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This road is challenging, but I'm a bit scared. With such fierce competition, can I make it?

What is the prerequisite for a lifetime of marital happiness? — Choosing a partner!
What is the prerequisite for a successful career? — Choosing a profession!

Only by making the right career choice can you ensure a smooth journey through the upcoming resume, online applications, and interview stages.

Therefore, after understanding all the content of this chapter, please return here to complete your career planning:

1. Based on my initial judgment, the position I am most suited for should be:

2. Based on my initial judgment, the industry I am most suited for should be:

3. Based on the position and industry, the target companies I have chosen should be:
   Top three target companies: _____, _____, _____
   Mid-level target companies: _____, _____, _____
   Minimum target companies: _____, _____, _____

Page 3
To give you a more intuitive understanding, let's first take a look at the form filled out by Teacher Cui Xi (the English name Tracy is a transliteration of Yang Cuixian's name) over a decade ago:

1. Based on my initial judgment, Cui Xi is most suited for the position of:
   Teacher
2. Based on my initial judgment, Cui Xi is most suited for the industry of:
   Education
3. Based on the position and industry, Cui Xi has chosen the following target companies:
   Top: __________________________

Target companies:
Mid-level target companies:
Minimum target companies:

Looking back, Teacher Cui Xi indeed first taught two classes at Fred, then taught one class at Elite English, and was later hired by New Oriental.
In the past few years, Teacher Cui Xi has had many young people around her fill out this questionnaire. This small questionnaire seems simple, yet it has greatly assisted many often confused young people in finding better jobs that they should have found.
Perhaps some young people can only find jobs that keep their quality of life at a minimum level, but they will feel incredibly determined because they have looked ahead five years and seen their very clear career transition path!
Am I serious enough about choosing a profession?
You, young person, whether you are job hunting or pursuing a promotion, have you done any of the following five things?
First, have you seriously consulted at least one “senior with at least 10 years of experience” in your desired industry who is familiar with your desired position? This “senior” must understand you and genuinely care about you to help you carefully strategize your career path.
Second, have you thoroughly studied at least one bestselling book on career planning? (It's easy to judge a book; just enter the title in the search bar of Dangdang, JD, Amazon, etc., and check the “number of reviews.” Only those with over 1000 reviews are worth reading.)

Third, have you sought out a peer, a friend who is 5-10 years older than you, or an elder who is 10-20 years older than you to analyze your strengths and weaknesses?

Fourth, have you tried at least three similar tasks before choosing a profession?

Fifth, have you seriously outlined a five-year plan, even though this plan may change in the future?
How many checks did you make?
If you have less than three checks, I'm sorry, you have a new nickname: “Hasty Career Chooser”!
Choosing a profession hastily can lead to a lifetime of career setbacks, or at the very least, a super frustrating first three to five years of work.

Have I let go of the demons of academic qualifications?
Some fresh graduates only seek jobs after failing their postgraduate entrance exams, and even when looking for work, there is always a devil in their hearts saying, “Will I take the postgraduate entrance exam again next year?”
Even graduates who decide not to take the postgraduate entrance exam can sometimes be influenced by the army of students preparing for it around them, feeling distracted when they see their roommates “busy preparing.”
Many young people with master's degrees are also quite anxious: “I can't let my degree go to waste! I can't possibly get the same offer as an undergraduate, right?”
Next, let's analyze these situations one by one to help everyone eliminate their inner demons and focus on job hunting!
For undergraduate fresh graduates, the method to calm the mind is: Postgraduate entrance exam = I want “him” + I want it now!
Regarding whether to take the postgraduate entrance exam, there is actually a simple yet super practical formula: Graduate study = I want “him” + I want it now!
I want “him” refers to what you love and need.
I want it now means you need the degree + skills + connections that this “graduate study” brings you right now.

Three questions: Can I defeat the demon of vanity?
Due to vanity (don't deny it, I have it too), many young job seekers have a very poor order of career choices:

1. Famous companies
2. High salary
3. Interest in the position
4. Belief in the industry's prospects
   Famous companies + high salary ≈ luxury cars + beautiful women, which are the two major indicators for young people to compare with each other. Saying it out loud gives face, and hearing it raises adrenaline. However, interest in the position and industry prospects are difficult to measure with quantifiable indicators like “Fortune 500” or “monthly salary over ten thousand,” making young people feel uncertain and lacking confidence in their choices.
   However, seasoned professionals know: Famous companies + high salary ≈ immediate benefits, position + industry ≈ long-term benefits.

Whether you are a college student or a fresh graduate with only one or two years of work experience, you can only choose your career in this order:

1. The position must have professionalism. Choosing a position is N+1 times more important than choosing a company's reputation!
   For example, Xiaojie received two offers at the same time, one as an administrative assistant at a large foreign company and the other as a market researcher at a local small company. Like many young people, Xiaojie unhesitatingly chose the well-known foreign company, thinking she could change positions internally (even if it wasn't difficult, it was a roundabout way). The market research offer was taken by her classmate Xiaomin. Three years later, Xiaojie became an administrative supervisor, while Xiaomin, after accumulating three years of experience, jumped to a listed company as a market research project supervisor, earning significantly more than Xiaojie and becoming increasingly valuable.

2. The industry must have development.

3. The company must have a reputation. Good companies indeed provide many opportunities, but many students misunderstand the opportunities provided by companies. They think they can easily transition from “administrative assistant” to “sales assistant” or “marketing assistant.” Within a company, similar transitions are possible, such as moving from “administrative assistant” to “general manager's secretary,” but moving from “administrative assistant” to the human resources department would be much more difficult.

4. Salary comes last. Salary considerations should come last; you all know the reasoning: how much the first salary is doesn't matter; what matters is how much your salary will be in a few years or a decade. The few offers received when young often only have a few hundred yuan difference in monthly salary; however, after a few years, the salary gap between different positions may reach thousands or tens of thousands of yuan.

The order of keywords in the job search page clearly illustrates the correct order of career selection standards: position > industry > company > salary.

1. Choose the “main business,” avoid “widow positions.”

The term “widow position” is not my invention but was proposed by management master Drucker, referring to inefficient positions caused by unreasonable settings or misalignment.
For example, in recent years, many human resources positions in companies have been somewhat trapped in the “widow position” trap: a capable employee enters the department but finds it difficult to measure performance, thus failing to gain true recognition and gradually becoming depressed; in contrast, an excellent employee in sales or R&D may quickly stand out and get promoted.

Of course, nothing is absolute. Similarly, in human resources, most of the work done at the bottom level is transactional and can be exhausting; however, once you are promoted to a senior position, you become one of the main characters in the company.
Taking the human resources position as an example, different companies have vastly different attitudes towards this position and the compensation they are willing to pay. For instance, my young assistant vice president quickly advanced to the position of human resources director because the company values the human resources department and he is smart and diligent. Additionally, one cannot absolutely say that administrative positions are “widow positions” because there are no bad positions, only positions that do not suit oneself. If the job you need is a 9-to-5 job with little pressure, then those so-called supporting roles that others do not want, whether administrative, customer service, or quality control, may be the most suitable job for you! And those glamorous “main character” positions may mean pressure, tasks, wrinkles, hair loss, or stomach ulcers for you...

Therefore, main character jobs are suitable choices for career-oriented individuals, but it does not mean that all job seekers should rush towards these types of positions.

If you don't know how to lock in a “lifetime” position, then you at least need to constantly examine the opportunities around you, asking yourself at any time: “Which profession is both suitable for me and can be done for a lifetime?” With this reflection and observation, you can more quickly locate and find the career you should pursue for a lifetime.
3. Try to choose positions that match your major. Although many organizations clearly state that they do not limit the major when hiring, when it comes to the final decision, the matching of majors is still viewed dialectically. Look further ahead before deciding whether to abandon your major or stick to it.
Before telling others that you do not like your major, first answer the following three questions.

