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有些候选人还没想清楚自己的职业方向和目标，对此，我一直会告诉他们一个真理：找到自己不喜欢做的事，要比找到自己喜欢做的事要容易得多。这个真理尤其适用于事业刚刚起步的年轻职业人士，他们对职业、工作职能和领域都知之甚少，需要经历一个过程才能找到自己想做的事。据我所知，很多成功人士现在从事的工作和他们事业刚刚起步时的工作大相径庭。

实际上，我自己就是个很好的例子。现在的我正在运营自己的猎头公司，基本属于在做人力和人才业务。绝大多数人看到我如此努力地经营这份事业（而且一干就是20多年！），会认为我一直以来都对自己想要从事什么职业心知肚明。然而，事实并非如此。我在学校里读的是机械工程学，第一份工作是研发工程师，靠设计玩具养家糊口。这份工作我做了五年多，然后才决定转行投身商场，全盘颠覆了我的职业发展路线。

 不要忽略自己的感受

我决定转行，做一份和我的工科背景完全不同的工作，并非因为我不喜欢当时的工作。实际上，玩具行业很有挑战性的创意产业，设计玩具也很有趣。我当时在美泰儿公司工作，这也是家很不错的公司。老板和同事也都很好。既然如此，我为什么还要决定辞职转行呢？

一开始一切都很好。我刚从学校毕业，一切都是新的，生活充满挑战，有很多东西要学。但两三年后，我发现自己经常看表，一边工作一边会想很多工作之外的事。我对我的工作没什么兴趣。这让我幡然醒悟。年轻人应当对生活充满激情，应当干劲十足，热情洋溢。然而，当时才25岁的我，却觉得自己已经55岁了。时间一天天过去，我觉得自己置身其外。这让我非常沮丧。

 如果一件事不能为你创造想要的未来，那就放手吧

由于我对自己的工作没什么兴趣，我知道我永远不会在这行出人头地。这让我十分困扰。要是我都不在乎自己能否成为一名伟大的工程师，又怎么能做出一番事业呢？内心深处，我还是希望自己成就一番事业的，至少有机会做出成就。虽然我当时还不知道自己到底想做什么，但我很清楚自己这辈子不想做什么。要想有机会发现自己喜欢做什么，第一步就是要做出改变，离开现有的职业发展路线，因为我在这条路上看不到令我满意、有所收获的未来。

我相信，在中国，有很多人和我有共鸣。我很幸运，因为我很早就意识到了这一点，那时要转行还相对容易，做出改变的机会/成本也更低。我意识到本土职业人士身负巨大的外界压力，让他们很难迈出这一步。但是，职业发展不是一朝一夕的事。所以，我发自内心地认为，为了你未来的幸福和成功，离开无法引领你走向幸福未来的职业道路，追求你真正喜欢、也会做得更成功的事业是值得的。

Figuring Out Your Career Direction And Objectives

When it comes to determining your career direction and objectives, I always tell candidates who are not sure about these that the reality is that it’s much easier to find the things in life you don’t really enjoy doing before you find out what it is that you really enjoy doing.  This reality and learning process to discover what you want to do especially applies to young professionals starting out who have little sense or real understanding of careers, job functions, and industries.  In fact, for many successful people I know, what they’re doing now in their career is much different than what they began their career doing.

Actually, I’m a pretty good example of this.  For instance, today, I run my own recruitment firm, which is basically a people and talent business.  Because of the effort and energy I put into what I do (even after over 20 years!), most people think I’ve always known that I wanted to do this for my career.  But actually, that wasn’t the case at all.  I have a Mechanical Engineering degree and began my career as an R&D engineer, designing toys for a living.  I did this for 5+ years before deciding to pursue a completely different career path in business.

Don’t Ignore What You Feel

When I decided to make a major career change and leave my engineering career completely behind, it wasn’t that I disliked or hated what I did.  In fact, the toy industry is a challenging and creative industry, and designing toys is a fun job.  I worked for Mattel Toys, a great company.  I had a great boss and great colleagues.  So why did I decide to leave my job and change my career?

At first, things were great.  As a fresh graduate, everything I did was new, with lots of challenges and things to learn. But after 2-3 years, I noticed myself watching the clock a lot and spending more and more time thinking about non-work-related things during my job.  I had little real interest in what I was doing.  Eventually, it hit me.  As a young person, I’m supposed to be full of energy and passion, and excited about my life and future.  But instead, I was a 25 year old who felt like he was 55 years old.  My life was passing by without my being that engaged in it.  That was depressing to me.

Stop Pursuing Things That Aren’t In Line With A Future You Desire

Because I had little interest in what I was doing, I knew I’d never be great it.  That bothered me a lot.  How could I if I didn’t really care about whether I became a great engineer or not?  But deep down, I wanted to be great, or at least have the chance to be great, at something.  So while I still didn’t know what I really wanted to do, I was sure about what I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life.  The first step if I was going to have any chance of discovering what I might enjoy doing was to make a change from a career path that I couldn’t picture a satisfying or rewarding future.

I believe my own experience is similar to the experience of many people here in China.  In my case, I was lucky I realized this fairly early on when it’s easier to pursue different things and when your opportunity/cost to make changes is lower.  I realize that mainland professionals face huge external pressures that make it difficult to make similar dramatic changes to their career.  But your career lasts a long time, and determines and influences so many aspects of your life.  As such, I’m a big believer that your future success and happiness is worth removing yourself from a career path that you don’t see a positive future pursuing, and worth searching for what you believe you’ll both enjoy doing more and will be more successful doing.

（责任编辑：职场达人）