When I thought being a product designer is about getting into the big leagues
It was 2019 when I moved out of my home, packed my bags, and took the plane ticket from the Philippines to Singapore to work as a product designer in a decacorn startup.
It was a dream come true.
I can still remember gazing at Singapore from the skies above as we landed at its airport. I remember myself beaming with a smile as I walked past the immigration, knowing that this is real. I’m in! And I won’t forget that first day at work, where I came 5 minutes late for I got lost in the streets of Singapore’s CBD 😂
Those were the exciting and glorious days.
But things changed when June 2020 came.
The company has to go retrenchment due to a pandemic.
I was part of it.
When I received the email, I felt the world just crumbled down before me. The reason that brought me here will also be the reason for me to leave. And so the thoughts of “should I just go back to my country? maybe this isn’t it for me?” came into my mind. Maybe, I’m just not really for this. I’m not good enough.
Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to…
