Making the best of internships — What did Esther teach us about preparing. (Part B)
A few weeks back, I wrote an article on making the best out of internships, and I used Uncle Sam as a reference. If you have not read it, you can look at it here.
The last time I talked about how the key to our next level could be in that course we have refused to take, that meeting or networking event we have been avoiding or things that don’t even look like it.
What happens when you finally get the opportunity? I don’t mean the celebration and testimony that comes after getting the job, deal, contract, and all. As much as these are valid activities that I also engage in from time to time, I am referring to something many people fail to do after they get an offer or when they pass an interview. It is called preparation.
One person that has taught me how to prepare for opportunities after getting an offer is Big Aunty Esther. A little back story, a wealthy king disagreed with his wife, which led to separation, so the king wanted to remarry. So he asked his kinsmen to get him some of the most beautiful women in the land, and amongst these beautiful women was Esther. Esther was so beautiful that when the kinsmen saw her, they gave her seven female attendants to help her and put her in the best place to live for the following year. All these beautiful women went through beauty care for 12 months before seeing the King, but it was recorded that Esther found favour in the sight of everyone and the king.
As much as this achievement could be attributed to providence, I would like to point out some basic things that made Esther find favour from the beginning.
Esther had an Uncle called Mordecai, who adopted her as a child. This man worked in the palace, and he had been nurturing Esther for the palace since. Esther used to use the same oil the Queens were using. Mordecai would gist with them about the ethics of the palace. So when the King was looking for a wife, Esther found favour in the sight of the kinsmen because when they saw Esther, they did not just see a beautiful woman. They saw a woman who was ready, a “Queen.”
It was also recorded that during the 12 months of beauty care, Mordecai would come to visit Esther every day to know how she was getting along and also give her necessary information. Now it makes sense that when Esther finally met the king, she knew what to do, what to say, how to act such that when the king saw her, he saw a queen, and he put a crown on her head.
Now I ask you, how do you show up for the opportunities you get? Are you still reading and updating yourself after the interview? How much research do you still do about the company before starting the job? How much preparation do you do in the secret place even when you are sure of the offers and opportunities? How often do you show up prepared even though you are qualified? Do you still relate with Mordecai(s) in your life after getting opportunities?
I ask myself these questions regularly. Also, I do not want to become so used to success that I begin to treat it with levity. Just because it is your second or third internship, deal, job, or gig does not mean you should not prepare. Don’t commonize your opportunities. Try not to be over familiar with your past and present wins.
Esther’s preparation for opportunities saved an entire generation. Preparing for a chance helps you make the best use of the opportunity, and you being ready for an opportunity you already have could be the difference between now and your next level.
As I close this topic, I hope you make the best use of the opportunities that come your way, and I will be here, as usual, rooting for you.
My reference was taken from the book of Esther chapter 2. If you need me to pray with you over anything, feel free to send an email to adeyinkaerioluwa@gmail.com
