Job seeker: no need to start at the bottom of the ladder
Marek Gluszczuk is a multilingual real estate professional who is always up for an intellectual chat and a late brunch in one of London's parks. He is a vivid reader, an aspiring athlete and a person to go to if you need some help with your Excel spreadsheet at midnight. Most of all he is passionate about talent and giving back to the community.
My journey with Onpartu started...
My journey with Onpartu started in late December 2014. I was in my last year of my undergrad studies at UCL, and was doing the same the same degree as Paulina. At one of the Alumni events Paulina kind of draft me for Onpartu.
Getting involved meant...
When I first came to the UK, I was studying. I needed money to support myself while studying, so I worked in a bar. Most of the time I would be working with Eastern Europeans, many of whom had Masters degrees from their home countries. Working in a bar does not require this level of qualification, so really I felt it was a waste of their talent and potential. It is something that we see all over the world. People come to a new country, and think they need to start at the bottom of the ladder, rather than adapt their existing skills and experience, which I think is a real waste. Being an active part of changing this situation is why I got involved.
My Onpartu role is...
I am currently not as involved as I used to be, when I was doing a lot of research in Onpartu's early days. Now I help out whenever I can, attending the weekend sessions, like mock interviews, or attending events - trying to help keep the balance on an all-female programme. My most helpful superpower is being able to function on little or no sleep.
In my day job, I am responsible for ...
I work at a Real Estate Investment Fund that invests all over Europe. We purchase hotels, shops, shopping centres, offices and residential buildings, and my role is to analyse a lot of spreadsheets, and review leases and contracts. I am the only person on my fund who speaks Polish, which gives me the edge on some of our projects. European languages may not seem like they are valued here, but they are a very important part of the business environment here.
Volunteering with Onpartu provides...
The special thing for me is the people, from all different walks of life. Even the people on the training and mentoring team are learning from being a part of the programme as well. I think it is a great programme, and I am passionate about its purpose, which is why I help out any time I can.
My biggest learning so far...
My biggest lesson has come from listening to the stories of the participants, and also some of the mentors. It turns out that life doesn't always work out how you think it will, but you soon learn that hey, it's okay. It doesn't matter if it doesn't work out as you had thought, in the end it will always work out - usually for the better.
My most memorable Onpartu moment...
My most memorable Onpartu moment was helping the Onpartners with the mock interview workshop. It was an especially interesting learning experience for me, as I am usually on the other side of the situation. From this position, I learned to see and understand it from their perspective.
Talent is...
Talent is overrated. It is mostly due to hard work, and having an interest in something. If you are interested in something, and you are able to apply a bit of willpower - to sit down and actually concentrate on it – you will be much more successful than someone who is "talented", but does not work hard. Do they not say genius is 99% hard work?
Join Onpartu because...
It is a great programme that addresses a problem that I am deeply passionate about: foreign-born talent in this country not being able to reach their full professional potential. It is not only about actively working towards a solution to a social problem, but it is also a great way to learn new things, to meet new people, and develop new personal skills.
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