NOTE: Thank you so much for the follows! Really did not expect it but I hope we will enjoy this ride together 🙂
Hello hello! I am due to write another blog post about my next new adventure.
So, here I am once again! Volunteered to be in an extroverted event. Again! Also, an event I could not have joined if it was not for my company… Again! I really was not kidding when I said that my company loves events like this.
This time the event was about engaging students who could be our future interns or warriors (that is how we dubbed ourselves in the company). So, we basically did that by participating as one of the sponsors of the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers’ Student Saturday and, the tradition is that we get to have a booth in said event as well.
To make things clear, I work as part of the People Department in the company. Obviously, interns and warriors are supposed to be our area of expertise and therefore, it would be completely foolish of us if we were not to take this chance to absorb possible fresh blood into our tribe. DISCLAIMER: No, we are not a company of vampires even though that did be quite cool.
Of course there would be resistance from Yours Truly. This event was a lot more difficult than the previous one, mind you. I only had to speak to my company’s circle in the previous event. This time, this event; we had to communicate with younglings (they are honestly just like, 10 years younger than me. But still!) AND also, MARKET our company to these pure souls.
Selling and marketing legit do not exist in my vocabulary, let alone in my skill sets. I mean, our company is kind of an amazing place to work in but, that does not mean I can convey that properly. I cannot even make a simple order for Char Kuey Teow back in Penang without stumbling all over my words, dude please.
But hey. New experience, I guess.
The other main reason I even join was to also back my team up. I helped with the preparation and coordination on what was needed, set up the booth, etc. This, I can proudly say that I did pretty good – because that’s my comfort zone. It was my first time setting up any kind of booth for our company, though and boy, it was fun! I even got to bond with this super cute intern we have now.
(The above was our creation heh heh)
Fast forward to the middle of the event, I was pretty good at avoiding confrontation with any students. It helps when your teammates were the ones actively engaging with them. I was just lurking at the sidelines to remind them about getting the students to fill in our feedback form.
There was a moment though, when one of us left to check out the competition happening at the other end of the building and, you know what? Suddenly, there were a group of students, just came flocking by our booth. I could not just stand there and watch my other teammate get overwhelmed… Or, risked the students leaving our booth because nobody is attending to them.
I panicked but I stepped up and tried my best to explain what our Internship Program is like and why is it special, not-only-just-making-coffee, etc and just for that, I am going to pat myself in the back. Obviously, I screwed up. I spoke too quickly, skipped the presentation slides reallll quickly, probably did not engage them well enough, yada bla bla.
After that, I sat and watched how my other teammate did it. How she presented to the students, how she built rapport with them, how she engaged them. I liked that she took the time and just patiently asked about the student’s life – gauging what the students really need – instead of ramming straight to the point of our existence in this event. You did be surprised by what you can learn just by pausing and observing.
So, I tried again when more students came over and this time, I hoped to apply what I had observed. What I can tell you is that I could literally feel that I am internally restraining myself very, very hard just to not speak like a bullet train. By the end of it, I think I did pretty okay! (And it was the student who rushed me instead hahaha) I can’t rapport yet but that is okay!
Small, small steps
Leading me to far, far planets
When I look back.
All in all, it was fun times. I even learnt how to disassembled a chair! (Another story, another time, maybe) I was exhausted, my back was aching, my head was pounding, my body could not last the evening but, those were just introvert symptoms. With some good, good rest, I will be brand new again.
Leaving my greatest learning:
Ask to listen. You may never know what treasures you can discover.
Thank you for reading, as always.
Just My Stories. 