The first step of every journey

Now here's something for the fresh graduates out there or if you're joining a new company or even, 'veterans' like me who have earned the wisdom of hindsight. 

Who we learn or 'hang out' with from the start of our career has a big influence on what type of employee and team member you become at your work place.

People learn and do things in different ways. In college, we saw our friends who were nocturnal, ones who seemed to be studying all the time, ones who preferred group studies, ones who never seemed to study but always had good grades (aliens!) and ones who we call the 'last minute muggers' (yeah, yours truly included…..)

I have realized the way we handled assignments as students does not have quite as big an influence to the way we are at work, not as much as our first 'mentors'

'Mentors', it's a big word and associated most of the time with some formal appointment of a career coach. Well, it is possible that mentors are really who we choose them to be..who we can decide we want to learn from..observe and even, copy.

I have had the privilege of knowing someone in the earliest days of my career who was resourceful, never giving up when faced with a challenge, always believing there is a solution, rational and diligent in her work. I would like to believe that 'first step' pretty much 'moulded' the way I approach projects and goals at work.

Looking back, if I had hung out with ones that were always complaining (am sure you're thinking of someone you know now…), never wanting to go the extra mile and insisted of staying within 'my job scope'…it would be most likely I would have become the same..

And along the way, I've met a few more great people (and not so cool ones!) but I'll talk about those experiences next time!

So, remember this and be conscious of your 'first step'. And to my mentor, my sister, MJ…love you long time lah!

p/s: Happy Lunar New Year to those celebrating!