每日外闻2
Take control of your career in an uncertain world
In the current turbulent global political climate, a job or a career for life for those just starting out in the workplace is no longer guaranteed. The feeling of worry and lack of control could potentially become overwhelming.
The traditional versions of sage (智者) and some times staid (古板的)advice now seems quaint (古怪的) and often redundant for new Generation.
One of the marked changes in response to uncertainty is more and more students making an early start on their career planning.
Compared with 2018, twice the number of students visited the careers fair (招聘会) at Oxford in autumn 2019. According our survey, the first year students at Oxford who was postponing all their career plans decrease 10 percent over the past few years.
Brexit and climate change
Brexit (英国脱欧) and the climate crisis are the two external uncertainties already having an impact on students’ lives.
An Oxford doctoral student in Biophysics, considered quitting her research studies and drastically changing career path because of these twin worries, and she engaged in climate activism. She said that Brexit will make staying and finding research funding more difficult.
Competition is increasing
The head of the counselling service at Oxford university, observes that one of the causes of increasing uncertainty is the wider economic environment in which everyone must be more competitive. The classic defensive psychological reaction is to create certainty by controlling things; this is a poor action to take as it increases rigidity (僵化) of thinking. People can aim to concentrate, appreciate and celebrate what they have and what they can control, instead of focusing on thing such as Brexit, climate crisis, which is impossible to be in our control.
Some young professional are embracing uncertainty as a positive force. Christine used to studied law, then took a master degree in music and currently works as an analyst. “I have a high appetite for ambiguity (模糊，不明确), and I try not to let external forces control me.” she says.
Having decided not to buy a property (房产), she invested instead in an ambitious expedition (探险) with her brother, exploring the tributaries (支流) of a river system in Indonesia. She says that the experience created valuable insights: “The uncertainty of the outcome generated possibilities; I was comfortable with failure - just making the decision to choose a specific path was enough.”
Some students followed the popular path from undergraduate to a masters degree. There are three main reasons for that: It can be a way to increase career choice, or to keep studying because the student enjoys it and is fulfilled. Finally, for the undecided it is a way to postpone the entry to work for a period of time. More undergraduates students in Oxford are opting to go straight (直接) into work after graduation compared to five years ago.
Setting up a business
The most uncertain path for new graduates is that of starting their own business. Even so, it is a choice being considered by more than a fifth of Oxford students, across men and women equally (男女都相等).
However popular start-up culture (创业文化) has become [倒装句], the young may not have an advantage here. A study, let by MIT, established (确定) that those under 25 have the lowest likelihood of a successful exit or creating a top growth firm. The most successful founders were aged 46- 55, with more skills and experience to navigate (应对) the many uncertainties of business.
Epilogue
There will always be uncertainty around future events and people will always react in different ways， from feeling powerless to thriving. And it helps to know this is not a new phenomenon. Just as Victor Hugo said: “Be as a bird perched (栖息) on a frail (脆弱的) branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the time, knowing she has wings.”
leaving little point in continuing: 继续下去的意义不大
coupled with the fact …: 加上这样的事实
Those that might look impactful don’t pay a living wage: 那些看似很有影响力的人连基本的生活工资都没有。
See you tomorrow
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