CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIP TALKS: Essay Writing on Leadership & Influencing #ChooseToLead

Main Ideas, Concepts, and Lessons

1) Webinar purpose and theme

• This session is a Chevening Scholarship talk focused on essay writing for leadership and influencing.
• It combines:
  • An overview of what Chevening is, its requirements, and the timeline.
  • Practical guidance on writing the Leadership & Influencing essay (for the EMP portion).
  • Real experiences from Chevening alumni, explaining how they approached leadership framing, application, and persistence after failure.

2) What the Chevening Scholarship is (overview)

• Fully funded by the UK government (UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs; commonly FCDO) and partner organizations.
• Designed for future leaders.
• No preference/priority based on:
  • Background (not limited to certain fields or demographics)
  • Field of study

3) Eligibility requirements (key points)

• Applicants must be Indonesian citizens.
• Must have at least:
  • A Bachelor’s degree
  • 2 years of work experience (or equivalent), described as 2,800 hours
• Work experience may include:
  • Full-time work
  • Internships
  • Part-time roles
  • Volunteering activities
  • Experiences during or after university (accumulated toward the equivalent required hours)

4) What the scholarship covers

• Generally covers:
  • Tuition fees
  • Living expenses
  • Flights to and from Indonesia/UK
  • Other learning-related costs (examples mentioned):
    • Visa application process costs
    • TB test
    • Health insurance
• MBA-specific funding cap:
  • MBA is described as an exception where coverage is capped at £22,000.

5) Benefits after being selected

• Joining the Chevening community globally (described as a large alumni network).
• Opportunities for internships while in the UK (example organizations mentioned: BBC World Service, among others).
• Alumni examples include leaders across many sectors (politics, business, law, journalism, etc.).

6) Application timeline (structured)

The talk presents a general timeline with two main stages:

• Application stage (form filling)
  • Deadline mentioned: November 7
• Interview stage
  • After application for shortlisted candidates (subtitles suggest around Feb–Apr)
  • Interview results/announcement suggested around June–July
• After selection
  • Pre-departure around August
  • Then departure to the UK (described as “around” late timeline, with yearly variation)

7) The essay / EMP focus areas (4 pillars)

• Applicants respond in approximately 100–500 words per relevant section (subtitles mention 500 words for the leadership/influencing context).
• The leadership & influencing topic is linked to broader EMP prompts.
• The four elements/pillars described:
  1. Why leadership & influencing (must be explained clearly in the writing)
  2. Networking and relationship building
  3. Study plan (what you will study and why it matters)
  4. Career plan / contribution after returning (what you’ll do and how you’ll contribute)

8) Method for writing “Leadership & Influencing” (STARSTAR)

The webinar emphasizes structure to keep the reading engaging and coherent.

Writing style guidance

• Be direct and answer the question (avoid overly long or decorative writing).
• Ensure the reader can understand your story from the first sentence to the end.
• Write authentically: don’t make things up; honesty can be tested in interviews.
• Avoid plagiarism.
• Avoid focusing on “our company/team”; focus on your personal contribution (“what I did”).

STARSTAR structure (recommended)

• S (Situation): the context where leadership and influencing were needed.
• T (Task/What you should do at that time): your role/responsibility or what you needed to accomplish.
• A (Action): what you personally did.
• R (Result): outcomes that show leadership and influence skills.
• Repeat/extend for additional examples if needed (STARSTAR implies two contexts/examples, though one strong context may suffice if it covers the requirement).

9) “Realism + ambition” framing

From alumni Q&A:

• Make the essay realistic by:
  • Using experiences that truly happened to you.
  • Not “overtelling” or exaggerating.
  • Choosing the most compelling experience that demonstrates leadership character.
• Still show ambition by:
  • Connecting the experience to your study plan and what you’ll contribute after returning to Indonesia.
  • Showing how learning in the UK strengthens your ability to solve your chosen issue.

10) What leadership means (correcting a misconception)

• Leadership is not about having a formal title/position.
• Leadership is about character and the ability to influence others toward positive change.
• Examples include influencing:
  • Superiors (e.g., convincing a boss)
  • Peers/colleagues
  • Stakeholders involved in implementing change

11) Guidance on “failure,” persistence, and revision

Alumni described:

• Applying multiple times (some failed before succeeding).
• Using failure as learning:
  • Prepare better for tests/interviews
  • Ask for recommendations
  • Reflect and refine the issue/story you want to address
• Advice against giving up:
  • Understand what you truly want from the program
  • Prepare skills (including English)
  • Keep aligning your application with your real motivations and issue focus

12) Reference letters / recommendation strategy (tips)

• Chevening requires two reference letters:
  • Typically one academic and one professional
• Recommendations should cover:
  • Leadership
  • Influencing
  • Networking/relationship building
  • Relevance to your proposed UK study
  • Your career plan and future contribution
• Practical suggestions:
  • Prepare letters from people who truly know you.
  • Commonly:
    • 1 academic referee (lecturer/professor)
    • 1 professional referee (boss/work partner)
  • If you can’t access old supervisors, other professionals/academics may be considered depending on circumstances.

