怎样找到称心的工作

译者 梦剧场球童

Recent college grads may be feeling a bit ripped off. They did what they were supposed to -- studied hard, graduated, and now ... nothing. A new online study by Harris Interactive for American Express (AXP) reveals that 68% of recent grads are not working or are working at a job that is not in their field. Nearly half are only making ends meet with the help of mom and dad.

新近毕业的大学生可能会有种被欺骗的感觉。他们在学校做了他们应该做的——努力学习，获得学位，而现在…他们却陷入了困境。哈里斯互动为美国运通公司所做的在线调查显示68%的新近毕业大学生没有找到工作或者没有从事自己所学的专业。接近一半的毕业生要靠父母的资助才能维持生活。

It's not surprising that some 80% of new grads reported moving in with their parents after all the pomp and circumstance. For the first time in nearly a year, in August, the economy had the distressing distinction of not adding any new jobs. With so much frustration to be found in the job market, more young people are running back to the classroom: 27% opted to pursue another degree in 2010, up from 20% in 2007.

听到千万不要惊讶，据报道80%的毕业生为了舒服省力而搬去和父母同住。在今年8月的首次调查中，经济形势因为没有增加任何新工作职位而显得悲观。伴随着在招聘市场碰到如此多的挫折，更多的年轻人选择重返课堂：27%的人进行第二专业学习，这比07年提升了7个百分点。

So, what can a person with a newly minted bachelor's degree do? Plenty.

既然如此，一个刚获得学士学位的毕业生应该怎样做？

Personality Counts: The news on the job front isn't all bad. According to American Express' Recent Graduate Environment Survey, 62% of hiring professionals said that personality traits such as communication skills and a good attitude are the qualities they look for most when interviewing. Significantly fewer gave such high importance to a candidate's qualifications/skill set (36%), intelligence/knowledge (23%), work history (11%), or educational background (10%).

重视为人处事：关于就业的消息并不都是糟糕的。根据美国运通公司最近关于新近毕业生状态调查显示，62%的面试官声称他们对于应聘者的沟通技能还有良好工作态度最为看重。显然很少的人将应聘者的专业技能、智商、工作经历或者教育背景作为考评的重要指标。

"The fact that personality counts almost twice as much as candidates' skill set is good news for graduates who say their biggest challenge is not having enough work experience," says Jennie Platt, director of millennial and household product strategies at American Express. "Highlight your interests and passions and let your personality come through in an interview. Be open to applying for jobs outside of your field of study or work. We were surprised to learn that even though recent grads are having a tough time navigating the job market, more than 60% have not looked outside their field of study for work."

“事实上好的处事能力比技能本身更重要，对于那些认为他们最大的挑战是没有工作经验的毕业生来说是个好消息。突出你的兴趣和热情让你的处事能力在面试中得到展现。还要敢于在自己领域外寻找工作，令人惊讶的是尽管新近毕业生在找工作时都遇到了困难，但超过60%的人没有在他们的领域外寻找过工作机会。”运通家庭产品战略主管珍妮普莱特说。

Improve Communication Skills: What's holding the young folks back? More than half of hiring pros said that while social media has improved recent grads' ability to think out of the box, it has deteriorated their writing skills (87%), ability to focus on a task (79%), and verbal communication skills (78%).

提高沟通技巧：是什么制约了年轻人？超过一半的面试官说尽管社交媒体已经帮助毕业生打破了思维定势，但它也腐蚀了他们的书面表达能力，工作的专注度和语言交流。

Learn the Hot Spots: What every underemployed eager beaver wants to know is where the good jobs are. Freshly minted grads are much in demand in health care (46%) and professional/scientific/technical services (37%). Internet marketing (29%) and Web design (29%) round out the list of the sectors that are most on the hunt.

了解热门领域：每一个干劲十足地寻找工作的人都想知道哪里会得到好工作。新近毕业生在医疗保健、科技服务、网络营销和网站设计上更受欢迎，更容易找到工作。

If you're wondering if you went to school for nothing more than the spiritual rewards, well, that depends largely on your paper. According to the survey, the most marketable degrees are technology (55%), business (52%), engineering (49%), finance (28%) and science (27%). Turns out an entrepreneurial degree is more attractive than a liberal arts degree.

