Why I become a sale instead HR ?
I choose to be a international trade sale ? Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to be contacted on social media by a South African teacher I had interviewed three years ago when I was working as an HR Business Partner. It was heartening to know that this highly professional individual still remembered me. This encounter made me reflect on why I transitioned from the education sector to international trade. Many around me have also questioned this decision, wondering if starting a career in foreign trade at the age of 30 is too late. Additionally, my relatives are concerned about my marital status and future plans, given societal expectations in China.
Despite the less-than-ideal job market and age biases faced by women in China, I made this choice after careful consideration of various factors. I have always enjoyed working with children and teachers, as well as engaging with educators from around the world to find the right fit for schools. Similarly, international trade involves communicating with global partners and clients, albeit in a different capacity—now, instead of selecting teachers for schools, I strive to convince clients to choose us. I thrive on this challenge, and my family’s involvement in the trade sector provided a unique opportunity.
After working for four months in a garment export company, where I learned the basics of foreign trade, I decided to return home and embark on a new entrepreneurial journey. My father, who ventured into the gift box packaging industry in his youth, has built his own factory from scratch. Despite his limited English proficiency, he has maintained business relationships with international clients for over 20 years, a feat I deeply admire. The global economic environment has impacted our factory’s order volume, but my father’s relentless pursuit of new opportunities has inspired me to believe in the value of working for our family business over others.
Starting from scratch, I immersed myself in learning product knowledge, understanding production processes, and photographing our extensive inventory of box samples. I established an international website for our factory, aiming to tap into the global packaging market. I am immensely grateful to our Hungarian client who, despite the limited online presence of our factory, chose to trust me and initiated our first collaboration. This experience bolstered my confidence, reaffirming that sincerity and honesty can win clients’ trust.
However, the journey hasn’t been without challenges. As a novice in website development, I spent three months building and uploading products to our site, only to encounter a major setback when all content mysteriously disappeared. This taught me the invaluable lesson that professionals should handle specialized tasks, and cutting corners to save money is not always wise.
I have great confidence in our products and their quality. My role is to open up international markets for our factory and communicate effectively with clients. My father’s down-to-earth approach and integrity have shaped our business ethos. Returning to the workshop to learn about our products, I reconnected with colleagues who have been with us for over a decade, a testament to the factory’s unique appeal in Dongguan, a city teeming with factories.
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