1. Have you seen the “future benefits” of your major?
   Hating your major may be because you have not seen its future development.

2. Does anyone really like their major? For most people, studying and working are both bitter tasks that must be done; how can they be extremely happy? Who goes to work humming a tune, bursting with happy hormones?

3. Is the major you like exactly the one you did not study?

The major studied in college is still an important measure in the process of selecting talent for companies. The following three points are worth pondering for two seconds:#

1. Rooted and well-grounded. The HR managers and personnel directors of top foreign companies are basically those who studied “Labor Relations Management” and “Human Resources.” Being well-grounded may not be the only way to get hired, but it still becomes a scoring point, especially under equal conditions!

2. Lag effect. The effectiveness of a major often does not manifest at the beginning of a career, but after five or even ten years, it becomes an advantage. It is not that the knowledge you learned plays a role, but rather the “absolutely authentic” brand effect accumulated after you persist in working in the relevant industry.

3. Cold effect. The more niche the major, such as printing or agriculture, once it exerts its power, it is unstoppable because its substitutability is too low!
   Therefore, my advice is, unless you have discovered your true hobbies and strengths, do not easily deny and give up your major. If you haven't found a new love, how can you abandon your old love? Even if you don't love it, you should still cherish it! Don't easily deny your major, as it is very likely to lead to the “hate one’s profession” syndrome.

4. Don't easily say, “I don't like doing technical work; I want to interact with people.”
   Many people who study technical majors, such as chemistry, mechanics, IT, etc., often express that they do not like doing technical work, fearing they will spend their lives dealing with machines and equipment.

Doing technical work well, management can be learned and accumulated gradually.

5–3–1 Career Positioning Method#

People like to live in experiences and seek inspiration in challenging problems. For them, adapting to a new environment or situation is much more interesting than managing it. They may be unable to complete tasks due to too many things, but they often can be flexible and seize opportunities.
From these four dimensions of explanation, can you identify what type your personality belongs to? Write your MBTI type on the line below:
Energy orientation: ____________________________________________________________
Information acceptance: ____________________________________________________________
Information processing: ____________________________________________________________
Action mode: ____________________________________________________________
It is worth noting that in the MBTI assessment results, a person can only choose one preference for each dimension, either A or B, but it does not mean that a person who is introverted has no extroverted characteristics. This is similar to how the Earth has two poles; we also use east, west, south, and north to identify directions, but in reality, we do not live entirely in the South Pole or North Pole but are spread throughout the areas in between.
(3) Career Personality Exploration Assessment Results and Career Choice
In the MBTI test, we divided it into four dimensions, each with two poles, but human personality is very complex, and each dimension influences each other.

The test is not suitable for high school students, mainly because high school students have not yet fully determined their personalities.
Test address: http://www.yiiway.com/ypca/

2. Career Anchor Positioning Assessment (suitable for employed staff)
   Career anchors are mainly used for employed staff who have some understanding of their careers, especially in the first five years of work, which is a period of career transition. This assessment is mainly used for employees who are considering changing careers or jobs, facilitating a realistic understanding of their positioning.
   Test address: http://www.yiiway.com/ycas/

First, self-assessment (5) is the foundation of career planning. By understanding one's interests, values, abilities, and strengths, individuals can clarify their career tendencies and development potential. This step helps individuals understand themselves and provides a strong basis for subsequent career planning.

Second, determining career goals (3) is the core of career planning. Based on the results of self-assessment, individuals need to set long-term and short-term career goals. These goals should be reasonable, feasible, and able to guide the individual's career development direction.

Finally, developing a specific action plan (1) is key to achieving career goals. Individuals need to create detailed plans, including learning, work, and various action measures, to ensure they move along the intended career path. This step requires individuals to have clear goals and specific implementation strategies.

Through the 5–3–1 career positioning method, individuals can systematically carry out career planning, thus better preparing for their future career development. This method not only helps individuals clarify their career direction but also provides practical action guidelines, making career planning more effective and feasible.

1. Five key questions

First, answer the following five key questions to help you understand your career interests and abilities:

What do I like to do? (Career interest)
What am I good at? (Career ability)
What can I do? (Career skills)
What do I want? (Career values)
What does the market need? (Career demand)

2. Three core areas

Next, summarize the answers to the five questions into three core areas:

Interest area: Things you like to do.
Ability area: Things you are good at and can do.
Market area: Market demand and career opportunities.

3. A career positioning
   Finally, combine these three core areas to find the career positioning that suits you best. This positioning should be a career that you are both interested in and good at, and that has market demand.

Key elements of career positioning

Career positioning is not just about finding a job but about finding a career direction that can develop in the long term. The following are several key elements of career positioning:

Self-awareness: Understand your interests, abilities, and values.
Market analysis: Understand industry trends and market demand.
Career matching: Find a career that aligns with your interests and abilities while meeting market demand.
Principles of career positioning
Choose what you love: Choose a job you enjoy.
Choose what you are good at: Choose a job you excel in.
Choose what the market needs: Choose a job with high market demand.
Through the “5–3–1 career positioning method,” you can systematically analyze your career interests and abilities, and combine them with market demand to find the career direction that suits you best. This not only helps you achieve success in your career but also allows you to find more satisfaction and fulfillment in your work.

1. What is career positioning?
   Career positioning is the clear definition of an individual's development direction in their career. It is a strategic and fundamental issue throughout a person's career development process. Specifically, from a long-term perspective, it is about identifying a person's career category; from a stage perspective, it is about clarifying the corresponding industry and function at the current stage, meaning what position one should occupy in the workplace.

Career positioning has three layers of meaning:
First, it is about determining who you are and what work you are suited for;
Second, it is about telling others who you are and what work you excel at;
Third, it is about placing yourself in a suitable job based on your hobbies, strengths, abilities, and personality.

Career positioning is the unity of self-positioning and social positioning. Social positioning refers to the role positioning of oneself in society, what position one should occupy in the division of labor in society, and what profession one should engage in.
Career positioning is the first step in career planning and development, and it is also the most basic and important step. An incorrect or significantly deviated positioning will inevitably lead to setbacks and failures in the subsequent career path.

Career positioning types can be roughly divided into five categories: management type, technical type, creative type, independent type, and comprehensive type.

2. Key elements of career positioning

3. Matching career orientation, that is, matching with one's personality type, interests, career values, personal needs, and dreams.

4. Associating with commercial value, that is, fully combining one's education, work experience, ability level, and available resources.

5. Coordinating with the career environment, that is, considering the economic environment, industry development status, regional environment, etc.

6. Compromising with constraints, that is, considering relevant laws and regulations and personal limitations.

7. Content of career positioning

8. Positioning direction — find the right career positioning and development direction. First, explore factors such as your career temperament, career interests, and career ability structure to find where your career potential lies; only by finding the right direction can you maximize your potential.

9. Positioning industry — understand the development trends of the target industry. Actively and comprehensively understand the current situation and prospects of the target industry; after all, emerging industries have more prospects and can provide you with more opportunities. As the saying goes, “隔行如隔山” (different industries are like different mountains), you cannot rely solely on newspapers or magazines for information. The ideal approach is to ask friends who are currently working in that industry for reliable information, including promotion systems, salary conditions, and other aspects.

10. Self-analysis — recognize your strengths and weaknesses. If you cannot accurately position yourself and are unclear about your strengths and weaknesses, blindly following trends or feelings is absolutely not acceptable. You need to weigh where your strengths lie. Are these strengths sufficient to help you stabilize in a new industry? Where are your weaknesses? What methods can you use to improve quickly?