如果你想知道你去学校仅仅是为了精神上的提高，好吧，那将很大程度取决于你的论文。调查显示，技术、金融、机械工程、法语和理科类的学位证最受欢迎，而拥有企业类文凭要比人文类文凭更有吸引力。

Polish your presentation: "Act like a professional even if you don't have a job," says Christine Hassler, a life coach and Gen Y expert. "Polish your personality skills and professionalism. Develop an elevator pitch. Monitor your online behavior. Dress and conduct yourself in a professional manner everywhere you go. You never know who you'll meet."

拥有得体的举止：即使你还没找到工作，但你的行为举止也要像公司职员那样得体，要记得展现你的处事能力、才艺和专业素质，提升自己“电梯演讲”的能力，时刻注意你的不当举止。无论去哪都要让自己在衣着还有言行上像一个有素质的职员一样。因为你永远不知道会遇到谁。

Spelling counts: "Triple proofread everything -- from cover letters to emails to thank-you notes," says Hassler. "Instead of spending money on personal things, invest in professional things that make you smarter, skilled and more self-aware. You are your best investment right now and far more valuable than the latest gadget or new pair of shoes."

注意信件格式规范：要精心校对——从求职信到电子邮件再到感谢信。不要在自己身上浪费金钱，多在更专业的事情上投资会让你更具有智慧和技巧，对自己的认识也会更加深刻。现在你就是自己最伟大的投资，比任何最新的小玩意或者一双新鞋更有价值。

Get serious and strategic: Most 20-somethings don't have a system in place for job seeking and go about it very haphazardly, says Hassler. "Set aside a designated period of time each day to spend time searching for jobs, making phone calls, networking online and writing cover letters."

认真考虑并制定策略：大多数20多岁的年轻人没有为招聘设定计划，他们对待找工作很随意。每天要设定一段特定的时间用来寻找工作信息，打电话咨询相关事宜，网上交流和写求职信。

Research online tools that can support you in being more productive anytime, anywhere.  for 20-somethings . However, she warns: "Do not allow yourself to be distracted by the Internet, especially Facebook. Set designated times for surfing and using social media for social reasons."

善用搜索工具会帮你提高效率，取得事半功倍的效果。对于20多岁的年轻人，她提醒到：“不要迷失在网络中，尤其不要沉溺于Facebook。为上网设定时限并且用在有益的事上。

Network in your field: If you can't get a job in your field, do the intern thing or volunteer in your field. Attend industry networking events. Set up informational interviews. Start a blog of your own where you post relevant articles and research, and write your own content or showcase your work, advises Hassler. Set up a wish list of people you'd like to meet and take steps to meet them. Use online aids like LinkedIn and Facebook to find mutual friends and ask for introductions rather than cold calling when possible.

在相关领域寻求沟通：如果你不能在相关领域找到工作；获得实习机会；或者成为志愿者。参加工业交流活动，关注新闻性访谈，开通博客展示你有关的论文和研究。将你希望会面的人列一个清单，采取措施见到他们。应用网络帮助和Facebook来发现志趣相投的朋友，主动介绍自己而不是冷淡交流。

Don't be afraid to fail: Don't fear failure or going "off the plan." Mistakes are a form of course correction and offer huge learning opportunities, says Hassler. "Admit your mistakes, acknowledge your upsets and then move on by finding the lesson. Rather than letting a mistake define you, let it direct you. Keeping a positive attitude is important during this time. Don't let qualifications or concerns keep you from applying for a job or networking with someone. You will learn something in the process. You still have plenty of time."

不要害怕失败：不要担心犯错误或者放弃计划。失败能帮助自己修正方向并且提供丰富的学习机会。“正视你的错误，承认你的不足，然后通过总结教训来使自己成长，而不是让一次错误就限制了你，制约了自己。在此期间保持积极乐观的心态是非常必要的。不要因为那些资格要求让自己放弃寻找工作或者和别人交流。你会在这个过程中学到很多，你仍然拥有未来。