Your Application Handbook by Luisa Huyskens

Your Application Handbook By Leweeza

Hello and welcome I know the process of applying for an internship or grad-job can be one of the most stressful things we do. The fear of failure or not knowing where to begin can stop us in our tracks. So, that is why I created this handbook, to encourage and equip you to thrive as you step through the stages. We will walk through some key elements together: online applications, interviews, assessment centres, and some of the questions that I had myself. Although I hope I can share personal experience of my application journeys, I know this handbook would not be complete without the advice of some key industry professionals who have been in the game way longer than me. I thought carefully about who I would ask, so keep your eyes open for their valuable insight. My prayer is that this is a handbook that you can have open whilst making an application, you use it with other resources, you share it, email me and, most importantly, you go for it, knowing that whatever happens, you are SO loved by God.

Cont GETTING STARTED 1 PREPARING YOUR CV 5 CHOOSING WHAT TO APPLY FOR 7 ONLINE APPLICATION 11

TELEPHONE INTERVIEW 15 ASSESSMENT CENTRE 17

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n what I am, or shall but in What Christ is, and in what he is now or me.”

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RESPONSE 21 LEWEEZA’S REFLECTIONS 24 CONTRIBUTORS 25

ABOUT LEWEEZA 27 RESOURCES AND PRINTOUTS 29

Getting started

I don’t have time!

Throwing an application into the mix of juggling lectures, societies and church will feel like an impossible task. It might be that you have to make a decision to postpone your job hunt until after your graduation. But, I hope I can reassure you that it can be done. I am not going to lie to you by saying applications “don’t take up much time”. I would rather encourage you to Perhaps “Getting Started” seems like reassess your busyness and approach the smallest step to make, but I think your career with a strategy. Look at this is what many of us actually find your hours, when are you most most difficult. What barrier is holding effective, what can you move, where can you back from getting started? Is it a you craft time? It’s so important not to lack of time? A feeling of see applications as a inadequacy? Missing burden, but see it as purpose? Or maybe it’s knocking on doors COMMIT TO THE LORD the whole process and to your exciting amount of things to WHATEVER YOU DO, future! The more you consider that is so AND HE WILL ESTABLISH knock on doors, the overwhelming. Where YOUR PLANS. easier you will find do you start? When do it and the less time it PROVERBS 16, 3 you start? How? And will take you. ∎ most importantly, what do you even apply for? I don’t know what my dream job These are questions that every human is yet! being will ask. You are not alone! Breaking through these barriers was Recently I’ve kept coming across this tough, and sometimes I did not use quote: “Find what you love and you will the best strategies to do so. But God never work a day in your life”. I feel made my path straight and answered like our generation is truly lead to my prayers within the mess I found believe that you need to have a job that myself in. He established my plans, you are completely confident about and not because I had it all sorted, but that doesn’t feel like work. But what is because I committed all I did to him. so wrong about work? God intended So don’t be discouraged. You already and created work, whether it was Adam have taken a great step forward by and Eve tending the garden, Nehemiah starting to read this handbook. Let’s building the wall or Paul making tents. get you started. ∎

And even if you did find the job you are in love with, there will always be aspects about it that are not as enjoyable. So perhaps your quest is not for What your dream job is, but instead for Why you want to work and How you will approach it. Your “What” will establish on the journey. Take a step in a direction and God will establish your way. ∎ Where and How do I start? My advice is to start off by drafting your CV. This is a great way to explore what your strengths are and reflect on your experience before you look at what is out there. Lucky you, this handbook is designed to guide you through everything carefully, so don’t worry to much about this. Stick to the chapters and you’ll find a flow. ∎

When do I start? Looking back I should have listened to my mum’s advice: “Start as soon as you get back to uni!”. Instead I began applying at the end of November, half way through my term, and I ended up with a crazy January, balancing interviews, assessment centres and exams at the same time. There is no perfect time to start, especially because it depends on what course you are on, or what industry/company you are applying to. But, if you are a uni student, I would urge you to start early. Best at the beginning of your term, to avoid a clash of big deadlines/exams/ assessment centres or interviews. Be wise about your busy seasons and start as soon as possible. ∎

Why should I apply if I think my chances are so low? “You have to be in it to win it. If you think that your chances are low, the likelihood is 80% of others are thinking the same thing. So naturally, most of those who think that, won't apply, so already your chances of succeeding have increased, simply because you chose to face the fear of failure, when others wouldn't. Adopt the motto- He who dares wins.” - Caleb Meakins

