【翻譯練習】當工作變得無趣，是時候尋找出路
Finding a Better Spot When a Job Goes Sour
日期：MAY 7, 2011
作者：EILENE ZIMMERMAN
來源：http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/jobs/08career.html?_r=0
Q. During the recession, you needed a job and took one for which you are overqualified. Although you were initially grateful just to have the work, you now feel bored and depressed. Is there any way to change that?
問題：不景氣時，委身自己去做一個少有機會一展長才的工作。起初對於能夠擁有此份工作，心懷感激，但現在卻感到百無聊賴，鬱鬱寡歡。該如何改變現況呢？
A. Start by changing your perspective, says Caitlin Kelly, author of "Malled," a book based on her experience as a retail sales clerk after losing her job in journalism.
答覆：凱特琳．凱莉建議，與其改變現況，不如從改變自己想法做起。凱莉著有《Malled》一書，內容關於她失去原本記者行業後，轉行成為銷售員的經歷。
"Don't focus on what you're not getting but what you are getting," she says. "I may have been overqualified for folding T-shirts, but I was underqualified for selling, being patient and working attentively with a wide range of people. It doesn’t matter what the job is — there are always things you can learn and skills you can develop."
凱莉說：｢你該在意的是自己得到了什麼，而不是還沒得到什麼。要我在賣場摺衣服，或許也是大材小用了些；但若關於銷售技巧、耐心應對、以及得體接待形形色色顧客等方面，那我確實還有很多要學習的。工作內容做些什麼倒是其次，畢竟，不管哪類型的工作，你一定能從中學得一些經驗。｣
Hilary Pearl, founder of the executive coaching firm Pearl Associates in Greenwich, Connecticut, says: "Tell yourself the current situation isn’t the end of your career. Don't overdramatize the negative aspects but try to view the situation more philosophically: life is a series of phases, and this is one."
在康乃提克州成立高階主管教練公司的希拉瑞．佩爾說：｢向自己信心喊話，當前情況並非你在職場上的窮途末路。毋須過度渲染負面觀點，你該試著理性綜觀全局。人生就是一連串的際遇組合而成，而你在職場上的遭遇，僅是其中之一個經歷罷了。｣
Consider that because you're overqualified, you may be able to learn or do things that might not have been possible in a more demanding position, says Sarah Hathorn, a career acceleration coach in Atlanta. "You could invest your extra time in learning different aspects of the business," she says, "and teaching or mentoring others in the organization."
莎拉．海彤在亞特蘭大州擔任職涯升級教練，她建議，既然你已被大才小用，不妨投入時間去學習或實作那些當你處在戰戰兢兢的職位時無法去學或去做的事。此外，亦可額外探究現前此份工作的不同業務層面，並給予他人教學或指導。
Q. Is it possible to make your work more stimulating and challenging, even if your job responsibilities aren't likely to change?
問題：有辦法在工作內容無法改變的情況下，仍能讓工作本身變得更有活力，更具挑戰性嗎？
A. Yes. Seek tasks and responsibilities that force you to learn something new or to work harder. “You may be operating on autopilot right now, but chances are people above you are stressed,” Ms. Hathorn says. “Offer to take things off your boss’s plate and let him know which projects or tasks you want to learn more about.”
答覆：當然沒問題。設法多方尋求各種能夠令你學習新事物或更賣力打拚的工作內容與職務。海彤說：｢或許你覺得自己日復一日做著機械化的工作，沒用到大腦思考，不過你也需要考慮到，在你上位的人可能比你壓力更大。你可以做些事情來分攤老闆的負擔，並且主動告知你有意學習的專案或職務內容。｣
Always frame your request positively, saying that you love new challenges, rather than complaining that you’re bored and underused, says Stacy L. Ethun, president of the Park Avenue Group, an affiliate of the executive search firm MRI Network.
公園大道公司總裁史黛西．伊森提醒我們，永遠要正面塑造你的個人需求，例如適時表達你熱愛面對新的挑戰，而非嘮叨抱怨著自己感到無趣及懷才不遇。公園大道公司是高階人才獵人頭公司MRI Network的子公司。
Look at the company’s organizational hierarchy and find the person who has the job you’d like, then offer to lend that person a hand, Ms. Hathorn says.
海彤則說，檢視一下公司的組織層級表，尋找你有意擔任的工作是屬於哪一位同仁負責，即可在工作上伺機協助該位同仁。
Find a mentor who can understand the company’s needs and ultimately help you move to a higher level, says Rebecca Weingarten, a career coach and co-founder of DLC Executive Coaching and Consulting in New York. In your down time, educate yourself about the company. "Read corporate information, analyst reports and related news articles," she says.
