Chapter 7 about selection

About selection (1) Life is making choices all the time, the key is to know your strengths and what you want at the moment of choice. start choosing Everyone faces a choice when they are very young. I think the first choice I face should be the same as many, many people on my first birthday, facing the bed full of things and the eyes that adults look forward to, because They all feel that what I choose will reveal my future.It was a purely intuitive choice.Up to now, even my father can't remember what I chose at the time. He said, I don't remember what happened so long ago, but I remember one thing very clearly, that is, before going to school, If you were asked to choose what to buy for you, you would always buy comic books.I don't think my father lied to me about this, because I still remember that there was a dilapidated leather box under the bed in the attic where I lived when I was a child, and it was full of comic books.The result of this choice is that I have already recognized a lot of characters before going to school, and I have loved reading books since I was a child, so although writing essays has never been the best, it is not the worst either.

In fact, I really need to make a serious choice by myself. When I graduated from elementary school, I needed to fill in my volunteers.Because the primary school is fragmented, there is no choice at all.But it's time to take the middle school entrance examination, my father said, you decide how to fill out the application, because only you know your own abilities best. I didn't seem to think about it. The biggest reason I filled out the Second High School Attached to East China Normal University was because it was a boarding school.At that time, I no longer wanted to live with my grandma in the stuffy attic. I hoped to have my own space and a free life.Therefore, it is my goal to be admitted to a boarding school.However, all the schools with accommodation conditions are the key points of the city, and the No. 2 Attached High School I chose is the key point of the country. The reason why I filled it out is because my cousin graduated from this school, and he spent three years in high school. For a long time, I listened to my family almost every day, saying how good this school was. Every weekend, my cousin came back from campus and walked on the street with him. His school badge attracted countless envy. Curtains and appreciative glances.I think my cousin is my role model.

When people grow up, they need good role models, because good role models will make them clear what is good and what they want when they need to choose. However, my unhesitating choice made my teachers quite worried, because after all, the elementary school I attended was very ordinary, and my previous test scores were not outstanding. The teacher said that it would be better to change to another school, so that I would be more confident. , otherwise, if you don't get into the Second Affiliated Middle School, you might be kicked into a general middle school. In this case, it's a pity.

I think I want to thank my father, he didn't say anything, he didn't ask me, it seemed that I didn't think much about the teacher's reminder, and I didn't argue, I kept silent, handed in my volunteer form, As a result, I passed the exam, and my teachers breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that they were more nervous than me during the whole process.Because in their eyes, if a good student like me ended up in an ordinary middle school because of filling out the wrong choice, they would feel a pity and feel a little guilty because they failed to stop me in the end.And for me, I guess I never thought about the consequences, I just wanted what I wanted.

Similarly, when I chose a university and major after graduating from middle school, it was another selection process in my life.My father, as in the past, had no opinion.For myself, I think very clearly that I want to go to Fudan University, and if I fail the exam, then I will leave Shanghai.So apart from my first choice being Fudan University in Shanghai, I randomly chose four other universities from other places.Very desperate feeling. I don't know why, but when I started thinking about which university to choose, I immediately thought of Fudan University. I thought that people like me might be suitable for Fudan University.I like liberal arts, and I know that I can only study liberal arts, because my mathematics, physics and chemistry have never been my strengths.It's just that Peking University is too serious in my mind, and I can't imagine myself living in such an environment.

As for the major, I hope to study journalism, because at that time I had been a student reporter for Shanghai Youth Daily for many years, and many of my seniors had entered the Fudan journalism department.However, when I inquired about the courses of the Department of Journalism, I began to hesitate. I asked the seniors, what are you actually studying? The seniors said, there is nothing in fact. So I started to compare other majors, foreign language department, Chinese department, studying characters is not my interest, and language things, I can learn by myself, if I don’t want to become an expert.After reading it for a long time, I chose the Department of Philosophy.So when filling out my application, I put the philosophy major ahead of the sociology major.

About a year after entering Fudan University, one day a teacher majoring in sociology told me that when selecting students, I saw your profile and wanted you very much, but you put philosophy major ahead of sociology.This statement really made me regret it for a while, because after a year of university, I found that I was more suitable for something a little more practical. Philosophy was too pure for me, so I never read books in class during the four years of university. The best student, but I think, compared with my classmates, I am the student who uses philosophy best in life. career choice

When I was young, I wished that I would grow up quickly.When I was in middle school, I accompanied my cousin who was ten years older than me to report to the university. The elder sister who was thought to be my cousin was not angry at all, but a little proud. It turned out that I was an adult in the eyes of others. In my senior year, if I am considered a freshman who has just entered university, I feel flattered in my heart. This kind of mentality of hoping to be underestimated by others has continued until now. Maybe it is because I am really an adult. About selection (2) No matter how you resist, you always have to leave the campus, enter the society, and start the thing that takes the most time in your life: work and earn a living.