KNOWING YOURSELF “So you’re getting ready to graduate. The your behaviour today. Your education, pressure is on. What do I do? What am I upbringing, friends and culture will have good at? Who should I work for? Where ‘taught’ you to respond in certain ways but should I work? is that your natural preference? ‘Experts’ in Before you answer those questions, my personality can help you understand your question for you is, how well do you know nature but if you can’t use an expert what yourself? else can you do? It’s a good exercise to think through your skills and talents as well as how you are I’d suggest you do a test but also talk to wired. What’s it really people you trust. Ask like to be on the other them how they side of you? This insight experience you. Use it as is significant for every “KNOWING YOURSELF IS a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o relationship in your life become more self-aware. A GIFT THAT WILL SET and also as you consider Pick a range of people YOU UP FOR YOUR the type of organisations and find out what it is WHOLE CAREER” to work for, the working they value you for? What practices that you like, traits do they most the people you want to admire in you? What work with and whether your values align traits do they not like which might trip you with those of the place you’d like to work. up in later years? As you begin to apply for jobs take all this learning and use it. For A wise friend of mine says if you can example, if you love being with people, don’t work from your natural strengths for over apply for a job where you’ll be on your own 70% of your most of the day. time, you will be energised and enjoy what you do, you will also cope with the 30% of As a graduate, I learned that who I worked tasks you don’t enjoy! for was the most important criteria for me. Work for people who will shape your How do you find out how you’re wired or character, help you grow and develop, who your natural strengths? There are inspire you and help you navigate the numerous tests out there which will help political landscape of work. you understand your personality. I’d highly recommend Knowing yourself is a gift that will set you https://www.giant.courses.com But, here’s up for your whole career and ensure that a word of warning! Tests are a helpful you are a leader that people will want to starting point follow. As hard as it might be to hear the but you are a complex mixture of nature, truth it will differentiate you from many nurture and choice. A test won’t accurately others.” - Claire Elwin reflect your personality; it will describe 3

I N A N U T S H E L L

There is no such thing as “being too busy”. Reassess your time and be wise about when you begin. Start off with setting aside 1 hour a day.

Pray for a shift in attitude! Applying for jobs is not a burden, it is a way of knocking on the doors of your exciting future!

If you aren’t getting started because you don’t know What you want to do, change your question to Why you want to work and get to know yourself.

Adopt the motto - “He who dares wins”! If you don’t try it you will never know if something could have lead to success.

Preparing your CV Preparing your CV before you browse and chose what to apply for, gives you a significant overview over your own experience. It is a lot easier to spot a suitable job when you have a great awareness of your strengths and skills. Please remember that your draft needs tailoring as soon as you are actually applying to a position.

Whether or not you are starting your CV from scratch, or just wanting to give it an update, I would recommend to use the printout at the end of this handbook called “My CV Hub”. It helps you record all your experience in one place before you take that content and restructure it into a CV. The printout will also help you categorise your achievements into skill sets, which will be handy when you want to taylor you CV. To get an idea of how a CV can look like check out TargetJobs examples here.

What is the most important thing about a CV? “The most important thing about a CV is being honest and to-the-point. It should be written in a way that ensures that you get noticed for the right reasons. There is no one-printout-fits-all way to write a CV. Remember that if you do not have a particular skill-set or experience, do not lie about it. You may get the job by providing false information but sooner or later it may come out in the open!” - PRATIK KORE

P A Y A T T E N T I O N

To the structure Keep it short and sweet but most importantly, keep it CLEAN and CLEAR! Recruiters usually don’t have very long to look at your CV, so make it easy for them to understand everything quickly. I would also recommend to think about the order of your categories, and use it to your advantage by putting your best achievements first!

To categorisation Categories are essentially how you split up and group your experience. (“Voluntary work”, “Work Experience”, Additional skills” etc). Don’t be afraid to taylor it to your personal benefit.

To your achievements The best advice I have ever received in regards to my CV was to differentiate between what I DID and what I ACHIEVED. Here is an example: What I did —> I sent out newsletters. What I actually achieved —> I improved external communication by sending out newsletters.

To detail The more specific you are the better. And by specific I don’t mean explaining every single thing thoroughly, but by including numbers or percentages. Also, remember that recruiters might not know an organisation you worked for, so providing a very brief explanation sometimes helps them understand the context.