From a personal perspective, the main factors to understand and analyze should include: What do I like to do (mainly including career interests, career values, etc.); What am I suited to do (mainly including career personality, temperament, talents, IQ, EQ, etc.); What am I good at (mainly including career ability tendencies, such as verbal expression, logical reasoning, numerical calculation, etc.); What can I do (mainly including the professional knowledge, skills, and work I have mastered).

4. The principles of career positioning are to choose what you love, choose what you are good at, and choose what the market needs.

5. Methods of career positioning

First, understand yourself: mainly core values, motivation systems, personality traits, talents, defects, etc. Methods: self-exploration, asking others for evaluation, or using psychological tests to fully understand yourself.

Second, understand the profession: including the job content, knowledge requirements, skill requirements, experience requirements, personality requirements, work environment, and work role. If necessary, consult industry experts or refer to successful individuals in the industry.

Third, understand the gap between your own requirements and those of the profession, and carefully compare the gaps in various aspects. You may have multiple career goals, but each goal brings different benefits and drawbacks. You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of different goals based on your characteristics and determine a plan to achieve your goals based on your realistic conditions.

Fourth, understand how to present your positioning to interviewers and superiors. Once you have determined your career orientation and development direction, you need to convey it to interviewers or superiors in an appropriate manner to gain entry and development opportunities.

Career positioning is not a static result but a dynamic process. Often, we need to continuously adjust our career positioning in conjunction with each stage of our career.

5. Career positioning is a dynamic process

6. Career positioning should start as early as possible. It should begin when you enter school. At this stage, career positioning mainly involves finding a career direction that interests you based on preliminary career planning. Choosing a major you are interested in, exploring various fields, and actively participating in social activities to develop and cultivate a well-rounded personality are crucial.

7. Be brave in practice during the early stages of career development. The early stages of career development are the preliminary stages of career positioning; however, many people easily fall into a state of confusion, worrying about gains and losses, and are unable to position themselves reasonably. The key to career positioning at this stage is to be brave in practice. You should be down-to-earth and earnestly hone your skills, accumulating experience bit by bit through practice, thus forming a preliminary concept of your career positioning. During this period, cultivating a proactive learning and dedication mindset is very important. Actively cooperate with different people, help each other, and record your insights daily in the form of tips as a means of experience accumulation and self-motivation.

8. In the mid-stage of career development, cultivate a sense of value. By the mid-stage of career development, you should have a relatively deep understanding of your career positioning. At this stage, career positioning should not undergo frequent changes but should focus on learning and enriching yourself based on stable development, thereby enhancing your value. The openness of the market may influence people's thinking in various aspects. Senior professionals in the workplace generally believe that it usually takes 1-2 years to understand a job and 3-5 years to reach a proficient level. Generally speaking, companies value relatively stable career individuals more. The so-called “sense of value” is synonymous with brand, formality, position, and scale.

9. In the later stages of career development, actively recharge. The mid-to-late stages of career development are the stages of accurate career positioning. Individuals in this stage often include energetic, proactive, professionally styled, and charismatic senior managers, but there are also some who feel confused and awkward. The career positioning advice for this stage is: have a sense of crisis, actively seek out the gaps between yourself and the times, recharge in a timely manner, and maintain an open and objective attitude towards reality, understanding and facing your own situation.

The five initial directions are as follows:

1. R&D. Collaborated with classmates to create an internal e-commerce website for a month, which failed.

2. Sales. Partnered with classmates to sell online game point cards, gave up after two weeks.

3. Marketing. Took on a campus presentation for a study abroad company, received a budget of 300 yuan, promised to attract at least 100 people, but only 39 showed up (9 of whom were friends of mine).

4. Bank financial management. Promoted credit cards and explained some financial products.

5. Technical services. Provided technical support for a friend's Taobao store, such as designing some visuals and uploading some link files.

Two months later, Xiaoxin confirmed her three deep practice directions:

1. R&D. Restart the failed website.
2. Bank financial management. Promote financial products.
3. Technical services. Continue providing technical support for a friend's Taobao store and assist him in opening a JD store.

Another two months later, she decided on a lifelong career: R&D. Once you have personal experience, determining your career goal becomes easy. Newly employed individuals often lack any past work experience for reference, and all ideas come from imagination, so some decisions may be wrong.

The stages of a person's career development can be roughly divided into four stages:#

Before 30: Exploration period
30-35: Positioning period
35-40: Steady period
After 40: Harvest period

2- Exploration period (before 30): This is an important period for learning skills, gaining experience, and accumulating life experiences. During this stage, one should try more and take more risks, without fearing the unknown. “Without experience, how can there be knowledge?” If a person’s job and work content are too narrow during the exploration period, it will hinder the training and improvement of their overall abilities, thus affecting long-term career development. Moreover, only by trying different jobs and tasks can one discover their interests and talents. At this stage, there is no need to worry about failure (in fact, failure is often more valuable than success), because even if you fail, you still have plenty of time and opportunities to start over. The main task during the exploration period of a person's career is to gain abilities, experiences, and lessons, rather than focusing on making a lot of money, which is often unrealistic; or some people are too eager for quick success, making quick money but losing their entire life.

Positioning period (30-35): This stage can be said to be the most decisive phase for career planning. It is best for a person to be very clear about which industry they want to work in, especially which profession they want to pursue. To make this decision, one must understand their “unique workplace competitiveness” (USP: Unique Sales Point) compared to others. For example, if you really want a position in a successful company, and there are 99 other people competing for that position, can you clearly and objectively tell the company what abilities, qualities, and experiences you possess that are superior to those 99 others? If you cannot articulate this, or even if you can but know deep down that you do not possess those qualities, you must quickly hone your workplace competitiveness; otherwise, it may become a hidden worry for your long-term career development. In short, if a person does not have a clear career positioning by the time they are 35, they will likely become increasingly anxious, often feeling unappreciated and blaming the world, until they spend their career in constant lamentation.

Steady period (35-40): During this stage, one should deepen, thoroughly understand, and build a reputation in their already established career. This means further clarifying and strengthening personal core competitive abilities through actual work achievements, ideally establishing a good workplace reputation within the industry. At the very least, one should create an irreplaceable advantage in the company they work for. This stage particularly emphasizes focus; only by concentrating can one achieve success.

Harvest period (after 40): This stage is the time to reap money, status, and fame. If by this stage your income level is still very low, how will you support your family? If at this age you have not established a professional reputation and status, it will be very difficult to make significant breakthroughs unless you become your own boss. While it is true that some people consider 50 to be the starting point for career development, for the vast majority, 40 remains an important dividing line.

The greatest confusion in career development is not knowing how to position oneself during the positioning period (30-35).

Of course, many theories and tools can be used for analysis in this area, such as career anchors. Interested friends can study them. However, I personally believe that these methods are not very convenient to operate. I think the method mentioned by Professor Tal Ben-Shahar of Harvard University in his book “The Happiness Advantage,” which involves three circles, is the simplest and most effective method. Many years ago, I personally tried it and guided several friends to use it, so I suggest you give it a try.

Specifically, it involves drawing three circles to determine your career positioning:

What makes you happy: In this circle, list all the things that make you feel happy, no matter how many items, regardless of size or quality. For example: traveling, playing football, making big money, enjoying delicious food, watching movies, doing charity, writing books, programming...
What you can do: In this circle, list the things you can currently do, mainly referring to those that someone needs in the workplace (i.e., things that someone is willing to pay for), regardless of size or prestige, the more the better. For example: programming, selling products, repairing air conditioners, giving speeches, telling jokes, investing...
What you find meaningful: In this circle, list the things you find meaningful and valuable, the more the better, regardless of what others think, as long as you believe they are meaningful and valuable. For example: supporting a family, helping clients solve software problems, alleviating others' pain, volunteering, fighting fraud...

