Choose a career path that makes you scared of failure (by Penelope Trunk)

A nice article to help you figure out what you want to do:
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/07/22/choose-a-career-path-that-makes-you-scared-of-failure/

Moving advice from a friend

BD(my friend): have you already found an apartment yet or is the company gonna giveyou corporate housing for a while?

me: the company will pay for a serviced apartment for the first month. I'll need to find an apt from Oct.

BD: Remember don't move in the senior community though. 哪儿年轻帅哥多往哪儿搬，或者等到上班后在同事中做个年轻男性人口普查然后有的放矢得搬，哦？咱们干统计的嘛，就要干一行象一行。

me: 天哪，怎么想得跟我一模一样。。。真不愧咱俩是同班同学，老师不是白教的。。。

远走高飞

远走高飞

说再会，是否就是离别。

我有一项绝技。每逢离别的时候，我总是会对所有的人说：我很快就会回来的！等我下次走的时候再告别好了。这样轻松愉快地告别，没有失落，没有眼泪，仿佛是一次周末旅行。然而从中国到美国，从美国到日本，从日本到瑞士，那些我亲爱的亲口答应过要回去看的朋友，没有一个再见过面。我想人生应当是这样的吧。当车轮启动，时光一去不复返。各人将有各人的缘分，所以迈步向前是好的，悲伤没有必要。从什么时候，我就练就了这样薄情的本领？也许是父亲去世的时候。情深不寿，懂得放手的人才是真正懂得世间之情。况且世间一切都有尽头。人活百年并不长久，十年也并不短暂。人与人的缘分也是一样。

这次又要走了。我打算再次将我的看家本领拿出来演习一遍。并非是不留恋，只是顺服生命的轨迹。我的生命要去到哪里，我无力操纵，只得谦卑地跟从。然而情感是我可以控制的，我可以选择要快乐不要悲伤。要微笑说再见，不要含泪说再见。

所以不要说是流浪四方，要说是远走高飞。那未来未知的旅途，如同神秘的没有人去过的海洋，静静地等待我去掠过。没有人知道会发生什么。我不知道会遇到谁，在我未来的海洋。所以我现在就展翅飞去，我自由的，蓝色的海洋，没有边际的海洋。再大些，远些，好让我飞翔。

这一首歌，仿佛我此刻心情。但是我的安慰并不是在任何人里面，而是在我心中永恒的神里。因为天地都要废去，唯有神的话不会废去。

"Time to say goodbye"

quando sono solo
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole
si lo so che non c'e luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole
se non ci sei tu con me, con me
su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada
when i'm alone
i dream of the horizon
and words fail me
there is no light
in a room where there is no sun
and there is no sun if you're not here with me, with me
from every window
unfurl my heart
the heart that you have won
into me you've poured the light
the light that you found by the side of the road
time to say goodbye (con te partiro)
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso si li vivro
con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
it's time to say goodbye (con te io li vivro)
time to say goodbye
places that i've never seen or
experienced with you
now i shall
i'll sail with you
upon ships across the seas
seas that exist no more
i'll revive them with you
quando sei lontana
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole
e io si lo so
che sei con me con me
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me
mia solo tu sei qui con me
con me con me con me

when you're far away
i dream of the horizon
and words fail me
and of course i know that you're with me, with me
you, my moon, you are with me
my sun, you're here with me
with me, with me, with me
time to say goodbye (con te partiro)
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso si li vivro
con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
con te io li vivro
con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
con te io li vivro
con te partiro
time to say goodbye
places that i've never seen or
experienced with you
now i shall
i'll sail with you
upon ships across the seas
seas that exist no more
i'll revive them with you

i'll go with you
upon ships across the seas
seas that exist no more
i'll revive them with you
i'll go with you.
i'll go with you.


当我独自一人的时候
我梦见地平线
而话语舍弃了我
没有阳光的房间里
也没有光线-------
假如你不在我身边
透过每一扇窗
招展著我的心
我那已属於你的心
你施予到我心中
你在路旁
所发现的光
是该告别的时刻了
那些我从未看过
从未和你一起体验的地方
现在我就将看到和体验
我将与你同航
在那越洋渡海的船上
在那不再存在的海洋
我将与你一起让它们再通行
是该告别的时刻了


当你在遥远他方的时候
我梦见地平线
而话语舍弃了我
我当然知道
你是和我在一起的
你---我的月亮，你和我在一起
我的太阳，你就在此与我相随
与我、与我、与我----------
是该告别的时刻了
那些我从未看过
从未和你一起体验的地方
现在我就将看到和体验
我将与你同航
在那越洋渡海的船上
在那不再存在的海洋
我将与你一起再让它们通行
我将与你同航

我将与你同航
在那越洋渡海的船上
在那不再存在的海洋
我将与你一起再让它们通行
我将与你同航

My interview tips

I did all the interviews I've ever done in my whole life in the past 6 months. In these 6 months, my interviews covered three completely different industries: pharmaceuticals, finance, and consulting. Finally now I can take some rest from being interviewed! But honestly speaking I've come to enjoy the interviews a lot and quite experienced. Are you also looking for a new position? Then please read on for my 2 cents to help you become the "killer" candidate.

