I will never forget how lost I felt the summer after my graduation from college, and in the nine years since, I've spoken to countless 20-somethings who feel incredibly pressured to find their true calling immediately and build a successful career in a particular field before their 25th birthdays.
我永远都不会忘记自己在大学毕业的那个夏季是多么得失落。在下面的九年里，我和无数二十来岁的青年探讨过重压巨大的问题。这类青年想要立即找到我们的“天职”，并在25岁之前在某个范围干出一番事业。
A more realistic challenge is to ease yourself slowly into the work world by following a few strategies that many people don't try until they're well into their 30s. School probably taught you a lot of things, but the business world's unique set of rules may not have been part of the story.
一个更为现实的做法是遵循一些方案来让自己平缓地步入职场，可很多人直到三十岁后才开始去尝试这类方案。学校或许教会了你很多东西，但却可能没告诉你职场这套与众不同的法则。
Hopefully these tips will get you started on the right foot:
期望下面这类建议能叫你的职业生涯有一个好的开始：
Pick a Career Instead of a Job 是“择业”而不是选择“工作”
Looking for a job haphazardly, because you majored in something or because you saw a listing that looks somewhat interesting, you'll risk getting started in a career that holds no real appeal for you, and then you'll have to leave it to find something else. Why not plan your career strategically, just like you planned your education?
随便找一份工作，只是由于它与你的专业有关或感到工作内容有趣，那样你或许会进入一个对你来讲并没真的吸引力的行业，不需要多长时间你就得再去找工作。何不需要策略的见地来规划你的职业，就像曾规划你的学业一样？
Start by doing a self-assessment that teaches you things about yourself that you might never have thought about--for example, what you like and don't like in a work environment, what defines success for you, and what type of work would make you want to sit in traffic for hours just for the privilege of showing up. Knowing these things can help you determine which occupations could be a good fit for you.
你可以先做个自我评估，这会叫你知道很多自己不曾注意到的事情——比如，你喜欢或者讨厌什么样的工作环境；你觉得如何才算是成功；哪种工作会叫你宁可忍受几小时的交通堵塞、而仅仅为了出目前办公室？知道这类能助你决定什么才是真的合适我们的职业。
If You Can't Get a Job Right Away, Don't Despair 即便不可以立刻找到工作，也不要绝望
If you start thinking of yourself as a victim or allow yourself to lapse into prolonged negativity, you won't be hurting anyone except yourself. The best strategy for moving on is to recognize the reality of the situation, acknowledge your feelings and find a way to cope productively. Reach out to your support systems, and consider taking some time off--after all, you'll never have the freedom of being between school and work again!
假如你刚开始就把自己看成“受害者”，或是放纵自己长期消极，那样受伤的只能是你一个人。最好的方法是承认现实、认清自我感受，找一个富有效果的办法去解决问题。向支持你的人寻求帮助，考虑休息一段时间——毕竟，以后你不会再有这种不需要上学也不需要工作的自由了！
Network Like Mad in Your Chosen Field 在你选择的范围中“疯狂”地打造联系
A huge percentage of job openings aren't advertised because employers prefer to hire people through word of mouth. Developing relationships with people working in your field, then, means that you're TOP of mind whenever they hear of a new opportunity.
很多工作空缺都不会登广告招聘，由于雇主更喜欢任用推荐的人选。和在你的范围工作的大家打造联系，这意味着一旦新机会出现，大家头脑中第一时间想到的就是你。
Learn about new contacts by researching firms in your industry, joining social networking sites like linkedIn, asking your parents' friends, and joining relevant professional associations. Approach individuals by e-mail first, and don't put them on the defensive by asking for a job outright. Instead, show curiosity about their career path and see if they'll agree to lunch or coffee.
你可以调查你所在行业的公司，或者，加入在线社交网站，或是问问爸爸妈妈的朋友和参加有关的职业组织。这类都能助你打造新的联系。可以先用邮件和其他人获得联系，不要明确地提出想获得工作，这会使他们心生戒备。对他们的职业生涯表示好奇，然后，问一问是不是能同他们一块吃午饭或喝咖啡。
Hone Your Reputation as a Can-Do, Enthusiastic Employee 为自己取得一个能干、工作热忱的好名声
Your company isn't responsible for your career growth: you are. only approach your boss with a problem or complaint if you've explored all options for resolving it yourself. When you do, be prepared with a solution you could implement with her help.
你应该对我们的职业进步负责，而不是你的公司。在向老板提出问题或是抱怨之前，先尝试所有自己能解决的方法。假如你不能不提，也要筹备好一个解决方法，这个策略有她的帮忙就能达成。
The words I don't have time should never escape your lips. If you know something needs to be done, do it without being prodded. Your boss will quickly come to see you as someone she can count on and a huge asset to the team. If you have conflicting priorities, ask your boss to help sort them out.
绝对不该说“我没时间”如此的话。假如你了解需要做某项工作，应该不需要敦促地完成。你的老板非常快会把你看成一个靠得住的人，而且是团队的一大资产。假如要做的事情的优先级有冲突，让老板为你决定。
Don't Think of Your First Job as the Be All, End All to Career Stardom 不要把我们的第一份工作看成职业生涯中的永远
How can you master the skills it takes to get ahead without putting any time in the trenches? That's like saying you could win an Olympic medal in swimming without learning to doggie paddle first. Look at your first post-college positions as temporary sTOPs on your career path instead of permanent ones. Don't be in such a rush to get promoted either--you have a long career life ahead of you to shoulder the heavy burden of being on TOP. In the meantime, enjoy getting paid to learn everything you can so that snagging your next job isn't quite as challenging!
不从底层做起你如何能学会进步所需要的技能？这就好比连狗刨都没掌握就想在奥运会上拿金牌。把你刚毕业后的工作看成职业生涯中的临时站点而不是永久站点。也不要急着获得晋升——前方的职业道路由你扛重担的时间会非常长。快乐地一边拿着薪资一边学习吧，如此获得下一份工作就不费吹灰之力了!
