"Don't Worry. Take Your Time."

By Deng Yume

Changsha in February slowly awakens to the scents and sounds of spring. At that time, I was a fresh graduate, young and full of vigor. Hopeful towards the future and longing for a career, I chose my starting line — NMFIRE.

As someone once said,“One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.” In college, I majored in accounting and learned the theory behind my major, but I lacked practical experience. This meant that I had to start everything from scratch. My position is responsible for transaction accounting, which requires many table applications, such as interspersing between various tables, cross-checking data, applying formulas, etc. I knew there was a lot I needed to learn, and that I would have to work hard. But I aspired to grow. Fortunately, my colleagues found my level of proficiency to be acceptable. Under their guidance, they patiently waited for me to take notes and gradually increased my workload according to my performance. Whenever I encountered difficulties, my supervisors and colleagues would patiently comfort me, saying: “Don’t worry. Take your time.”

Recently, I went out with several college classmates to reminisce about the past. Some had yet to be employed due to the current job market. Some were dissatisfied with their company and had changed jobs. Some had switched careers entirely due to such high stress at work. When it was my turn to share my current employment situation, I still remember the proud smile on my face.

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In mid-May, just prior to becoming a full-time employee, I was working overtime with my supervisor until 11:30 pm. This was the first time I had worked overtime so late. My supervisor always told me, “Don’t worry. Take your time.” to ensure my work was accurate. When I went to clock out, I asked her,“Ms.Qin, have you signed my full-time application form?” She joked,“You’re working late and still thinking about going full-time?” I blurted out, “Yes, I’ve even dreamed about it!” She smiled and said, “Then there’s nothing to worry about.” On our way out, Ms. Qin patted me on the shoulder and cheered me on. That night, I slept sweetly and soundly.

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Now that I am an official member of NMFIRE, I have taken on the additional task of reviewing expense reimbursements with the trust of my supervisor. I started to collaborate with colleagues from different departments, and they fully understand my work. Whenever I ask questions, they are always willing to help me solve them. I really enjoy this kind of mutual understanding.

NMFIRE is a platform for me to pursue my dreams and gives me a sense of home. For fresh graduates, if a company can provide food and accommodation, then 80% of the difficulties in daily life are solved. NMFIRE provides more than just these things. The leadership’s care for employees is beyond imagination. I remember on Women’s Day, March 8th, the company not only gave female employees half a day off, but also distributed gifts. There have also been various other holiday benefits, heat subsidies, cold drinks in the summer, etc. At NMFIRE, I can effortlessly pursue what I value most in life. And for that, I am grateful to NMFIRE.

.Su Shi once wrote, "It has been ten years since we parted ways, and we cannot bear to miss each other. But you will never be forgotten." This is a testament to ten years of love. Cao Xueqin continued writing even when in poverty and wrote the masterpiece "Dream of the Red Chamber", pouring his heart into every wordㄡ This is a testament to ten years of hard work. In "The Ordinary World", Lu Yao dedicated ten years of writing to describe the changing of the times. This is a testament to how we grow and change. The past ten years for NMFIRE has been a decade of growth and a decade of taking flight. I will continue to work hard performing my duties. At the same time, I will look forward to another 10 years with NMFIRE.

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