YOU WILL KEEP IN PERFECT PEACE THOSE WHOSE MINDS ARE STEADFAST, BECAUSE THEY TRUST IN YOU. ISAIAH 26,3

CHOOSING WHAT TO APPLY FOR Facing thousands of different job adverts, it is vital to put a little system in place to help chose which one to apply to and focus on what is truly important to you. The last thing we want is to get overwhelmed and either escape the pool of possibilities entirely, or just apply for anything just for the sake of it.

Before you even browse for any specific positions, you should ask yourself what the three most important criteria are to you about the job you are looking for. Give it some thought, as it can be any type of criteria. Here are some examples:

At the very end of this handbook you will find a printout called “Criteria Chart” that you can use, following the steps in this chapter.

• Type of Job (Grad scheme or not?) • Salary (minimum in mind?) • Location (Bound/drawn to one city?) • Company size • Culture/Ethics/Purpose of a company • Length of Employment • Working Hours/ commitment • Specific Job Role • Travel opportunities

If you ever find yourself in a spiral of doubt or worry during this, then make sure to take a break and touch base with God. Remember his Love and Hope is the anchor to your soul and he promises you peace. ∎

You might have more than three criteria, but try and prioritise them as good as you can. Perhaps talk through these with someone you trust and don’t be afraid to change your mind later on. ∎

Now that you have decided on three criteria for your job you can browse for specific positions. There are different ways you can approach this search: 1.) Browse on Graduate Job Websites! They don’t only show you job offers, but they also come with advice on how to best apply to a particular role/company. My favourite sites are TargetJobs and Instant Impact, but there are more that I have listed in the resources chapter. What I usually do when I find an interesting position is additionally look for it directly on the companies career website. 2.) Or, start with a specific company in mind, just close your eyes and think of one you can imagine yourself working at. Then you can go straight to their career website and see if it suits you.

While you are searching for job offers, make sure to list the ones that suit you and are interesting, in order to check them against your three criteria. There is a printout available for you to use for this purpose. Check out the next page for an example! To avoid an eternal search, perhaps give yourself a target and browse until you have listed a certain amount of positions. (Start off with 5-10 at first).

When you reached your target, go over your list and highlight the ones that match all of your three high priority criteria. That is where you want to start applying. Pick one of those positions and start the journey there. Little tip: It’s very likely you might have a dream job in mind - save that application until you’ve done a few. This will give you confidence and practice.

How do I know if I suit a position? “Reading the Job Description will give you a very good idea about the job and what the duties entail however, reading the person specification will tell you what type of a person the organisation is looking for. Most person specifications are divided into 2 parts - Essential Criteria and Desirable Criteria. If you meet all the Essential criteria listed in the spec, then you should go ahead and send your application because you are most likely suited for the position!! If there are one or more points where you fall short, it is still worth sending your application and then negotiating that gap if you do get to an interview stage. If you do not meet the Essential Criteria or meet only part of it, then the likelihood is that may not be suited for that role.” PRATIK KORE

USING THE T EMPLATE On page 7 I mentioned the criteria chart and walked through how you can chose what to apply for. Here is an example: My main criteria are to get accepted to a Graduate Scheme in Manchester for which I do not have to travel around. While I browse through positions I just fill in the “Company Name Job Role” column with the ones that interest and suit me, and I tick the boxes if they fulfil my criteria. There is space for comments too. You will quickly have an overview of potential positions you’ll apply for and it points you back to what is most important to you as well.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. -James 1, 5-

ONLINE APPLICATION As soon as you have picked out one organisation, the first stage of the application process is usually an online procedure. Its structure is pretty much the same across most big corporations and can differ slightly more for Smaller to Medium Companies. An online application will take up to about 4 hours in total if you are new to it. This includes tailoring your CV, writing and editing your answers/cover letter, taking the tests and filling all areas in correctly. The main milestones you are likely to encounter are on the right side, and each one has a quick explanation plus my best advice to you.

