Chapter 17
Good Monday Morning to this week 17 of 2024
I recently interviewed and received a spontaneous application by email. Interviewing is like navigating without a map, sometimes there’s a surprise at every turn. Recruitment requires speed and precision. Recruiters look for synergy between talent and organisational needs. Asking the right questions is an art, revealing hesitations and unspoken truths. Some candidates exaggerate their skills, others downplay them, seeking a balance between confidence and humility. It can also be a series of contrasts – between spontaneity and strategy, openness and caution. Yet amidst challenges lies the promise of discovery – the unearthing of hidden treasures awaiting opportunity; one needs guidance to find diamonds in the rough.
A recruiter said to a candidate
“In this job, we need someone who is responsible”.
The job applicant replies,
“I’m the one you want. In my last job, every time anything went wrong
they always said I was responsible”.
Nehemiah’s “job interview,” so to speak, is recounted in the Bible in the book of Nehemiah, specifically in chapters 1 and 2.
Nehemiah served as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia. He receives news about the dire state of Jerusalem—the walls of the city lie in ruins, and its inhabitants are in distress. This news deeply troubles Nehemiah, and he mourns, fasts, and prays to God for guidance and favor in addressing the situation.
Nehemiah seeks an opportunity to address the king directly when he is serving wine to the king. The king notices Nehemiah’s saddened demeanor and asks him about it. Nehemiah, after a quick prayer to God, shares his concerns about Jerusalem with the king, requesting permission to go and rebuild the city.
The king, moved by Nehemiah’s sincerity and trustworthiness, grants his request, providing him with letters of safe passage and resources for the project. Ultimately, Nehemiah’s successful interaction with the king leads to his appointment as the governor of Judah and his subsequent leadership in the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, demonstrating the importance of faith, preparation, and seizing opportunities in achieving one’s goals.
Nehemiah’s “job interview” with the king unfolds in an instant – let’s call it divine timing. At a critical moment, Nehemiah turns to prayer for divine guidance and courage, then reverently and humbly presents his case to the king, articulating his concern for Jerusalem’s welfare and desire to lead the effort to rebuild its walls. His words are marked by a clear vision of the task at hand.
A guy goes to Ikea for a job interview… (In the Ikea Customers are responsible for assembling furniture themselves using included instructions and basic tools.)
Recruiter: Welcome sir, nice to have you. Please assemble that chair over there and take a seat.
And perhaps, like Nehemiah, you too find yourself called to rebuild walls, whether metaphorical or literal, with courage, conviction, diving timing and a steadfast trust in the guiding hand of God!
Wishing you a good start to this new week!
Philemon