📧 Email Template to Send to Candidates
Subject: Pre-Interview Questionnaire: IT Support Assistant (Export Operations Focus) – ATRC
Dear [Candidate Name],
Thank you for applying for the IT Support Assistant (Export Operations Focus) position managed by ATRC on behalf of our export client.
We have reviewed your application and would like to move forward. Before we schedule a formal interview, we require all shortlisted candidates to complete the attached Pre-Interview Questionnaire.
This questionnaire is designed to assess your alignment with the core demands of the role—specifically your willingness to commit to continuous daily learning, structured daily reporting, multi-location travel, and teaching non-technical staff. Our client operates on a principle of “Radical Transparency,” and we are looking for candidates who thrive in a highly accountable, growth-oriented environment.
Please complete all sections honestly and thoughtfully. Your responses will help us understand your work ethic and determine if this hybrid IT/Operations role is the right fit for you.
Please reply to this email with your completed questionnaire by [Insert Date/Time].
Best regards,
Khawar Nehal
CEO, Applied Technology Research Center (ATRC)
khawar@atrc.net.pk
📝 Pre-Interview Questionnaire
Instructions: Please answer all questions clearly and concisely. For “Yes/No” questions, please provide a brief explanation where requested. There are no “trick” questions; we are looking for honest reflections on your willingness to commit to the realities of this role.
Part 1: Basic Logistics & Availability
- Full Name:
- Current Location (City/Area): (Note: Must be based in Karachi)
- Current Notice Period / When can you join?
- Do you have a valid driver’s license and/or reliable personal transport? (Yes/No)
Part 2: Commitment to Travel & Work Locations
The role is based at the Saddar Head Office, but requires mandatory travel to Tando Muhammad Khan (TMK) once a month (1-2 days) and Port Qasim every two weeks (half/full day). 5. Are you completely comfortable and willing to commit to this bi-weekly and monthly travel schedule to industrial and rural logistics zones? (Yes/No) 6. How do you manage your time, energy, and personal commitments when you are required to travel to operational sites like Port Qasim or TMK? 7. If a critical IT issue arises at the Port Qasim logistics site while you are at the Saddar Head Office, and remote support fails, are you willing to travel there on short notice? (Yes/No)
Part 3: Commitment to Daily Routine & Reporting (Crucial)
The job description mandates a strict daily time allocation: 1 hour of learning, 1 hour of teaching users, and 5 hours of tech support. It also requires daily reporting of these tasks. 8. Are you willing to strictly dedicate at least 1 hour every single day to learning new systems, and 1 hour to teaching/training users? (Yes/No) 9. Daily Reporting: You will be required to submit a daily report detailing exactly what you learned, what you taught, and what tech support you provided. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = Highly Uncomfortable, 5 = Completely Comfortable), how do you feel about this level of daily accountability and reporting? Why? 10. Describe your personal strategy for ensuring you actually spend 1 hour every day on self-learning without letting daily firefighting and tech support tasks eat into that time.
Part 4: Willingness to Learn & Technological Adaptability
This role requires working with and learning specific open-source ERPs (Odoo, OFBiz, Dolibarr), backup tools (Restic, Duplicati), secure tunneling (OpenVPN), and physical hardware (weighbridges, NVRs). 11. If you have no prior experience with open-source ERPs like Apache OFBiz or Dolibarr, are you willing to use your daily 1-hour learning block to master them from scratch? (Yes/No) 12. The role involves interfacing with physical industrial systems like weighbridges and NVR cameras. Are you comfortable getting your hands dirty and learning hardware-level troubleshooting for heavy industrial equipment? (Yes/No) 13. Which of the required technologies (Linux, Nextcloud, OpenVPN, ERPs, Backup tools) are you most eager to learn or improve upon, and why? 14. Scenario: You are assigned to learn a complex export documentation workflow in a new ERP module within a week, but the official documentation is scarce and poorly written. What step-by-step approach do you take to learn it and fulfill your daily learning report?
Part 5: Teaching, Support & Problem-Solving Mindset
A key part of this role is teaching non-technical staff how to use systems better. 15. How do you handle explaining complex technical concepts (like OpenVPN connections or Nextcloud syncing) to frustrated or non-technical warehouse and logistics staff? 16. You will be providing remote support using tools like NoMachine, VNC, and AnyDesk. Are you comfortable patiently guiding users through remote sessions, even if they are not tech-savvy? (Yes/No) 17. Scenario: You are in your designated 1-hour “teaching” block, creating a video tutorial for staff on how to use LibreOffice. Suddenly, the main server goes down, halting the export documentation team. How do you prioritize and handle this situation?
Part 6: Final Reflections
- Why do you want to work for an export-oriented company in this specific hybrid IT/Operations role, rather than a standard desk-bound IT job?
- Our client operates on a principle of “Radical Transparency.” What does transparency and accountability mean to you in your daily work life?
- Is there anything else you would like us to know about your willingness to learn, adapt, and grow with our client’s operations?
Declaration: I certify that the information provided in this questionnaire is true and reflects my genuine willingness to fulfill the duties, travel requirements, and daily reporting structures outlined in the job description.
Signature: ___________________________ Date: _______________
