Wanna know how I asked out my Crush?
Have you ever asked out your crush? Have you ever had those doubts in your mind about what to say and how to act the next time they see you or you see them? You know you want to talk to them, befriend them and make them laugh at your jokes but the prospect of taking that first step, saying that first “Hi”, making sustainable eye-contact and making sure you have a good body language ( because you do not want to appear as if you are a Dear caught in the headlights), seems utterly insurmountable. I had a crush too and this is my story of how I -at last- summoned up enough courage and asked her out.
Well……… Not exactly.
If you have come across this blog because you were thinking about your crush and hence googled “How to ask out your Crush”, well lets just say you are in for a surprise because the “Crush” I am speaking of is the World’s leading Textile manufacturing company (Not a person and no, I am not weird like that) -Coats.
While browsing on internet for potential employment openings, I recently came across an internship opportunity which I felt was perfect for someone like me who was aiming for diversifying his experience after graduation and an internship in a company like Coats with its more than 200 year legacy of impeccable textile-based products that took care of its customers ever-changing needs appeared to me like a stroke of luck and a divine miracle. While researching about this company I also decided to check out who the HR managers, generalists and department Managers were (If only I had written down their names too, More on that later). With this research stored in memory, I went ahead and proactively decided to call the company and enquired the operator/receptionist about potentially suitable timeslots for an in-person resume drop. Since the location of the Company’s Corporate office was a major challenge and I had no personal means of transport to go there, thanks to online Bus transportation service Swvl I was able to reach there in time after stalking the available seats for a day. I had already sent out my resume and personalized cover letter at the specified email address and for a more personalized touch, I addressed them to the HR generalist I had just researched earlier.
The next day, on my way to the Head Office while I was practicing my Elevator Pitch, I decided to recap my research about the company one more time to make sure that I had a good understanding of their products and operations. I remember not being sure about the HR manager’s name.
“Was it Noha or was it Zoha?”
I also distinctly remember that I pushed this doubt out of mind hoping everything will be alright.
As I entered the office, the receptionist was a bit perplexed as to why I came there but the fact that I had already contacted the receptionist beforehand came in handy as I gave him a reminder of our previous phone conversation. He contacted the HR manager and stated to her the reason of my presence there. Upon hearing that I was there for an in-person resume drop, The HR manager herself came out to meet me and received my resume. I started giving my Elevator pitch but went a bit sideways and decided that instead of botching it up, It was better to present a smaller and concise version.
She enquired if I had submitted the online application& which department I was interested in and when I replied with “Industrial Engineering, Ma’am” . She informed me that they had already shortlisted the candidates for that department however there were other departments which were still open for my consideration. I answered that QA/QC and Engineering Department would be great fit for me which she jotted down on my resume.
At the end, I decided to thank her and said:
“Thank you so much for giving me your time Ms. Noha.”
“Actually its Zoha”
I apologized for mistaking her name, Thanked her again (correctly this time)and came back with whatever fragments of dignity I was left with.
Looking back at the events that unfolded, I can’t help but find the similiarity between Going for an in-person drop and Asking out someone you are interested in. There is always a fear of failure, a fear of rejection dancing devilishly in our minds. A million questions clouding our confidence and undermining our will to go out and put ourselves at the risk of rejection. No one likes discomfort and No one Likes it when people reject them, especially if this rejection comes from someone or someplace which you hold dearly close to your heart.
During these times instead of questioning what will I get or what will I lose?, it helps to question oneself what will I become if I didn’t face my fears?
There are a number of things that didn’t go right this time as this was my first in-person drop. My Elevator pitch needed practising, I should have researched this company in my spare time earlier and Instead of completely memorizing the names I should have written them down on a piece of paper and reviewed it before going for the drop, But the takeaway here is that now I know what went right and what didn’t only because I faced this underlying fear of rejection and went out to seek an opportunity that I really cared about. It wasn’t just gonna fall in my lap out of nowhere. If I hadn’t submitted my resume there is a high chance that my application wouldn’t even be considered for any other departments since I only had the option of choosing one department. If I hadn’t took this risk, I wouldn’t have learnt anything and still be afraid of rejection.
Here I would like to thank someone without whom the lessons I learned wouldn’t exist. Amal Academy thank you for pushing us to step out of my comfort zone, for setting deadlines which although can be quite hectic yet extremely essential to help us learn how to manage multiple tasks that aid in our growth, and above all thank you for equipping us to tackle challenges and overcome them successfully.
Oh!! and by the way did I mention that I got the call for the interview?
Wish me Luck for my date.
