So today on the communication management pro seminar, my professors have invited Pat Wadors to share her experience and insights about her career. For those who has no idea who she is, you can check out her LinkedIn page. She has an amazing resume with various jobs in different industries. Though most of the time she worked as an HR (which she believes is the sexist jobs in the world), she has also been a salesperson, an analyst and many others. What propels her to today is curiosity.
Being a typical Aries, I am also a very curious individual. I have great passion for fashion, marketing, advertising, public relations, entertainment, arts and etc. Before I came to the United States, my goal was to try in different fields to see which one fits me best. I was deeply inspired and motivated by people like Pat and decided to follow my heart. I can’t say I have lots of amazing stories to tell, but at least I am on the right track. In the past six months, I have met some nice people, attended great workshops, and gained a better idea of who I am. Yet at the crossroad of my future, I suddenly became confused.
Yesterday I talked with my mentor Mark Grisby. I told him I had been searching for summer internship but had lots of difficulties. As an international student, I need sponsorship to stay in the United States. This is what makes things tricky. Even though I am qualified for many positions, my identity doesn’t allow me to pursue those jobs. This upsets me because for the first time in my life, I feel like I am an outsider. I don’t have absolute control of my life. When we talk about all those nice experiences we could get and the dreams we want to follow, there are also realistic problems that should not be neglected. In order to acquire sponsorship to get my H1B visa, I need to start looking for companies that might potentially be willing to sponsor me. Because of this, my choices became very limited.
Though I was sick and pretty tired this afternoon, I asked Pat about this. Should I still follow my curiosity and try my luck in different areas? Or should I compromise with the reality and work for a company that is likely to secure my H1B? Here is what she said to me, “I am a very practical person. For me, I would say you should solve the problem first, and then follow your curiosity. If you follow your curiosity now, you may lose other chances in the future.” I totally agree with what she said. Yes, dreams are good. Dreams are sexy, but sometimes they are also fantasy. At some point of your life, you gotta understand there are other issues that need to be done first.
But of course, I am not a pessimist ok?! I understand that it’s not the destination, but the journey that you should care more about. Pat talked about how she made mistakes and learned from those failures. This is another important lesson that I learned today. You have to pick up yourself after the mistakes you made. The attitudes you pick up yourself would determine how far you can go in the future. Be a learner. Be humble. And never have regrets!
This is also what Mark told me yesterday. “We all make mistakes, but we don’t need to pay the price forever.” I guess forgiveness is also very important. Forgive yourself, then move on.
I also resonate with Pat when she talked about the 3-5 years plan she made for herself. I used to do that too! The plan is about both your personal and professional life. You need to be clear about your worth. What you have mastered and what you don’t have. Also set an area for improvement, such as the things you have been interested in or curious about. This is really a great suggestion. My dad taught me about this before. I still remember my dad saying how he set the goal when he was 30 and how he achieved each one of them. With a big framework that leads you, things would be a lot easier.
I feel really fortunate to be able to hear some of the best advices from Pat this afternoon. Even though those advices seem common and familiar, it’s good to have people reminded you of what you should do. I guess that’s all for today. Thank you for reading this article!
If you like my article, please leave your comments below and share it on your social media! Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter too! Love you folks!
Xoxo, SweetConnie!
You might also like
I enjoyed reading this article Connie. I like how you’re willing to try new things and grow . It’s true life is about priorities, choosing what must be done first. Your mindset will take you far. The advice of “Be a learner. Be humble. And never have regrets!” is spot on. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Sab! I am so glad that you like it!! Thanks for your nice words. I will keep working hard :)))
I agree with the notion that we have to solve our problems first, then our curiosity. It’s hard to chase a dream when you can’t pay the rent. These days, we’re inundated with people saying we should “follow our passion,” but that’s not easy for 99% of the people on this planet — even educated professionals in developed economies aren’t always passionate about their jobs. While being passionate could mean happier people and perhaps better results — not guaranteed! — passion at work should be a goal, not a mandate. Most people just find jobs that pay their bills, then chase their passions in their spare time. Another downside to the passion mandate is that it makes too many young people think they’re failing if they find themselves in a job they are not passionate about. So I recommend seeking a job you’re passionate about, and if you’re lucky, you just might find it. But in the meantime, celebrate the fact that you have a decent job. Of course, if you hate your job, and it takes all your time and energy, and it doesn’t progress after a year, then by all means, quit. Otherwise, take pride in the fact that a company liked you enough to give you money and trust you with their brand, and that your job gives you the means and time to use your evenings and weekends to make your dreams come true.
Thanks Freddy for leaving such a long and sweet comment! I am so inspired by you! I totally agree with what you said. It’s true that “follow your passion” is sometimes a dangerous advice. I learned this from the book “So good they can’t ignore you” too. I guess what I have to do now is to build my skill sets while expanding my network. You are right that I should feel grateful for the company that hires me and allows me to grow. I’ll keep that in mind. <3
Have you ever thought about writing an e-book or guest authoring on other
blogs? I have a blog based on the same ideas you discuss and would
love to have you share some stories/information. I know my readers would
appreciate your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel
free to send me an email.
Hi!! Yessss I would love to. Thank you so much for reaching out!
I just tried to send you an email, but it failed to deliver. Could you please tell me your email address or just shoot me an email instead? Mine is conniezkx@gmail.com Thanks!
Nice blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it
from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog shine.
Please let me know where you got your design. Kudos
Hi there!Thank you for liking my design. I actually purchased the theme from themeforest. You can check it out!
Hmm is anyone else having problems with the images on this blog loading?
I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished
to say that I’ve truly enjoyed surfing around your blog
posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write
again soon!
Thanks!! I just updated an article today. You may want to check it out 🙂
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I
have really loved browsing your weblog posts. In any case I
will be subscribing to your feed and I’m hoping you write
once more very soon!
Thank you. I am glad you enjoy reading it! I will try to update more often!
Great work! This is the kind of information that are meant to be
shared around the internet. Shame on Google for not positioning this publish
upper! Come on over and visit my website . Thank you =)
Thank you!
Excellent article! We are linking to this particularly great
article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
Thank you for linking to my website! I will keep producing great content!
What’s up, after reading this remarkable article i am
also cheerful to share my familiarity here with colleagues.
Thanks! Glad to hear you enjoy the article. Keep following please!
Just desire to say your article is as astonishing.
The clarity on your submit is simply spectacular and i can assume you’re
a professional in this subject. Fine with your permission let me to snatch
your feed to stay updated with imminent post. Thanks a million and please keep up the gratifying work.
Thank you!!!!! <3
Wonderful blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News.
Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Thanks
Seriously, I don’t know. I guess you just have to keep producing great contents that attract people’s attentions. But thanks for your nice words!