Embrace, Adapt, and Grow: Key Lessons from My International Career Journey
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Starting a career can be daunting, especially when you’re just stepping out of school or university. My journey from China to the Netherlands, then to the UK for studies and work, and finally into entrepreneurship, has been filled with unexpected turns and valuable lessons.
My journey wasn’t planned, but I don’t regret seizing the opportunities that came my way. By trying different things, I learned about myself, my passions, and my dislikes—one of my biggest life lessons.
A bit about my career progression: After finishing school in China, I studied International Business Management in the Netherlands and then participated in an exchange programme in the UK. After my studies, I started my career in digital marketing before moving to a full marketing agency and eventually launching my own business.
Here are some key moments and insights that shaped my career and may help you navigate your own path.
Seizing Opportunities
Growing up in China as a dedicated student, I never planned to study abroad. However, when the chance to pursue a degree in International Business Management in the Netherlands arose, I took it. This opportunity was terrifyingly exciting—I had never left my parents or taken a plane. But the allure of the wider world drew me in. Reality hit hard on my first day in the classroom when I was asked to present a paragraph in front of the class. Despite my high English test scores among my Chinese peers, I hardly understood anything in the textbook, let alone presenting. I ended up standing there, presenting my tears instead.
A similar situation occurred when I took the university exchange programme to come to the UK after a year in the Netherlands. I thought my Dutch-accented English was good enough to blend in with Western students, but I experienced another cultural shock upon landing in the UK.
Looking back, I was daring. I took the chance to go to the Netherlands and then to the UK. If I hadn't stepped out of my comfort zone, I wouldn't have had the international pathway I have now. However, stepping out of my comfort zone is only the first step; it taught me not to take the situation for granted and not to take myself for granted. I need to be constantly learning and adapting to new situations.
Discovering What I Don’t Like
In my university years, we had the opportunity to take a one-year internship anywhere of our choice. As a Chinese student, it would have been simpler to get an internship back in China, but I decided to stay and look for one in the Netherlands, a tough task for international students. As my maths wasn’t too bad, I managed to secure an accounting internship at Mattel. It was a choice of what I could get, not a choice of what I liked. In fact, I didn’t know what I liked. I just wanted to gain real experience and pass my internship.
Although I initially felt proud of my first real job in the Netherlands, I soon found myself bored with accounting and spending more time in Mattel's shop and warehouse. I was fascinated by the toys and how Mattel could develop so many products and stories that shaped childhoods for generations.
At first, I thought I had wasted a year, and everyone else was ahead of me, but now I am so grateful for that year at Mattel. I discovered what I don’t like and started to discover what I do like. To me, that was equally important, and time has proven that the change to marketing was the right choice for me. One year of a mismatched internship has shaped my career.
Growth and Resilience
After completing my master’s, I was temping as a digital marketing assistant at an online job board. Digital marketing was fairly new at the time, so new that it wasn’t even a subject at university. I had to learn on the job, managing SEO, PPC campaigns, and content creation. Practising marketing in a real job was eye-opening for me, especially when I didn’t have a deep understanding of the new digital marketing. Therefore, while working, I decided to take a part-time study for a Chartered Institute of Marketing certification to deepen my understanding and boost my confidence.
But my career took another turn. While I was gearing up for more marketing, the company shifted its focus to sales, and I was facing the choice of leaving or adapting. With my international background, the company wanted me to stay and provide training if I chose to take on international sales. Although sales were another out-of-comfort zone experience, the opportunity was so great that I decided to embrace it. I took on the role of international sales for two years, and I found myself pretty good at it. Later, that experience and those skills also proved invaluable in my career.
Building on Diverse Skills
My passion for marketing took me back from sales to transition to a full marketing agency, which allowed me to leverage my skills in a dynamic environment. I developed a full spectrum of marketing skills while working on international projects, and I gained a deeper understanding of global marketing. As a UK expat, being sent on secondment to our clients in Sweden and China really built up my skills and experience. These secondments provided me with the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of how both the agency and client worlds operate, contributing to my perspectives in my current company, gigCMO, as a marketing consultant and Chief Operations Officer.
Embracing international opportunities in my early studies and career contributed to my ability to deliver projects around the world. As I discovered my passion for marketing, I consciously and unconsciously explored and learnt new things in marketing, continuously honing my skills to this day.
Key Takeaways
- Knowing What You Don’t Like is Equally Valuable to Knowing What You Like: Recognising what doesn’t suit you is as crucial as identifying your passions. This clarity helps in making informed career choices, as well as learning about yourself.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Try Different Things: Exploring various roles and industries reveals your strengths and interests. Every experience, positive or negative, contributes to self-discovery. Don’t be afraid of choosing the wrong thing. As long as it’s legal and legitimate, I don’t believe there’s a wrong thing to try. Any experience, whether you like it or not, will contribute to your growth.
- Keep Pursuing Your Passion: Staying true to your interests fuels perseverance and leads to success, even when the path is uncertain. Follow your heart.
- Work Hard and Embrace Opportunities: The best opportunities often come unexpectedly. Being open to new experiences and stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to significant growth. But always remember, work hard so that you are ready when the opportunity comes. When it comes, grab it, adapt quickly, and work harder.
Conclusion
Starting your career is exciting and is a unique adventure with its share of challenges and triumphs. Embrace the journey, stay resilient, and remember that every step forward brings you closer to your goals. Good luck, and keep pushing forward!
Siyuan Ren
Marketing Leadership🥇+ Business Growth Playbook 📈 + Knowledge Transfer 🤝
You can find out more and connect with Siyuan on LinkedIn.