In the previous posts, we examined a job from beginning to end through the lenses of "company fundamentals", "whether work conditions suit you", "learning from others' interview and work experiences", and "breaking down interview procedures to analyze company culture" to determine if a job is "good" or "bad". These are all external, objective observations and reviews. Now we need to return to the core—the concepts of "adaptation", "fit", "liking", and "desire" that I keep emphasizing.
(Article reference: Work Isn't Actually Hard: It's Only a Matter of "Fit" and "Adaptation")
Job hunting is sometimes like putting together a puzzle. Whether you're just starting your career or considering a career change, try asking yourself three questions:
One: What kind of person do I want to become in the future?
Two: What can this job teach me?
Three: What is my plan for this job?
If you don't know where you're going,
then where you are now doesn't matter at all.
It's such a clichéd truth that I had to list these questions to consider. Frankly, you must first clarify your goals, then plan, move forward, and adjust your direction accordingly. Therefore, we must first think about "what kind of person we want to become". Once you have a rough outline, slowly fill in the things you can realistically achieve (in terms of work planning and learning) to get closer to your goal.
Once you're clear about your goals, what you need to examine is your true feelings—the four key elements mentioned above: "adaptation", "fit", "liking", and "desire". There's no fixed order of thinking about them; they're more like an ability distribution map. A balanced spread is better than being skewed toward any one direction. Let's break down these four elements:
↓ Give yourself a mental profile and rating to examine how well the job aligns with yourself
- "Adaptation": Can you get used to the company's environment and culture?
For example, I personally prefer flexible or shift-based work schedules. So when I once transferred from a shift-based company to one with regular office hours, I found it very uncomfortable. Five consecutive days of work made me feel breathless, and even going out on weekends meant being caught in crowds, which made me unhappy. Additionally, the company culture involved everyone working until early morning almost daily and obsessively revising things for minor differences. But I'm someone who wants to finish things quickly, and once something is settled, I move toward the goal without dragging revisions out over weeks or months. This culture made it impossible for me to adapt...
Of course, for many people, working Monday through Friday is the most normal thing in the world. So you can apply your own situations where you can't adapt. For instance, some companies require employees to address each other as "senior" to show respect. If you find such a culture awkward or unwilling to follow it, you'll experience a lack of adaptation.
- "Fit": Do your personality, work methods, and abilities suit the job?
Let's think about this from the three angles mentioned above. If a job requires lots of interpersonal contact, communication, and building relationships (like sales), but your personality isn't good at striking up conversations, you don't talk much, people don't understand your jokes and find you hard to talk to (for those with self-awareness), then you might genuinely not be suited for this job. But that doesn't mean you don't work at all—you should choose work that allows you to stay in the office doing administrative tasks and reports, communicating mainly with your team and supervisor. This feels more suitable and less difficult psychologically. (Conversely, if you naturally love interacting with people but end up in a closed environment, you'll feel the same discomfort.)
However, if you want to try changing and letting yourself adapt to a different environment, and thus choose a job that contrasts with your personality, my suggestion is "you must intentionally change". Because you chose this company environment, group atmosphere is created by individuals, and since everyone does this, you should integrate more into the team. For example, at one of my past companies, during lunch, everyone would put down their work and gather in the common area to eat together. Even after finishing, people would stay to chat and catch up. If you only want to eat alone, you'll struggle with this. Of course, you can still eat alone, but since teamwork is inevitable during work, wouldn't it be a shame to miss opportunities to interact with others?
These examples are all "small things" at work, but like marriage, work requires both sides to adapt. There will inevitably be many times when you need to compromise; otherwise, it's like the character "Ruifan" not liking the curry rice their partner cooks.
- "Liking" and "Desire": Is the work content your interest? Do you like this company? Do you get the sense of achievement you want?
I discuss liking and desire together because both are very subjective thoughts. No matter what others say about a company, what matters most is whether you like it and are interested in it, and whether the work gives you what you want. To summarize in an old cliché:
"Passion is Everything"
Passion is everything.
Passion comes from many sources, but ultimately boils down to a sense of "achievement". When you put interest first, no matter how tiring or hard the work is, you'll be willing to do it, because this job not only lets you touch on "your interests" every day but also pays you.
When what you pursue is "high salary", you feel all the hardship is worth it on payday. Even all-nighters, overtime, and sacrificing personal time feel like achievements.
Some people pursue "visibility of their work". Even with low pay and little promotion, if their work gets high exposure and viewership, they feel it's enough.
What you like and want depends on what you want to gain through work—"salary", "promotion", "opportunity to use abilities", "networking", "benefits"—these are all elements to consider. But remember, life isn't only about work. Some people gain stability and provide for their families through regular 9-to-5 jobs without pursuing work achievements, and that's also a form of achievement.
Remember what was mentioned earlier: the ideal form of these four key elements is an evenly distributed diagram, not heavily weighted on one side. Because "life requires sacrifice to gain", no matter what situation you face, even when making decisions about life, you must take time to calm down and clarify what you "want", what you "like", and what "fits" you. Once you decide, just persist and you'll find your own path.
#Detours You Must Take There's one path everyone must walk in life. It's the detours we take when we're young. Without hitting walls, without falling and getting hurt, without ending up bruised and bleeding, how can we develop an iron will, how can we grow?
【Five Steps to Finding a Good Job Series】
Step 2: Whether Work Conditions Suit You
Step 3: Learning from Others' Interview and Work Experiences Is Essential
Step 4: Breaking Down Interview Procedures to Analyze Company Culture
