My years in a foreign trade company (1)

In 2006, I officially graduated from a second-rate university, majoring in international trade. My city is an ancient port city and a popular tourist destination.

Naturally, I went to a foreign trade company easily, because there are thousands of such companies here. Of course, there are few companies like Big Mac, and not everyone can go to overseas business department of Haier Hisense. Most of them are mom-and-pop shops or self-employed.

The first company I graduated from was a mom-and-pop shop. Looking back, the first company is really important, that is, it laid the foundation for me to work in the mom-and-pop store for the next three to five years.

My boss has a primary school education and his wife has a junior high school education, but this has not affected them to become entrepreneurs who can support more than a dozen people.

My boss's family background is simple. He worked as a factory worker at the age of 15. Because he was young and eager to learn, he later became a skilled worker. Later, he jumped to a company as a quality inspector. Later, he mastered some factory and customer resources through various channels and went out to work alone.

When the proprietress married the boss, she was a shop assistant on sale.

By the way, the English of both the boss and the proprietress stays at "What's your name?" Stage, at that time, they can already achieve one year100000.

When I first came, my boss told me that your job was to attract foreign customers. It's simple here. We have all kinds of software here, such as Ali, such as AliExpress, Barabara, and another one, that is, every Thursday afternoon, I teach my boss English and the textbook New Concept Book 1.

I thought to myself, damn it, I'm so tall, such a young and reliable guy is my boss, and he wants to worship me as a teacher.

On my first day at work, I trained first. The proprietress threw me a big and thick vocabulary book. There are also some basic industry standards for technical terms in this industry. At that time, we were in the furniture industry, and our customers were all suppliers of IKEA.

In the first week, I basically went through all the thick professional vocabulary, and finally learned that there are hundreds of trees in the world, and I also learned that a bench is really not nailed by two hammers.

The next week, I cleaned the furniture. You are not mistaken, yes. The boss rented a 500-square-meter space under the office building for storing furniture. Here, I mean the underground garage, dark, closed, never stolen, guarded by a heavy iron gate. There are all kinds of furniture, from small shoes and stools to exhibition stands to large wardrobes and double beds.

My job is to carry a bucket of water, a pile of rags and waxing tools in my hand, start cleaning from the first small piece at the door, and then move everything outside the garage, next to the garden under the office building, so that I can bask in the sun at home and avoid long hair.

This work lasted for a week, and my arms were sore every day when I came home.

I still remember the first day after work, I was too tired to move. When I returned to my station, I heard my boss say to him in the room: I just came here and have no job, so I can't be idle anyway.

My tears fell reluctantly.

Putting down my attitude and accepting the reality is my first lesson after graduation. Although I was wronged at that time, I didn't have any strengths, so I must cherish it as long as I have the opportunity to exercise myself. In this process, it is the first step to strengthen yourself by tempering your heart and character and doing this first.

In fact, after graduation, 90% of people can't enter central enterprises or big cattle companies, and most people can only enter very general micro or small enterprises. Without system, corporate culture and welfare, how can we judge the development of the company?

Still myself, the first month of graduation soon spent in memorizing words, cleaning furniture, waxing furniture and learning to pack.

The next month, the Shanghai exhibition, before we left, the boss suddenly said, this is our first time to participate in a large-scale exhibition. Your salesmen should dress well and consider making their own uniforms.

Oh, dear, we are leaving in three days, and then we said we need to make some clothes. At that time, online shopping was not as crazy as it is now. Another colleague and I are running in major shopping malls, and the uniforms we can see cost 400 to 500 yuan. At that time, my basic salary was only 800 yuan. Later, we found a tailor's shop, chose very cheap fabrics and added more money. Nobody makes suits and skirts.

The day before the exhibition began, we arrived in Shanghai and our company began to arrange the exhibition. Other companies just brought some representative furniture. We went to a whole truck and brought 120 pieces of furniture, all of which are footstools, folding chairs and display racks, which are our strengths. All the furniture was assembled by our little girl at the exhibition site.

Now that I think about it, there is no place to stay in the exhibition hall, and there are many footstools, large and small. How do you feel?

Set up a stall

Later, I learned that the boss's pattern basically determines the tonality of this company. Such a boss, even if he has achieved a turnover of millions, always only looks at the present when dealing with employees and customers.