Position#

Individuals categorize positions differently. From the way of working, positions can be divided into service positions, R&D positions, management coordination positions, etc.; from the objects of work, they can be divided into positions dealing with people, positions dealing with things, and positions dealing with data files; from the level, they can be divided into basic positions, mid-level management positions, senior management positions, and highly replaceable positions.
Of course, they can also be divided by salary levels. When choosing a position, one must comprehensively consider their own conditions and willingness to find the best combination for guaranteed development.
There are many ways to understand positions.

1. Undoubtedly, for fresh graduates, internships are the best means.
2. Participate in exchanges; have you done that? The protagonist mentioned earlier, Yun Jia, met some industry insiders, and then she maintained contact through a weekly flattering email to understand what positions young people are suitable for when they actually seek employment, which is actually a small probability event. Positions are varied, but you can also categorize them logically to help yourself make choices.
   In addition to the commonly mentioned positions that deal with people, things, and data, we can also categorize them based on other logical factors that concern you, such as “team,” “connections,” “commissions,” etc. Let's illustrate with some examples.

Positions with connections vs. positions without connections
Definition: Your work itself will inevitably expose you to many connections.
Your work may primarily focus internally within the company, rather than externally, so connections are minimal.
Examples: Positions that interact with external parties often bring connections: positions dealing with government and media; positions that interact with many clients, such as securities consultants.
Positions focused on internal management may have relatively fewer connections, such as IT support, internal web design, text editing, etc.

Salary: Many people have significantly increased their salaries by bringing “network resources” when changing jobs. In similar level jobs, positions without connections may have slightly lower salaries.

How to choose: If you value connections, you can carefully consider job responsibilities when choosing a career, whether there will be many opportunities to interact externally. If you are a professional talent, you may not need connections; as long as you do your professional work well, opportunities will naturally arise.

“Solo positions” vs. “team positions”

Solo positions: A single person can complete the work without relying on collective cooperation.
Team positions: Require collaboration with others.
Examples: Teachers in training schools (paid by the hour), translators (paid by word), advertising designers (paid by project specifications).
Most positions are team positions, such as marketing, sales, engineering, etc.
Advantages: No complicated interpersonal relationships, “the more you do, the more you earn.” In a team, you grow quickly.
Disadvantages: Development prospects are limited because you cannot reach management positions (you have always managed yourself). Initially, you are a small soldier in the team, but eventually, you become a big shot in the team, with a clear development path.
Salary: Initial salary is relatively high, but you must rely on personal strength to earn money, unable to enjoy the benefits of managing a team (most teachers in training schools are like this, and they may feel troubled after turning 30). Initial salaries are often lower, but as your role in the team becomes increasingly important, it will gradually rise.
Suitable for: Those who enjoy working alone for pay and do not mind still working solo at 40. Those who hope to become managers in the future.

Quantifiable positions vs. non-quantifiable positions#

Quantifiable positions: Job performance can be completely represented by data.
Non-quantifiable positions: Your job performance can only be evaluated based on feelings, making it impossible to quantify.
Examples: Sales, creative advertising personnel, procurement (how much budget you control), book planning, marketing (how much advertising budget you have), financial managers (how much budget you manage each year), etc. Front desk, administration, human resources, customer service, quality control, data mining, etc.
Advantages: If performance is excellent, promotion and salary increase are rapid. The pressure is often high because your work has strict numerical assessments: how much did you sell? How many clicks did your Weibo marketing get... Since your work cannot be quantified, it is difficult to prove “I performed really well.” Therefore, you may face slow promotions and high replaceability...

Writing this, I am a bit worried: if you have no work experience, you may still find the above table confusing. To help everyone understand various positions better, we will provide a detailed introduction to some non-technical positions. As for technical positions, I believe those in the field are already familiar and will not elaborate further.

What does a marketing employee do?#

1. Help the R&D department determine the direction of research: Go to different cities or sales locations to survey consumers, find out what consumers in a certain area like and dislike, and summarize and optimize consumer preferences to create a new product concept. Therefore, a marketing employee must be someone who loves to observe and think.

2. Collaborate with advertisers to design TV commercials, select media and playback formats, such as deciding whether to air continuously for 20 days or every other day, etc.; for each design, you must find sufficient reasons and data to support it. Therefore, those in marketing must have strong logical and data capabilities to persuade the boss to invest a large sum in the media you favor.

3. Designing advertising slogans is the most important step; many advertisements are remembered because of brilliant copy, such as “Diamonds are forever, a single one is eternal.” Even if you collaborate with an advertising company, you must have creativity yourself. Therefore, you need to have ideas, which is essential.

4. Collaborate with graphic designers to design images used for in-store displays, such as posters of popular celebrities for cosmetics, company brochures, etc.

5. Design the display method in the store, determining how to place products to attract attention.

6. Design promotional methods, such as whether to offer buy-one-get-one-free or large discounts, or whether giving away keychains as small gifts is better.

7. Some promotional plans may need to be tested in certain cities or markets first, so you need to choose which cities to conduct experiments in.

8. Turn your plan into a PPT and communicate with sales personnel, persuading them to accept your designed advertising and promotional plans, so that the sales team will be happy to coordinate with supermarkets or distributors on how to sell the products.

9. Communicating more with the R&D and sales departments can help you better understand their thoughts, making it easier for you to persuade them.

10. The career path in marketing is, of course, to continue working in it, moving from managing small brands to managing large brands, with both income and sense of achievement being quite high.

• What kind of person is suitable for marketing?

1. Born to be a “idea king,” always able to come up with unexpected good ideas, possessing “creative thinking.”
2. Daring to take appropriate risks, willing to try different new methods and take responsibility for failures.
3. Having a scientific attitude and rational thinking, being relatively rational in work, and preferring to speak with objective analysis and data. Strong logical thinking ability, paying attention to cause and effect when analyzing problems, and simplifying complex issues.
4. Having foresight; many marketing activities cannot take effect in the short term. You need to see further, think earlier, act faster than others, and make long-term plans for the future, then implement them step by step.

What does a public relations (PR) employee do?

1. Public relations is a behind-the-scenes job; you need to push the company, boss, and products into the spotlight while remaining anonymous. The less traceable the public relations work is, the better.

2. Part of the public relations work involves government relations, coordinating communication between the company and government departments. When a certain department of the company wants to hold an event with a government department, you need to contact the government department to coordinate details such as time, place, and personnel.

3. Once a new product is to be launched, you need to make specific arrangements, such as inviting which media and reporters to attend, what kind of reception to arrange, and what information the press release should convey.

4. Once a department signs a big client, you need to promote this success story immediately, preparing a press release to strive for publication in important media.

5. Expand and maintain media relationships, arrange interviews.

6. Write press releases, review all materials for external publicity to ensure consistency in public relations messaging.

7. Crisis management. Step up when the company is in a trust crisis, using all media resources and government and industry connections to rebuild reputation.

8. Media resources are the lifeblood of public relations. To establish a good relationship with a newspaper, you need to involve various people. In addition to the contact reporter, you also need to consider editors, department heads, and even the chief editor. Therefore, accumulating media resources is the key to success in this industry.

9. PR personnel should develop the habit of being familiar with the latest news from various related media, comparing the frequency and effectiveness of your company and competitors' appearances in the media, summarizing the public relations issues the company has faced during this period, and then addressing them accordingly. Generally, PR personnel in companies or large institutions must collect all relevant reports, video recordings, and summaries every year, and develop the good habit of “keeping an eye on everything.”

10. Once you enter the public relations field, in addition to working in a company, you can also go to a professional public relations company, such as the largest domestic public relations company BlueFocus or the American Ogilvy Public Relations. The road in this industry is not wide, but the people you interact with are all high-level individuals in the company, and there are opportunities to transfer to other departments.

• What kind of person is suitable for public relations (PR)?

