规划职业生涯，把握绚丽人生

Ｊｏｎａｔｈａｎ　Ｓｔｅｌｌｉｎｇ

What should I do with my life? A question that every one of us will face at some time or another. A fortunate few will already have an answer, but the majority of us struggle with this dilemma, ever unsure which path to take. Whether you know which career path you wish to ascend or are completely stumped, it's important to start making a plan.

我该如何度过此生?这是我们每个人总会遇到的一个问题。少数的幸运儿已经有了答案,但大多数人仍内心挣扎,左右为难,不确定应该走什么道路。不管你知道自己想走哪条职业道路,还是踌躇不前,重要的是现在就开始订立计划。

People take different paths through life, that's a given. We don't even start in the same place, metaphorically or physically. The scales are always weighted in or against our favour, that's life. Genetic gifts from our parents immediately alter that even playing field, followed no less swiftly by our home environments, parents' social status etc, all giving some lucky few a head start in life. Each of us has our own desires and experiences, yet our final goals might very well be the same. While many decide to study and gain formal qualifications, some even earning a PHD, others will leave school with little or no qualifications at all. Take a quick glance at a list of CEO's running major corporations and you will see not only highly educated university post-graduates, but also many who never finished or even went to university. I'm sure you've heard of Michael Dell and Richard Branson to name two of the most famous. Gifted businessmen, neither having gained a degree, yet both went on to found and run corporations that spanned the globe. So while a formal education is very important and desirable, if you don't have one, there is no reason to despair.

众所周知,各人的人生道路是不同的。无论是从字面意思来说,从还是隐喻意思来看,我们的起点都是不同的。生活中我们总有得志或失意的时候,这就是人生。父母遗传给我们的基因就不同。紧接着,在家庭环境、父母的社会地位等因素的作用下,部分幸运儿抢占了先机。我们每个人都有自己的志向与经验,但我们最终的目标可能大同小异。许多人通过学习,获得正式的学位,有些人还取得博士学位,而有的人没有掌握太多本领就离开了学校。浏览一下经营着大公司的首席执行官名单,你会发现,有的人是研究生毕业,而有的人大学肄业,还有的人甚至连大学都没上。举出其中最著名的两个人,你肯定知道迈克尔•戴尔和理查德•布兰森。天生的商人没有学位,也一样可以创立并经营覆盖全球的企业。正规教育诚然非常重要,也很珍贵,但如果你没有接受过,也不必绝望。

The happiest people in the world are those who have taken their passion and turned it into their career. You would be surprised by how most of the things we enjoy doing for free or even pay to do, can become a valid career choice. For example, people who grew up playing computer games for fun might become programmers, game designers, script writers or perhaps game reviewers. A lucky few might have honed their gaming skills to the point, where they're good enough to become professional gamers and compete in tournaments for large cash prizes. Don't be afraid to chase your dream, as long as you can figure out a way for it to give you the lifestyle that you desire.

世界上最快乐的人是带着激情投入事业的人。你可能感到奇怪,但大多数我们不计报酬而乐于做的事,甚至肯花钱去做的事都可以成为我们的正当职业。例如,玩电脑游戏长大的人可能成为程序员、游戏设计人员、编剧,还可能是游戏评论员。个别幸运的人将游戏练得炉火纯青,成为职业游戏玩家,参加巡回赛,争夺巨额奖金。只要你能找出实现梦想的方法,过上你渴望的生活方式,就不要害怕追逐你的梦想。

It's important to divide a career plan into three sections: short term, medium term and long term. With a short term plan it's crucial to make sure that your goals are realistic and achievable. Being positive and optimistic whilst setting down your aims is certainly beneficial in moderation, just don't get carried away. Becoming a CEO might be achievable in the future, but unless you're founding your own company, it's not something that's achieved in just a couple of years.

重要的是将职业计划分为三部分:短期、中期和长期。对于短期计划,应确保目标务实,要能够实现。确定自己的目标之后,积极而乐观是很重要的,但也不要忘乎所以。未来你可能成为一名首席执行官,但除非你开办自己的公司,否则短短几年内是实现不了的。

If you've fantasised what your future will entail, then researching the practical steps needed to get you there, is the first move. With that information in hand, you can then start out on your professional career. For example - if you want to be a lawyer, a well respected and high paying profession in the developed world, then you will need to first get a Bachelor Degree, then gain a place at Law School, graduate Law School and finally get accepted at a Law Firm. Long-term you might want to be made a partner and retire rich in your forties.