On the day we met, I immediately found that the day when I studied CET-6 or even passed TOEFL on the battlefield was shit. Although I used to understand the VOA at regular speed, I almost wanted to die when I introduced the electric massage chair. The angle of massage chair can be adjusted by electric remote control, so that our professional imported Thai latex pad can perfectly fit the curve of your cervical vertebra and lumbar vertebra.

My tongue, my mind, is as chaotic as a knot.

At the exhibition site, all I said was spit, but I often didn't understand what I meant or didn't know how to say it at all. The most terrible thing is that people from all over the world speak different accents and often listen to me in a daze. Finally, I can only passively hand over our product introduction.

At the end of the first day, I was severely reprimanded by my boss, and I was deeply wronged.

The situation was similar on the second and third days. Every night, I am so tired that I have to quickly sort out my business cards and write down the products that these guests really want based on the memory of the day.

Because of my poor performance at the scene, I still went to the cellar to clean the furniture every day for a week after I came back from the exhibition. Not only that, I also started running errands for the boss's wife. Like taking their only son home.

For the first time in my life, I understand that the workplace is not easy and it is difficult to move forward.

I finally realized how impetuous I used to be.

When the business of the furniture company is very bad, an opportunity comes.

In my hometown, my relatives have some strength. Because I am the eldest daughter of my family, they think I should not be subordinate to the self-employed, so they come to help.

I got an interview with the assistant general manager of a listed company. It's not so much an interview as a default, because the chairman is my uncle's comrade-in-arms.

I don't want to leave the island city, but I think this is an opportunity. I hesitate to go back to my hometown to see the chairman.

It was a high temperature of 38 degrees that day, and the elaborate makeup was completely spent. I was sitting in the office of the chairman of Nuoda University, and the white-haired old man looked at me from behind a big desk ten meters away. A random question asked me: Why do you want to work in our company?

Because I have always felt that it is a predetermined relationship in my bones, I can say that there is almost no preparation. I don't quite remember my answer. Anyway, after I finished, I bowed my head with inferiority and felt that I had screwed everything up. I was frightened.

Later, I went back to the furniture company and kept convincing myself that it was strange that others could take a fancy to you because of your bear appearance. After more than half a month, I came back and said I could go to work. It stands to reason that I should be elated, but because I didn't do well in this small company before, the interview that day was very poor, so I hesitated and didn't agree immediately.

The personnel department found my hesitation and mercilessly lost the following. After all, the average person can't ask for such a fat price difference. What are you hesitating about?

This is me, 23 years old, I can't see clearly or understand.

Every step is stumbling, and I dare not make any choice in the process of chaos. I don't believe in myself, and I don't believe in others.

I finally understand that I can only blame myself for not being strong enough in my heart if I can't seize the opportunity.

After working in a furniture company for three months, I want to go more and more strongly, mainly because of money. The company gave me an internship for half a year, which means I only earn 800 yuan a month.

I already feel too poor.

At that time, students had already started to attend exhibitions in Dubai, Europe and America, and their income was already four or five times that of me.

Every time we talk about it, they say that the starting point of your company is too low.

After setting up a stall at the exhibition, I also clearly understand that the boss just wants a long-term worker with a degree. I don't have any platform, he is the only one standing on that platform.

I started looking for a job and wanted to ride a donkey to find a horse.

I also secretly went to several interviews, but I couldn't tell anyone happily every time. HR, as long as you can use me, I can report tomorrow.

There is a little selfishness, because several customers who contacted from the exhibition at that time were trying to contact each other. Some foreigners always say: I remember you. I'll call you when I have an order.

For these promises, subconsciously, I won't give up my present job first.

Time passed in a little hesitation. After half a year, I finally became a full member, moved in with the registration card and handed over the files, which also laid the groundwork for my complicated resignation procedures.

Later, I missed Jin Jiuyin's 11-year talent recruitment activity. At that time, I had some work experience and was still very young. It should be easy to change jobs. Too bad I missed it.

On the other hand, I finally found a new owner in 65438+February.

My former colleague told me a month after I left my job that your Irish customer placed an order for a container the day after you officially left your job.

I cried when I heard the truth.

Therefore, the mentality of college graduates is really important. If you vacillate, it's really a fairy who can't help you.