Rachel will be one of our speakers at "In the Hot Seat: recruitment in COVID times". As the lead graduate recruiter at a global technology company, she has sifted through thousands of applications, conducted hundreds of interviews and made offers to many. She will be sharing what interviewers look for and also helping us prepare for recruitment in COVID times. When she is not recruiting, you will find Rachel cuddling a dog (her company has a dog policy where dogs come in to boost productivity!), 'sampling' Singaporean-Malaysian food for lunch or learning how to ski. Below is a quick interview Mark Leong, our other speaker, conducted with her and he thinks she passed this interview with flying colours!
1. So Rachel, before you tell us about “In the Hot Seat” which you will be speaking at on Monday 3 August, let’s dial it back - you were one of the first workers involved in Headstart, is that right?
Yep that's right! I think it was around 2015 when I joined a small community of young workers who were keen to hear from God's Word and learn from and encourage one another on how to thrive in this particular season of life together. Back then we would gather in the City Bible Forum office, eat sushi, listen to a talk and then head to Maccas together before going home!
(Editorial sidenote: pretty sure that was David Nam's idea to go to Maccas. Just saying. :p)
2. WOW! - so you are coming back to serve and speak to the current Headstart community. Other than making you feel old, what are you excited about from what you can see of Headstart 2020?
I sneakily (or not so sneakily) joined in on one of the Headstart sessions and I was firstly blown away by the number of people on the call! I think it was around 70 people whereas when I was around it was maybe 20 regular attendees. To see that growth in numbers, and the depth of sharing (and volume of banter) was really encouraging to see. Even though Headstart has shifted online due to COVID-19, there's a silver lining as people from all over Australia and even other countries were able to join in on the fellowship and teaching - something that would have been impossible if the session was held in person only.
Another thing that was super cool was the level of openness and vulnerability; that people were willing to share the harder parts of life, all for the sake of building others up. I personally was really touched by Tom's story of trusting in Jesus through his period of unemployment.
3. Yes - we really are trying to embed and embrace our motto - “for young workers, by young workers”. So, why should someone come to "In the Hot Seat"? What will you be sharing with us?
This is a really strange time and the job market has changed dramatically since the beginning of the year. Whether you're just starting the job hunt, or are currently going through the process, or are just curious, I'd love to share some of my tips on:
- where to look for a job;
- how you can best prepare and present yourself; and
- how you can perform in a virtual interview setting.
I'm also looking forward to sharing about my own personal journey and answer any questions young workers may have about starting their careers. I hope to see you there!
If you'd like to join Rachel and Mark at In the Hot Seat: Recruitment in COVID times you can find out more details and register here.
