How to get closer to what you want

I know that for a large part of my life, I’ve been afraid of asking. Because I feared rejection. And, because I didn’t believe that I deserve good things. Good things seem to be reserved only for the very best: those who worked super hard, or have an outstanding portfolio, the list goes on.

But recently, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and dared to ask for “greater” things: things that I actually want or aim to attain. Perhaps because I have greater self-confidence now. So here is a list of some things I had asked for and the outcomes!

#1 Asking to have my articles published on school platforms

When I wrote my series: “NUS BIZCOM DDP Seniors Sharing”, I understood that as an individual, it would be hard to get my articles to its intended students: freshmen. Hence, I asked NUS Students’ Computing Club and NUS Bizad Club if they were keen to publish or share my articles on their social media platforms, since they have a (much) larger student following. In the end, although NUS Bizad Club turned down my request, NUS Students’ Computing Club agreed to share my article series on their Instagram, Facebook and even their Medium publication: SoCollab! I’m very thankful that they were willing to be on board this “mini-collaboration”.

#2 Asking to have my articles published on Medium publications

As I took writing more seriously, I desired my work to reach more people. One way I knew to do so was to submit my work to publications. The problem was that I wasn’t a writer of any on Medium yet. So, I responded to “Write For Us” articles and sent emails to chief editors, even though I was not a “big shot” writer of any sorts. I’m so grateful that I was added as a writer for “Be Yourself”, “Dare To Finance” and “The Orange Journal” in July! Several of my articles, not just one, made it to the publications! That’s a milestone that I’m really very proud of.

#3 Asking to apply for a job

In mid-June, I applied for a fresh graduate software engineering role at a MNC. I sent in an enquiry via the company’s website and shared my top few achievements (in a summary) in the message box, even though the careers page did not have any fresh graduate roles available then. I thought chances were low and I would at best hear from them after one or two months. To my surprise, I was contacted by the tech recruiter within a week! After an initial talk, she set me up for a series of interviews. Within a month, I was offered a full-time role commencing in 2023, yay! Undoubtedly, I’m very thankful for this opportunity given to me.

Ending Note

Asking can (& will) lead us to good opportunities. It can be a scary thing, but the courage to do so can (& will) bring us to great places!

Thank you for reading!