1. A public relations person must meet the standards of being dignified, as you represent the company’s image. (Ugly people need not be sad; there are benefits to being ugly, as seen with Jack Ma.)
2. Since you represent the company’s image and frequently interact with the media, clear speech is necessary; those who blush when they speak or turn pale when excited should definitely not work in public relations.
3. Written expression ability is also crucial.
4. Having relationships with government departments and media will make you more suitable for this profession! Public relations companies especially favor those who have worked in the media and graduates from communication majors, as they value their innate networking advantages. I have seen a girl working in PR who previously worked in the municipal government’s publicity office, easily transitioning to one of the largest public relations companies.
5. A public relations person must appear “professional,” whether in attire, work style, work attitude, or communication skills, making others feel a sense of professionalism. I know a manager from a public relations company who is such a person. If you ask him which perfume is good, he might bring you 10 perfume test strips the next day, each corresponding to a certain fragrance, and label the characteristics of each perfume! If you go running with him on the beach, he will magically pull out special leg guards designed for running on the beach!

Sales in a seller's market vs. sales in a buyer's market
The so-called “sales in a seller's market” refers to the situation where the products and services you sell are basically in short supply, so customers often have to flatter sales representatives to gain distribution rights. For example, sales representatives for BMW enjoyed such treatment ten years ago when BMW was in short supply.
Clearly, life in a seller's market is easy; even if the commission from the company is not generous, you can still earn respect and even material benefits from customers.
However, most “seller's market” situations do not involve large transaction sales (Sales) and low-value transaction sales (Sales).
Large transaction sales are proud high-end positions in the sales field that you deserve! For example, coal sales, ore sales, freight business sales (if you negotiate a big client to use your company’s ship for freight, the annual freight may reach millions), and large machinery sales are similar.

We can imagine: if you handle tens of millions of dollars in transactions every year, your salary cannot be low.
Low-value sales refer to sales positions with relatively small transaction amounts.

Advantages and disadvantages of the profession: Sales work is very free, you do not have to clock in and out, and you can spend money more freely; however, you must endure significant psychological pressure, as sales quotas are always hanging over you, and you have to deal with the pressure of losing orders, as we cannot win every time. The best path in sales is to rise within the company to management. Generally speaking, there are more opportunities for sales to reach higher levels than others because sales are the lifeline of the entire company. However, even so, only a few can rise, so it is essential to accumulate resources and extend your sales career as much as possible.

• What kind of person is suitable for sales?

1. Salespeople must be good at quickly establishing relationships with others. Some companies recruit salespeople through group discussions and require you to name two classmates; those who cannot do so are automatically eliminated!

2. Are you not afraid of pressure? Good! Have you ever experienced insomnia as the exam approaches? Do you become anxious two days before the interview? If so, you may not be suitable. Outstanding salespeople must have extraordinary resilience. Otherwise, even if you reluctantly become a salesperson, you will not enjoy your food or sleep.

3. Can you turn Goals (tasks) into Go (motivation)? Or do you complain all day about your boss being heartless for giving you such a high Goal (equivalent to a taxi driver’s “fare”)? If you are the type who is motivated by having a goal, you are suitable for sales!

4. Do you have a talent for caring for others? Or do you think caring for someone you don't know well is too mushy? The most important thing for sales is to quickly establish a close relationship with target customers. I know a senior salesperson who frequently texts me, reminding me to dress warmly when it’s cold and suggesting I drink mung bean soup when it’s hot (he sends group messages, and caring for people has become his habit). If you find out that a target customer’s son did poorly on the college entrance exam and missed the undergraduate line by a few points, will you avoid this bad news or immediately strive to understand the admission scores and employment situations of various colleges and then discuss it with your customer, even if they think you are being overly concerned? Caring for people, and doing so sincerely and consistently, can impress your target customers.

5. Are you a passionate person? Sales require enthusiasm; you need to be filled with the desire to complete Goals every day and be excited about the moment you receive your commission after achieving your goals.

6. Are you a responsible person? Good salespeople cannot always have new clients; most of your resources come from old clients. If your client’s business is doing well, they will continue to purchase your equipment. A good salesperson takes high responsibility for their clients, treating their clients’ business as their own and their clients’ problems as their own; this sense of responsibility is a necessary quality of Top Sales.

7. Many people say that being able to drink is a necessary condition for sales, but I have seen many software salespeople, medical device salespeople, and energy product salespeople who can only drink a little. Many women worry that they will be forced to drink or accompany various clients in sales. However, in reality, if your clients are high-quality individuals, you should not be harassed.

What is the position of sales in consumer goods companies that do not directly face customers?
Sales in consumer goods companies do not face end customers but rather deal with product distributors. For example, if you sell a certain cosmetic, you may need to interact with both online (network distributors) and offline (store distributors). There are many online distributors, such as Jumei, JD, Tmall, etc.; while offline distributors may include various supermarkets and specialized cosmetic stores like Jialan Jiaren.
Newcomers in daily consumer goods sales generally face the task of going out to understand firsthand sales conditions. You may need to go to various supermarkets to act as a “stock clerk,” placing the cheapest and most promotional products in the most “eye-catching” positions, which means on shelves near the entrance, on the most visible layers of multi-layered shelves, or on the most prominent shelves in the store. The more “golden” your shelf is, the easier it is for consumers to buy your products, and the store will stock more and keep the golden shelf for you long-term.
In sales, regardless of position level, you are constantly being rejected, so never be afraid of losing “face”; in fact, do not even think of it as losing “face.” Work is work; you must separate it from personal emotions. In sales, you must learn to interact with all kinds of people and be able to discuss any topic.

Sales in daily consumer goods companies cannot be considered a good lifelong career in China at present. This is because the technical content of daily consumer goods sales is not high, and the performance of newcomers and “old” employees is often similar, making it difficult to guarantee that you can continue to succeed based on years of experience. In some unscrupulous companies, sales quotas fluctuate, and no matter how capable you are, it is difficult to meet them, making it hard to guarantee your monthly income. Therefore, entering the sales management layer based on outstanding performance is the best choice.
Overall, I encourage you to engage in sales with technical content, as this will significantly reduce your replaceability; the higher the technical content, the more valuable your experience will be.

• What kind of person is suitable for consulting?

1. Because you need to interact with clients, your behavior and demeanor must be pleasant and free of particularly unbearable flaws. I have a reader friend from my “interview speaking” class who, although very handsome, has a black mole at the corner of his eye. After graduating with an MBA, he wanted to work in a consulting company but failed repeatedly until he finally removed the mole, which he thought was lucky, and only then did he get hired by the most famous local consulting company.

2. People in the consulting industry need to be confident; even if you are a fresh graduate, you must tell a boss who has been in a certain industry for many years what they should do instead of what they shouldn't do. This high-intensity psychological pressure requires you to have good mental qualities to cope with, as consultants cannot always have rich experience in all industries.

3. You need to appear intelligent for clients to trust you; your work must be detailed and organized; your speech must be clear, and your plans must be well-structured; your Mandarin must be standard; you should be competitive but not overly ambitious, lively but not ostentatious, cooperative but not self-serving.

4. You must be able to see problems accurately and provide constructive suggestions, as this industry is fundamentally about giving advice.

5. You must be good at presentations, as many plans need to be presented to clients in meetings, so you must be adept at expressing your views in public and answering questions on the spot without preparation.

6. Leadership skills, analytical skills, and quantification abilities are universally valued and sought after in consulting companies. You must excel at deriving conclusions from data.