13) Handling “experience recency” and repetition across years

• Prefer more recent experiences, because leadership grows over time and you must meet experience expectations.
• Reusing an essay across years may be acceptable if you:
  • Update with new experiences and learning
  • Don’t ignore new accomplishments or more relevant updates

14) Issue selection and connecting pillars together

Key takeaway:

• Your EMP narrative should consistently connect back to your chosen issue/problem.
• You may mention more than one issue, but the overall story must remain coherent.
• Alumni emphasized that the “common thread” across all four pillars is often the issue, linking:
  • the leadership example
  • your network building
  • why UK study is needed
  • what you’ll do after returning

15) Encouragement and closure themes

• Networking is portrayed as valuable and “not something money can buy.”
• Motivation messages included:
  • Never give up
  • Read guidance carefully (policies can change year to year)
  • Keep checking official information and attend future webinars/mentoring

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Methodology / Instruction Lists

A) Leadership & Influencing essay writing checklist

• Start strong
  • Don’t let the opening be generic; engage the reader immediately.
• Answer directly
  • Use an opening approach that clearly addresses what’s asked.
• Use structure, not randomness
  • Keep an order that reads logically from start to end.
• Use STARSTAR
  • Provide:
    • Situation where leadership/influencing was needed
    • Task/responsibility
    • Actions you took personally
    • Results demonstrating leadership/influence
  • Use two examples if needed, but note:
    • One strong, relevant context may be enough if it covers the requirement.
• Keep it authentic
  • Don’t fake experiences—be honest since interviewers may probe.
• Avoid plagiarism
• Avoid generic team wording
  • Focus on your contribution (“what I did”).
• Word count adherence
  • Guidance mentions ~100–500 words (and leadership explanation in one portion often referenced around 500 words).

B) “Realistic + ambitious” framing approach (from Q&A)

• Ensure realism:
  • Use experiences that actually happened.
  • Don’t exaggerate or “overtell.”
  • Include specific moments (e.g., unpopular decisions, skepticism you overcame).
• Ensure ambition:
  • Connect the leadership story to your study plan and what you’ll do in Indonesia.
  • Show your ability to execute improvements better after UK study.
• Choose the most powerful experience:
  • Pick the story that best demonstrates leadership character and influence.

C) Reflection and iteration advice (from alumni)

• Don’t rush writing.
• Draft → get feedback/reading from others (if possible) → revise.
• Don’t cram at the last minute.
• If you fail:
  • Reassess issue focus and improve the application—especially English/test readiness and clarity.

D) Recommendation/reference letter preparation

• Prepare two reference letters:
  • Academic referee (lecturer/professor/supervisor)
  • Professional referee (boss/work partner/client—someone who can testify about your professional leadership)
• Each letter should support:
  • Leadership and influencing
  • Networking/relationship skills
  • Relevance to the UK study goal
  • Career plan and contribution after returning
• A letter may be adapted for university applications with minor adjustments.

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Speakers / Sources Featured (identified from subtitles)

• Raras Network — Alumni officer, British Embassy Jakarta (host)
• Sis Puspita Ning (spelled various ways in subtitles) — British Embassy Jakarta presenter on Chevening overview, requirements, timeline, and writing guidance
• Ms. Uri Handayani — UGM lecturer (present in alumni discussion)
• Kak Rendeng / Sis Rendeng — Chevening alumnus (Master of Public Health, University of Glasgow; class 2021–2022 mentioned)
• Mbak Ari / Mbak Riana Handani (subtitles vary) — Chevening alumnus (Master of Disability and Social Policy, University of Leeds; class 2007–2008 mentioned)
• Mbak Rowena Rompas — participant/support role (helping with questions)
• Kak Mada — event support (mentioned as helping run the event smoothly, including sign language support)
• Kaka (sign language interpreter) — sign language interpreter (name not fully clear in subtitles)
• ISC / Indonesian Scholarship Consortium — community referenced as a promoter of the event
• ID Chevening Alumni — Indonesian alumni community referenced in closure
• Chevening official / British Embassy Jakarta — institutional sources
• Chevening website: www.chevening.org
• Chevening Indonesia YouTube channel — referenced as a source for rewatching webinars
• FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) — cited as funding body (UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs)