The Employment Testimony

Happy 9th birthday to my blog!
So ive been back for 1.5 months now, after my awesome 6 months doing DTS in perth.
 

One of the reasons I did DTS was to buy me some time to think about my career and delay my entrance into the working life. I had long dreaded the job hunting process (and subsequent work life) which I would have to embark on upon returning to Singapore… a dread which grew stronger as DTS came to an end. I foresaw the job seeking process as long and grueling, faced with many rejections. My brother took 4 months to get his job, and I optimistically estimated mine at 2-3 months.

However, within less than a month of sending out job applications, I have miraculously landed a job in a nice hotel as a management trainee – my first choice position! I could clearly see that the Lord had been preparing the way for me throughout, and bestowing me with extraordinary favour.

I had never been confident about getting a management trainee position. Throughout my life, I had lacked leadership qualities and had hardly any experience in leadership positions; whether in school, school clubs, church, and elsewhere. This would put me at a great disadvantage against my many well-experienced peers. I foresaw that if I was asked about my leadership experience during an interview, there goes my chances! Being outspoken is also not one of my qualities, but one which I felt was sought by employers for this position.

A management trainee (MT) is the most prestigious and sought-after entry-level position in the hotel industry, which offers a fast path into managerial positions. I saw it as a position reserved for the cream of the crop, with stiff competition. I thought I would just give it a try anyway, cause there’s no harm trying, but in my heart I prepared to fail. So in my initial applications, I applied for management trainee / front office agent. It’s as if I expected to fail the first option and therefore gave the alternative straight away!

Within a few days of applying, this hotel called me up for interview – for front office agent position. I did not want to take up a front office agent position until my possibilities of MT are exhausted, but I went for this interview anyway to take it as a practice.

Just trying my luck, I asked the HR staff if there were MT positions available. She said yes! So I told her I want to apply for it at the same time. And then I went for interview with the front office manager to interview for front office agent. I told him too that I am interested to apply for MT. Providentially, he was also one of the in-charges of the MT program! So he gave in to my request and interviewed me for MT at the same time.

The interview went SO well. I was shocked. Everything in my resume was perceived in a good light by the interviewer. For example, my time working as a lowly housekeeper impressed him, as he said, “that hotel was very lucky to have someone like you, a young, educated Singaporean willing to get your hands dirty and do this tough job that Singaporeans normally don’t want to do.” My involvement in DTS outreach also made a good impression on him! The things in my resume could have been perceived very differently by different people, but with God’s hand upon the interview, he saw only the good in everything. I hit off really well and made good connection with that interviewer, who I would be working closely with in the future. His ending statement to me was, “if the position is available, if everything else goes well, I would welcome you on board!”

I couldn’t help but marvel at the ease of the interview that day, realizing that it could only have been by God’s hand. My confidence shot up after that day, because I realized I do have things to offer that employers look for. From that day, I only applied for MT positions, and rejected all interviews for front office agent.

Still another two interviews had to be cleared in the subsequent weeks, first with the HR manager, and then with the GM. But those interviews too went on very smoothly. Throughout all 3 interviews, there had been no tough questions asked, no opposition, and I didn’t have to butter them at all. Shortly after the interview with GM, I was offered the job. It was just so easy! I got my most desired job, with nothing more I could ask for. I couldn’t help but marvel at the ease of which the interviews went, realizing that it could only have been by God’s hand.

 God has honoured me with great favour and granted me this position that I previously thought was an unachievable dream. Its only right that I use it to honour Him too, and stay faithful to the calling that I received from Him during DTS – to be a light in the workplace!