My best friend Weiwei says that I haven’t grown up because I like to ask my parents’ advice before I make decisions. She’s right, and I usually follow my parents’ opinions after I ask them. As far as I remember, I only made one decision by myself, and I took a great risk in making that decision. It was about three years ago, and I decided to change my job. My parents didn’t support my decision, and some of my friends thought I was crazy. I knew it was a risk, but I still did it. Three years ago, I was a nurse and working at a famous hospital in China. All I had to do was obey doctors’ orders to take patients’ blood pressure and give them intravenous transfusions. The work wasn’t difficult but very boring. I felt I like a robot following every order without thinking. I felt I was losing myself. At that time, I decided to change my job. I needed a job I could be passionate about and make me think. When I told my mom my idea, she was angry. “Don’t do something stupid,” she said. “Nursing is a good job because it’s very stable. Now the economy is not very good. It’s very hard to get a job like that. If you quit this job, you will regret your decision.” I was disappointed that my mom didn’t support me, but I didn’t give up. I started searching for jobs that I could do, and I realized being a medical representative would be suitable for me because this job was related to my major. Then I quit my job and started interviewing. My interviews were not successful at first. Many companies required sales experience so that new employees could work by themselves quickly. I couldn’t find a job for two months. During that time, I was under a lot of pressure. My parents blamed me for quitting the job at the hospital. They suggested that I go back to the hospital, but I refused. I asked my friends to introduce me to some medical representatives. I talked with those representatives and asked them how to answer the interview questions. I prepared the answers for common questions and memorized them. I used strategies in the interviews that followed. Finally, I got an offer from Lilly China. At Lilly, I was well trained, which gave me more confidence. I learned sales skills, overall planning and designing skills. I learned how to express my points and how to have academic discussions with doctors. Through working, I felt I was valuable. I wasn’t a robot anymore. While I was working at Lilly, I got the Top Sales honor for two years. I made more money than I had as a nurse at the hospital. At that time, I knew I had made the right decision. I was the winner in the adventure.
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Taking a Risk for a Better Job