Finding My Identity Beyond My Resume

Growing up in China, I was taught that my value comes from what I achieve. Good grades. Good university. Good job. Good salary. The ladder goes on forever.

When I went to America for my CS degree, I met people who lived differently. They worked hard, yes — but their identity wasn't chained to their performance. I was fascinated and skeptical.

Through a series of conversations, a Bible study, and the patience of a mentor named David, I began to understand a different way of seeing myself. My value wasn't earned — it was given.

Coming back to Shenzhen and joining Huawei was a test. The 996 culture. The constant competition. The pressure to define myself by my title and salary. Old habits die hard.

But something had changed at my core. When I got passed over for a promotion, I was disappointed — but I wasn't destroyed. When a colleague took credit for my work, I was frustrated — but I didn't retaliate. When I saw a junior engineer struggling, I helped instead of competing.

My colleagues think I'm unusually calm. My manager says I'm the most collaborative person on the team. They don't know the full story yet. But some have started asking questions.

The journey isn't easy. Some days the old identity pulls hard — the need to prove, to achieve, to be seen. But I keep coming back to what I learned in that small apartment Bible study in America: I am loved not for what I do, but for who I am.

To any returnee reading this in the middle of a 996 week: you are more than your output. You are more than your title. And there are others in your city who understand this too.