瑞貝卡．韋加登擔任職涯教練，也是紐約DLC高階人才培訓顧問公司的共同創辦人。瑞貝卡表示，找個能夠了解公司需求並且助你升遷的貴人；在閒暇時間，也要努力增進對自家公司的認識：｢讀些產業資訊，分析報表，和相關新聞報導。｣
Ms. Harthon suggests researching new tools or processes used by other company that could save yours time or money. "If your boss incorporates your suggestions," she says, "it will make him look better and make you a more valuable employee."
海彤建議可以去研究其他公司，了解他們是否有節省時間與金錢的方法或作業流程可應用在自家公司。她說：｢如果上司採納你的建議，他會比較好過，壓力沒那麼大，你也會是個更有存在價值的員工。｣
Q. Can doing things you enjoy outside of work make you feel better when you're on the job?
問題：做些工作以外的愛好，這樣子工作時會比較快活嗎？
A. Absolutely. "Spend more time with family, take your dogs on long walks, do volunteer work," Ms. Kelly advises. Keep in mind that you are more than just your job.
答覆：那是一定的。凱莉說，正因現前的工作並不至於勞心費神，使得你有更多時間去做你以前想做卻無暇提起之事。凱莉建議｢多花時間陪伴家人，帶狗出去散步，參與社區志工，或是加入教堂唱詩班。｣我們經常用職銜來定位自己，但請記住，工作並無法代表你的全部。
Challenge yourself outside of work by taking on something you've always wanted to learn, by going to the gym or by dedicating more resources to a hobby or a side business. "You'll be a happier, stronger person and that will be reflected in your attitude every day," Ms. Ethun says.
著手進行你長久以來想學習的事物，例如你可以多上健身房，或是投入更多資源來培養嗜好或副業。伊森說：｢你的心靈將更開朗，體能更壯健，這樣的身心狀態將會反應在你每一天的處事態度上。｣
Q. How can you tell whether it's time to look for a position elsewhere?
問題：如何知道該是轉職時機了？
A. If the organization isn't promoting from within–or if others have been tapped for positions for which you were well qualified–it may be time to look elsewhere. It could be that there is a lack of opportunity for your particular skill set.
答覆：如果公司沒有內部升遷，或者別人早一步坐上你合適的的職位，那麼差不多可以考慮另覓高就。只是或許缺乏有適合你專屬才能的就業機會。
You may also find that the company’s culture or mission isn't a good fit, Ms. Weingarten says. Ask yourself whether you like the way the company is run and the direction in which it’s moving. "Can you see yourself there five years from now?" She asks.
韋加登說，或許你也會感到公司的文化或理念並不合己意。問問自己是否認同公司經營的方式以及目標走向。｢你能預見自己5年後還會待在這家公司嗎？｣
Q. How do you leave in a way that acknowledges your gratitude to the company and doesn't engender resentment?
答覆：離職的話，如何表達對公司的謝意，並且避免留下黑名？
A. Give as much notice as you can, — a month, for instance, is more considerate than two weeks, Ms. Pearl says. Meet privately with your boss and anyone at the company who has been important to you, and express gratitude for what you gained from the experience.
佩爾建議，盡可能多放消息，例如在一個月提離職比起二週前才提還要來得恰當。私下與老闆或公司內其他對你而言具有重要地位的人員會談，並對於你在工作中所獲得的經驗表達感激。
"Don’t tell them all the things you could have contributed or talk about how you were underleveraged all these months," Ms. Pearl says. "You want to keep all those bridges open. You never know who your next boss will be."
她還說：｢至於你認為你自己應該會為公司帶來更多貢獻、或是你在這幾個月以來感到有志難伸，等等諸如此類的話語，就請不必多說了。多留後路給自己，畢竟你將來的老闆會是誰，真的很難說。｣
日期：MAY 7, 2011
作者：EILENE ZIMMERMAN
來源：http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/jobs/08career.html?_r=0
Q. During the recession, you needed a job and took one for which you are overqualified. Although you were initially grateful just to have the work, you now feel bored and depressed. Is there any way to change that?
問題：不景氣時，委身自己去做一個少有機會一展長才的工作。起初對於能夠擁有此份工作，心懷感激，但現在卻感到百無聊賴，鬱鬱寡歡。該如何改變現況呢？
A. Start by changing your perspective, says Caitlin Kelly, author of "Malled," a book based on her experience as a retail sales clerk after losing her job in journalism.
