Today marks two years since I hopped on a plane from Tokyo to Dublin for my first day at Liferay. Surreal doesn’t even begin to describe it! The global HR team happened to be holding a summit in Ireland at the time I was joining, so I was invited over to meet the entire team. My parents, meanwhile, went into panic mode—convinced I’d fallen for some overseas job scam (a real issue in Taiwan at the time). Luckily, it wasn’t human trafficking 😂 but the start of a career-changing journey for me.

Before Liferay, I spent two years in agency recruitment. I did okay, but often felt disconnected—promoting roles at companies I didn’t truly understand. That disconnect hit hard when a candidate I placed left her job after just a few months, sharing how badly she’d been treated. She had to scramble to find another role to support her family, and I couldn’t help but feel responsible. That experience shaped the kind of recruiter I wanted to become: someone who truly understood the environment I was hiring for and could confidently say, “I trust you’ll enjoy working here.”

In 2023, I made the leap into Talent Acquisition. Liferay took a BIG chance on me—a complete TA newbie—and entrusted me with recruitment for Japan, Singapore, and Australia. My very first challenge? Launching Japan’s first Software Engineer Trainee Program. We needed six trainees to start in January 2024. I joined in mid-September 2023. No roadmap. No precedent. Cue mild panic!

I went all in—job boards, referrals, university connections, LinkedIn outreach. Against the odds, we hired six trainees plus one bonus Associate in under two months. Watching them walk into the office that January was my first taste of how rewarding TA could be: not just making placements, but connecting people with opportunities that could change their lives. Each monthly check-in felt like a snapshot of their growth. From the anxious ‘I have no idea what I’m doing’ in Month 1 to the confident ‘I’m actually teaching others now!’ by Month 5—I couldn’t help but feel like a proud mom watching her kid grow—even though I’ve never had one, I’m guessing this is what it feels like🤣 Experiencing this kind of connection and impact—something I never had as an agency recruiter—made me certain I was in the right job.

After the Trainee Program, my role expanded—I recruited for a wide range of roles (often with tough technical and bilingual requirements that felt like searching for a unicorn in a desert😅), launched employer branding projects in Japan, and helped align our hiring processes globally. Beyond recruitment, I organized workshops, events, and company parties, and began building Japan's Employee Volunteer Program—a global initiative that gives employees paid time off to volunteer and donate to causes we care about (also one of the main reasons I chose to join Liferay in the first place)!

Year Two brought new milestones: a second batch of trainees in Japan, expansion in Singapore, and our very first hire in Indonesia—a rollercoaster ride, but a huge step forward for the APAC team. Closer to home, our Japan office has grown from 30 people when I joined to over 50 today!

But beyond the numbers, the biggest growth over these two years has been personal. Here are three important lessons I’ve learned along the way:

1) Trust is built through honesty—even conflict.
Being a VERY non-confrontational person, I used to think smooth relationships were the healthiest. I avoided conflicts at all costs, believing peace and harmony were essential to a comfortable workplace. But I’ve learned at Liferay that respectful disagreements can actually deepen trust and build respect. Unlike agency work, you can’t “move on” from a difficult hiring manager or stakeholder—you grow the relationship instead, sometimes through disagreements and hard conversations, and earn their confidence through your actions.

2) Feedback is a gift, not an attack.
It’s not always easy to hear, but opening my heart and mind to all sorts of feedback has pushed me to reflect, improve, and grow in ways I never expected. At the same time, I’ve learned that providing thoughtful feedback is just as important—whether it’s guiding a trainee, supporting a colleague, or helping a hiring manager navigate a tricky situation. Giving feedback with care and clarity not only helps others grow, but also creates space for honest, two-way conversations.

Working on this “feedback muscle” hasn’t just helped at work—it’s made me more upfront and honest with friends and family too. Not always easy in Asian culture 😂 but it’s been worth it, and it’s taught me that growth really does start with being willing to speak—and listen—honestly.

3. When there’s no roadmap, create one!
Being the first and only TA in this region has meant a lot of trial and error. I’ve had to get creative, stay resourceful, and trust my judgment. Now, I feel confident tackling larger problems—even ones I’ve never encountered before. The best part is seeing how small experiments and calculated risks can make a real impact—not just for the business, but for the people we work with. Each challenge has pushed me to think differently, adapt quickly, and trust that even if the path isn’t clear, I will get there somehow, and I will make it work!

These two years have been a wild mix of challenges, lessons, and growth. I never expected to take on such a big mission as a TA newbie, and there were plenty of moments of self-doubt along the way. Looking back, I’m proud of how far I’ve come—and grateful for everything I’ve learned about people, the business, and myself. I know I still have a lot to learn, and that excites me for what’s ahead.

This might sound cheesy, but none of it would have been possible without everyone who generously shared their expertise, patiently answered my endless questions, and believed in me along the way. Liferay’s supportive environment has given me the freedom to take risks, embrace failures, and learn from mistakes without fear—completely transforming the way I approach work and challenges.

Growth rarely happens when things are easy—it happens when you’re unsure, a little uncomfortable, and willing to try anyway. If you’re standing at that kind of crossroads in your own journey, I hope you’ll lean into it. You might just end up somewhere better than you ever expected 😉

One last thing: Don’t be afraid to lean on others. The journey is way more rewarding (and way less scary) when you have great people by your side.