The application portal When you get access to the organisation’s application portal try and see if you can scan through all the sections without filling anything in. It is good to have an overview over what you are expected to do first. You can even make note of the questions they ask and exit the portal to work on your answers separately. Later you will have them ready to copy and paste in. Your CV As I mentioned in the previous chapter, it is important that you taylor your CV to the position you are applying for. If you used the “CV Hub” printout to categorise your experience in skill sets, you can go open their job description and requirements to see which ones they are looking for and adapt the content of your CV accordingly. Your Cover Letter A Cover Letter is more complicated to craft. But that is exactly the key, to make the letter sound like you. Have a look at the next page for more help. Motivational, Competency or Technical Questions Sometimes the organisation will ask you to answer some specific questions that are at times similar to what you would write in a cover letter. It always helps me to think: What can I bring, what can I write, that no one else can? Aptitude Tests Here is some good news for you! If you ever hesitated from applying for jobs because of psychometric, logical or maths tests, don’t worry! You can practice for those and you will learn to get the hang of them, because they are all very similar in nature. So practice, practice and practice. You can find links to practice in the resources chapter. Submission Before you press that button to submit, pause, breathe and give all this hard work to God. Make a decision for yourself to trust in him no matter the outcome. Everything is in God’s hands and under his control, so relax because he LOVES you.

Y O U R C O V E R L E T T E R Your Cover letter puts your CV in context. It has a different purpose and should therefore not reiterate anything stated in your CV. Think about it this way: Your CV represents your life and will state what you achieved. Your Cover letter on the other hand represents your character by telling the reader how you achieved those things and what you’ve learnt. Don’t write it, prove it. Anyone can write that they are great team players, flexible and great at communicating. But simply stating that does not mean a lot, unless you explain how you demonstrated team playing skills, or how you learnt to be flexible. Read it, Leave it, Read it again. As soon as you think you finished you should read it to check it for any grammatical or spelling mistakes. But you should also put yourself in the recruiters shoes and read from an outside perspective. What do you think the recruiter wants to read? Are you communicating that? It’s an art. When you are writing your cover letter you are essentially crafting a unique message. So if it doesn’t feel perfect at the beginning that is fine! Send it off and see how it goes, as long as you keep practicing and keep reflecting on it, you will get better! The interesting thing is that you will find many different opinions on how a cover letter should be written. Some write the shorter the better, others like it long and detailed! At the end of the days I think there is no right to wrong as long as you stick to some “essentials”. The Essentials. Here are some things you need to communicate in your cover letter: • That you know what type of person they are looking for. (Check the job description)

• Why you are applying for the position. (Try and stay away from default or selfish reasons like “I’ve always wanted to work for you” and “your company interests me”.) • What you do that would benefit them. (Think about how your modules, or experience tie in with the position.) • One thing that I personally try to include in my cover letters is to communicate that my competencies go beyond fulfilling the tasks from the job description to supporting the companies vision. Perhaps you want to try that out too?

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. -Colossians 3, 23-

A telephone Interview is already such an achievement to get to! If you have been invited to one, make sure to read ALL the information that is given to you and that you can find online. Do your research!

Tele phone inter view

First find out what type of interview it is: A competency or a technical one? It usually is one or the other but it depends on the company. It is likely they will tell you via email or on their website. Click the links below for more great advice regarding both types of Interviews How to prepare for a competency based Interview. How to prepare for a technical based Interview. Then I would highly recommend to go to Glassdoor for more specific information. You can sign up for free, see if the company you are having an interview with is listed on there and you can find advice from people who are likely to have gone through exactly the same stage. When I prepared for one of my telephone interviews I found every possible questions that I could have been asked on there. Lastly, do your research on the company! Out of personal experience I really urge you to do this thoroughly. Here are things you should know about the company: • Mission, Purpose, Vision • History • Current Market position • Strengths, Weaknesses • Recent News Articles • Future Potential There is a printout in the resources chapter that could be helpful to you if you need help on researching a company.

P R A C T I C A L I T I E S

Prepare for it as you would for a face to face Interview! I mean this in terms of your dress code, your concentration, posture and gestures! It might sound silly but it will make a huge difference mentally, if your physical environment represents the situation. So get up early, dress smart and smile while you are talking, it helps.

Keep your notes limited! It is tempting to have loads of notes in front of you while you are being interviewed. No one is technically seeing you read off your carefully planned flashcards. But the Interview goes fast, searching through your notes can make you sound hesitant. Keep it to two A4 sheets that are clearly structured.

Prepare your environment! Make sure you planned where you will be sitting, preferably at your desk. Clear it, apart from a glass of water, your CV, your notes and a pen. If you feel like it, stick up a post it in front of you to remind you to smile, or that God Loves you no matter what. And don’t forget to let your housemates know not to disturb you!

