It\u2019s easy to blend into the background, to be just another face in the crowd, sticking with a group and avoiding attention. It feels safer to stay quiet than to risk saying something imperfect. And when we do speak, we pressure ourselves to be polished to perfection, every word meaningful, every gesture intentional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I embark on my co-op next semester, I keep thinking back to the moment that started everything: the fall career fair. I was terrified of saying the wrong thing and stumbling over my words. So I had my friend go first to the recruiter at the company I had my eye on. I followed her \u201cpitch,\u201d echoing her general goals because I didn\u2019t trust myself to stand on my own. I walked away knowing I didn\u2019t stand out. The recruiter was kind, but I wasn\u2019t memorable, and I knew it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I also knew I really wanted that job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By pure luck, that same recruiter visited two of my classes in the days that followed. After each presentation, I walked straight up to her. No overthinking. No rehearsed pitch. Just me showing up, again and again. Polished? Absolutely not. But I was determined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The interview process ultimately came and went, and then, in the middle of another career fair, this time at a conference with over 10,000 people, I got the email: I got the offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Standing in that crowd with the job secured, something shifted. I walked into the conference career fair with a confidence I\u2019d never felt before. I spoke openly about what I wanted. I didn\u2019t try to sound perfect or impressive. I didn\u2019t memorize lines or mimic anyone else\u2019s goals. I just showed up as myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was more than enough. I made connections for future jobs I\u2019m genuinely excited about, not because I was polished, but because I was present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I\u2019ve learned through all of this is simple: the courage to be seen doesn\u2019t come from perfection, it comes from showing up anyway, even when you\u2019re scared. Even when your voice trembles. Even when you think someone else could say it better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t need to sound like you\u2019re in \u201cSuits.\u201d Real life isn\u2019t about the perfect quip. It\u2019s about being clear about what you want and standing in that truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the best part is, you don\u2019t have to do it alone. I leaned on my friends, their encouragement, their presence. And the more I let people support me, the braver I became. The courage to be seen grows from trusting your voice and allowing others to stand beside you as you step forward. Because once you choose to show up as yourself, unpolished, imperfect, and genuine, doors start opening in ways you never expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By: Fatin Rahman, Francis College of Engineering Well-Being Leader It\u2019s easy to blend into the background, to be just another face in the crowd, sticking with a group and avoiding attention. It feels safer to stay quiet than to risk … Continue reading