What have I learned after working for more than ten years? Three I thought it was, but it turned out not to be

Previously, I had the opportunity to share my career journey with the juniors of the Institute of Translation Research through the invitation of the teacher. Looking at the younger brothers and sisters below, and their questions before the meeting, I also seemed to see myself back then, the kind of mixed expectation and anxiety in the situation where the strong are around and the career path is unknown.

During my studies in the graduate school, every interpretation practice with my peers or the teacher’s comments are like mock exams simulating my future career again and again. I often see my own shortcomings from the perspective of a bystander, but I have to continue Keep your confidence, continue with the next practice, and prepare for future careers from more non-translation-related professionals, whether it is the continuous inspection of audiences, readers, customers, etc.

I have taken the path of a relatively untypical translator, and I have been working in enterprises for more than ten years. It seems that I have some qualifications, but in fact, I have been constantly asking myself in the process, is there continuous progress? Are you on the path you want and believe in?

Career choice is the script of self-role development game

The choice of career is not so much a copy of a successful model that follows the law of large numbers, but more like the path of a character development game. Every resource investment in a character, the collision with the external environment, people and things, plus the role His own experience has shaped the final but sustainable optimization of the character.

Perhaps with regard to career choice, like many people, I have walked into a place that I thought was a smooth road but was actually a misunderstanding. I can still feel that unease when I think about it. But fortunately, the accumulation of time and the tempering of workplace experience have made knowing oneself the most valuable gain along the way.

Three discoveries that I once thought were true but turned out not to be

1. From Cinderella’s glass slipper to Aladdin’s magic lamp

I used to think that looking for a job was like a prince’s entourage taking the glass slipper that Cinderella dropped, going door to door to find the woman who could fit in the glass slipper, the prince only met once, and the one night he spent together made him dream of a woman. A suitable job is like a pair of lost glass shoes, waiting for its owner, there will be a kind of perfect fit that is designed by nature.

However, I later realized that rather than every company looking for their Cinderella with a glass slipper, every recruiting company is actually like Aladdin’s magic lamp, wanting several wishes Satisfaction once, regardless of who that person is. And every professional can do his best to let his talents and qualifications be displayed, perceived, and even magnified through the accumulation of qualifications and synergistic cooperation, so that he can actively create value for the enterprise instead of relying on A worker who spends time in exchange for money.

2. From the climbing competition to the dynamic path correction of Google Map

I used to think that the workplace is like a competition to see who is the first to climb the organizational ladder, like the 101 climbing competition. Only with hard work and fast pace can you have the opportunity to become the first few people to climb to the top.

However, with the technological paradigm shift brought about by technological innovation, when many tasks that require hands-on work, with the optimization of remote monitoring and productivity tools, and even black swan events such as epidemics, trade wars, and inflation, the organizational ladder The pedals seem to be fewer and smaller, and the flatter organization and leaner manpower all indicate that it is no longer feasible and the only way to work hard or put in more effort.

What I actually experienced is actually more like the use situation of Google Map. I set the departure time and destination at the beginning. With the changes of the external environment and my own conditions, I thought it might be a smooth road or a feasible road. Maybe It has already been crowded with pioneers; the industry that looked like a rising star at the beginning was already on the way to a sunset industry when I first entered the workplace. Instead of insisting on following the path set at the beginning, climbing the stairs that others have climbed before, perhaps in the dynamic process of correcting the route while walking, I discovered unexpected scenery and cultivated the flexibility to adapt to changes.

Whether it is from internal translators to business marketing or even public relations, after interacting and colliding with the environment, I have a deeper understanding of myself and my abilities, which seems to be my compass, leading me all the way to continue walking. It seems inconspicuous and atypical, but only you know that your abilities can be effectively used.

3. From a winner-take-all race to a BabyBoss where everyone is in their place

I used to think that the workplace is a winner-take-all game, just like a race. Only the first, second, and third places can qualify. If you are outside the top three, you may be doomed to an ordinary fate. .

However, past experience tells me that the workplace is actually more like a Baby Boss game, everyone can play their own suitable role, and under the appearance of winner-takes-all, there are actually more due to professional division of labor and cross-industry cooperation. And the niche markets that have been developed have ranged from unimaginable occupations such as YouTuber, Podcaster, e-sports player and even professional storyteller. The display of human value does not necessarily need to be projected on the screen of the enterprise, but can be projected on the seemingly A smaller but more focused market.

For example, BabyBoss encourages children to explore careers and even simulated game methods, which is also the spirit that we can learn as adults, trying to test our own ideas, ideas and even career choices with the minimum cost. Whether it is through self-media creation, internship or even volunteering, try to throw your skills and experience into the real market, and listen to the most authentic feedback from the market; at the same time, maintain flexibility and let yourself be in a risk-controlled environment Next, there is room to increase investment or turn around at any time.

Knowing what you can’t do and what you should do is the compass for career development

After working for more than ten years, maybe I dare not say that I have mastered the art of going to work, but perhaps compared to myself ten years ago, I can say more confidently that through more than ten years of experience and follow-up Through the interaction of the environment, I have a better understanding of what I can’t do and what I should do, and I can see more clearly-the value of being a person should never be those labels on the body, but when we look back. Can the road, the people I met, and the things I experienced make me more satisfied with myself now, and more convinced of the world, because of my little and continuous efforts, can it be different?