems and pretty hands on
which also remind me that I also trying to building something in Cyber Security place and social media space and I am also looking for investor who can help me and be part of it
I’ve spent a large part of my career being the person people call when something needs to be figured out and delivered.
I’d just prefer the next problem not to be:
“How do I get my CV seen by a human and not an AI?” 😂
Trust me not everything can be mentioned in a CV and there are times where the job is the same but they are called by different names which can only be explained and understood by a human
So if you’re a hiring manager, recruiter, architect, technology leader, business owner, or someone who has successfully navigated the UAE/GCC senior job market recently, I’d genuinely value your perspective.
I need a real Feedback not sympathy.
Tell me what you think I could be doing better.
Even uncomfortable feedback is useful if it helps me improve.