I want to talk about us, hijabi girls, getting a part-time job, while we’re at university or a high school. It can be a bit scary going through a job with a hijab on, especially if you live in the West kind of feel a bit of judgment going for a job.

I see that so much with my friends who are hijabi and they haven’t gone for their first job because they’re scared of that. Here are some steps to help you:

1- Being Confident

I remember when I went for my first job while I was wearing the hijab. I was so scared of what my employer would think, what the people around me would think… And I was so worried about what they would say about my hijab, I wouldn’t get hired because of my hijab.

And I want you to get that mentality out of your brain right now girl! Because you can and you will get a job with hijab, and you’re going to be employed with the right people.

Some people might turn you away because you wear hijab. It happened to me before because I was wearing hijab on my head. But now I’m working at a beautiful cafe with some beautiful people…

I’ve been told by people before: “You’re not going to get a job because of this thing on your head!” Well, look at me now, I did. I went and got three, four jobs with hijab.

You just got to be confident in yourself because if you’re confident it radiates from you.

2- Have Some Sort of Skill Set

First, if it’s your first job, maybe you could get some volunteer work.

I know in Australia, we have to do some part-time way, it’s a part of our curriculum at school. So that is a way to get something on your resume, to get some skills or you could do maybe a short course like I did a Bristol course…

You just do a little bit of research and having some skills really helps a lot.

3- Well Written Resume

You’ve got to put together a good resume to give to your employer. So, you want to have like the skills listed at the top, then like your past employment way even put your volunteer work… That’s what I did on my very first job.

You need to have a good references that could even be put your Imam on that, put your local church priest on that… find some good strong references so if you’re called up by your employer, they can say good about you.

Having good strong references is very recommended and very important.

4- Be Straight Forward

Say you’re working in the hospitality like I do. It is a big thing when you’re Muslim, you can’t serve alcohol, it is Haram. So, on your very first shift, point out to your manager that it’s against my religion to serve alcohol, I just can’t do it. There are certain things that you can’t do, lay the law down from day one.

5- Be Mentally Prepared

Some people are scared of the hijab and what it represents. I can guarantee you a hundred and ten percent in your working life that someone is going to come up to you and have questions about your hijab and your faith.

Read: Returning to Work as a New Muslim

When people do ask you questions, give your best answers. You don’t have to give Dr. Menk or Dr. Zakir Naik perfect answer, but give the best answer you can if someone asks you a question about hijab. This is your life and this is what you believe, you have to be confident in it.

And don’t be scared when people ask you, people are curious and they want to know the truth about what the true Islam is, not what the Islam the media shows.

6- Be Motivated

If you really want to get a job, you’ve got to be motivated. You’re not just going to write up your resume and hand it in to the first employer that you see and get hired, that’s not how it works. You’re going to have to try and try and try again before you do eventually get somewhere. If you get it on your first round, you are talented. But you have to keep motivated…

Read: 4 Tips to Wear Your Hijab Safely in the West

I just want to motivate the girls out there that are thinking that they want to go work at their favorite shop or want to go work in their favorite cafe, you get up and go. Do it because you can. And if any person tells you that you can’t, you tell them khadijah, Prophet Muhammad’s wife, used to run a successful business and she used to be so respected among people when she was working.