“What is the human resources profession like?”
The keywords for HR work are decent, stable, and not much overtime, rather than being enterprising and challenging, which can lead to more work for more pay.
3. Entry-level HR personnel need to handle many detailed tasks: hiring and dismissal procedures, insurance and social security payments, individual income tax and salary calculations, attendance management, personnel file maintenance, daily assessments, etc.
4. You need to be familiar with labor and personnel regulations and be able to draft labor contracts, confidentiality agreements, and service agreements.
5. Draft various personnel regulations, such as “Employee Handbook” and “Annual Assessment Implementation Guidelines,” and assist in job analysis and organizing job descriptions.
6. Develop or propose suggestions for salary management systems, welfare systems, performance assessments, and incentive measures.

• What kind of person is suitable for “human resources”?
  Personnel in fields such as public relations, administration, and marketing have been dealing with people for many years.

This type of work can be considered “human resources.”#

1. Serious and with strong affinity. The HR manager of a large company may need to interact with the media, so a dignified demeanor often also implies a decent appearance. Here, I remind you to understand the keywords in the recruitment requirements.
2. Mature and rational, good at observation and listening.
3. Cautious in speech, cannot gossip, but also cannot give a cold, difficult-to-deal-with impression.
4. Able to accept a job nature that is not too stimulating and has little change. HR work is a long-term endeavor; you must accept a reality that you cannot expect to gain others' recognition and respect overnight. What you do is not short-term, specific, or quantifiable, but indirect, long-term, and flexible.
5. Regardless of how important HR work is, it will always be a supporting role in the company, so you must accept another reality: when the company celebrates success, your name may not be mentioned, and it is also difficult to achieve rapid promotion. Fairly, the pressure of HR work is usually not high, and working late is rare.
6. Since there are more women in the human resources department, men have an advantage when applying.

“What is the administrative management profession like?”
In small companies, administration is synonymous with “jack of all trades” or “housekeeper,” meaning doing everything: buying stationery, booking flights, ordering water, buying plants, organizing various festive events, and being responsible for repairs when items break. You might even have to help the boss with personal matters, such as paying phone bills or handling car licenses. Even in large enterprises, administration involves doing various miscellaneous tasks.

The benefits of administration are clear: very little overtime, no pressure, and it is easy to get along with colleagues; often, you must do everything possible to help the company save money, gathering supplier information to buy at the lowest discount.
The drawbacks of administrative work are also obvious: low salary, difficult to get promoted, and not easily recognized by the boss in the company. Of course, some companies that value administration are exceptions; for example, at New Oriental, the location of each campus is determined by administrative staff, which is quite important.

• What kind of person is suitable for “administration”?

1. Someone who enjoys doing trivial work.
2. Someone who does not have great ambition for career development (in general terms).

A past ≈ future, referring to “using past experience to determine future careers.” Let's first look at two cases:#

1. The career experiences of these people serve as a reference for choosing a profession, but they cannot be copied absolutely.
   . Reflecting on past experiences
   Summarize experiences: Review past work experiences in detail, listing the positions you held, responsibilities, and achievements.
   Identify skills: Analyze the skills and knowledge you gained in different jobs, identifying your core competitiveness.
   Evaluate interests: Reflect on which job content made you feel the most accomplished and interested, and which made you feel bored or uncomfortable.

2. Analyze the current career environment

Industry trends: Understand the latest development trends and future prospects in your industry, identifying which areas have more opportunities.
Company needs: Research the development direction and talent needs of the target company to ensure your career planning aligns with the company's development strategy.

3. Set future career goals

Short-term goals: Set short-term career goals for the next 1-3 years, clarifying what progress or changes you hope to achieve in your current position.
Long-term goals: Set long-term career goals for the next 5-10 years, considering the heights and achievements you hope to reach in your career.

4. Develop an action plan

Skill enhancement: Based on future career goals, create specific learning and training plans to enhance relevant skills and knowledge.
Network expansion: Actively participate in industry conferences, training, and social activities to expand your network and gain more career opportunities.
Practical experience: Accumulate more practical experience through internships, part-time jobs, or project collaborations to enhance your career competitiveness.

5. Regularly evaluate and adjust

Self-evaluation: Regularly review and evaluate your career development progress to ensure you are moving towards your established goals.
Flexible adjustment: Based on actual conditions and industry changes, flexibly adjust your career planning and goals, maintaining flexibility and adaptability in career development.
Through these steps, you can better utilize past experiences to formulate practical future career plans, ensuring your career development direction is clear and actionable.

Career conclusion method: What you are better at than others is what you should do for the rest of your life.#

You study engineering and are also a core member of the student union. I think you are “stronger” in the aspect of “combining technology and management,” so you should work as a management trainee or in technical management or sales and marketing management within your industry.
If you are better at studying technology than your classmates, then technical positions and future technical management positions should be your choice.
If you are more organized and have a better sense of numbers than most people, then you will definitely excel in finance 180 times more than I do.
If you feel you have no advantages but seem to be better at making friends, you might become a good salesperson (don't be surprised; good salespeople often have the best interpersonal relationships).

An industry can make ordinary employees rich overnight. Yes, there is indeed a certain gap in development space among different industries. If the positions are similar, everyone should choose the industry with greater incremental growth.#

Choose a company: A good company is one that helps you grow and is a good company to enter the “career channel N-level” company.#

Why not plan your career path after 40 in advance? Will you consider your choice of “foreign companies or state-owned enterprises” more carefully?
State-owned enterprises, a unique term in society, have been increasingly associated with negative connotations: inefficiency, procrastination, nepotism, etc. Because of this, many young people feel a bit uneasy when their parents arrange for them to enter state-owned enterprises, fearing that their one-time youth will vanish in inefficiency, only to regret it when their belly bulges and their hair turns gray...

Are big companies better, or are small companies better?#

Large enterprises often have a specific role for each position, everything is orderly, and if you are someone without much opinion (or have not yet formed your own ideas), you are very suitable to start at a large enterprise. Additionally, the advanced management systems and corporate culture of large enterprises can help newcomers broaden their horizons and understand what is best. Another important point is that the work background of large enterprises is often a golden sign, making your future job search much smoother.

However, for those who are particularly ambitious and need “a voice,” such places can feel very oppressive, as they may feel constrained. Moreover, large enterprises are filled with talent; even if you are very smart and hardworking, you cannot stand out immediately. Once you enter a large company, you often have to “grind” for several years before you may have a chance to be promoted, and you must “grind” with quality. In contrast, in small enterprises, there may be one position for three people; a front desk secretary may also serve as a human resources assistant, and if you have the ability, the boss may discover you overnight. I remember when I first started working at an immigration consulting agency, although my position was as a lawyer assistant, I actually did everything: running to embassies, answering client questions, providing English training for clients, etc. If you do many tasks at once, you can quickly discover your interests and strengths; my talent for English teaching was discovered when I was “guest-starring” as an English trainer here. Therefore, small enterprises offer more flexibility, and your development may have leaps.

Of course, the drawbacks of working in small enterprises are obvious: they are not stable enough, there are not enough excellent talents around you to learn from, and the work background of small enterprises is not heavy enough when changing jobs... Therefore, many people choose to work in large enterprises first to accumulate experience before moving to small enterprises to showcase their ambitions.

Starting a business is usually suitable for these people: those who have worked in startup companies and are familiar with the startup process and key points; those who have worked in core technical positions for a long time, have excellent technology, and have connections and creativity; those with entrepreneurial backgrounds in their families and convenient conditions in the industry; and those who are willing to give it a try and are not afraid of failure. Many young people who start a business right after graduation fail, and the reason is often not that their ideas are bad but that they lack experience, do not have a team, and lack execution—ultimately, accumulation is more important than ideas.

People can first find a job and then start a business. This saying is worth considering. However, we also see many outstanding employees who have worked in large companies for three to five years, entering with the idea of charging up before starting a business, but gradually receiving generous treatment and promotions, becoming accustomed to a stable 9-to-5 life. They have learned knowledge and skills in segmented positions but have also become a screw in a large machine, losing the passion and motivation to start a business. Therefore, if you are really determined to start a business, to ensure you learn the necessary knowledge for early entrepreneurship, try to join a smaller company (less than 100 people), so you won't become a screw.