Keep your answers straight forward and practice them with someone! There is a great link here that suggests how to structure your answers for a competency based question. This is really crucial for you to avoid rambling! Find someone to practice your answers with as well and you’ll find them easier to remember.

Persevere and do not be afraid! Without seeing someone’s facial expressions/body language it is hard to tell how someone reacts to your answer. That’s why you need to shake off your insecurities, and champion yourself for 30 minutes even if it feels hard. Don’t lose hope half way because of one dodgy answer you’ve given. You can reflect on your answers afterwards, but until you have hung up the phone you need to convince yourself that you have got this. 16

Assessment Centres Assessment Centres (ACs) always conform to a similar structure. It is a one or two day long assessment at the companies facilities with up to 10 other applicants. There will be some form of group work involved, a presentation, more aptitude tests and in some cases they will ask you to write a report. Do some research because people are likely to have gone through the same AC. Because of how much the content of each section can vary, depending on what industry you are applying for, I will try share with you the most basic groundwork to succeed in an AC.

During the AC the assessors will be looking at many different aspects of your behaviour and competencies: • Communication and leadership style • Level of assertiveness • Problem solving • Reflecting capacity • Openness and interest • Teamwork • Perseverance and ambition • Creativity and innovative thinking • Decision making • Organisational skills

How do I sell myself without being arrogant? Is arrogance even an issue? Interviews are designed so that candidates have an opportunity to promote themselves but there is a very thin line between trying to sell yourself and being arrogant. Yes, arrogance can be an issue if the information that the candidate shares is more of an elevated opinion of themselves rather than factual information. So the best tip I can give is to keep the information factual and the focus on previous achievements and/or recognitions which are relevant to the job/job description. - PRATIK KORE

Sleep, Eat, Drink If you’re like me and you feel stressed and very nervous, it is tempting to skip breakfast. I once skipped breakfast and lunch before I went into an AC, which was a big mistake! I had no energy and couldn’t concentrate so I ended up forgetting to read my case study! Your body needs to function so take care of yourself. This is crucial to set yourself up for success.

Play the Game! An AC is not designed for anyone to win, but it is designed for everyone to play! Recruiters are not looking for you to nail it, because they know you probably won’t. They are looking at how you work and how you interact with others under pressure. So now that you know that, play the game as good as you can.

They’re human too. Keep reminding yourself, that everyone in that AC is just human too. Other applicants are just as nervous as you are, and the recruiters are really just trying to do their job. So don’t feel intimidated because you are just where you are supposed to be. Look at everyone through Jesus’ eyes and make friends.

4 5

Stay alert, Splash your face! Your concentration needs to be turned on all the way through, because an AC is pretty much a non stop day. If you get to a point when you get too anxious or tired, go to the bathroom and splash your face (ladies I know that is not the greatest advice if you are wearing make up, but splash some water on your wrists and neck), breathe in and out. Pray for 30 seconds and go out there again. Celebrate! When you finish and step out of the AC make sure that you go and treat yourself for a nice meal or relaxed evening. Perhaps you need to travel home first but do not skip this, it is just as important to celebrate how far you have come, as it is preparing for the AC. It helps your attitude of gratitude to flourish.

W H A Tâ&#x20AC;¨ H A P P E NS I believe the most common mistake we all make in group work is to think we have to outperform others. The real key to great group work however, is to collaborate and and reach the goal in -Group Workunison, and as long as you establish your role within the group during that process, you are fine. Your role will be a mixture of your Practical group projects personality/strengths and of what you sense the Group Discussions group needs. This can be the timekeeper, the Case studies visionary, the harmoniser, the budgeter etc. Remember that assessors are looking for your style of communication, not your skill to enforce your opinion.

Presentations in ACs vary in style, sometimes you will have to prepare one in advance other times you will have to prepare one on the day. But no matter what you are asked to do, concentrate on HOW -Presentationyou present. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand me wrong, your content is also important so please do not Self Presentation neglect that, but more significant is how you Case Study talk and how you structure it. Your posture, your confidence, your language will leave a Preparation prior to AC bigger impression on assessors than the subject Topic given on the day you are talking about. Please remember to stick to the time limit you will be given and never go over!

