By Alexandra Levit, Author, “They Don’t Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something’s Guide to the Business World”
I will never forget how lost I felt the summer after my graduation from college, and in the nine years since, I’ve spoken to countless 20-somethings who feel incredibly pressured to find their true calling immediately and build a successful career in a particular field before their 25th birthdays. 我永遠(yuǎn)都不會(huì)忘記大學(xué)畢業(yè)后的那個(gè)夏天，我是多么地失落。在接下來的九年里，我和無數(shù)二十來歲的年輕人探討過。對(duì)于要立即找到自己的“天職”，并在25歲 之前在某個(gè)領(lǐng)域干出一番事業(yè)，他們都感到有巨大的壓力，
A more realistic challenge is to ease yourself slowly into the work world by following a few strategies that many people don’t try until they’re well into their 30s. School probably taught you a lot of things, but the business world’s unique set of rules may not have been part of the story. 一個(gè)更為現(xiàn)實(shí)的做法是遵循一些策略來讓自己緩慢進(jìn)入職場(chǎng)�？稍S多人 直到三十歲后才開始去嘗試這些策略。學(xué)校也許教會(huì)了你許多東西，但是職場(chǎng)這套獨(dú)一無二的法則可能漏掉了。
Hopefully these tips will get you started on the right foot 希望下面這些建議能讓你的職業(yè)生涯有一個(gè)好的開始：
是“擇業(yè)”而不是選擇“工 作”
Looking for a job haphazardly, because you majored in something or because you saw a listing that looks somewhat interesting, you’ll risk getting started in a career that holds no real appeal for you, and then you’ll have to leave it to find something else. Why not plan your career strategically, just like you planned your education? 隨意找一份工作，只不過因?yàn)槟愕膶I(yè)相關(guān)或感到工作內(nèi)容有趣，那么你可能會(huì)進(jìn)入一個(gè)對(duì)你來說并沒有真正吸引力的行業(yè)，不用多久你就得再去找工作。何不用戰(zhàn) 略的眼光來規(guī)劃你的職業(yè)，就像曾規(guī)劃教育一樣？
Start by doing a self-assessment that teaches you things about yourself that you might never have thought about -- for example, what you like and don’t like in a work environment, what defines success for you, and what type of work would make you want to sit in traffic for hours just for the privilege of showing up. Knowing these things can help you determine which occupations could be a good fit for you. 你可以先作個(gè)自我評(píng)估，這會(huì)讓你了解許多你不曾注意到的事情——例如，你喜歡怎樣的工作環(huán)境、討厭的工作環(huán)境又如何；你認(rèn)為怎樣才算是成功；什么樣的工作 會(huì)讓你寧愿忍受幾小時(shí)的交通堵塞、僅僅為了出現(xiàn)在辦公室？了解這些能幫你決定那些職業(yè)適合你。
If You Can’t Get a Job Right Away, Don’t Despair
即使不能立刻找到工作，也不要絕望
If you start thinking of yourself as a victim or allow yourself to lapse into prolonged negativity, you won’t be hurting anyone except yourself. Worrying until you get sick, abusing drugs or denying that you’ve reached an impasse won’t help either. The best strategy for moving on is to recognize the reality of the situation, acknowledge your feelings and find a way to cope productively. Reach out to your support systems, and consider taking some time off -- after all, you’ll never have the freedom of being between school and work again! 如果你開始把自己看成“受害者”，或是長期消極，受傷的只會(huì)是你自己。煩惱到生病、吸毒或不承認(rèn)自己遇到了僵局，這些都是沒有幫助的。最好的辦法是承認(rèn)現(xiàn) 實(shí)、承認(rèn)自我感受，找一個(gè)有富有成效的方法來解決問題。向支持你的人尋求幫助，考慮休息一段時(shí)間——畢竟，將來你不會(huì)再有這種不用上學(xué)也不用工作的自由 了。
Network Like Mad in Your Chosen Field
在你選擇的領(lǐng)域中“瘋狂”地建立聯(lián) 系
A huge percentage of job openings aren’t advertised because employers prefer to hire people through word of mouth. Developing relationships with people working in your field, then, means that you’re top of mind whenever they hear of a new opportunity. 許多工作空缺都不會(huì)登廣告招聘，因?yàn)楣椭?更喜歡任用推薦的人選。和在你的領(lǐng)域工作的人們建立聯(lián)系的意義是：當(dāng)一有新機(jī)會(huì)出現(xiàn)，人們頭腦中第一時(shí)間想到的就是你。
Learn about new contacts by researching firms in your industry, joining social networking sites like LinkedIn, asking your parents’ friends, and joining relevant professional associations. Approach individuals by e-mail first, and don’t put them on the defensive by asking for a job outright. Instead, show curiosity about their career path and see if they’ll agree to lunch or coffee. 你可以調(diào)查你所在行業(yè)的公司，或者，加 入在線社交網(wǎng)站，或是問問父母的朋友和參加相關(guān)的職業(yè)組織。這些都能幫你建立聯(lián)系�？梢韵扔秒娮余]件和別人取得聯(lián)系，不要明確地提出想獲得工作，這會(huì)使對(duì) 方心生戒備。對(duì)他們的職業(yè)生涯表示好奇；然后，問一問是否能同他們一起吃午飯或喝咖啡。
Hone Your Reputation as a Can-Do, Enthusiastic Employee
為自己贏得一個(gè)動(dòng)手能力強(qiáng)、工作熱 忱的好名聲