Personal Statement
When I moved abroad to study in Marshall Islands, from my home in Fujian, China, one big connection to my parents was through their wholesale business, of which they had two stores on the Islands. While there, my parents urged me to just focus on my studies, as I needed to make sure to get a good education; however, I wanted to help them with their business. As someone who wanted a future in business, I asked them to allow me to learn about the business by helping them. Though they were nervous that I would slip in my studies, I could see they needed help, so they relented. I was able to operate the wholesale business right out of the junior high school there, so I was able to watch the business build from the ground up.
Because of this tremendous chance they took in me, I made sure to dedicate myself fully to the business. I am in charge of the whole store from day to night, handling orders, talking to clients and suppliers, and even making big-money decisions from time to time. I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility; sometimes it seems as though my family's future is resting on my shoulders. However, so far we seem to be doing well, and my parents' trust in me was very influential in making me feel comfortable and confident enough to succeed. The wholesale company does business internationally, and so I have met representatives from the US, China, Australia, the Phillippines, Malaysia and more; this has helped me get more comfortable with handling a wide array of business partners, all of whom have different needs and demands. While sometimes I do get nervous in the presence of people I have not met before, I just remember my parents' trust in me, and the trust that has engendered in my business associates.
I, of course, am not the only one working in the wholesale company - my parents still do the majority of the work. However, when they are busy on other matters, I am in charge; when they need my help, I make sure to make myself available to them. The opportunities that they give me to learn about business and administration are staggering, and I really feel as though I have a good grasp on the essentials of running a company. By learning from them and spending time with them, I have learned how personnel hirings and firings work, how to build a business from the ground up, how to handle customers and address their needs, and so on. I have gradually learned about every facet of this business, equipping me with a comprehensive look at how all components of a company like this work. I have learned skills like time management, accounting, organization and communication, all of which play in heavily in the operation of a business. In addition to that, years of experience with these skills have allowed me to hone them, and I am always looking to improve myself.
Ever since I was given this wonderful gift of trust by my family, I have learned to cultivate it into a comprehensive knowledge of how a business runs, from personnel to employee and customer relations, to logistics and payroll and so on. I feel tremendous pride in the success this business has experienced since I started taking this larger role in it. I know my parents (and employers) continue to be proud of me, and I have learned that trustworthiness and honesty, as well as a willingness to learn everything about a business, pays off.
