No Coincidence

While some of you asked where I was throughout the past 3 months in 2017. Yes, I am alive and if you were wondering where I was exactly... Here's the story :)

As one of the requirements before graduating in Taylor's University, students are required to complete a 2.5 to 3 months internship. Knowing that my internship period is from Jan to March 2017, I decided to start looking out for places to intern at in July 2016.

While I was searching and looking through, I listed 3 criteria which I hope to find in this company which I will be interning at. First, that this company would be a multinational company as I have never worked in a multinational company setting and would like to learn on how MNCs run their businesses with their policies and procedures. The second criteria would be that this company is related to my course of study, human resource management. I found this second criteria to be very important personally as I wanted my internship experience to sharpen my knowledge and understanding in my field of study. Last but not least, a company that will provide a substantial internship experience for me. I heard so many stories of mundane internship experiences like photocopying documents and buying coffee and I thought to myself "That's not what I want".

Low and behold, I found this company online.....

A leading British (Multinational, checked) recruitment and HR services company (Human Resource related, checked). I browsed through the company website and found a page showing the past intern's stories and testimonies in the company.

"Wow" I thought to myself, "All three criteria checked". I'm not gonna lie that as excited I was, I was also scared as I asked myself if I would be even qualified to intern in this company. Before submitting my CV, I said a prayer "God, if this is from You, it will come through".

2 days later, I received a phone call and was called for an interview. After 2 rounds of interview, I received the news that I would be interning in this company! The best news was knowing that my best friend also got an internship in this same company!!!

At the start of my internship, I was assigned to some administrative work such as reporting and yes, I did have to photocopy documents as well. It's funny how sometimes we think that when God gives us something we asked and prayed for, that it would be a nice and smooth sailing ride. A little discouraged at first but I was reminded the importance of "Doing small things with excellence in preparation for the bigger things in life". I prayed and said "God, thank You for placing me in this company. If I am meant for more meaningful and substantial things in this company, You will prepare me for it and make it happen".

On the second week of internship, my reporting manager called me into the room and shared with me on her satisfaction with my work performance. I felt a huge relief as those words meant a lot to me. She then continued on and asked if I could assist one of the managers in this company and her team of 8 consultants under her. Hearing many stories on how capable this manager is, her level of expectation on those under her AND the size of her team, I felt so very nervous - no kidding!

But I heard His gentle whisper "Didn't you ask for a more meaningful and substantial work in this company?" to which I said yes to my reporting manager in taking this new role up.

I will not lie that taking up the new role indeed had its own set of challenges for me as there were just so many things to complete within such a  short time frame most of the time BUT I have no regrets taking it up... Here's why.

Towards my last week in Hays, I was asked to decide on a place to eat for lunch with Clarise and her team as she wanted to have farewell lunch for me. I was so surprised because for the whole team of consultants to have a farewell lunch for an intern? Not to forget, I also received farewell gifts from my colleagues in the team. Wow, I really did not think I deserved it at all.

"Thank you so much again Eulene for your contribution to the team. You have really helped us significantly on our job and even though you are not a revenue generator yet but the amount of reference checks you have done, I am pretty sure you will be a 100k biller in no time! Will see you in Jan 2018! Level 20 in Sunway Pinnacle. Thank you so much Eulene!"

When Clarise, the top biller in Hays Malaysia who is also the manager of the Human Resource Business Unit in Hays said those words - I knew that taking up the opportunity to intern in this company - particularly in this team was no coincidence at all.

Did I also mention that I got to intern in the same company with this gorgeous best friend of mine? 

Always giving her 110% in all that she does and I'm so proud of her!

Me with half of the team and our manager, Clarise- Yes, she was on the phone when this photo was taken cause you know, top billers just gotta do what they do ;)

All credits go to the big Man up there who never fails to surpass beyond my expectations.

So many times, I hear people saying "But it's just an internship - it's no big deal. Don't dream or hope too much. It's not like you're looking for a full time job yet". Well, I'm glad that I serve a God who believes and knows just how much this internship experience meant to me and that He took into account of every criteria which I looked for in a company before I found Hays. Sometimes we may think that God probably doesn't really care or even bother about our tiny little needs/wants because He probably is very busy with the bigger and more important things in life right? Well, I'm here to tell you that He cares about every.little.single.detail in your life :) Hence, give your best in all that you do and trust that He wants to be apart of the things which matters the most to you despite how small or big they may be in the eyes of men. 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" 

Romans 8: 28.