My Most Nervewracking Work Experience

So you’re in a meeting room with all of your managers, going over an upcoming project for the next few months. You swear they’re speaking to each other in a completely foreign language, like Chinese or Swahili. All of a sudden, your manager stops and turns to you, saying “So this is your project. What’s your take on this?” You freeze, not knowing what to do or say. You have no idea where to begin since you didn’t understand a word they said since you all walked through the door. “Uhh… well… ummm…” is all you can say as they blankly stare at you, waiting on your input. work experience

All of a sudden, you wake up from this horrible nightmare. It was just a dream… right?

Not for me it wasn’t. That’s right, I am here to tell you I had one of those fear-gripping moments (something similar to the story above) and have survived to tell the tale. I made it through one of my most intimidating experiences I had ever feared would happen in the corporate world. However, I turned this horrifying moment into something that will pay dividends in the long-term. How, you ask? Read on.

So this meeting began as many other early morning requirements meetings have: Challenging to participate in due to it being so early in the morning and the fact that I’m still learning how to interpret requirements into system specifications. I was handed a template of one of the personalized paper forms we were about to create. The others in the room started discussing it, and some visuals ended up on the white board. Nothing unusual thus far. Then, all of a sudden, my manager, seeing I haven’t written down anything, comments on my lack of notes. His exact words were “I hope you’re taking notes, because this is your project!”

Talk about a “Deer-in-the-headlights” expression! As bursts of laughter erupted within the meeting room my mind struggled to comprehend what just happened. I was so lost! This meeting was for me? This is MY project? How did I miss that? Was it in the meeting notes? What do I do now? My mind was racing, and I could not stop this cycle of questions.

I was in an utter state of combined shock, fear, and humiliation. However, I was quick to realize that I can’t stay this way. Okay, just calm down, I told myself. I just need to focus on the task at hand. I need to take notes, and anything I don’t understand, I will just ask about later after the meeting. Unfortunately, as I regrouped and the meeting wore on, the project began to become bigger… and bigger… and bigger. What started out as a new paper form ultimately became a new process flow complete with new forms and a ton of system setup that I have never done before.

At this point, anxiety started to kick in, but instead of focusing on the mountain in front of me, I saw the opportunity in this. The reason I was handed such a massive project is because I was trusted enough to complete it. I’ve been given a project that only roles above me normally get. This must mean that promotion must not be too far away! Every time that fear tried to distract me, I held on to the thought that this massive seniors app project was good for me. So when the meeting finally ended, instead of walking out dejected, embarrassed, and defeated, I strode out with the confidence that God is getting ready to bless me mightily. The project has yet to be completed, but I will definitely update you all with the results.

However, I can already tell you that it WILL be a success.