Date: 1 February 2025
Location: CEO Head Office
Recruitment Interviews, Round 3
The scene…
A young, well-dressed twenty-something enters the room. As he waits for his hand sanitiser to absorb, he makes warm eye contact with each member of the interviewing panel. He bumps elbows with each of them in a formal greeting.
“Please, take a seat!” the head recruiter urges. Glancing around the room, the young interviewee notices that the room is approximately twenty meters square and the seats are distanced at safe intervals.
The interview commences.
“So…a graduate of Calvin Christian School, class of 2020?” enquires the first panel member.
“Yes, this correct,” replies the interviewee. “The class of 2020 —they call us the Quarantine Generation.”
There is a moment of silence, where members of the panel exchange knowing glances. The interviewee swallows, stifling a nervous cough.
“I mean, please don’t hold it against me! 2020 was such a rollercoaster year—distance learning, adjusted timeframes, questions surrounding ATAR and University entry. I was worried about the health of my grandparents, my family’s business was under threat. I mean, you must remember—it was a terrible time!”
“Please allow me to interrupt you,” the head of recruitment interjects. “We remember 2020 very well. It was such a challenging year. But please don’t think that we hold this against you—in fact, you’ve made it to this stage of the interview because you’re part of the Quarantine Generation.”
“Imagine what 2020 will look like in hindsight. Imagine the conversations,”
“Um…oh, OK…” the interviewee stumbles.
“Let me explain,” continues the Head of Recruitment. “After 2020, our workplaces changed radically. Technology changed. We had to adjust our requirement for workers, we had to find creative solutions to make businesses recover in the years following COVID-19. The Quarantine Generation have become a key asset in our companies. They achieved education in a climate of uncertainty and challenge. They took increasing responsibility for their learning. They learnt through failure. They became flexible in the face of change and learned to accept circumstances that were beyond their control. They learned to sacrifice their own personal freedom in order to protect the elderly, the sick and the vulnerable in our community. They exercised compassion and creativity. They never gave up.”
The head of recruitment paused, cleared his throat and glanced around the room at his colleagues. “In short, the Quarantine Generation possess every skill and asset that I would look for in each of my employees, each of my friends and each of my children’s friends. They are a formidable generation.”
Imagine what 2020 will look like in hindsight. Imagine the conversations, the job interviews, the memories and reminiscing. What an intense patchwork of drama, heightened emotions, uncertainty and challenge. The scene I described above may be just a product of my imagination—but I wonder how much might come true?
In Romans 8:28, Paul urges his readers to understand that “all things work together for good to those who love God, who were called according to His purpose.” All things. The good, the bad, the unpredictable and unplanned, and the destructive. All things. This huge claim has been an anchor for my faith, especially recently as each day has presented new challenges and trials.
We are so thrilled to have the majority of our student community on campus, recommencing face-to-face learning. It has been such a joy to talk to students, see them spending time together and reconnecting with each other. We are proud of the way our students have adjusted to the changes and academic demands of this year and we remain steadfastly committed to supporting each student as they continue learning. And students, take heart. God is able to use all things for his good.
Stelle Carmichael – Head of Students