跳板工作

Jose： Hey Martina， hows the job hunt going so far？

Martina： Its tough. Im starting to come to a hard realization that Im gonna have to settle for a job that Im vastly overqualified for.

Jose： You seem surprised. ①You thought it was going to be smooth sailing， didnt you？ ②Yeah， the job market is a fickle mistress， and sometimes just isnt fair to the working class. Thats why Ive been an independent contractor these past few years. Because after bouncing from one rebound job to another， I got tired of the grind and worried that I wouldnt be able to climb back up the corporate ladder again. You know， I figured Id slipped and fallen down too many rungs. So I found an industry where I could have more control.

Martina： Wow！ Uh…well， Im really happy for you. But go back for a second. What was that you said about rebound jobs？ What are those？

Jose： Oooh， a teachable moment！

Martina： Oh， I hate those.

Jose： Come on！ Buck up， and flex those brain muscles. Now， what is a rebound？

Martina： I know that in basketball， a rebound is when a player grabs a miss that just bounced off the rim.

Jose： Exactly！ And how about in relationships？

Martina： Oh yeah！ A rebound guy， or girl， is someone who you hook up with after just getting out of a serious relationship. And a rebound guy is usually just a one night stand. Sometimes more， but rebounds dont usually turn into anything long-term.

Jose： And you， my friend， have just successfully explained what a rebound job is. You just got out of a long relationship with your old company， and now you need a new job. But finding Mr. Right， or the right company， is no easy task. So are you just gonna stay unemployed till you can find the perfect job？

Martina： Of course not. I cant afford to let months go by without any cash coming in. I need a temporary gig that can help me pay the bills while I look for a career that really suits me.

Jose： So you need a rebound job.

Martina： And what sorts of jobs are usually considered rebounds？

Jose： A lot. Ever worked at Starbucks？

Martina： What do you think？

Jose： Well dont knock it till youve tried it. ③It may seem like some soulless corporation， but the guys there helped me get back on my feet， during a time when I was really struggling with things in my private and professional life. So you never know.

Martina： Wow Jose！ Youre a really inspiring guy， you know that？

Jose： Ive been told once or twice. I just hope my struggles can help you and others get through your own trails and tribulations.

Martina： I hope so too. Ill see you later. Wish me luck.

Jose： Good luck Martina！

約瑟：嗨，马丁娜，最近找工作顺利吗？

马丁娜：不好找。我现在开始深刻意识到我得将就一份太过简单的工作。

约瑟：你好像有些惊讶。你是不是认为找工作是一件一帆风顺的事情？嗯，就业市场犹如一个善变的情人，有时这对于工薪阶级的人们来说是不公平的。这就是我过去这些年来做独立承包人的原因。自从我从一份跳板工作跳槽到另一份工作后，我就厌倦了这种苦差事的折磨，担心自己以后不可能再得到晋升。你懂的，我认为我已经滑倒过，摔下太多级阶梯。所以我寻找着一份我更容易掌控的职业。

马丁娜：哇！呃……好吧，我真替你开心。但回到刚才，你说的跳板工作是什么？都有些什么工作呢？约瑟：喔，教育时机到了！

马丁娜：噢，我不喜欢那样。

约瑟：来吧！振作起来，活动一下脑筋。首先告诉我，回弹是什么意思？

马丁娜：我知道在篮球术语中，它被称作篮板球，是指球员抢到未投中篮而碰到篮板反弹出来的球。

约瑟：完全正确！那在人际关系中它又是什么呢？

马丁娜：噢！备胎男女是指你在结束一段认真的感情之后所勾搭的暧昧者。而备胎男友通常与一夜情有关。有时候时间会更长一些，但是这种关系通常是不会维持很长时间。

约瑟：而你，我的朋友，已经成功地解释了跳板工作的含义。你刚刚跟你之前的公司结束了长期的劳动关系，而现在你需要一份新的工作。但是，不论是找真命天子还是合适的公司都不是一件容易的事情。所以你是不是打算一直处于失业状态直到那份理想工作出现？

马丁娜：当然不是。我无法承受几个月没有金钱收入的日子。我需要一份能够在我寻觅那份真正合适的工作期间维持生活的临时工作。

约瑟：所以你需要一个跳板工作。

马丁娜：那一般什么样的工作会被认为是跳板工作呢？

约瑟：很多。你试过在星巴克里工作吗？

马丁娜：你觉得怎样？

约瑟：哎，除非你尝试过了，否则不要吹毛求疵。星巴克听起来像是没有灵魂的公司，但是，当我在个人生活和工作之间痛苦挣扎的时候，是那里的人们让我重新振作起来。所以你是不会懂的。

马丁娜：哇，约瑟！你真是一个励志哥，你知道吗？

约瑟：我曾被说过一两次吧。我只是希望我的奋斗史能够帮助你和其他人熬过你们各自的艰难困苦。

马丁娜：我也希望这样。稍后见。祝福我吧。

约瑟：祝你好运，马丁娜！