I started out my career as an editor for a travel magazine. I didn't really mind the work, but I wanted something more challenging. My sister sent me some details about a content management position in a digital reading company. The job was a seemingly perfect mix of my skills and interests, so I jumped at it.
However, soon after I joined the company, its model changed to focusing on education, and everything about my position changed. I was asked to take on the completely different roles of selling the products to teachers and training people. I had no experience in sales, training or education. On top of that, I'm an introvert (内向的人). I felt more than a little outside my comfort zone.
I knew I wanted to grow as an individual and make a serious impact on the company. I told myself that everything felt overwhelming (令人不知所措的) at first and I should at least try. In a way, I felt like I didn't have a choice. I knew jumping out of the nest was the right thing for me, even though it felt pretty awful.
I was fortunate to be surrounded by very helpful people, both at work and at home. My best friend reminded me that I had taken huge leaps of faith in the past and told me I would pull through just fine. It also helped that my boss seemed to have more faith in my capabilities than I did. She never asked if I thought I could do it; she only asked if I was interested in trying.
I spent hours researching my company's products. I asked lots of questions and spoke to so many teachers and there were soon more good experiences than difficult ones. I looked for opportunities to put in extra effort. The more I did, the better I felt.
Over time, I discovered that the job was something I could do and liked doing. It was incredibly rewarding to see the company grow and know that I had something to do with its success. Sure, I made mistakes and took on more than I could handle. But I also learned that it's important to take risks and accept new opportunities, even when you're not sure whether you'll do well. I don't think there's anything worse than failing because you refuse to even try. I'm so glad I tried, and know I'll do it again.