If you are an excellent engineer and want to start a business in the future, perhaps you should not go to a large company but to a startup with great potential, as you will become familiar with the startup process and key points. Additionally, those with excellent technology in technical positions may also receive proactive invitations from others to collaborate on startups.
In terms of work intensity, starting a business definitely requires longer hours than working as a white-collar worker; in terms of financial income, many people in the early stages of entrepreneurship live on beautiful visions of the future. However, from a life experience perspective, entrepreneurship offers you a completely different view and insights compared to working for someone else. Furthermore, stepping back, even if young people fail in their entrepreneurial endeavors, the “growth wealth” they gain may surpass years of working for someone else. I have seen several young people who failed in their startups, later quickly develop after returning to white-collar jobs because they can think from the company's perspective and better understand the boss.

Finally, the advice for entrepreneurship is: if you have an idea, go for it; if you fail, you can always start over.

Choosing a career development path: Look at the pyramid#

Understanding the pyramid structure in career development usually refers to gradually advancing from basic positions to higher-level management or expert positions. This structure can help you clarify your career development path and goals.

Career development paths

Management route
The management route typically includes the process of gradually advancing from a grassroots employee to a team leader, department manager, or even a senior manager. This route is suitable for those with leadership abilities who are good at communication and coordination.

Expert route
The expert route involves working in a specific professional field and gradually becoming an expert or authority in that field. This route is suitable for those with deep accumulation and interest in a particular technical or professional field.

There is no good or bad career route, only suitable ones.#

01 About the expert route
The expert route requires a person to be highly skilled, experienced, and have unique insights in their field, capable of solving complex problems and providing solutions.

They generally focus on one module, usually as specialists. The biggest benefit of developing in this module is the ability to concentrate on accumulating knowledge in a specific area, allowing for faster expertise in that field.

This type of career development path generally exists in large enterprises.

If you can reach this level and tier, it undoubtedly requires individuals to immerse themselves in their positions and industries for many years, encountering countless real cases and accumulating frontline and on-site experience.

Therefore, for those who want to develop along the “expert route,” there is an implicit “hard requirement,” namely “same position.”

Clearly, frequent job changes make it impossible to reach expert levels, let alone advance along the expert route.

02 About the management route
The management route requires individuals to have flexible adaptability and problem-solving skills, efficient coordination and communication abilities; innovation and teamwork awareness; and the ability to lead teams to face challenges and achieve goals.

Thus, there are no strict requirements for being in the same field, industry, or even the same position.

Of course, being deeply rooted in the same field and working in one industry for a long time to accumulate connections and experience is better.

In other words, while industry experience accumulation is important, it is not as crucial as “career” experience accumulation. However, even if you are not in the same field, the working years and experience in related fields or positions will still be emphasized.

The management route involves advancing from assistant, specialist, to gradually becoming a supervisor, manager, director, and general manager. Those who walk the management route are generally generalists, with greater emphasis on management abilities than professional abilities.

03 Are you suitable for the expert route or the management route?
To assess whether you are suitable for the expert route or the management route, you should consider the following three aspects:

Personal character, interests, and strengths
If you want to pursue the expert route but lack the patience to study diligently, do not have a research spirit, and are unwilling to delve deeply into the professional field, it will be difficult for you to succeed.

If you want to pursue the management route but are not good at systematic thinking, communication, and coordination, dislike dealing with interpersonal relationships, and prefer to work independently without leading a team, you will also find it difficult to do well.

If your self-assessment is ambiguous and you do not know which path suits you, you can use career interest testing tools for assessment or seek objective evaluations and feedback from leaders, colleagues, classmates, and friends who know you well to clarify your strengths, specialties, and true interests.

After a comprehensive assessment, you will have a deeper and more complete understanding of yourself, allowing you to choose a development path that suits you.

This not only helps the stability of your future career but also helps you maintain motivation and passion for work, making it easier to achieve success and gain respect while enjoying the joy and sense of accomplishment from work.

Whether it can provide suitable opportunities
Sometimes, what we want to do and what we can do is closely related to whether the platform can provide us with such opportunities.

If your expertise and strengths are in a company or position that cannot fully utilize them, your value will naturally not be realized. Whether you want to pursue the expert route or the management route is not determined by you, and the opportunities may be very slim.

For example, if you are in the finance department and clearly want to take on a management position, but the current organizational structure and position settings only offer expert positions, conversely, if you want to be an expert in finance but the current opportunities only provide management work.

In this case, your strengths and interests do not match the development opportunities and platforms provided by the company. If you cannot switch jobs, your career development aspirations will be difficult to realize.

Whether your direct supervisor supports you
In addition to your strengths and advantages, having a platform to showcase your abilities is essential, and you especially need a direct supervisor who supports and mentors you.

They are willing to cultivate and guide you, uncover your potential, provide you with opportunities to take on greater responsibilities, and help you build your skills and accumulate experience in the career direction you desire, gradually forming your core competitiveness.

Encountering an excellent supervisor is a fortunate thing; they can help you navigate your career path smoothly and lead you to success.

If an employee can consistently produce good results, there must be a good superior or leader behind them who guides and supports them. This ultimately determines an employee's dedication and enthusiasm for work.

In summary, whether to choose the expert line or the management line depends on which one suits you, whether there are development opportunities, and whether your supervisor will teach you.

From the perspective of enterprise recruitment, specialized talents can deeply, thoroughly, and comprehensively understand and know the responsibilities and content of a job, generating new ideas and thoughts, making the work more efficient.

Only employees who can achieve the above will be highly regarded and favored.

In conclusion, whether to excel in one field or position or to explore multiple fields or different positions to broaden your horizons and discover your potential is closely related to your personality and career development planning.

After three years, changing industries basically means that before the age of 35, our survival capital relies on hard work.

After three years, changing industries basically means that after the age of 35, our survival capital relies on accumulation, including connections, experience, reputation, and clients... If you change industries, it means your accumulation over the past three years has gone to waste.
Many people feel that everything is going wrong when they have worked for two or three years, feeling frustrated, thinking that changing industries will clear the clouds. In fact, this only forces you to start over, and after two or three years, you will encounter the same bottleneck again. It is like running a long-distance race; at the beginning, it is easy, but soon you will feel discomfort for the first time, but after that, you can run easily for a long time; then you will encounter discomfort for the second time, but after persisting, you can run again... The proportion of those who can endure three to five discomforts is not large, so as long as you persist, this capital will be enough for you to enjoy for a lifetime.

Career#

Those who persist in climbing a peak will surely reach the summit. It seems that those who stick to doing one thing for a lifetime will definitely succeed and become strong and outstanding individuals.

Strengths#

It is about discovering your strengths—refining your strengths to make them longer!
So, what are your strengths? If you don't have any, find them by constantly doing things!
If you already have them, congratulations! Please engage in various social practices to verify and extend them!

1. Do three things well in college
   (1) Practice speaking skills. Everyone says English is a “stepping stone,” but to be precise, speaking is the key.
   (2) Make good friends. From freshman year, hang out with seniors and graduate students; when I intern in junior year and look for jobs in senior year, they will become my valuable networking resources. Even if they cannot introduce jobs, they can guide me.
   (3) Strive for “early maturity.” Start various internships from freshman year, whether as a tutor or a tour guide, even if it means handing out flyers; the more you do, the sooner you can discover your interests and abilities, allowing you to “mature early.”

Special positions for women#

2. Assistant: A good position for female job seekers to find a way out
   Female job seekers face “discrimination” in many positions, so being an assistant becomes a good opportunity for many women to find a way out. If you do well as an assistant, you are likely to quickly shed the assistant label and become a professional in technology, sales, marketing, etc.

