How to know if it’s time to change careers | The Way We Work, a TED series

Transcriber: TED Translators admin

譯者: Nickan Chen 審譯者: 至磊Zi Le 黃Ng

I was not one of those kids

我小時候也不是那種

that knew exactly what they wanted to do when they were growing up.

明確知道自己長大要做什麼的小孩

In the last 15 years of my career,

在過去 15 年的職業生涯中

I've been an English teacher, attorney, video game creator

我曾經當過英文老師 律師和電玩設計師

而現在，是衛生紙銷售員

and now, a toilet paper salesman,

selling millions of rolls of toilet paper a year.

一年賣出上百萬卷衛生紙

[ 我們的工作方式 ]

[The Way We Work]

Life is about finding the intersection of what you really, really love

人生的意義在於尋找自己真正熱愛

with what you're really, really good at.

和真正擅長的交點

As simple as it sounds, it's really not that easy to find.

聽起來很簡單，實際卻不容易

After a brief stint as an English teacher,

短暫當過英文老師後

I went to law school and ended up becoming an attorney

我進入法學院，最後成為了律師

at a big law firm here in New York City.

在紐約一間大型律師事務所工作

Like most Americans, for the next two, three years,

如同大部分美國人，未來的兩三年間

I was holding on to my job for dear life,

我一直忙著工作，經常加班到很晚

working really late hours at a job that I thought maybe I was good at

也許這是我擅長的工作

but certainly not one that I really loved.

但肯定不是我真心熱愛的工作

I then came upon the epiphany

然後，我突然領悟到

that it takes years if not tens of thousands of hours

要做到熟能生巧 至少需要上萬小時的時間

to get really good at something.

甚至要花上好幾年

I really didn't have a lot of time to waste.

我沒有太多時間可以浪費

This talk isn't for those looking to quit their job

這支影片不是給那些因為不喜歡老闆

because they don't like their boss or they had a long day at work.

或是長時間上班而想辭職的人

This is for those that are ready to make the completely scary leap

而是給那些準備跨出舒適圈

into a brand-new career.

邁入全新職涯的朋友

So as you think about making a career change,

當你想要轉換跑道時

here are a few tips I hope you consider

希望你可以考慮這幾個小訣竅

and a few things I've picked up along the way.

和我一路走來學到的幾件事

First, there's three things to think about before you're ready to move on.

首先，重新出發前 需要先思考這三件事

Number one: professional life is about learning.

第一：職業生涯的本質就是學習

If you're not even interested in learning anymore,

如果你連學習的興致都沒有

that's a huge red flag

這就是在警告你 這個產業對你而言可能沒有未來

that there might not be a future for you in that industry.

Number two: career changes are often gut-driven.

第二：轉換跑道靠的通常是直覺

If you constantly have sleepless nights

如果你經常失眠

where you're wide awake staring at the ceiling thinking,

清醒地盯著天花板思考

"Oh, man. I can't live with myself if I never try to make this change

「天呀！如果我不嘗試轉換跑道 或認真思考過未來

那我就太對不起自己了」

or if I don't even actually investigate it,"

then trust your gut.

那麼請相信你的直覺

It might be time for that career change.

也許這就是轉換跑道的時機

另一方面

On the flip side,

短期痛苦不該是轉換跑道的理由

one reason to not move on is short-term pain.

如果你不喜歡老闆

If you don't like your boss

or people at the office are grating on you,

或是辦公室同事很惱人

that's actually not a good reason to absolutely change your career,

這就不是轉換全新跑道的充分理由

因為轉換跑道後

because when you do change a career,

通常要從基層做起

you generally have to start from the bottom,

可能會經歷許多短期痛苦

and you'll probably feel a lot of short-term pain,

也許是薪水不足，又或是沒有頭銜

whether it's through a lack of salary or lack of a title.

每份工作中的痛苦都是無法避免的

Pain at any job is inevitable.

So now you're convinced that it's time to change your career.

如果你確信現在是時候轉換跑道了

Then there's three things to do immediately.

那麼，就要立即著手這三件事

First: network, network, network.

