When Polish born Magdalena Bisewska, 40, moved to Belfast in 2005, she didn’t have a clear vision of what she wanted to do or what she enjoyed doing.
Armed with an aspiration of being a Board member, Magdalena felt restricted by her severe lack of confidence and fear of not having English as her first language.
“In general I strongly support the idea of active citizenship and since I moved to Northern Ireland I have always tried to be very active in my community.
“Being a Board member was something I always wanted to do but I thought someone with my experience and skills as well as speaking with a foreign accent would discredit me because I’m not originally from Northern Ireland,” she said.
Putting her worries aside, Magdalena knew the Boardroom Apprentice was something she had to be a part of and went ahead with her application and successfully secured a place on the 2020/21 programme.
Each year, interested applicants must submit an application which outlines why they are interested in joining the Programme, what three individual boards they would like to sit on and why.
“The application is quite straightforward but it took me a bit longer because English isn’t my first language and I wanted to use a professional tone to increase my chance of being selected,” she explained.
At the time of completing the programme, Magdalena was a busy mother of three children working part-time as a Constituency Office Manager for a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. As a result of this, she had to manage her time effectively in order to make the most out of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Throughout the 12 months, Magdalena was able to live out her dream when she was selected to sit on the board for Extern, an experience she looks back on with great pride.
“I was on the board with Extern, which is a social justice charity that has many exciting projects. The organisation supports people who are most in need by transforming their lives and empowering positive change. That was definitely close to my heart and the whole experience was amazing. Everyone was so committed and worked so hard trying to change things for the better.”
As part of the unique board learning programme, founder Eileen Mullan devised a series of training days that run synonymous with the board placements. These training sessions are led by Eileen or other industry professionals who provide each apprentice with information on everything from finance, communication, questioning, partnership to governance.
For Magdalena, the training she received as part of the Boardroom Apprentice was what led her to uncover a new-found confidence in herself.
“My knowledge has expanded so much because every day was about a different subject. The training combined with the board placement in Extern has equipped me with the skills, experience and what is more, the confidence that I needed to feel that I can now be a board member. It was also amazing and very encouraging being around like-minded people who like me wanted to play their part and make a difference.” she said.
“The programme has been a fascinating learning experience and I can definitely see that since it ended, I got rid of many of my insecurities and my confidence has really improved.”
Like many of her peers who have come through the programme, Magdalena shares the same sentiment towards Eileen, describing her as an ‘inspiration’.
“Before I signed up for the programme, I read that Eileen mentioned you should be prepared to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. And I think that’s exactly what life is about, feeling the fear and doing it anyway. We only have one life and I believe we should try to make the best out of it by pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone to explore our potential”.
When reflecting on her entire experience, Magdalena believes that she has found her voice which has opened up several doors for her both professionally and personally.
“The Boardroom Apprentice has given me so many opportunities. I found that due to my experience, knowledge and increased confidence I had the tools to set up the residents’ association in my local area which aims to represent and promote the interest of the residents, make their voices heard and create a connected and safe community.
Encouraging others to find their voice too is also something Magdalena feels particularly strong about as the Boardroom Apprentice actively promotes boardroom diversity and challenges preconceptions about those who sit on boards.
“Before I joined the Boardroom apprentice I thought that only people with years of experience and holding senior positions sit on boards. But I’ve realised I was wrong as we’ve all got something to contribute, we all have something to say. I would encourage anyone to apply and be open to this amazing opportunity to join the Programme which creates opportunities for people from all walks of life who never thought they could be a board material. It will be a fascinating learning experience that you will never regret.”
Applications for Boardroom Apprentice are open until May 24, 2022.