In fact, before entering university, when choosing a school and a major, almost everyone has already started thinking about what they will do in the future. When I entered university, I didn't think too much about it. For me, what I will do in the future is four years away, which is too far away.When I was young, facing the composition topic "My Volunteer", I was able to write down my ideals eloquently, but when I graduated from middle school, I no longer thought about those things.Because the world in my eyes was changing so fast at that time, I no longer knew where I would be when I graduated, whether it was Shanghai, somewhere in another city, or a certain foreign city.There are so many possibilities.

So I was just thinking about what I hope to learn in the four years of university.I chose philosophy because I believe that philosophy can teach me how to think and how to learn. I have never thought about studying philosophy in the future, or becoming a philosopher. From the very beginning, I have been subconsciously thinking that reading is to let myself know how to live.That's why, during my four years in college, I actually spent a lot of time listening to various lectures.Now when I think back on my past, I always feel that I am quite lucky, because when I was in college, when I was learning how to look at the world, I saw and heard different thoughts, and maybe many things I did not agree with. Yes, but it can help you understand that the world is made up of different concepts and thoughts.Because of this, when I am engaged in my current profession, I can look at people and things with an objective and inclusive eye.

But I also clearly know that life is also realistic. When I leave school, when I work, the most helpful thing for me at the beginning is the skills I have mastered.So when I was in college, in addition to English classes, I also spent my own money to study English at night schools outside, and I also spent money to study accounting, because at that time, it was very difficult for graduates of the philosophy department to find a job. What happened to those seniors, I reminded myself that when I graduated, if I just held the title of graduate of the Philosophy Department of Fudan University, it would not be very competitive.When an employer chooses an employee, what he needs to see is something real.Although four years of study can make one's speech and thinking look different, but only these are far from enough for a company, because at the beginning, they were engaged in relatively low-level jobs. , more practical operational ability is required. I think I did the right thing. When I was not out of college, I had already started an internship in a multinational company.I think, for a student who wants to enter social work, the first company he chooses is very important. In fact, income is not the most important thing. For me, the most important thing is the reputation of this company.Because it's hard for someone to stay with the company they work for, especially if they're just starting out.Entering a well-known company, when you change jobs later, there is no harm in writing your resume, because you can go up, parallel, or down, and the space is much larger. After graduating from university, when everyone was busy looking for a job, I had already thought very clearly that I was going to work in a joint venture.Because I think, for me at the time, this is the best choice. Although I really want to enter the media, but seeing my classmates go through the back door, solicit connections, but they still don’t even have an internship opportunity, I said to myself, I don’t have a good father, in such an unfair competitive environment, Forget it, don't make life difficult for yourself.Moreover, it is not in my character to ask others to do things, because I have never liked to owe others favors. Entering a government agency, many of my classmates were planning to take this path, but I imagined my life prospects working in an agency, and I knew that was not my goal. Entering a foreign-funded enterprise and being a white-collar worker is the most suitable choice for me.Because to enter the threshold of foreign companies, the key is to be able to pass various exams.And in foreign-funded enterprises, modern management can save me from being entangled in dealing with interpersonal relationships, because this is what I least like to do.Besides, foreign companies can use more English to exercise themselves and have better income.And the most important thing is that one's own strengths can only be brought into play in foreign companies. In this way, I entered a foreign company and became a small white-collar worker. choose the ideal When speaking at many universities, one of the most common questions asked by students is, why did I dream of being a reporter when I was a child, but in the end I studied philosophy in university, worked in the financial industry after graduation, and then entered a TV station. I want to say that life is at different stages, and you need to make choices according to the environment at that time and your own situation. In fact, before I entered the media industry, I changed many jobs in the Mainland, including foreign-funded enterprises, state-owned units, and foreign-owned hotels, and finally joined one of the six largest accounting firms in the world at that time. I think that people need to keep trying to know what they are suitable for and what they want.Before entering this accounting firm, I did not work for a long time in each job. The main reason was that I felt that I was not suitable.For example, when I first arrived in Shenzhen, because I had a diploma from a prestigious university, I quickly found a position as secretary to the deputy general manager in a local state-owned unit. After a week, I found that I had nothing to do every day. Prepare documents without typing. My daily work is to answer the phone and tell the other party where my boss is.So tell yourself, I want to leave. Until I joined this accounting firm, I was in charge of administration at the beginning, because the Shenzhen office had just opened, so there were many big and small things, from preparing office supplies to assisting in hiring employees.At the beginning, I thought it was very interesting, because I could learn a lot of things, but after half a year, when the office was on track, I began to ask myself, what would my future be like if I only did