Build Your Own Path

From a very young age, Joyce has had to face rejection be it in matters of matrimony or even workwise. But she never allowed these rejections to bring her down. She always managed to look past them as mere hurdles and jumped right over. She has always been independent and has been working ever since she graduated from college.

Coming from a typical middle class family where her father owned and ran a general store and her mother was a homemaker, Joyce has been the master of her own destiny. Her parents have always encouraged her and her brother to make their own decisions.

In spite of the encouragement that she always received from her family, Joyce feels that she still lacks self-confidence. This has been her constant struggle and she has had to work hard on building her confidence. She feels that approaching strangers and talking to them is not something that comes naturally to her. She has had to work really hard on this aspect of her personality, especially now since she is in the field of HR where she is required to not only interact with people on a day to day basis but to alsoreassure and counsel them if need be. She doesn’t consider herself a homemaker nor an entrepreneur. In fact, she proudly calls herself a working professional.

The scars of early rejection have remained with Joyce even if the wounds have healed. But she looks at them as life learnings.Today she can confidently say that whatever happens, happens for the best. She derives strength from the people who surround her. She says that these people have always been her anchor. They were there for her every step of the way even when she changed her career from being a secretary to being an HR professional and again when she decided to resume work after a sabbatical of two years.

She prefers to treat each day as a new day. This helps her tackle each problem with a fresh perspective without always relying on previous experiences that may cloud her judgement. One of her most satisfying moments in her professional life was when she was promoted within just one year of changing her job and career. It gave her a sense of accomplishment a much needed boost to her self-confidence. According to her, success does not necessarily mean big leaps and jumps in one’s career. Even crossing small milestones is the mark of a successful person.

Joyce’s life journey has been filled with ups and downs. When she thinks back, she feels that letting go of certain people and opportunities that came her way were some of the decisions she wishes that she could have changed. But then again, she prefers to keep her emotions in check and move ahead. Her financial and professional independence did however come at one cost. She was required to leave her daughter in the care of a children’s crèche while she was away at work. That is something that she is surely unhappy about but it was the demand of the time and she didn’t have much other choice.

Joyce strongly feels that a good educational background goes a long way in helping one establish a successful career. This gives one a solid foundation upon which professional success can be built.

While in office, Joyce works for an average of nine hours per day but now with the ongoing pandemic and the ensuing work from home options, she feels that she never really disconnects from work. It is continuous and nonstop.

Before we end, we asked Joyce to share some words of advice for other women who aspire to make successes of their lives and she said, “Never give up and stay strong cause you know that you can do it!”

We hope that this is just the beginning of a long, fruitful and successful career journey for Joyce and may she reach great heights.