找工作前一定要自问的5个问题爱思英语编者按：对于找工作的人，特别是初入职场的新人来说，拥有一个清醒的头脑是无比重要的。找工作不能盲目，事先要将自己想要的弄清楚。找工作前请先问自己5个问题。5QuestionsYouMustAskYourselfBeforeChoosingaCareerYoucandoanythingyouputyourmindto.Ifyougrewupinthelate80sor90s,thisissomethingyouheardofteneitherathomeoronTV.Andthatsagoodthingmuchbetter,atleast,thanthe,Getthehighestpayingjobpossibleandcountthedaysdowntoretirementschoolofthought.Whenyourmanyyearsofeducationarebehindyouanditstimetoactuallypickwhatthatanythingis,bothpiecesofadvicecanbeparalyzing.Forsome,findingtherightcareerissimplyamatterofbrowsingthroughjobads.Formanyothers,theprocesstakesalotofexploration,self-reflection,andawillingnesstoredirectwhennecessary.Whetheryourefreshoutofcollegeoradecadedowntheroad,itsimportanttoembracetheprocessfull-on.These5crucialquestionsareagreatplacetostart.1.WhatamIgoodat?Knowingwhatyouregoodatasin,reallyknowingcanbemorecomplicatedthanitatfirstseems.Essentially,thisbreaksdowninto:Whatyourepassionateabout.Dontconfusethiswithabigger,morevaguedream.Instead,doaninventoryofpursuitsbothbigandsmallthatgetyouallfiredupandhaveyoulosingtrackoftime.Ratherthan,becomingarockstar,lookforspecificskillslike,learningnewinstruments,writingsongs,talkingaboutartand,interactingwithacrowd.Thiswillhelpyounotonlypursueyourbiggerdreams,butalsoidentifytraitsthatcanapplytojobsthatarelessofareach.Tasksyoudoeasily.Sure,itmightnotbeyourlifesdreamtoleadagroupofpeople,butifyoufindyourselfnaturallysteppingintoleadershippositions,youmightjustbemanagementorclassroombound.Thesamegoesforthosewell-structuredemailsyoutypeoutrapidly,oryourabilitytosketchoutadesigninsecondsflat.Whileplacingeasytasksatthecenterofyourcareercoursewontdoyoumuchgood,skillsthatcomeeasilytoyoucanformthebasisofgreaterthings.Whatotherpeoplesayyoudowell.Mostofusareshockinglypoorjudgesofourownstrengthsandweaknesses,whetherduetooverconfidenceorcompletelackthereof.Theyoungeryouare,thetruerthisislikelytobe,asyousimplyhaventhadthebreadthofexperiencetoshowyoujustwhereyouthrive.Askingpeers,parents,teachers,colleaguesandmentorstoarticulateyourskills,eitherinalist,aresume,orarecommendationletter,canunearthstrengthsandinterestsyoudidntevenknowyouhad,orshednewlightontalentsyoumaybetakingforgranted.2.WhatlocationsamIcomfortablelivingin?Thisoneisntnearlyassuperficialasitsounds.Chancesare,youregoingtobestickingwithyourchosencareerforawhile,andthatmeansheadingwherethejobsare.Forsomejobs,likefreelancewriting,designing,andwell,justaboutanythingthatcanbedoneovertheinternet,itreallydoesntmatterwhetheryouworkfromMiamiorTimbuktuButifyouchoosemagazinepublishing,chancesareyoullwindupinNewYork.Entertainmentindustry?LA.Oil?Houston.Farming?Thecountryside.Assuch,itsworthconsideringwhatyouneedfromtheplaceyoulive,suchas:AmenitiesandHomes:Livinginan800-squarefootapartmentinManhattanprovidesamuchdifferentexperiencethana2,000foothomeinthesuburbs.Determinewhatamenitiesareimportanttoyoubothinsideandoutsideofyourlivingspace.CultureandLifestyle:Doyouenjoylivinginacitywithaconstantstreamofartopenings,concerts,readings,tastingsandotherevents,ordoyoupreferaslowerlifestyle?Doyoumindlivinginaplacewherethemajorityofpeoplehavedifferentlifevaluesandpoliticalbeliefs,orareyouokaymixingitup?Cultureandlifestyleinformwhoweareeveryday.AccesstoNature:WillCentralParksuityourfancy,ordoyoupreferthenearbylakes,mountainsandstreamsofaplacelikeSeattle?OrwouldyourathercallamountainneighboronyourMontanaranch?Whileyoumayneedtomakecompromises,itsimportantnottochooseacareerthatwillkeepyoufarawayfromthethingsthatrejuvenateyouandgiveyoumeaning.3.HowmuchcontroldoIneedovermyowntime?Somepeoplelovethestructureofacorporatejob;otherpeoplehateit.Fortheformer,thisissimplyaquestiontocheckoffandmoveon.Forthelatter,itsimportanttoexamineeachpotentialcareerpathwithquestionslike:Howmuchtravelwilltherebe?Howmuchteamworkandmeetingswillberequired?Arethereopportunitiestoworkfromhomeeitherfullorpart-time?Howflexibleisthevacationpolicy?Howstrictarethehours?Willtherebealotofovertime?ArethereopportunitiesatcompaniesinthisindustrytodothingslikeGoogles20percenttime?Insomecases,theanswerstothesequestionswillbeobvious.Acongressionalaide,forexample,willhavefarlesscontroloverhertimethanawomanwhorunsabusinessoutofherownhome.Butinmanycases,thesearethingsthatcanonlybediscoveredasyougo.Whatsmore,greatercontrolissometimeseasiertofindasyouriseintheranks,soitsalwaysbesttokeepaneyeonfuturepotential.4.AmImoreintrovertedorextroverted?Introvertsandextrovertsbringdifferentsetsofskillstothetable.Extrovertswillbemiserableinarolethatrequiresalotofintrovertedskills,whileintrovertswillsimilarlystrugglewhenforcedintoanextrovertsshoes.Afewthingstoconsiderinanygivenrole:AmountofpublicspeakingPaceandamountofdeadlinesandcommunicationAmountofteamworkandcollaborationwithcolleaguesDegreeofstimulationintheworkenvironmentAmountofoff-worksocializingrequiredForadeeperlookatthistopic,wehighlysuggestreadingSusanCainsQuiet:ThePowerofIntrovertsinaWorldThatCantStopTalkingorwatchinghereye-openingTEDtalk.