Believe in the Company and the Product
“When you believe in a product, it shows.”
Have you ever heard that phrase before?
I heard it from one American businessman long time ago. He said that when you believe in something, it will affect your attitudes, perspectives, thoughts, and even actions. I totally agree on that.
Introduction
Hi there, nice to meet you! I am Joshua Hezer, currently a UX Researcher Intern at PT. Global Digital Niaga or you may know it as blibli.com. I am still waiting for my graduation on August from my beloved Universitas Indonesia. Majoring in psychology makes the door as a researcher open to me, I guess. But since I have two internship experiences in HR related field, being a researcher is actually getting me out from my comfort zone. I never thought I would be a UX researcher.
Why UX Research? Why Blibli?
Simply because I want to explore myself. I am still young, thus I do not have to rush things and I want to learn to get out from my comfort zone. It is easier for me to say that HR is going to be my career path. But what if I also like the job as a researcher? What if I meet so many amazing and inspiring people while I work as a researcher?
What if..
I do not like to live with that kind of question in mind.
Nowadays you can find UX researcher in many companies, then why I choose blibli.com over the other companies? Personally, I never apply to some random companies and then just wait to see which one invite me for an interview session. I like the idea of applying intentionally, which means I really want to be at the company I am applying. Thus, before applying, I do my research about the vision, mission, culture, core values, business model, and even who is going to be my leader at that company.
For those of you who do not know, blibli.com is one of the largest e-commerce sites in Indonesia. It values R-E-S-P-E-C-T (Risk taking, Excellence, Serving, Passionate & proud, Encourage growth & innovations, Customer focus, Teamwork) and has a B2B2C business model. When I read all of that, it resonates with me. I agree and believe in the values and with the business model. Jack Ma (co-founder of the Alibaba Group), on World Economic Forum 2017, when asked about the rivalry between Amazon and Alibaba said that
“I hope both (business models) are right, and because the world can’t have only one model. … the people who do the model, should believe in the model. And I believe what I do.”
It Will Affect You
Is it really important to believe in the company you are working? Based on a book I recently read ‘Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek, yeah it is. He mentioned about this concept called The Golden Circle. Basically, he said that to have a fulfilled life, we have to move from the inside out, from the inner circle to the outer one. The inner circle is ‘WHY’, followed by ‘HOW’, and then ‘WHAT’. The reason why people often dissatisfied with their life is because they move from the outside in. Every person (and organization) knows WHAT they do, but only some know HOW they do it, and even only very few know WHY they do what they do.
HOW is the thing that makes a person or an organization special, what sets them apart from their competitors. In business, we often use the word USP (Unique Selling Proposition). While WHY is a purpose, cause or belief. It is not about making money, because that is a result. WHY is the very reason a person or an organization exist.
WHY is a purpose, cause or belief. It is not about making money, because that is a result. WHY is the very reason a person or an organization exist.
Actually, every person has their own WHY. Likewise, every organization also has its own WHY. Simon Sinek explained that the goal is not to work in the most successful company, or the most popular one, or to build the one-billion-dollar-app, but rather to align your WHY with the company’s WHY (or if you are an entrepreneur, your WHY with your company’s WHY). Why is it so important?
In psychology, we learn about cognitive dissonance, a concept developed by Leon Festinger on 1957. Cognitive dissonance is an individual’s psychological discomfort (dissonance) caused by two inconsistent thoughts, especially an inconsistency between what we believe and what we do. And at this point you may already guess what will happen when you encounter such discomfort. You cannot truly perform at your maximum level when you are in that kind of dissonance, can you? Or even if you can, it will only take time until you burn out or want to leave the company (only on rare occasion, you can change the company’s WHY).
Simon also mentioned that it requires time to find our WHY and even more time to find a company which the WHY align with ours. Thus, it is okay if we are still finding, but do not stop.
Life as a Learning Field
So, what the takeaway? I want to say that life is a learning field. It is too boring not to explore yourself and be exposed to new things. Read books, travel to places you have never been to, meet new people and make friends, try an activity you have never done before. Never once cross my mind that I would become a UX researcher, but hey here I am now.
Closing
As a closing, I want to encourage my fellow 20-something friends. You don’t have to figure it all out in your 20s. Be brave to take the risk, get out from your comfort zone, and enjoy your-probably-most-productive time. But one thing for sure, always believe in yourself, the thing you do, and if possible, the place you work at. Cheers
If you’re interested in applying for a full-time position or intern as an UX Designer or UX Researcher, Blibli.com is currently hiring! Send your resume to recruitment@blibli.com and get the chance to work with other UX Designers & Researchers with their own unique stories.
