As a fresh graduate from college full of enthusiasm and invigorated with energy towards career development. I came across various options for employment, but only one caught my eye due to the challenge that it presented. I knew my academic qualifications placed me favourably for consideration for employment by various companies, but the offer from Bridgewater took me by surprise. The company is well known for its high turnover rates and its high-stakes policy that does not tolerate failure. Come to think of it, ironically my fear of failure made me take the job. Just like that, I took the job knowing in the back of my mind that I would not last a year before getting fired. 

I, therefore, took a job that I knew would not give me satisfaction. Nonetheless, I recall the pain that came with enduring the competitive and cut-throat working environment that I was exposed to at Bridgewater. It is this experience that made me focus on being true to myself rather than pretending to impress others. To that extent, at Bridgewater I was committed to embrace my weaknesses, my obligation was to live up to the truth contrary to my upbringing where I was taught to fake it until I make it. My resolve at Bridgewater was to stick to the truth and authentic self regardless of whether it would cost me the job. I, thus, stopped worrying whether I looked good or bad to myself or others and instead embrace my true self regardless of the consequences. 

I knew keeping up with staying true to my authentic self was going to be a task that would have a bearing on me through the emotional and mental pain to come. But, nothing could have prepared me for the reality that dawned on me for my pretence. I realised that I was pretending to be someone I was not; my weakness being fear of defeat. I would not bear the thought of appearing weak to my colleagues or myself all for the sake of maintaining a brave and competitive face in an attempt to secure my employment at the company. Admitting truth meant that I had to come face to face with my fears of emotional and mental torment not limited to a blow to my ego, facing dishonour, and having a bad day leading to the end of my career at Bridgewater. To that extent, that to me was a high price to pay. Therefore, my resolve became to ‘fake it until I make it.’ I decided that I would pretend to hold my cool and sacrifice the internal mental and emotional torment provided I was not on the retrenchment list at Bridgewater. 

I find this experience quite significant in the sense that I now realise that a job does not define who I am. In other words, I am not defined by whether or not I get fired from Bridgewater. My expertise as a financial professional determines my productivity and skills purely determine. I, therefore, resolve that in pursuit of my MBA I chose to be real to myself and others. Presenting myself in authenticity will save me emotional and mental torment that arises out of faking my personality to appear pleasing to myself and others. Hence, this is my new greatest commitment.