如果你对未来充满幻想,那首先要找出实现梦想的具体步骤。知道这个之后,你就可以开始自己的职业生涯了。例如,如果你想成为一名律师——在发达国家备受尊重,且收入也高的职业——那你首先应取得学士学位,然后攻读法学院,毕业后到律师事务所工作。你最终可以成为一名合伙人,等赚够了钱,四十岁就可以退休。

If circumstances don't allow for that though, you might first seek an entry level job in a law firm and start by gaining in house experience over a number of years. Your long-term aim being, to be promoted up the company ladder and have the company pay for any necessary qualifications you need. It does happen.

但是如果情况并非如此,你可以先到律师事务所做几年的基础工作,积累经验。你长期的目标是升职,让公司付你进修的费用。这种情况也会有。

Before putting the finishing touches to your plan, make sure you didn't forget to account for all the possible problems and obstacles in the way. Do you plan to work in your native land or abroad? It will make a huge difference. Your qualifications may not be officially recognised by the government of your new abode or they may require a higher degree and depth of skill in your chosen field. Are your skills even desirable there? What other new obstacles might suddenly be in your way? Do you speak the language?

在完成你的计划之前,不要忘了考虑可能面对的一切问题和困难。你的计划在国内外都有效吗?国内外情况可能迥异。去了一个新地方后,你的能力或许不被当地政府所认可,你若要从事某领域,他们或许会要求需要有更高的学历和更强的技能。你的能力能达到那里的要求吗?你会碰到什么意想不到的新麻烦?你会说当地话吗?

While for some, making a decision or forming an opinion is the end of it, for most of us it's not so simple. Life is gloriously dynamic and anything we believe or desire can change in a moment given the right circumstances. For instance, meet the right woman or man and get married, suddenly goals that were once very important can seem trivial. Throughout life we will have many periods of introspection and come to the realisation that we desire change. Moments, where we stand at the 'crossroads', aware of the different opportunities waiting down each road. You may find after you become an accountant, lawyer or doctor, that the job does not offer the enjoyment you thought it would or that the working hours make it unbearable. You may want a job that improves your health or that you can do part-time, so you can have more time for your kids. So don't be afraid to make alterations to your career plan or change it completely. A career plan should be looked at every year and revised if necessary.

对于一些人来说,做出决定或者有了想法,就万事大吉了。但对于我们大多数人来说,并非如此简单。人生变幻莫测,只要有适合的条件,我们所有的信仰和梦想都可能在一瞬间改变。比如,遇到合适的对象,然后结婚, 曾经无比重要的目标似乎立即变得无足轻重了。一生当中,我们会经常反省,意识到我们渴望改变。有时我们站在“十字路口”,意识到不同的选择会赋予不同的机会。在成为会计、律师,或者医生后,你也许会发现工作并不会带来你想象的快乐,甚至(工作时间)令人难以忍受。或许,你希望得到一份可以改善自己健康的工作,或者兼职,这样就可以有跟多时间陪孩子。不要害怕修正、甚至完全改变自己的职业计划。每年都应该审视自己的职业计划,必要时进行修订。

Perhaps the hardest and most important part of both drafting and following a career path is knowing when it just isn't possible to achieve. No matter who you are, at some time or another the chances that someone has said to you, 'you can't do It', are quite high. They might have said it in a softer, kinder, more gentle manner, but the meaning is the same - don't do it because you can't succeed. There is always an exception to every rule, so I would say if you really want it, go for it! But, and this is a big one, know when to quit. If you want to be a professional footballer, have two left feet, never kicked a football in your life and your already twenty years old, it's not very likely that you will be playing for Manchester United. That said, tryout for the local team and see if you are the next David Beckham, but if it turns out, that you won't set the world alight with your football skills, sit down and decide on a different career goal. Yes, there are going to be some difficulties that can be overcome with effort and determination. Some lawyers took twelve times or more to pass the bar exam refusing to give up on their dream.

在制定并遵循职业道路过程中,最难、最重要的部分可能是知道何时无法实现计划。无论你是谁,总有可能有人对你说“这你做不了。”他们可能语气和善,但意思是一样的,即你不要去做,因为你不会取得成功。但凡事总会有例外,所以我要说,如果你真的想做,那就去做!不过你要知道应该什么时候放弃,这很重要。如果你想成为一名职业足球运动员,但你笨手笨脚,已经二十岁了还从未踢过足球,那你就不大可能为曼联队效力了。你可以参加地方一家球队的选拔赛,看看你是不是贝克汉姆第二,但如果你的足球技艺不足以令世界惊奇,那就坐下好好想想,确定一个新的职业目标。你会遇到一些困难,但下了决心,经过努力是可以克服的。有些律师不放弃自己的梦想,参加了12次,甚至更多次的考试,才拿到律师从业证书。

We can't all be CEOs but we can all be happy with our careers.

不是每个人都能当首席执行官,但我们都可以快乐地工作。