Job Choices
References:
A connection on LinkedIn asked me for help deciding between job offers. I can’t provide personalize advice, but here are my thoughts in general.
在LinkedIn上有朋友私信让我帮他在几个工作offer之间做出选择。虽然我不能针对特定个人的情况做出具体的建议，但是我可以从宏观的视角，大概的谈谈我自己对找工作的想法。
You must accept personal ownership for choosing what you want to do with at least the next few years of your life. Nobody can do this for you.
对于你自己的选择，你必须自己做出并且把自己的任何选择作为自己生命过程的一部分。这个选择至少会决定你未来几年的生活。
Your time is scarce, non-renewable resource so spend care in deciding. On the other hand it is difficult to make a choice because as they say, it is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future. It’s even harder to foresee consequences, especially on your first couple jobs when you are learning how everything works. But if you end up making a choice that works out poorly, then figure out the lesson to learn and switch to something else.
你自己的时间是很宝贵的，一去不复返，不可再生，所以做选择时一定要花费一些心思。 然而，另一方面，做出抉择是很困难的事情。就像有些人说的，预测未来是很难的，而预测未来的结果更是难上加难，尤其是在当自己还处在最初的几个工作中开始学习基本工作能力的阶段。 但是，如果你不幸地发现自己做出了很不好的选择，那么就得仔细分析，吸取其中的教训，并且换个新的选择。
Take a look at how the job fulfills or supports your needs on Maslow’s Hierachy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs). Some of us live to work; some work to live. There is no one right answer, but at least this gives you a simple checklist of what you want to be provided by the job – and what you don’t. If you’re signing up for a 12 hour x 7 day type job, it had better go a long way to filling up that pyramid in an acceptable, non-destructive way while you’re at work, because you’ll always be at work.
你可以参考一下马斯洛的需求层次理论(https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/需求层次理论)。 我们当中有些人是为了工作而生活，有些人是为了生活而工作。 这里面没有对错，但至少你有了多种类型的样例，可以参考他们制定自己的奋斗方向，以及自己不想去奋斗的方向。 比如，如果你接受了一个12小时x七天的工作，由于你将无时无刻不在工作，那么你最好在你工作的时候，探究出一种你自己可以接受的、不会产生破坏的方法来填充起属于你自己的那个马斯洛需求金字塔。
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, represented as a pyramid with the more basic needs at the bottom. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs)
(从下到上：生理的需求，安全的需求，爱与归属的需求，尊严的需求，自我实现的需求)
All organizations have dysfunction. Figure out if this organiation’s dysfunction are going to be irritating to you or get in the way of satisfying your needs (see previous item). Most people can stand an irritating environment less well than they think they can.
任何的组织都会有不足的地方。 进入一个组织后，你需要确认这个组织是否对你填充自己的需求金字塔造成坏影响甚至阻碍。 对大多数人，他们忍受恼人环境的能耐比自己想象的要底一些。
When you are young there is a lot to be said for working in a structured, mature organization. You learn a lot. Later on you might want less structure. Skipping right to an unstructured job at an immature company will teach you a lot of bad habits that it can take a lifetime to unlearn and leave many holes in your practical education. (Some jump right to a startup company with no “graybeards”. Some skip college. Some get rich by winning the lottery. Some don’t. I can only tell you how to stack the odds in your favor.) Consider availability of mentors.
在你年轻的时候，可能会听到很多关于在大公司工作的言论，这些大公司往往是如何组织分明，管理有素。你会学到很多东西。 而到后来，你可能对这样的井井有条的组织结构变得不那么推崇。 而立即转向一个组织比较随意的小公司也是有风险的。 你可能会染上一些坏习惯，这些习惯可能一辈子都抹不掉，还会有一些难以弥合的弱点不断出现在你未来的工作实践中。 （当然，有些人年纪轻轻就下海创业，而且成功赚了很多钱，就像中彩票一般。然而，也要看到，有些人并不会这样。而我最多只能大概地告诉你如何给自己多一些助力，少一些阻碍）。 如果可能，就尽量找到一些在职场上能指导你的人。
Ask if the level of responsibility & authority is a fit both in terms of scope and structure. My experience has ranged from military office (highly structure) to consultant (freedom but few safety nets). Where you want to be likely changes as your career progresses.