administrative work? So, I proposed to my boss that I hope to become an auditor, and the boss said, yes, as long as you can pass the exam. About selection (3) I think this is the right choice for me, if I continue my administrative work, maybe I can become an administrative manager soon, but that's it.But working as an auditor means a prospect of professional development, which means becoming a certified public accountant.Although becoming an accountant is really quite different from my childhood ideals, but at the time I just felt that this job was suitable for me and I would have a good development.Because in addition to numbers, this job is more about dealing with different customers, and it is necessary to use very logical thinking to analyze financial performance for customers.And these are exactly what I am good at.And because I am in Shenzhen, my English makes me a person who can play an important role in the company. Although I am just a low-level auditor, the boss often chooses me as an assistant and translator when meeting different clients . If I continue to work in this industry, I think I should be like my colleagues. Now several of my colleagues have gone to the UK. After obtaining the Chinese CPA qualification, they have also obtained the UK Chartered Accountant qualification.As for others, many of them have become manager-level employees, holding a laptop computer every day, wearing serious suits, and shuttling among different listed companies. It's just that there are many changes in life, and these changes are things I never thought of before. In 1995, I immigrated to Hong Kong because of family reasons.When I got the one-way permit, what I thought about the most was what would I do after arriving in Hong Kong? The accounting firm said that it can introduce me to a company in Hong Kong, but it must be downgraded because I am from the Mainland. I was a little reconciled in my heart, so I started looking for a job. I remember that my first interview after arriving in Hong Kong was to a trading company to apply for a secretary, because the job advertisement required applicants to understand Mandarin and Shanghainese.At that time, I was quite confident, but when I found this company located in the factory area and met the boss, I thought, I will definitely not get this job, because I think what he needs is not me. people. I am not wrong as the company never contacted me after that. However, when I was desperately looking for a job that suits me with the classified version of the newspaper in my hand every day, a job advertisement jumped into my eyes.A TV station hires reporters and translators who are required to be fluent in English and Mandarin.The only thing that makes me hesitate is which position I should choose.Because I wanted to be a reporter since I was a child, but it was clearly written in the reporter column that one year of work experience was required.For me, TV news is a blank, I have never been exposed to TV.If you apply for this position, you can try it, but it seems that I can't even convince myself. As for translation, there is no requirement for work experience. I think that if I want to enter the TV industry, the first step is actually how to enter this circle. As for what to do at the beginning, it is not too important.I didn't do auditing in the accounting firm at the beginning, and I can find suitable opportunities to transfer my position in the future. My decision was right, two days later, I got a call for an interview, and three days later, I started working at the TV station.Three months later, I decided to change jobs to another TV station. The boss who interviewed me asked me why I didn’t apply to be a reporter at the same time while retaining me. He said that he could see that I had potential in this area.If you don't go, you have a lot of room to grow, he said.However, because the company's finances were not stable, I thought I needed to plan for my future, so I went to work for another largest TV station in Hong Kong. It's just that if I hadn't entered the TV industry, I don't think I would have been able to work for this big TV station.Because after entering, I discovered that work experience, no matter how long or short, brings you contacts and opportunities. I have worked in this TV station for a year, and sometimes I am at a loss.Although I have become a TV reporter from an editor, because I work on a channel that caters to audiences in Taiwan, in addition to deliberately eliminating the mainland Chinese accent, the daily news interview content always focuses on those negative news about Hong Kong.I thought, is this the news all the time? At this time, the Chinese channel of Phoenix Satellite TV was preparing to launch a news program.My boss jumped ship, and my colleague Zeng Jingyi followed him and became the first reporter in Phoenix.One night, I still remember that in the Japanese restaurant downstairs in my house, Jingyi described the prospect of this phoenix to me: This is a TV station based in Hong Kong, China, with the mainland as its main market.There will be a lot of room for everyone to develop there. At that time, I had just given birth and was always hesitant to change jobs, especially to a company that had just started.Because of the experience of the first TV station, I didn’t pay out on time for three months of work, and there were always news of going bankrupt, which made me understand that it is really not easy for a new TV station to survive.The TV station I am working for is, after all, the largest in Hong Kong, China, and it is a listed company, so it is much more stable. It’s just, if I stay there, how much room for development will I have? As a person, or in the long run, especially after I have experienced several media, I should think about what I can do. My hesitation did not exceed one night, and just like that, I entered Phoenix and became the second reporter. I think, I grew up in the Mainland and received a university education in the Mainland. In this case, working in such a TV station, I should have a good understanding of the culture and many backgrounds of the Mainland. Impossible.And my work experience in Hong Kong's local TV station has allowed me to master a different working method from the mainland, and this is also my own advantage.But the most important thing is that I believe that such a positioning of Phoenix will bring me a future. The years that followed proved my choice to be correct.