Success Story – Katty Maistrovsky, QA Engineer, Gav Systems / Hila Yaakobi

katty maistrovsky, a 30-year-old mother of three, started working as a qa engineer at gav systems six months ago, and is currently outsourced to zim. she found the position through the jobnet site.

after giving birth to twin daughters, when they were four months old katty went back to her qa job, but four months later she quit, returning home to be a fulltime mother. when her twins were two and a half she decided to go back to work. the job-search got underway and eventually she found work as a qa engineer at gav systems.

etti kramer-salomon, vice president of human resources:
gav systems is a leading company that specializes in providing business and technology solutions for software development and outsourcing of high-tech workers. the company offers unique solutions tailored to meet the customer's needs, relying on a pool of superb human capital and a wealth of experience and know-how in various fields of it. the company was founded 20 years ago by gadi ben chorin and recently, after responsibility for ness technologies' consultants department was transferred to gav systems, the company grew substantially and now has over 500 employees.

for katty, finding her present job was a dream come true.

  katty maistrovsky at the gav systems offices

katty recounts:
information systems really appealed to me when i was still in high school. in 10th grade i was in a computer science and information systems study track. i liked the field so much that i went on to study for a bachelor's degree in the field. i got a degree in computer science and information systems, and at the end of my freshman year i entered the field of qa by getting hired at a company in caesarea. at that point i realized testing also appealed to me. every time i went looking for work i would search for a combination of the two fields, testing and information systems, but until my current job i had to compromise by working in other areas of qa. my present job is exactly what i was looking for because it has a combination of everything i wanted. i always loved information systems, which has been with me in different ways throughout my life.

how does this come across?
out of my know-how and my fondness for this field of work, over the years i've developed all sorts of systems, whether for work, home or the kids. at my previous job i developed a complex system used to manage dvd lending libraries, inventory management, automatic order-line management, etc. for household use i developed a system to manage the household, finances and payments.

what system did you develop for your kids?
i developed a system for my older daughter, who's almost 10. i made her a program that's like a secret virtual friend who she can talk to and divulge things. i fed in all sorts of questions that interest me and through this system i know what she goes through a lot better. this system helps me to help her.

why did you decide to return to the workforce and start looking for a job?
my daughters were old enough and they had started going to nursery school. i felt emotionally ready and was very eager to work. i'm the type of person who can't sit at home, i have to work. i need action, a lot of challenges and opportunities to learn all the time.

how did you manage your search process?
i searched through internet sites, including jobnet. i wasn't familiar with any website before then. i found jobnet through google. i received a whole lot of offers, mostly from the central region.

etti, how does jobnet meet gav systems' recruitment needs?
we've been working with jobnet for many years and receive good resumes through the site. jobnet provides us with a good source of quality job candidates. our company is growing, so we have extensive recruitment needs.

katty, how long did your search process take?
about three months, during which i went to a lot of job interviews. at first i would sometimes go to two interviews a day. over time i learned how to screen out jobs based on the commuting distance and the type of work, which reduced my list, gradually making it more focused.

how many job interviews did you go to during this period of time?
i would say i went to about 15 interviews.

how did the hiring process at gav systems proceed?
i sent my resume to gav systems via jobnet and within a short time i was called in for an interview with one of their recruitment coordinators. the next phase was an interview with etti. the first part of the interview consisted of questions to check my professional background and experience, and the second part, which lasted longer, was a personality assessment. toward the end of the interview i provided references. at the end of the interview, based on what had been said, etti recommended two jobs most suited to me. one of them was at zim. i knew there was a large pool of jobs that might be right for me and i was glad gav systems would be the one choosing the best jobs for me.

how did you feel about forging ties with gav systems?
at gav systems i received above and beyond the call of duty in terms of the way they treated me and i immediately realized i had come to a company where professionalism is not at the expense of other things, a company that has the ability to give me a sense of confidence in it and its ability to find me the job best suited to my needs.
it was a great feeling that was unparalleled during my job search, which was not easy and even exhausting at times.

did you know anything about zim?
at first i didn't understand what zim had to do with software development and information systems. i thought of zim in terms of ships, containers and warehouses – that's what i knew of the company. i knew nothing of the whole inner world there. it's a fascinating and challenging world.

what happened next?
i came in for an interview at zim, where i heard about the company, the type of work it does and about the job. as soon as i stepped out i called etti and said, "now i understand what your motto ['making your dreams come true'] is all about." i told her this was the job of my dreams. it was exactly what i'd been looking for, a job that combined information systems with testing, and i asked her to make every possible effort to get me the job.

and was that necessary?
of course. a divorced woman with three small children and a long gap since my last job doesn't exactly thrill employers. if it weren't for gav systems i'm sure my dream wouldn't have come true. i was included in the selection process as a candidate at zim. gav systems kept me updated throughout and i know that they did knock themselves out for me, promising zim it would be worth their while. today they, too, see it was worthwhile for them and i'm enjoying every minute.

what did the acceptance process at zim entail?
at zim the initial interview was with the qa manager, who presented me with the type of work the department is involved in. it was a sort of introduction leading to a professional interview, during which my capabilities were assessed. about a week later i was called in for an interview with the development manager. it was a more personal interview during which i articulated my desires, my ambitions and my love for the field. a few days later i was called in for an interview with human resources, and at the end of the interview i was told i'd been hired and all that remained was for me to finalize a contract with gav systems. the next day i had already started working.

did they have enough time to get ready to take you in?
when i arrived everything was ready and in place. i had a desk, a computer and everything i needed waiting for me. they had less than 24 hours to get ready.

what did your job as a qa engineer at zim include?
one of the systems developed at zim is a management program of everything included in the shipping industry – orders, ships, departures, containers, types of cargo and everything else related to importing and exporting. as a qa engineer i deal with information systems and conduct system tests.

how was your integration at zim?
when i arrived on the first day i receive a large information pack and was asked to read and study the material. sometimes it got really exhausting, but i sat down and enjoyed every single word written there. at that point i was so eager to get back to work and deal with this type of material that i avidly took in every word there.

how were you treated by the staff?
i came into a staff that was very busy finishing up a program and they were under a lot of pressure, so they didn't really have time for me. i'm a very outgoing person, i'm not somebody who sits off in the corner and waits for someone to talk to me. at the time i started to delve into the material and gradually i settled into the job. very soon i became an integral part of the staff. i didn't feel rejection or uncomfortable for a moment.

more than six months have gone by since then. do you still consider the job a dream come true?
i'm very happy here and feel really good. it's a fascinating job in a fascinating and challenging field and i'm learning something new every day and every minute. for me it's definitely a dream come true.

how do you feel as an outsourcing worker employed by gav systems?
this is my first outsourcing job and i feel great about it. i was a bit wary at first because i'd heard all sorts of unsavory stories, but from the moment i came to gav to the present i've been in the best hands that could be. they're constantly looking out for me and i feel they care about me.
three people on the staff are gav systems employees and they're also very pleased. they come in to visit us and take care of the things, down to the smallest detail. i don't feel for a moment that i was "put" at zim and forsaken. i get full support in every matter.

to wrap up, what advice do you have for jobseekers?
based on what i went through i can say that what you need is patience and faith that you'll reach the goal you made for yourself.
i set a goal that was very high for me and eventually i achieved it. it's all a matter of time, will and putting a lot into searching. there's room for everybody. sometimes the path can be a bit twisty, but eventually you get where you want to go.

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