There are three key elements to doing well as an assistant:
(1) Do your job 120%. Type quickly and well while saving paper; brew tea that is neither too hot nor too cold! It is no exaggeration to say that your work performance directly determines how quickly you can transfer departments or positions.
(2) Serve everyone, not just the manager. Fully recognize that assistants are the most basic service personnel in the company, even if you are the assistant to the general manager. Be willing to serve everyone; when everyone says you are capable and have a service mindset, your promotion notice will be waiting to rush in and embrace you.
(3) Learn secretly, rather than overtly. Learning is easy to understand; as a sales assistant, you should learn how sales representatives work, and as a human resources assistant, you should ponder how the salary and welfare specialist designs the salary system. The word “secretly” is absolutely necessary, especially for new assistants who have just joined the company and have not yet established a good reputation. You should know that asking too many questions before doing your job well is the most annoying behavior for newcomers, exposing your “wolfish ambition”!

3. “Sales” is a good position
   Many people say that sales jobs are not suitable for women because they require traveling, dining with clients, high pressure, and a lifetime of seeking others. However, in most companies, the relationship between clients and sales representatives is interdependent; clients also rely on sales representatives to help them source good products, plan inventory, and extend payment terms to prosper together, so clients generally treat sales representatives with respect.
   Of course, high-pressure sales positions may be more common. However, one should not label all sales positions as “seeking favors,” as there are indeed different types of sales positions.

4. Scholar-type teachers should be cautious about entering training institutions
   When young, being a teacher in a training institution seems glamorous because of the high energy and income compared to peers.
   However, in training institutions, scholar-type teachers often have no career path because there are no titles like lecturer—associate professor—professor... Therefore, troubles will arise with age, as less teaching naturally leads to decreased income.
   Of course, some teachers possess management talents, gradually moving into teaching management positions, finding suitable management roles during the rapid expansion of schools.

5. In terms of career development, try not to take a detour

Career development is like climbing a mountain; everyone wants to reach the peak quickly and overlook the small mountains. The fastest way to reach the peak, besides taking a cable car (if you have a billionaire dad or grandpa), is to climb straight up with determination.
My career path has been a detour: translation—sales assistant—sales representative—teacher. The drawbacks of a detour are obvious; it will inevitably delay your arrival at the peak, and your salary and position will slowly rise instead of soaring quickly. Of course, everything has its pros and cons; a detour allows you to appreciate different scenery along the way and experience the different pleasures and pains brought by various professions. In summary, a straight path allows you to achieve high positions and wealth faster, while a detour allows you to experience the richness of life. Whether to take a straight or a detour depends entirely on what you want to achieve.
If time could turn back, the more materialistic (including a sense of achievement) me would have resolutely taken any of the following straight paths:
(1) Teacher—excellent teacher—author of multiple books
(2) Teacher—department supervisor—branch school principal—group executive
(3) Sales assistant—sales representative—sales supervisor—department manager—sales director

Quality and morality are not the same.#

Kindness is an inner quality, a specific tradition, and altruism is the highest “profit” business.
Because you will surely receive a return beyond value: trust from clients, help from friends, understanding from employees...
So, even if you find this statement very utilitarian, I still want to call for more good people, even if half of them are utilitarian good people.

2. Go with the flow, focus, and care for clients, and you can start a business.
   Many young people ask me how I view entrepreneurship; my opinion is: if you learn to go with the flow, focus, and care for clients, you can succeed in entrepreneurship.
   Going with the flow means meeting the demands of the times. For example, AI, interactive service robots, and neural network deep learning undoubtedly meet national conditions and long-term development.

Focusing means you can lock your products and services onto a specific group of people; this is easier said than done. Most people can do many things but find it difficult to focus, leading to unsuccessful entrepreneurship.

Branding is a cultural symbol formed by the company culture that has survived the test of time in the market.

How to view the relationship between education and ability?#

In 95% of cases, your undergraduate degree is roughly equivalent to your real ability, rather than your master's degree.

If you are a graduate of a third-tier university and hope to turn your life around with a graduate degree, this degree may be more useful for entering government agencies or public institutions; however, in top international companies, it may not truly serve as a stepping stone.

The career prospects of graduates from third-tier universities lie in the workplace! Since you cannot compete with others in academics, why compete with first-tier students in studies? If you engage in a highly practical profession, such as insurance sales, you may completely earn more than a first-tier graduate or even a graduate student!

2. What is the development prospect of the consulting industry in China?
   Of course, it is good; like the other 360 industries, most are actually good. The key is how high the mountain is and how far you can climb.

3. From the perspective of development space, salary, and stability, is it better in the fast-moving consumer goods industry or in technology research and development?
   If you excel in a certain position, it will be stable + high salary + development. So the question is whether you are slightly better in technology research and development or in creative planning than others. Choosing a career based on “what you are better at than others” is often very accurate.

4. Can you introduce the media industry situation? Does it have prospects?
   Since you raised this question, I must answer you: “Dear, you may not be suitable for the media industry.” Because this question lacks the sensitivity of “media”! If your question were, “Does the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television's ‘two limits’ have a significant impact on the media industry?” I would think you are suitable for the media industry.

How to find a good wife?#

— First, understand the needs of the target wife, then prepare well and take action.
How to find a good job?
— First, determine the target position and industry, then prepare well and take action.
After reading this chapter, please return here to complete the following table.

1. The career and industry I choose are:

2. Which predecessors in this industry and position have I interacted with, and what internal information did they share:
   (1) _____________________________________________
   (2) _____________________________________________
   (3) _____________________________________________
3. I conducted “premarital trials” for this industry and position (do not misinterpret the nature of the trial):
   (1) _____________________________________________
   (2) _____________________________________________
   (3) _____________________________________________
4. What are the dress requirements for this profession and industry, and what preparations have I made:
   (1) _____________________________________________
   (2) _____________________________________________
   (3) _____________________________________________
5. Compared to other job seekers, the preparations I made may have a slight edge:
   (1) _____________________________________________
   (2) _____________________________________________
   (3) _____________________________________________

Several close comrades?#

The close comrades on the job search road fall into two categories:
One is the network resources you have accumulated; the other is the classmates who are also searching for jobs alongside you.
Network resources are what we Chinese particularly value as “relationship networks,” always ranking high on the list of successful elements.

In freshman year, if you establish friendships with seniors and graduate students, they will become valuable resources for your job search in senior year! College boys generally focus their friendship on “junior sisters,” often ignoring senior sisters. Reflect on this; pursuing junior sisters is understandable, but you can also establish friendships with senior sisters!

The second category of close comrades is classmates who are looking for jobs together. Forming a job search group with your closest classmates will bring you many benefits:

1. Search for job information separately. You are responsible for searching the university's BBS, while I am responsible for checking the BBS of the University of International Business and Economics; you check “51job” every day, and I check “Guolaoren.” The combined efforts of two people will yield better results than one person, and the number of resumes you send out will inevitably increase exponentially.

2. Research recruitment units and positions separately. The more you understand the recruitment units and positions, the greater your chances of success. If you and your friends are applying for very similar positions, you must learn to act separately and share resources!

3. Simulate interviews. Undoubtedly, you need to simulate before the interview, and your close comrades can help you play the role of the interviewer.

Here’s a suggestion for you. When you attend an interview, why not exchange contact information with candidates who seem competitive? There are three reasons:

1. Interviews usually involve multiple rounds; knowing a few more people you are fighting alongside can help you gather information and assist each other during the interview rounds.
2. Your competition with the other person is inevitable; instead of ignoring your competitor, it is better to help each other and jointly attack the future interview. Moreover, you may need to support each other during group discussions.
3. If you fail and the other person succeeds, they may become your recommender when you join this company or another similar