You are very likely to have an incredibly tight time frame for this task, but as I mentioned before, ACs are not designed for you to win, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t beat yourself up if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t manage to finish writing it. Most important is to demonstrate that your work is solid under pressure. You might be asked to read though a case study that outlines a problem and several facts surrounding possible solutions. Your report needs to be structured! For example into an introduction, 3 paragraphs each outlining one solution, and a conclusion indicating which solution to ultimately chose.

The best advice I was ever given in terms of interviews was to realise that the interviewer is trying to give me the opportunity to put myself in the best possible light, not trying to trip me up. This helped me adopt a much more relaxed attitude towards the interviewer and turn every question to my advantage. Keep your answers straight forward, and always include a past experience to demonstrate skills and lessons learnt. If you are asked technical questions, make sure to outline your line of thought while you are giving an answer.

-ReportCase Studies

-InterviewTechnical Competency With one assessor Or several assessors

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. -2 Timothy 1, 720

Response How do I react well to success or failure? Waiting for an answer is such a nerve wracking experience, especially when it takes a long time. It can be tempting to speculate or even interpret the smallest of details. My advice in that period is to wait in peace and to keep your faith and focus on God. But then the inevitable phone call or email will come - You either progressed or were unsuccessful. When I was turned down from PwC after attending an Assessment Centre, I had a decision to make: Do I linger on it or do I learn from it. Although it was painful, I chose the latter. Sometimes brick walls show us how much we want something.

What are the positives of a rejection? There are many. A rejection is not an eternal 'no', it's a try a different route. The same job at the same company is attainable just by trying a different route. Take for example my experience. Out of several thousand applicants I was down to the final 20 for the Saatchi & Saatchi Summer Scholarship. I was devastated when I didn't get it. I didn't take the no as a no and asked for an opportunity to prove myself, they then gave me a work experience opportunity. Only 2 of us asked for it and 2 of us got it. As far as I'm aware, the other girl still works there. Rejection just means try another route. Rejection builds resilience, it encourages an innovative spirit and often teaches us more about ourselves than success does. - Caleb Meakins

How do I learn from my applications? There is a final printout in the resources chapter for you, where you can record each position you applied for and how far into the process you got. Let’s say you realise that most of your rejections come in after your online application. If you spot that, you can start seeking advice, making changes in that certain area. Maybe you have to pause and think about the positions you are actually applying for! Don’t make the same mistakes again and again. There is little point in sending out the same 30 applications and getting the same 30 rejections, when you could have paused at your 15th one to reflect and perhaps change how you apply. Celebrate every achievement! No matter how small the achievement, don’t disregard it. It will do you good to capture every progression and to celebrate it well. Don’t take a rejection too personally! Last semester I took a module in Human Resource management where one of the main topics we looked at was Recruitment and Selection. It got incredibly interesting when we specifically focused on the validity of Recruitment strategies. Now I don’t want to go into much detail, but current recruitment methods are not actually very valid at determining if you are able to perform for the particular position.

DON’T BE AFRAID, FOR I AM WITH YOU. DON’T BE DISCOURAGED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU AND HELP YOU. I WILL HOLD YOU UP WITH MY VICTORIOUS RIGHT HAND. ISAIAH 41,10

“i pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God, it changes me.” -C.S. Lewis-

leweeza’s Reflections The future is a bizarre thing. Nothing else excites me as much and scares me as much, at the same time! But instead of focusing on the unsteady grounds of what lies ahead, I want to focus on the only certainty that exists. God’s unfailing Love for me and you. My prayer is that we stop obsessing about what the right or wrong job is for us. There is little significance in WHAT we do and a whole lot of value in WHY. If you are truly stuck, then firstly, don’t stop walking. It is tempting to pause if you don’t know which way to go. But the key is to carry on walking, step after step after step, and God will direct you and bless the ground you step on, sometimes without you even noticing. Try things out, be curious, don’t discard everything, there’s something to be learned in everything. Keep going. No one ever said life was a straight line? Secondly, wrap yourself in prayer. I promise you, it will change you, and it will water the seeds of your unknown interests and passions. Beautiful things take time to grow. I am convinced that sacrificing all you are for the glory of God will launch you into the purpose filled career you are looking for.

CONTRIBUTORS CLAIRE ELWIN

SENIOR ASSOCIATE AT GiANT WORLDWIDE Former Head of HR at AXA. She also divides her time between running God at Work with Ken Costa and overseeing Work Place Ministry at HTB.

