How your unique story can get you hired | The Way We Work, a TED series

Transcriber: Erin Gregory Reviewer: Ivana Korom

You're sitting at your computer, about to apply for your dream job,

翻译人员: C Cheng 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

你坐在电脑前，正要应聘 一份梦寐以求的工作，

but then thoughts start to go through your head

但是随即想到,

that this is a waste of your time.

这是在浪费时间。

Maybe you're thinking,

你也许在想，

"My parents didn't go to college,"

“我父母没有上过大学，”

or "I have a learning disability."

或者，“我有学习障碍。”

"When I went on their website

“我登陆他们的网站，

and I looked at the folks in the most senior level roles,

看了看那些担任最高职务的人，

I didn't see anyone who represented my race or my gender."

没看到任何与我的种族 或者性别相同的人。”

"There's just no way I'm going to get this job."

“我根本就不可能得到这份工作。”

So you don't even submit the application.

所以你连工作申请都不会提交。

But I'm here to tell you that your self-doubt

但是，我要在这里告诉你，

对自身经历的质疑可以是

about your experiences can be the key

推动事业成功的关键。

to driving your career success.

[The Way We Work]

【工作之道】

[Made possible with the support of Dropbox]

【由 Dropbox 赞助】

Most of us experience self-doubt at high-stakes moments,

我们大部分人都会在 关键时刻产生自我怀疑，

especially if they're people of color,

尤其是对于有色人种、

first generation college student,

家中第一代大学生，

or they don't have a traditional background,

或者缺少正统背景的人，

so they don't fit "the mold."

因此他们与“常规模式”不符。

If that's you, you're a part of my community.

如果你也是这样的话， 那么你和我一样。

What I've realized is that these experiences

我意识到这些经历

that seem like a liability

虽然看上去像是一个累赘，

但其实是令你与众不同的优势。

are actually your differentiating strength.

The secret is to transform how you perceive your own story.

秘诀就是， 你要改变对自身经历的看法。

Even if you've been on an untraditional path,

即便你一直走在一条 非正统的人生轨迹上，

you've accrued some skills over time

但是日积月累， 你学到的 一些技艺仍旧会不断精进，

that are really valuable in the workforce.

而这些技艺在 劳动力市场上非常宝贵。

Your task is to identify those experiences and trumpet them,

你的任务就是识别这些经历， 大力宣传这些经历，

because it's likely that story,

因为这些经历很可能

that is your ticket to a great job.

就是你获得好工作的入场券。

I know this, because I had my own self-doubts

我对这个很清楚， 因为我也曾自我怀疑过，

that I had to overcome.

而且不得不克服这种怀疑。

I didn't have top-notch internships in college.

我上大学时， 并没有出类拔萃的实习经历。

I also wasn't an extraordinary student.

我也不是特别出色的学生。

By the time graduation came around,

直到我快要毕业时，

I was definitely the thank you, laude, versus the cum laude.

我绝对是那种成绩勉强毕业的学生。

What I didn't realize was that I was really good

我当时并不知道自己非常善于

at connecting with people,

与人沟通，

and now as a talent nerd and a CEO,

而现在，作为一个对人才入迷的 CEO，

I've watched thousands of graduates,

我见到过上千名 曾经自我怀疑的毕业生。

who actually had a lot of self-doubts, overcome those

他们不仅克服了这些质疑，

and accomplish goals they never thought were imaginable,

还实现了连自己 都未曾想象过的目标。

and here's how.

他们是这样做到的。

Ask yourself two questions.

问你自己两个问题。

The first is, why do you want to do this work?

第一个问题： 你为什么想要这份工作？

Maybe you already know the kind of job or work environment

你也许对这类工作， 或者工作环境已经有所了解，

that makes you happy,

知道这将令你感到幸福。

or maybe you haven't quite figured that out yet.

或者你对此还没有想清楚。

Usually, your personal experiences can help give you clues.

通常，你的个人经历 会帮你找到一些线索。

For example, did your grandmother do manual labor,

比如，你的祖母是否从事体力劳动？

and it made you really worry that she didn't get access

这是否曾令你非常担心， 她无法获得

to high quality healthcare?

高质量的健康保障？

Did your brother have to overcome his dyslexia,

你的兄弟是否需要克服阅读障碍，

and you helped him with his reading?

而你曾在阅读上帮助过他？

And so, you became really attuned to education policy.

因此，你对教育政策非常了解。

When you're in an interview,

你在面试时，

go ahead and talk about them,

可以继续谈论这些话题，

because it will show your passion

因为这可以展示

你对这份工作的热忱和投入。

and your dedication to the work.

One young person I know, Dylan,

我认识一位叫迪伦的年轻人，

was not sharing his personal story

他没有告诉别人

about filling out immigration papers for his parents

小时候为父母填写移民表格的

when he was younger.

个人经历。

Often when he told it,

如果他讲述了这件事，

people would think that his parents weren't sophisticated.

人们常常会认为他的父母 没有见过多少世面。

Dylan realized that he needed to harness the power

迪伦后来意识到 这是个非常出色的故事，

of that incredible story,

他要利用这个故事里的力量，

along with his academic talents.

以及他在学术上的才能。

He told it in a way, when he was applying to law school,

他在申请法学院的时候， 讲诉了这个故事，

that made it clear why he wanted to go into advocacy law.

清楚表明他为什么 想要进入法律援助行业。

He is now in his third year at Georgetown Law.

他现在在乔治城大学 法学院读三年级。

The second question you have to ask yourself is,

你要问自己的第二个问题是：

how can I share my story

我该如何分享自己的故事

才能展示我在工作中 所具有的独特优势？

to showcase the unique strengths I will bring to the work?

For example, did you have to work multiple jobs

比如，你在上大学时

while you were in college that did not at all align

是否从事过多份与专业无关的工作？

with your major?

这就可以向你的雇主显示 你具有管理时间的技能，

That shows an employer that you have time management skills

而且还有很强的职业操守。

and a strong work ethic.

Did you need to drop out of college

你是否曾因父母生病

because one of your parents was sick?

而中断学业？

你要填补上这段空白，

Fill in the gap,

talk about how you administered their treatment plan.

谈一谈你如何为他们安排治疗方案，

Talk about how you had to work around their complex schedules.

如何应付他们复杂的日程安排。

That shows that you're thoughtful,

这表明你为人体贴，

that you're compassionate, and you know what,

具有同情心，知道吗，

that is what makes a great teammate.

这就是一名出色的 团队成员所具有的品质。

Reframing the hardship in your story

以不同的方式来 讲述你经历过的困境，

can remake your confidence over and over again,

可以一次又一次地重塑自信，

but it takes time.

但是这需要一些时间，

It's like running a marathon.

就像是跑马拉松，

You have to train and practice.

你必须接受训练，并不断练习。

Go back and reflect on those tough questions

回过头来，反思那些你需要回答的

that you need to answer.

棘手问题。

The answers are what makes you you,

正是这些问题的答案造就了你，

and I have to tell you,

而且我必须告诉你，

when you learn to practice that story,

当你学着讲述这些故事时，

tell it with conviction.

要做到语气坚定。

I am sure that the hiring manager

我敢肯定，招聘经理

is going to hear the strength in it too.

也将会听到故事里的力量。