About Me:
- Born in Shanghai, 1980s
- Bachelor's degrees in Electrical Industry Automation and English Literature
- Worked in a German company for twelve years
- Enrolled in the MBA program at HHL Germany in 2018
- Graduated in 2019, currently working for a German company, overseeing marketing operations in the Greater China.
- Obtained permanent residency in Germany in 2021, relocated from Bavaria to Berlin
- Skills: Excel, Powerpoint, Tableau, Google Analytics, SQL, Python
- Work experience includes: Marketing analysis and reporting, Social Media marketing and analysis, Content Marketing, SEO, Visual content design, E-mail marketing and analysis, digital press design, etc.
After working for 12 years in a German company, progressing from a salesperson to a sales manager and gradually stepping into management, I noticeably felt a gap in managerial skills between myself and my superiors. Self-doubt crept in, and I realized this might be the so-called career bottleneck.
After much contemplation, I decided to boldly pursue something I had long desired but hesitated to do due to numerous concerns—enrolling in an MBA program in Germany. It was a chance for self-renewal, a crucial step for my future career, and I was 36.
Stepping out of my comfort zone, though a simple concept, demanded enduring effort and overcoming inner uncertainties about the future. Surprisingly, during this journey, I reaped a unique sense of freshness and accomplishment from new challenges. This feeling kept me hooked, and I fell in love with constantly challenging myself, embracing continuous learning and growth.
At the age of 36, I returned to campus. Like a sponge, I absorbed new knowledge, actively exchanged ideas with professors, and shared learning experiences with friends. This time back in school, with years of work experience behind me, I could better connect textbook knowledge with real-world practice. Yes, human experience is a continuous curve.
In 2019, as I walked onto the stage to receive my graduation certificate, I finally marked a fulfilling end to my campus life. Age is just a number; psychological growth and personal development stages better reflect one's cognition, emotions, and social maturity.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
This is a poem that I cherished the most during my student days, penned by American poet Robert Frost. Life is inevitably filled with regrets, for choosing one path implies forsaking others. However, what we can do is follow our inner compass, choosing the path that feels right at the moment. Following your heart can lead you to a future you never thought possible.
Nowadays, I never would have imagined that I would be working in a new field that I had longed to try but struggled to find opportunities in. Over these four years, in addition to the foundational knowledge from school and the worldly wisdom gained from years of work, I have also intensified my learning in an expanded skill set required for my job: market data analysis. With each analysis and summary, I can better determine directions for improvement. I am grateful to my past self for taking that decisive step, as it opened a door I had never seen before.
Where my next destination lies, I am uncertain. However, the only thing I know is that by taking a step forward, you can discover the answer. Regardless of the outcome, trying is always better than lingering in one place.
I finally understand that life is like a null hypothesis; you never know the correct answer, but with each rejection of a wrong answer, you get closer to realizing your true self.
Just like climbing a mountain, I can't see the summit; I simply climb and climb. Even if, in the end, I never reach the top, the scenery along the journey is still a kind of enjoyment.