CEO AT ETHIOPIAN ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATION Caleb is also the Founder of My40Days which is a social venture aimed at inspiring people to overcome the fear of failure.

PRATIK KORE

CALEB MEAKINS

SENIOR HR ADVISOR AT SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY With a Masters degree in HR Management Pratik has worked most of his career as HR advisor with recruitment being one of his top skills.

CREATIVE DESIGNER FOR HOPE CITY CHURCH Her work is used globally, across all Hope City locations. She provided the incredible photos for this handbook.

NIKKI AUTERSKA

T H A N K Y O U S O M U C H First and foremost, thank you to you! The fact that you are reading this page means you flicked through the handbook and are using it too. That means the world to me. A massive thank you to all the contributors mentioned above, who happily spent their time investing their knowledge and advice into this handbook. Thank you to Luca and Andrew who have seen me work on this day in and day out, and have kept encouraging me to persevere. And lastly a huge thank you to Mark, who championed me, prayed for me and patiently listened to my crazy thoughts and ideas, not matter what time of the day it was.

About Leweeza

The beautiful adventure of heaven in your industry. On earth as it is in heaven.. this phrase echoes in my mind. I am more than convinced that we are called to bring heaven into every single corner of this earth. Even the scary corners. God's kingdom built in businesses (any industry that applies to your career). There are so many questions and thoughts that I hope to share and reveal over time. So to put it short there are four main things Leweeza is all about:

Provoke

The thought of thousands of young christians taking on management roles in business to truly transform the way companies are lead.

Bring Order

To the helpless mess in our minds that hold us back from starting our own businesses/projects, applying to our dream jobs or putting ideas into action.

Reach Out

My clueless journey of a purposeful career, stumbling through my first networking and interview experiences.

To You.

My hope is that Leweezaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s content isn't a one way platform. My hope is that I can serve you but also be inspired by you. As lonely as our journey may feel like, I want you to know that there are many others just as keen as you to bring change to your industry. Another hope is to grow this blog steadily, not in the number of views but in quality and purpose. So do not feel shy to help me on this journey. I am more than open to hear your thoughts or collaborate with you. So get in touch with me. Ask me questions. Tell me your story. =) You can send an email to leweezasblog@gmail.com

RESOURCES and printouts

This page is filled with books, short movie clips and articles/websites, that I have looked into and especially picked out to support your journey. Printouts I have mentioned throughout the chapters are on the following pages for you to print out.

Inspirational Articles/Websites • Stop wishing, Start Acting, on Hello Magnify • Everything You Know About Finding Your Dream Job, on theMuse • Does God care where you work?, on Relevant Magazine • Pursuing Purpose, On Propel Women Practical Articles/Websites • Everything on Great Career Advice, on TargetJobs • Articles on Resume Advice, on Levo • Interview Questions answered by the experts, on Instant Impact • Practice Aptitude Tests • Practice more Aptitude Tests (If you need more links, don’t hesitate to google it! There are so many resources, but the ones I linked here are the ones I found the most helpful.)

Inspirational Videos • Really Achieving your Childhood Dreams, Lecture by Randy Pausch • My 40 Days - Facing the Fear of Failure, TedX Talk by Caleb Meakins • Stop searching for your passion, Talk by Terri Trespicio • Navigate the challenge of Opportunity, on Propel Women • God’s Purpose for Work, on God at Work • The Power of Introverts, TED Talk

Books • Know Your Why, by Ken Costa • Quiet, by Susan Cain • The One Thing, by Gary Keller • Successful Interviews, by Mo Shapiro and Alison Straw

Criteria Chart Your 3 most important criteria Company Name - Job role

My CV Hub This CV Builder can become your HUB of experience, that you can use to reflect on your achievements first without worrying about how it looks like on the actual CV. Use the categories column to taylor your CV to a specific Job.

Course Degree University Time span

Module

Grade

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Category / Skill Set

Role Organisation Time span Location

What you did

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What you achieved

Category / Skill Set

The Organisation History

Mission, Vision, Purpose

Who founded the organisation? What is the story behind it all? etc.

Every company something they are working towards. Find out what it is and how they are planning to achieve it.

Health

Structure

Financial Health and Reputation. Best to look at their annual report and credible external articles.

Who is the CEO? CFO? How hierarchical is it organisation? What locations are they at? If relevant, find out who their customers and suppliers are!

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Strengths and Weaknesses