A few months after i started wearing my hijab i decided to apply for another job, i was a little bored in the role i was in and just felt i needed a change. I had just undergone such a huge change in my appearance, maybe this gave me some confidence to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.

I was happy when i received the email stating i had been selected for a job interview and to be quite honest i never even thought about my hijab as a barrier or something that i needed to worry about for this interview. It was only when a colleague and a family member said, 'this will be your first interview wearing a hijab, you may notice a difference'. This is when i started to think about it, and how i may now have a completely new experience of job interviews then i had before. Was this hijab going to be a barrier for me or an enabler. Well read on and you will find out.

So the day before i had my interview i was fully prepared, research had been done. I now needed to select my clothing, as i was now wearing hijab i wanted to also dress in a more modest manner. I decided on plain black cullottes (these are very loose fitting trousers) a purple shirt from Thomas Pink and a black blazer jacket. I felt the outfit looked pretty good even if i do say so myself, it was a perfect balance between modest and smart. I matched my hijab with the shirt (as you do ;) ) and my outfit was ready. I was interested to see how this experience would be but at the same time was nervous about it. Wearing a hijab is amazing, you feel liberated but the first few months are tough and i was still in that phase. You still miss having your hair out at first and you don't feel completely comfortable, for example the first few weeks i wore hijab i spent a lot of my day in the ladies fixing it up, my friends will smile as they read this as i am sure they remember. Anyway so i wasn't 100% comfortable with my new look but nonetheless i loved it and i knew from day 1 i had made the right choice and the reason for this is, ultimately this is a commandment from Allah, it is a requirement upon us. Doing something for the sake of your Lord will always bring nothing but good. I knew this. So the nerves of my interview and my hijab slowly faded. When you do something for the sake of Allah, you feel content. I DID!!

The day of the interview was here and guess what?? I got my hijab on and i felt confident. First ever interview wearing a hijab? It actually gave me even more confidence. I wasn't nervous, i was excited and i actually wanted to experience this and feedback to others who felt it may be a barrier. Remember at this point i wasn't to know if this would go against me or for me. Anyway so i had this new found confidence, i felt completely comfortable. The interview was great, i said all i needed to, i answered all they asked and i did not feel nervous once. Wearing the hijab made me feel strong, liberated and confident in myself. I got the job too! So that was a bonus! I told everyone that i felt more confident and wearing a hijab would never be a barrier for me!

So why am i writing this post? I know a lot of ladies want to wear the hijab but they all worry about how they will be perceived, and worry that the hijab will be a barrier for them in things like getting the right job, or even things like finding a spouse. I am here to tell it that is not the case! Since then i have secured many job roles, and have pursued goals. Obviously we all have ups and downs, i have too. With the recent events going on around the world i have faced discrimination, but this again makes me stronger. Stand upto the discrimination and prove to people that the hijab isn't worn by weak submissive muslim women, we are strong, independent women. Do not try and trample over us as we will stick up for ourselves and we will be the best we can be.

The hijab is a protection for us, it enables us to achieve our goals whilst at the same time pleasing Allah, only beautiful things can come of it.  Any sisters who are reading this, if you do want to wear hijab, wear it now! Don't say i will wear it tomorrow, or next year or when you get married or complete hajj. You want to wear it? Wear it NOW! i guarantee you, you will not regret it. It takes time to get used to it, but you won't regret it because it's for the sake of Allah. When you strive for Allah- only amazing things can come of it.

I am happy to say i was judged on my knowledge, skills and expertise and not how i looked on this occasion!

I hope this post can act as an inspiration to any of my sisters who are struggling and want to cover but  feel worried it will be a barrier. It isn't. It will bring you even more confidence!