A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles
Justyna Kozak works as an HR Business Partner at Euler Hermes-Allianz Group. She recently moved to Brussels where she lives with her husband and 2-month-old son.
My journey with Onpartu started... I first heard about Onpartu 2 years ago from Paulina who is a founder and dear friend of mine. I remember how enthusiastic and engaged she was telling me about her project of helping woman from Eastern Europe based in London to maximise their personal and professional potential. I first got involved last year when I helped Onpartu team to prepare for the mentoring journey and delivered a presentation on how to benefit most from mentoring practice.
Getting involved meant... The reason why I was keen to get involved was my deep belief in woman's hidden powers and talents and how those two can be unlocked by inspiring individuals. I also recalled myself coming to London from Poland 12 years ago and going through a long development journey which brought me where I am today and which still continues. I thought about all those people who supported my throughout this journey and motivated me to stay focused on my goals during difficult times. I remembered how insecure I felt coming to live in Western country, communicating in foreign language and building my life from scratch in a big multicultural city. Last 12 years was a great learning curve and I feel grateful for everything that happened to me but most of all for inspiring people I met on the way.
My Onpartu role is... Last year I helped Onpartu to prepare for the mentoring program and learn how to benefit the most out of mentoring practice from both mentee's and mentor's perspective. This year I am hoping to join the team of mentors and get actively involved in the scheme.
In my day job, I am responsible for ... I am an experienced HR Business Partner passionate about guiding business leaders how to bring the best out of their teams and have a positive impact on growth and development of their Staff.
Volunteering with Onpartu provides... Volunteering with Onpartu gave me an opportunity to reflect back who I was when I came to London 12 years ago and help women in similar circumstances to grow their confidence and self-belief.
My biggest learning so far...
My biggest learning curve so far is that empowerment is not about advising what is best for someone or introducing ready solutions. It is a journey of challenging status quo, being open to unexpected and most of all, being prepared to face 'ups and downs' along the way to self development. Volunteering with Onpartu helped me to look at job applicants from a different perspective, not only qualification wise but also considering potential and attitude.
Talent is... Courage, determination, commitment and heart
Join Onpartu because... You will meet interesting people and experience new level of satisfaction. And you may make a true difference in someone's life - isn't that great?
Our "Onpartu+I" series shares stories of people working behind the scenes.
To discover more click here.
