‘Take a chance, you’ll be glad you did’- Avery Trim Jr.

“ACCEPTING failure doesn’t mean being proud of it. Acceptance is understanding that you hit an obstacle and now need to figure a way around it – by shaking off the negative feedback, absorbing constructive criticism, and moving ahead in an innovative, exciting way.” This is the belief of Avery Trim Jr, a 29-year-old, U.S-based Guyanese who, from experience, has learnt that taking career gifts can often times lead to a lifetime of happiness.

Underscoring the importance of taking career risks, Trim, who hails from the mining town of Linden, said often times persons are afraid to take such risks but like the famous quote, he believes that “it is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.”
After graduating from the Mackenzie High School, it was as though success followed him. He had made his mark while working at the Hand in Hand Insurance Company, Toucan Call Centre and on the Celebrity Cruises before migrating to the USA in January of 2016.
When Trim learned of an opening at TD Bank, he thought long and hard. It was outside of his comfort zone but he soon came to the realisation that when making career choices there are risks that ought to be taken.

“I wasn’t the best candidate for my initial role at TD Bank, but the person that hired me saw my potential and decided to take a chance hiring me. If it wasn’t for the person taking that risk I would not have had the opportunity to build my career,” Trim told the Pepperpot Magazine, as he shared his life’s experiences.

Like any profession, there were many challenges and disappointments, but for this father of one, it was important for him to get up and try again.
“Having no knowledge or background in banking, I took a risk. I was offered a position and was provided with limited training. I spent a considerable amount of time trying to complete a certain task, only to find out that it wasn’t good enough. What I thought was excellent was actually “failure” in the eyes of others. I was faced with the harsh reality that I was not a SME (Subject Matter Expert),” he said.

Today, he is a Customer Support Analyst at TD Bank and wants young men and women like himself to know that it is okay to take career risks.

“If you took a risk and failed, at least you took the risk, it may not have gone as planned, but you don’t have to let one mistake, failure or negative feedback steer you from your ultimate goal which is success,” he posited. “We consciously take risks every day, so why do we often over think or maybe even under think the role risk-taking plays when it comes to the advancement of our careers? It may seem counterproductive to actively seek risk. But by not searching for opportunities that challenge our abilities, how do we expect to grow and stand out from the crowd?”

He continued, “There’s a lot more to success than salary and title, and the road to the top isn’t always linear. A successful career is about taking the opportunities that provide benefit in the long run, even if there’s no immediate return. It’s about finding the right challenges that strengthen our abilities, give exposure to new environments and connect us with the right people.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHANGE
He is a strong believer that accepting and adapting to change will set people apart.
“Taking chances isn’t just for when you’re looking for a new opportunity; risk-taking is just as important when you’re happy in a role and have no desire of leaving. At some point, you’ll be asked to take on tasks that differ from what you signed up for and doing so will give you the opportunity to get noticed and ultimately, get ahead,” he added.

Trim said that taking the easy way out is not always the best option while arguing that it is often when people act outside of the box, that they advance, even beyond their expectations. These risks, he believes, also help in overcoming fears.

“If you are willing to be challenged, that implies that you are also willing to accept failure. Risks aren’t easy, they’re challenging and failure can be a probable outcome of taking one. Not many people realise just how many careers have been created from failure,” the US-based Guyanese pointed out, as he sought to prove his case.
“Next time you’re offered a task, a role or an opportunity that makes you think twice, take a chance – you’ll be happy you did.”