需要扪心自问，你当前工作的责任和位置能否在宏观的事业观和组织结构中适合你的需求。 我的经验很广阔，从军事职员（高度结构化）到咨询员（比较自由但是难以有稳定的组织结构作为后盾）。 事业总会发展，你需要知道你希望将自己的事业在哪一方面获得发展。
Read the general job hunting advice for things such as the realities of accepting a low paying first job and trying to get raises later. The classic is “what color is your parachute” but no doubt there are others, keeping in mind that highly skilled workers are a bit different than the general work force. It helps to have a realistic understanding of what you are worth, and to get some objective advice from someone you trust on whether you are getting taken advantage of in a job offer.
你可以搜寻一些大家都可以读到的提升找工作技巧的资料来读一读。比如，如果一开始找到了工资很低的职位，该如何让自己涨工资，这期间要面临什么现实问题，等等。 一个比较经典的一本书是《你的降落伞的颜色是什么》。当然，还有很多其他的资料。 需要注意的是，具有很高技能的工作人员跟普通的工作是有些区别的。 这会帮助你对你自己的价值有所了解，并且会从你信任的人那里获取建议， 衡量出你是否能在这个offer中获取自己想要的。
After you’ve considered the above, IMHO (in my humble opinion) only then should you worry about the more common philosophical areas you see mentioned on this topic. (And really, most of them end up on the upper levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy.) My personal preferences are:
在我看来，只有考虑了上述几点之后，就可以从更一般的、哲学性的角度来考虑找工作这个话题。 （事实证明，大多数这么做的人都能够成功让自己达到马斯洛金字塔的顶端）。 我自己总结的重要的几点有：
- Surround yourself with the smartest, most capable people you can (but stopping short of jerks).
- Work for good leaders that support and empower those who work with them.
- Take advantage of any opportunity you can get to improve your communication skills and soft skills.
- If you’re taking a job purely for the money, go into that situation with an exit plan and target exit date. And make sure that is really how you want to spend a part of your life.
- If you’re stressed out, it’s time to find a new job. (Or re-invent your job).
- If you’re stressed out about your career, it’s time to reinvent yourself and find a new career.
- If you strive to be the absolute best at what you do, opportunities will find you.
- If most days you wake up and are eager to get to work, reflect on how fortunate you are to have that.
- 跟自己认为最聪明，最能干的人在一起（远离jerks）；
- 如果老板能支持并让自己的员工不断提升自己，那你就选对老板了；
- 对于能提升自己沟通能力和软实力的机会，一定要抓住；
- 如果你工作只是为了钱，那你找到工作后就应该有自己的退出计划，并且有明确的退出时间。并且，你要清楚，这就是你想要的生活；
- 如果你感到被榨干了，是时候寻找新工作了（或者重新创造自己的工作）；
- 如果你正在努力让自己变成你所在领域中最好的，你的机会会自动上门；
- 如果大多数日子里，你醒来后就渴望自己投入工作当中，这足够反映出你是最幸运的人之一。
Don’t forget the part that you own your choice. Your preferences will probably differ.
不要忘了，你的选择，是自己永久的资产。想想这一点，你对各个offer的喜好可能会有不同。
Please do not contact me with questions about your particular individual situation. The hours in my day are already too few to accomplish what I’d like for my personal goals. I took some time to write this to help as many people as I can (one of my goals), but I lack the time to provide individual responses. So if I don’t respond to a personal query, please understand (and better yet, send the personal query to a trusted friend instead).
I hope this is helpful, and wish you the best of luck in your job choices and your career!
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