Why you should never give up: My Singapore Journey

2017 marked my 5th year in Dublin and also the year I was officially entering my 30s. At that point, my boyfriend and I felt we needed a change and started planning our move out of Europe. Different destinations were on the plate, but we finally decided for Singapore. Why? Professionally, it would have allowed us to gain great experience in a new market and personally, well.... Plenty of travel opportunities and also better weather!

My partner was the one who got a job first. At the time, I completed the interview process to get an internal transfer within my previous company and, as everything looked good, I left Ireland and moved to Singapore as well. Guess what? After few weeks I was here, they told me they couldn't hire me anymore. I suddenly found myself in a new city, with no friends and without a job. Brilliant! Now what?

I went through all the phases of the so called Kubler-Ross Change Curve. My first reaction was a mixture of shock, disappointment and frustration. Then I started first blaming myself for not getting that position and then I started blaming others. But at some point I told myself "Things always happen for a reason right? If I didn't get a job there, it's probably for the better". So I changed completely my mindset and after 6 months I got hired at HubSpot. And I couldn't ask for a better place to work for.

Here 4 things I learnt during my journey:

1. Surround yourself with people that believe in you. I cannot deny I had tough moments along the way but I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend, my family and my closest friends always there for me. Without them it would have been a totally different story. Also, get rid of negative people that undermine or demotivate you! Just to give an example, I remember posting on a Facebook group asking for advice on best ways to look for a job in Singapore as applying online was quite unsuccessful. Believe it or not, 90% of the answers I got looked like these: "Find a job in Singapore it's almost impossible for an expat", "Government doesn't release visas anymore", "Just get married so it would be easier for you". If things didn't work out for someone, it doesn't mean they can't work out for you!
2. Keep learning and meet people. When looking for a job, it's easy to get stuck in there. What really helped me to keep going was reading books, taking online certifications and signing up for different events where I met people that eventually became my friends. It was at one of these events that I actually got to know the superwoman Jana Zizkova, founder of the She Loves Data Community, a non profit whose goal is to inspire more women to pursue a career in data. I loved the idea and decided to join this group of amazing volunteers that despite their busy lives in their actual jobs, work so hard to make this happen every day. Another group I started being part of while looking for a job is the Early Career Lean In Circle. I got to know the Lean In Organisation after reading "Lean In", a book written by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. I love this book so much and it was such an inspiration for me. I am so grateful to my friend Aim Kusuwan, founder of the Early Career Circle and Lean In Thailand, for giving me the opportunity of joining her circle, a group of women under 5 years into their careers who meet once a month to develop leadership and seek mentorship, sponsorship, and support for career growth. 
3. Be persistent. Funny enough, I got rejected 3 times by HubSpot before actually getting a job there. Despite the rejection, the more I was reading about this company, the more I knew this was the company I wanted to work for. I kept trying and trying and eventually my persistence and hard work got paid off.
4. Don't sell yourself cheap and focus only on what you really want to do in life. While I was jobless, I sent out almost 50 applications. Response was very low but I actually managed to get couple of offers for quite junior roles in companies I have never heard before. I remember I started thinking... Maybe I should just get it, better working in a not so good job rather than not working at all. But was it this what I really want to do in my life? Was it this my dream job? No! I gave myself 6 months to find the right job and also told myself "Do not sell yourself cheap, you can get a way better job than this".

Looking for a job can be tough, and being honest, I had many upside downs along the way. But I can finally say it was all worth it. I am now working in the company I really wanted to work for, a company with a great culture (HubSpot Culture Code speaks for itself) where I am surrounded by so many smart people. Every day I learn something new and I enjoy so much being in such a diverse workplace working with clients coming from different cultures and background. If you want to be part of HubSpot, take a look at HubSpot Career Page, we are hiring!