I am a very introverted person. I still remember clearly that on my first day, I reached the LRT Kerinchi station at 7:45 a.m. and arrived at the company by 8:30 a.m., even though my working hours started at 9:00 a.m. On that day, I wore makeup and contact lenses because I wanted to give a good first impression. Communicating with others has always made me nervous and is something I find difficult. I was extremely nervous as I stepped into Acestar but I tried my best to smile at everyone I saw.
When I first joined Acestar, my main goal was simply to fulfill my university internship requirement for about a two-month period. Before joining Acestar, I did some background research and learned that our CEO is a female entrepreneur. I remember walking into the CEO’s office on my first day and thinking, “Wow, I finally got to meet her in person.” On the same day, the CEO asked me what made me different from others. I confidently answered that my strengths were confidence and not being afraid of rejection. However, Ms. Natalie saw through me and realized that I was not truly confident in speaking and was afraid of making mistakes. Additionally, as I am not fluent in English, I tend to speak less than others. Meeting Ms. Natalie was a turning point in my internship—she clearly outlined what I needed to achieve and assured me, “I will make sure you learn something and break through yourself during these two months.” When she made this promise, I felt surprised and unsure, but I knew that she was someone I could trust, as she is both my supervisor and a CEO I deeply respect.
One of my tasks was to create an engaging and attractive webinar title. After proposing more than ten ideas most were rejected and I was close to giving up. At one point, Ms. Natalie even suggested reusing a previous title. Later, when I was asked to organize another webinar and propose a new title, I felt hesitant due to my earlier rejections. But I knew I had to keep trying. I decided to think outside the box and change my strategy. To my surprise, Ms. Natalie approved this direction, which not only validated my effort but also marked a moment of growth showing me that I was beginning to overcome my fears and develop greater confidence.
In addition, I remember being asked to cold call educators to invite them to join our webinar. I was afraid of speaking with people outside, so I always requested to make the calls in the meeting room. However, there was one time when I was forced to make a call outside, where everyone could hear me. I felt extremely nervous and lacked confidence, speaking so softly that the educator sometimes said, “Hello, I can’t hear you.” I even faced rejection or was scolded by some educators, for example, “Why do you have my phone number! Please speak louder.” At that moment, I realized that if I continued avoiding the situation, I would never get good results in inviting people and most leads would just say, “No, I’m not interested.” I was so worried that I wouldn’t succeed that I asked Benjamin, the Senior Business Development Manager at Acestar, for guidance. He taught me some calling techniques and told me, “You cannot let the environment control you.” Following his advice, I made my first call in front of everyone. To my surprise, the lead said, “Yes, I can join on that day, I’m free.” I was shocked and overjoyed it felt like a major breakthrough for me.
As my internship started to come to the end, I realized how much I had grown both personally and professionally. From being an extremely nervous and introverted person, I gradually learned to face challenges, speak with confidence and step out of my comfort zone. The guidance and support from Ms. Natalie and Mr. Benjamin at Acestar helped me break through my fears, understand my strengths and weaknesses and discover my potential. This internship not only allowed me to fulfill my university requirements but also gave me invaluable experiences that have shaped me into a more confident and proactive individual. I now feel more prepared to face future challenges and embrace opportunities with determination