Before the interview: motivation and vision
Yes baby first you need to get your goals straight. If you know exactly what you want for your life and when to get them, lucky you! You are probably among the 0.1% smartest people in the world. I was unfortunately among the rest 99.9% and as you can see from my interview patterns I absolutely had no clue. However as I was trying out different opportunities I worked out my priorities by considering:
1. background
This includes language and education background, age, gender. According to your background, what advantages and disadvantages you have towards each opportunity. Cut straight in with your advantages and avoid disadvanges.
2. personality
What do you enjoy doing the most and what do you dislike. Would you be happy to work in this industry or this company? Profession tends to define the professionals' personality (eg statisticians are known to be boring and anti-social, that's why I decide to quit being a statistican :P) It is not hard to figure out what kind of life you would have and what kind of people you would hang out with in your future office. If you think you won't like it, DON't apply, cuz you won't get the job. (most likely your interviewers won't like you either)
3. compensation & fulfillment
Of course we don't work just for money. I'd rather say we work for fulfillment and money (although often money has a positive correlation with your fulfillment). How big of a fulfillment would satisfy you? If you see yourself never being satisfied in a certain position (this is also easy. Look at your boss or the highest positioned person in the organization: do you want to become like him/her one day? if not, DON't apply)
4. time value
Some opportunies expire fast and early some others tend to stay a little longer. If people don't become a super model at 18 for example, or a super footballer at 20, they never will. Time value doesn't just apply to career choices, it also applies to our personal lives. You need to balance work and family and for some people this would be harder than others.
5. career progression
can you see any glass ceiling? is the glass ceiling high enough for you that you simply don't care? Or even worse, is there any positive slope for your career progression curve? would you rather take it easy and stable or are you an ambitious person? When you compare two career progression curves (or in a more straightforward way, the salary progression curves), compare the area under the curve for the next 5 years rather than the starting point.


Now you've dressed up in your best black suit (note: avoid 100% black), you've paid attention to details as well (hair, shoes, finger nails!) and had 2 cups of coffee.

At the interview:
1. be prepared to answer technical questions
which means you need to do all your homework about the industry, the company, the postion you interview for. I recommend you to get a couple of guidebooks and study for 1-2 months before your interview.
2. smile (do not giggle) & steady and friendly eye contact
this goes without saying.. be confident, and don't be shy! Remember, you are among the few chosen ones to come for the interview and the company believes that you must be worth the air ticket and accomodation..
3. firm (but not bone crushing) handshake !!!
I used to think handshakes were not important at all. You want to shake my hand? I would slightly extend my arm and land 2 of my fingers on the person's hand, as if I was the queen and they would like to kiss my hand. That was really aweful! (if not sickening..) Once I started to realize how crucial handshaking is in shaping a first impression I've so far discovered a lot of "queens" (and not just women!) and how terrible I felt when shaking hands with them. Of course you don't want to overdo it either. People rarely overdo it but once I shaked hands with a gigantic german guy and seriously, for one split second I thought he had crushed my bones and I almost fainted..
4. be logical and structured
Think before you speak. You are not doing a casual conversation over a couple of beers. Every movement of yours is being watched not to mention what you say. I found it very helpful to answer interview questions in a "deductive" way rather than an "inductive" way. The diamond head must come out first then you can pull out several gold chains. This is because once the interviewer asked the question, whatever sentence that comes out first was listened to most attentatively. Also time is short and you definitely don't want your interview to become impatient or even worse, getting lost of where you're going.

After the intervew:
Now you've done the interview and they said they'd get back to you as soon as possible. As long as a decision is not made yet, there're still things you can do to improve your chance -- thank you letters.
I know some people don't like writing letters. But hey, I don't like being waken up by my alarm clock every morning and rush to office. Consider this part of your work -- would it make it easier for you?
You must write a thank you letter to your HR, because HR is your contact person and you definitely have the contact info. If you get any name cards at your interview, also write thank you letters to those who have given you name cards.
3 merits of writing thank you letters:
1. even if you have received an offer right after your interview, then you'd better start socialize with these people soon, this would get you a more friendly start in the company.
2. if they're considering your case in a favorable way.. your thank you letter would help them send out that offer a couple of days earlier and maybe with 10% more salary.
3. if they decide to turn you down -- maybe after seeing your letter, they would change their minds! or they could recommend you to a different position, you could apply next year, etc.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose!