A Defining Moment
Three years in a row before being accepted into Maktab, I had repeatedly failed my interviews, unable to reach the benchmark set by the college. An introverted person, I did not have the presence of mind to respond to the interviewers' questions with convincing answers, thus time and again making a fool of myself. One time, an elderly male interviewer looked at me with disdain and remarked that I was no teaching material. The spiteful words had ravaged my self-confidence, causing me to cast doubt on the authenticity of my vocation.
To be well-prepared for the fourth interview, I spent a lot of time brushing up on my English, as the course I was applying for was Teaching English As the Second Language. Almost every day, you could see me reading books and talking to myself in the mirror. During learning intervals, I watched television to observe how people communicated with one another, jotting down commonly used words and trying my best to use them in my daily conversations with friends.I was determined not to let myself down again because I was not so young at the time- twenty-five years old. If I botched the interview again the college may not be interested in calling me for another interview.
On the very day at Maktab, after the group interview, a part I had normally done well because I did not have to face the onslaught from the interviewers, I found myself the first one to be interviewed in the personal session with the interviewers, and naturally, I was very nervous. To calm myself, I took a deep breath and counted to ten, hoping the jitters would dissipate. However, the more I counted, the more breathless I was with nervousness. When I was called into the interview hall, I felt as if my legs were turning into jelly, but a small voice in me urged me to defy my fear, and with my teeth clenched, I walked up to where the panel of interviewers was sitting and greeted them in my steadiest voice.
There were three interviewers altogether, all looking firm and serious. An elderly one sized me up coldly over the frame of his glasses and my heart skipped a beat. Wasn't he the one insulting me in the previous interview? Would he be nasty with his words again? I thought. Trying my best not to appear intimidated, I smiled at him and he seemed to be a little jolted.
Suddenly, courage rose from the depths of my heart and I was filled with peace. Then, as expected, the interviewers launched volley after volley of questions at me and I answered without any pause or hiccup, as if becoming a different person. In the past, due to being too cautious with grammar, I had tended to answer haltingly and end up unable to convey the gist of my thoughts. God must have emboldened me with His strength and spoken through my tongue!
When I returned home after the interview, I had a hunch that I could get through. And indeed, after two months, I received a letter from the college, congratulating me on my being accepted as a trainee teacher. Tears rolled down my cheeks and my whole being was suffused with pride. Thank God for that very defining moment, when I had overcome my weaknesses with God's strength. To this day, I can still remember that it was my proudest moment, even surpassing that of my graduation day.
To be well-prepared for the fourth interview, I spent a lot of time brushing up on my English, as the course I was applying for was Teaching English As the Second Language. Almost every day, you could see me reading books and talking to myself in the mirror. During learning intervals, I watched television to observe how people communicated with one another, jotting down commonly used words and trying my best to use them in my daily conversations with friends.I was determined not to let myself down again because I was not so young at the time- twenty-five years old. If I botched the interview again the college may not be interested in calling me for another interview.
On the very day at Maktab, after the group interview, a part I had normally done well because I did not have to face the onslaught from the interviewers, I found myself the first one to be interviewed in the personal session with the interviewers, and naturally, I was very nervous. To calm myself, I took a deep breath and counted to ten, hoping the jitters would dissipate. However, the more I counted, the more breathless I was with nervousness. When I was called into the interview hall, I felt as if my legs were turning into jelly, but a small voice in me urged me to defy my fear, and with my teeth clenched, I walked up to where the panel of interviewers was sitting and greeted them in my steadiest voice.
There were three interviewers altogether, all looking firm and serious. An elderly one sized me up coldly over the frame of his glasses and my heart skipped a beat. Wasn't he the one insulting me in the previous interview? Would he be nasty with his words again? I thought. Trying my best not to appear intimidated, I smiled at him and he seemed to be a little jolted.
Suddenly, courage rose from the depths of my heart and I was filled with peace. Then, as expected, the interviewers launched volley after volley of questions at me and I answered without any pause or hiccup, as if becoming a different person. In the past, due to being too cautious with grammar, I had tended to answer haltingly and end up unable to convey the gist of my thoughts. God must have emboldened me with His strength and spoken through my tongue!
When I returned home after the interview, I had a hunch that I could get through. And indeed, after two months, I received a letter from the college, congratulating me on my being accepted as a trainee teacher. Tears rolled down my cheeks and my whole being was suffused with pride. Thank God for that very defining moment, when I had overcome my weaknesses with God's strength. To this day, I can still remember that it was my proudest moment, even surpassing that of my graduation day.
Comments