第一：人脈、人脈、人脈

No one ever builds a career without a good mentor

建立事業需要好的前輩

或良好的人脈後盾

or a good support network.

What I mean by networking is getting all the great advice

人脈的意思是

盡可能收集所有好的建議

that you can possibly get.

Technology has made it so simple to reach out to new people

科技讓聯絡新朋友變得簡單

to say, "Hey, I'm thinking about making a career change.

可以問「嘿，我在考慮轉換跑道

可以借我五分鐘聊聊嗎？」

Do you have just five minutes to chat with me?"

這樣的熱忱和求知慾 以及當一塊海綿的能力

That passion and that hunger and that ability to be a sponge

really attracts awesome mentors

會吸引到超棒的前輩

and people willing to give you their time

和願意花時間在你身上的人

to give you some good advice.

進而提供一些好的建議給你

So go out there and meet new people.

所以，走出去多認識新朋友吧

第二件需要馬上做的事是

The second thing you need to do immediately

建立財務後盾

is shore up your finances.

The reality is, when you change your career,

現實是，當你轉換跑道時

you'll either start with a job with a lower title

要麼從較低的職位做起

不然就是低薪，甚至是無薪

or lower pay or maybe even no pay,

especially if you're starting your own business.

特別是選擇自己創業的時候

So going out there and making sure your finances are in order

所以，確認你的財務狀況準備就緒

to make the transition less painful

才能減少過渡期的痛苦

is really, really important.

這真的非常重要

For me personally, as I made the transition from being an attorney

就我個人而言 是從律師轉職成電玩設計師

over to a video game creator,

I wanted to have at least six to 12 months of personal runway in the bank.

我需要至少 6 到 12 個月的 銀行個人預備金

Six to 12 months might not be the right number for you,

你不一定需要 6 到 12 個月

but be honest with yourself on what that number should be.

但請誠實評估你所需要的金額

Number three, if you're not ready to make the full jump right at this moment,

第三，如果你還沒準備好放手一搏

then get your side hustle on.

就先從副業開始吧

Side hustles could be anything from volunteering with an organization

副業可以是尋找你想進入的新產業

that's in the new industry you want to go into,

從中找一間公司擔任志工

could be starting your business part-time on the weekends.

也可以是週末兼職創業

這可以讓你免費體驗到 你是否真心熱愛這件事

It's a free way to get a taste to see if you really love something.

So you're ready to make the move

當你準備好向前邁進

又或許你已經跨出了第一步

or maybe you already made the move.

Here are three things you should think about doing, right now.

現在，你應該考慮進行這三件事

One: do not -- I repeat -- do not burn bridges.

第一：不要……我重複一次

不要斷絕關係

You spent years building those bridges,

你花了好幾年才建立起的人脈

why burn them now?

為什麼現在要斷絕關係

The world is such a small place,

這世界很小

especially with all these online platforms,

特別是網路平台盛行

相信我，你還會再見到這些人

that, believe me, you will see these people again

and probably in the most inopportune times.

可能還是在最狼狽的時候遇到

Number two: take stock of what you've learned

第二：盤點你在前幾份工作中 所學習到的經驗

in your previous career or careers.

Most likely, a lot of those things are really applicable

這些經驗大多也可能適用於 你的新工作或新跑道

to your new job and your new career,

whether it's interacting with people, playing on a team

無論是人際互動、團隊合作

or dealing with jerks and assholes.

或是應付鳥人鳥事

All those things are really universally applicable.

這些能力到處都派得上用場

You'll find jerks no matter what industry you're in;

不管在哪個產業，你都會遇到爛人

no one's immune to it, everyone's got to figure it out,

無一倖免，大家都要想辦法解決

and you probably know how to do it already.

你可能也已經有了一套方法

Lastly, when you start your new job, you're going to be nervous.

最後，要開始新工作時 你一定會很緊張

But don't worry, take a deep breath,

但別擔心，深呼吸一口

because this is what I want to tell you:

這是我想對你說的話

you're part of a new team now,

你現在是新團隊的一員了

and everyone around you is rooting for your success,

身邊的人都在為你加油打氣

because your success is their success.

因為你的成功便是他們的成就

So welcome to your new career.

歡迎來到你的新職業