Overcoming Nerves to Find Your Voice at Work
Two months into her first job at Cisco, a young employee named [name not mentioned] signed up to be an emcee for DSE Famzilla, a family event celebrating employees and their families. Despite feeling unprepared and experiencing social anxiety, she decided to go through with it. Her co-host Harsha was a seasoned emcee who helped her prepare by going over the script line by line.
The day before the event, [name] confided in her brother about her nerves, but he reassured her that she could do it. The morning of the event, she got to the venue early and found comfort in the energy of the families arriving. She even had a chance to talk to a Senior Director of Engineering who made her feel at ease by telling her that DSE Famzilla was a 'safe space' where people could explore their interests.
When it was time for [name] to host, she followed Harsha on stage and initially felt nervous, but as she started speaking, she found it easier. Harsha helped keep her calm with his jokes, and when she had to introduce an engineering leader, he provided encouragement by saying it was 'flattering'.
The experience left [name] feeling proud and grateful for the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally at Cisco. She realized that sometimes growth happens because someone believes in you before you do.