Confidence!
There is a huge difference between my undergrad and grad life. During my undergrad experience, we looked for jobs nearer graduation. Now, we are already preparing for job seeking right after our grad program just started. Sometimes the game just kick-off before you're ready. And it's harder when you even don't know the rules.
On September 5th, Fisher hosted a big job fair at the Ohio Union. A large number of companies came to Ohio State and try to find their future employees there. The weather was pretty warm that day. I got up very early, suited up in a semi-ill-fitting suit, and reached the Union to attend my first professional job fair. Personally, I'm not nervous but confused, confused about everything, especially on how to network with employers. Though I spoke to many employers and they were kind and patient, I still felt not good because of my poor(er) listening and speaking abilities. This is a huge gap between me and employers. It not only let you miss important information, but can also challenge your confidence.
So, later that day, I made a phone call to Ran, a second-year MLHR student who is always willing to help. She told me that it doesn't matter if there are problems with your communication. Everyone would feel frustrated at the very beginning because you don't know how it works. You need to experience it to get experienced. Don't always focus on the short term results and just keep trying and learning. Well, after that call, I felt much better.
Over the next few days, we are having classes. I tried hard to talk to my American classmates, chat with them and find out what they're interested in. Every time I understood a joke from them, or even what I was saying made them surprised, I would feel like it was a positive achievement - and, as a result, gained a little confidence for myself. An offhand conversation or a simple body language from them can help me a lot because they want to talk to me even though I'm still working on my English. Thanks to Nick, Gabe, Dave, Jon, Sarah and so many of them, I start to feel confident again and ready for the challenge. :-)
Yesterday, September 10, the job fair for Fisher's graduate students was held on campus. This time I think I did a better job. I spoke to many employers for more than 5 minutes at a time. I could do more than just asking for e-mail addresses. I could deal with "language embarrassment" skillfully this time. In conclusion, I'm proud of every progress I've made now. Although there are still many problems and difficulties, I want my confidence with me all the time and believe I can overcome all of them in future. Being a Fisher student, the most important thing is to be confident. Then, go get better and better.