7_ChuW

November 23, 2010

Dear Professor Kim,

There have been many stories told by various parties on how difficult it is to work in the business environment. The results of how well or poor people perform in the business field varies from group to group. I believe there are many qualities one should have in hopes of being successful in the business environment. But I will list what I believe are the significant ones that any business person should possess.

Firstly, a person should possess confidence in themselves. You hear it all the time everywhere, confidence is the driving force to success. And I honestly believe it is true to varying degrees. Business is mostly about working in teams and a key component in making a team work is communication. A person needs to be able to confidently communicate his/her message across to people. If a message is not delivered with confidence then it could lead to unwillingness to follow through or a lack of trust from team members. If I was a manager who was in the process of hiring someone for a position in my company, and there were two candidates to choose from. Candidate #1 has a strong resume with lots of experience in the work field and candidate #2 also has a strong resume with similar attributes but lacks confidence; I would hire candidate #1. The reason is due to the fact that people with confidence are more likely to go that extra mile and is not afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone. And in the business field, I believe taking risks is one of the many sacrifices one needs to make.

The second quality one should have is optimism. A person needs to look ahead with belief that things are going to work out successfully. For instance, if a business deal is in the midst of failing; a person should not panic and assume it will not end on a good note. The proper way to go about instead is to keep on trying and believe that with your efforts it will make it work. Based on my work experience, I feel it is always a lot stressful and carefree when I work with a optimistic perspective rather than a pessimistic one. So I believe part of being a successful person in the business environment is carrying on one day after the other with optimism.

Lastly, a person should have a plan or goal in mind. I feel it is reckless to enter the professional world of business without an action plan. Generic plans such as I am here to work and make money simply do not suffice because that is the goal of anyone who has a career or job. A goal should be unique and filled with inspiration, something that will encourage the person to work hard each and every day. Once a goal is formulated, the person would have a better idea on what to do and how to do it.

There are many qualities to a successful business person, but these are the ones that ranks the highest in importance in my opinion. And these qualities are also essential to life outside of business. So everyone should bare in mind that with confidence, optimism, and a goal; a person could expect a road with endless possibilities ahead.

Sincerely,

Wilson Chu