USER
Compress to within 500 words ：In my diverse career, I have gradually realized the importance of building and maintaining a professional network. I firmly believe that this is crucial for my future career development.
During my time as a secretary at the Afghan embassy in China in 2018, I was mainly responsible for consular tasks such as visas, passports, and criminal record certificates. Through these activities, I had the opportunity to meet professionals in China’s education, construction, and telecommunications industries, as well as many outstanding Afghan businessmen and students. Additionally, I often organized or participated in diplomatic events with our embassy’s diplomats. I organized events such as Afghan musical performances and international charity sales, which allowed me to meet professionals from different countries and fields. These connections have positively influenced my future career development. For example, I met Javid, a diplomat from the Indian/Pakistani embassy and an Algerian chargé d’affaires, at an international charity sale in October 2018. I also met Mr. Chang, a teacher from a Beijing Normal University affiliated high school, during an Afghan musical performance on February 7th, 2018. Both of them provided valuable advice or opportunities when I was seeking a new work environment. Through Mr. Chang’s referral, I eventually entered the field of international education by joining the Beijing Normal University Affiliated High School International Department.
Even after leaving the embassy, I continued to participate in various diplomatic events organized by the embassy during my free time, aiming to make more friends. For example, at an event held at the U.S. embassy in China on May 12th this year, “Exploring Many Stories of the United States,” I had the pleasure of meeting the artistic U.S. diplomat Theo Wood, and we later became best friends.
Networking has not only played a crucial role in my career development in China but also during my working holiday period in Australia. During my time in Australia, I tried to contact my previous manager from my overseas trade work and eventually secured a job selling metal products in Brisbane. While working, I frequently used online platforms like Facebook, Gumtree, and eBay to promote and communicate about our products. Offline, my team and I often visited surrounding farms with samples, inquiring about customer demand and introducing our products. We successfully coordinated online and offline sales, with the highest monthly sales volume reaching AUD 100,000. In my spare time, I established an Australian product purchasing group as a side business. Initially, it involved only my friends and family, who also helped promote it in their social circles through word-of-mouth. As our prices and services were competitive, we gained a good reputation, and they brought their friends into the group, resulting in more than 100 members at its peak.
Due to the pandemic, I was forced to return to China from Australia. At that time, finding a job was incredibly difficult. However, through the referral of Professor Xu, whom I had met during my previous work, I successfully joined the Beijing Institute of Technology’s Institute of Ocean Information. I helped our institute maintain close scientific research collaborations with other institutes and the military. By showcasing our research achievements and participating in bidding, we successfully received many orders. For example, at the Golden Dolphin Marine Communication Equipment Expo, we showcased our equipment, presented promotional videos, and distributed brochures to the visiting guests. We gave explanations about our equipment to every visitor, and ultimately secured a CNY 1.78 million order from the Submarine Academy. We also coordinated teachers and students to write bids, ultimately obtaining a CNY 5 million contract from Northwestern Polytechnical University. Within my two-year tenure, the product sales orders reached CNY 20 million, and I was eventually promoted to administrative supervisor. Additionally, my previous experience in international high schools helped me build strong relationships with the students at our institute. I frequently participate in their activities, listen to their voices, and help them with their difficulties in study and life. This has earned me their trust and positive feedback.
My work in international trade, diplomacy, and education has not only enhanced my cross-cultural communication skills but also made me adept at building bridges between diverse cultures.
In the future, I hope to utilize my network through various social platforms such as WeChat Official Account, Xiaohongshu, Instagram, etc., to promote the leadership of my friends, colleagues, and students and to promote academic and cultural exchanges and cooperation between the UK and Beijing Institute of Technology. For example, I could organize lectures or group discussions, inviting scholars and industry experts from the UK to discuss and exchange ideas with our school’s teachers and students, thus enabling everyone to have a better understanding of British culture and educational philosophy and inspiring more students to study in the UK.
ASSISTANT
In my diverse career, I have realized the importance of building and maintaining a professional network. This has positively influenced my future career development.
As a secretary at the Afghan embassy in China, I met professionals in various industries and organized diplomatic events. These connections led to valuable advice and opportunities. Through a referral, I entered the field of international education at the Beijing Normal University Affiliated High School International Department.
Even after leaving the embassy, I continued to participate in diplomatic events to make more connections. At an event at the U.S. embassy, I met an artistic U.S. diplomat and we became best friends.
Networking was also crucial during my working holiday period in Australia. I secured a job selling metal products in Brisbane and used online platforms to promote our products. We coordinated online and offline sales, reaching a monthly sales volume of AUD 100,000. I also established an Australian product purchasing group, gaining more than 100 members through word-of-mouth.
Due to the pandemic, I returned to China and faced difficulties finding a job. However, through a referral, I joined the Beijing Institute of Technology’s Institute of Ocean Information. We maintained research collaborations and secured orders through bidding. Our product sales reached CNY 20 million and I was promoted to administrative supervisor. I also built strong relationships with the students, earning their trust and positive feedback.
I hope to utilize my network through social platforms to promote leadership and academic and cultural exchanges. For example, I could organize lectures and discussions, inviting UK scholars and experts to exchange ideas with our school’s community and inspire more students to study in the UK.