For most of my life so far, I've felt like I was still in the early process of trying to prove myself.
Then a few days ago, I unexpectedly got an outreach email from a recruiter at Jump Trading, inviting me to a coffee chat. I was genuinely surprised, not because I thought it would dramatically change my career trajectory, but because for the first time, I felt a little recognized for what I was doing. Just a little.
I was quite nervous before the chat, but fortunately, the recruiter was very nice and friendly and they just wanted to know more about the talent pool in Taiwan. One thing got stuck in my mind: somewhere during the chat, I wanted to ask her something about Jump but wasn't sure if I should. I went with the polite, "if it's okay for me to ask." She responded almost immediately, half-joking: "Of course you can ask. The worst thing that could happen is I say I won't answer that."
I know it's the kind of line you've probably heard a thousand times. But it just resonated with what I've been experiencing lately.
I've always been the type of person who tells myself I'll try things once I'm ready and can be sure that I'll succeed. Then reality kept nudging me into things I didn't feel ready for: internships, fellowships, applications I wasn't sure I would qualify for. And each time, I came out a little better than I expected. The experience stretched me faster than waiting ever could have.
I'm still mostly in the proving-myself phase. I think I will be for a long time. But maybe the lesson isn't to wait until I'm ready. Maybe it's to keep taking chances along the way, and maybe that's the mentality to embrace if I want to achieve my dreams. (Whether that means ending up at a Quant firm or not)
That coffee chat reminded me that asking or trying is not as dangerous as it feels. The worst that can happen is that someone says no or ignores you. And even then, you still walk away having tried and grown from the experience. Just like one of my favorite quotes: "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among stars." I know it's technically scientifically confusing, but I believe the message is still valuable.