How Taking Every Chance to Learn Can Help You Find Your Niche

When I started at TransPerfect, I was terrified. I was hired onto the ContentLabs team with limited experience in content creation, and I knew there was a lot to learn. Being a recent college graduate with a broad business degree, I did not have years of experience to really home in on what I wanted to do as a career. I knew the things I liked doing, but not necessarily what I was good at, or if those areas of interest were even a possible career. 

My first few weeks on the job were filled with tasks that gave me a bite-sized feel for each area of expertise in our content team. Making mental notes as I went along, I was able to get a clearer, more defined vision of my career. Seeing others who had been in my same shoes, now thriving, led me to believe I could do the same. I enjoyed each learning opportunity and welcomed them with open arms. I was most surprised to find that I enjoyed designing graphics. Growing up, I always had an eye for aesthetics but couldn’t draw, so it was surprising to me that not only did I enjoy graphic design, but also I was good at it. If I hadn’t given myself the opportunity to learn, I could have ended up passing by my real passion. The best part of this is that TransPerfect believes in providing their employees a chance to learn on the job, so I didn’t have to worry about failing. 

Once I got the hang of the easy-to-use graphic design applications, I was trained on the basics of Adobe Illustrator, which I considered to be “the real deal.” I was so interested in knowing more and pushing myself to learn and grow, that I did my own research and taught myself how to use the application without needing assistance. I enjoyed the work I was doing so much that it felt like there had to be a catch, but so far, that doesn’t seem to be the case. 

After assessing my strengths and weaknesses in the different forms of content creation, I realized graphic design was the winner, even though I had never considered it before working at TransPerfect. In my mind, I was not artistically gifted, so I wrote off the idea of a creative future long before I realized I was good at graphic design. It takes people years to realize what they actually enjoy doing, and here I was figuring it out a few months into a full-time role. I didn’t even have to go back to school because I was training on the job!

The lesson I learned about finding my niche is to never write anything off, which is applicable to both a career and life in general. I thought a future in creative design was out of my reach and never pursued it out of fear of wasting time on something that could amount to nothing. Learning a skill, whether it ends up being useful to you or not, is never a waste of time. There are so many small passions inside of everyone that can blossom into something big with the right attitude and dedication to the craft. 

Sitting down with yourself to assess your strengths and how to apply them may not be quick or easy, but the fulfillment of owning your “thing” is well worth it. TransPerfect gave me a great opportunity to refine my skills, and I could not be more excited to see where it takes me. A year ago, I would have never guessed that a degree in business could allow me to be doing the work I am today, and it was right under my nose the entire time.
 
If you are looking to find your niche, our recruiters will be able to help! Contact us at sprecruiters@transperfect.com or check out the amazing opportunities at transperfect.com/careers.