This article is reprinted from English Help Network (www.english88.com) >
I worked in a big bank on Wall Street for more than 10 years, with stable high income every month. However, one day, I sat in that office with a glass ceiling and said to myself: "That's enough!" If I want to have a job that fulfills my dreams, I know I must actively pursue it.
I began to look for opportunities. I looked through The New York Times for new chances. My attention was caught by an advertisement. A large financial company was recruiting stock brokers. This was exactly the job of my dreams! Excitedly, I made several related calls and finally arranged an interview time with the vice president of the company's New York branch.
On the day of the interview, unfortunately, I had a cold, a high fever, and felt weak all over. But I knew I couldn't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I went to the interview on time and talked with the vice president for more than three hours. I thought he would definitely decide to hire me on the spot. However, he instructed me to further interview with 12 top stock brokers in the company. I almost fainted when I heard that! In the following five months, the enthusiasm of the 12 stock brokers towards me was cooled down to different extents. "You'd better stick to your current job at the bank," they advised, "80% of people can't last a year." Then, they added, "You don't even have investment experience. You can't do it."
The more they attacked my dream, the more determined I became. I was filled with determination and decided to make their predictions fail and realize my dream.
My final interview was set on a cold day in January. Five minutes into the interview, I could tell that the vice president didn't know how to conclude about me. I felt the opportunity slipping away between my fingers. He finally spoke up: "You must quit your job at the New York bank within two weeks and then sign up for a three-month training program. You must pass the training graduation exam in one attempt, or we still won't be able to hire you." Finally, he emphasized, "If you miss by one point, you might still be eliminated."
My lips were dry, and my heart was violently wavering. This job was my dream, but whether I could get it was uncertain, and the future prospects were unknown! However, thinking that opportunities always come with risks, and thinking that my courage might change my future, I made up my mind, stopped hesitating, and firmly said: "Okay."
According to the requirements, I resigned from my position at the bank and jumped into an unfamiliar area. After three months of training, I took the exam. The test site was on Madison Avenue, very close to where I would work if I passed the test. The examination room was full of computers, and the invigilator led me to a designated computer. Thus, one of the most important exams of my life was about to begin. They gave the start signal. I was extremely nervous, but as the exam progressed, I became increasingly confident. Three hours passed quickly.
It was time to announce the scores. I sat there sweating profusely, staring intently at the computer that held the key to my future life. I'm sure someone could hear my heartbeat. The screen flickered, and then a message appeared: "Your score is being processed, please wait."
The waiting seemed to last forever. The scores finally came out. I passed! I let out a long sigh of relief.
From that day on, I moved forward in one direction without looking back. My performance not only exceeded my own expectations but also surpassed the expectations of the manager who gave me the opportunity. He witnessed my personal sales performance increase by 1700%, and saw me become a guest on the "Wired Sales Award" TV show.
My experience verifies Thoreau's words. He said, "If a person confidently moves toward his dream, with the courage of burning his boats to strive for the life of his dreams, success will suddenly descend upon him at an unexpected moment."