答覆：凱特琳．凱莉建議，與其改變現況，不如從改變自己想法做起。凱莉著有《Malled》一書，內容關於她失去原本記者行業後，轉行成為銷售員的經歷。
"Don't focus on what you're not getting but what you are getting," she says. "I may have been overqualified for folding T-shirts, but I was underqualified for selling, being patient and working attentively with a wide range of people. It doesn’t matter what the job is — there are always things you can learn and skills you can develop."
凱莉說：｢你該在意的是自己得到了什麼，而不是還沒得到什麼。要我在賣場摺衣服，或許也是大材小用了些；但若關於銷售技巧、耐心應對、以及得體接待形形色色顧客等方面，那我確實還有很多要學習的。工作內容做些什麼倒是其次，畢竟，不管哪類型的工作，你一定能從中學得一些經驗。｣
Hilary Pearl, founder of the executive coaching firm Pearl Associates in Greenwich, Connecticut, says: "Tell yourself the current situation isn’t the end of your career. Don't overdramatize the negative aspects but try to view the situation more philosophically: life is a series of phases, and this is one."
在康乃提克州成立高階主管教練公司的希拉瑞．佩爾說：｢向自己信心喊話，當前情況並非你在職場上的窮途末路。毋須過度渲染負面觀點，你該試著理性綜觀全局。人生就是一連串的際遇組合而成，而你在職場上的遭遇，僅是其中之一個經歷罷了。｣
Consider that because you're overqualified, you may be able to learn or do things that might not have been possible in a more demanding position, says Sarah Hathorn, a career acceleration coach in Atlanta. "You could invest your extra time in learning different aspects of the business," she says, "and teaching or mentoring others in the organization."
莎拉．海彤在亞特蘭大州擔任職涯升級教練，她建議，既然你已被大才小用，不妨投入時間去學習或實作那些當你處在戰戰兢兢的職位時無法去學或去做的事。此外，亦可額外探究現前此份工作的不同業務層面，並給予他人教學或指導。
Q. Is it possible to make your work more stimulating and challenging, even if your job responsibilities aren't likely to change?
問題：有辦法在工作內容無法改變的情況下，仍能讓工作本身變得更有活力，更具挑戰性嗎？
A. Yes. Seek tasks and responsibilities that force you to learn something new or to work harder. “You may be operating on autopilot right now, but chances are people above you are stressed,” Ms. Hathorn says. “Offer to take things off your boss’s plate and let him know which projects or tasks you want to learn more about.”
答覆：當然沒問題。設法多方尋求各種能夠令你學習新事物或更賣力打拚的工作內容與職務。海彤說：｢或許你覺得自己日復一日做著機械化的工作，沒用到大腦思考，不過你也需要考慮到，在你上位的人可能比你壓力更大。你可以做些事情來分攤老闆的負擔，並且主動告知你有意學習的專案或職務內容。｣
Always frame your request positively, saying that you love new challenges, rather than complaining that you’re bored and underused, says Stacy L. Ethun, president of the Park Avenue Group, an affiliate of the executive search firm MRI Network.
公園大道公司總裁史黛西．伊森提醒我們，永遠要正面塑造你的個人需求，例如適時表達你熱愛面對新的挑戰，而非嘮叨抱怨著自己感到無趣及懷才不遇。公園大道公司是高階人才獵人頭公司MRI Network的子公司。
Look at the company’s organizational hierarchy and find the person who has the job you’d like, then offer to lend that person a hand, Ms. Hathorn says.
海彤則說，檢視一下公司的組織層級表，尋找你有意擔任的工作是屬於哪一位同仁負責，即可在工作上伺機協助該位同仁。
Find a mentor who can understand the company’s needs and ultimately help you move to a higher level, says Rebecca Weingarten, a career coach and co-founder of DLC Executive Coaching and Consulting in New York. In your down time, educate yourself about the company. "Read corporate information, analyst reports and related news articles," she says.
瑞貝卡．韋加登擔任職涯教練，也是紐約DLC高階人才培訓顧問公司的共同創辦人。瑞貝卡表示，找個能夠了解公司需求並且助你升遷的貴人；在閒暇時間，也要努力增進對自家公司的認識：｢讀些產業資訊，分析報表，和相關新聞報導。｣
Ms. Harthon suggests researching new tools or processes used by other company that could save yours time or money. "If your boss incorporates your suggestions," she says, "it will make him look better and make you a more valuable employee."
海彤建議可以去研究其他公司，了解他們是否有節省時間與金錢的方法或作業流程可應用在自家公司。她說：｢如果上司採納你的建議，他會比較好過，壓力沒那麼大，你也會是個更有存在價值的員工。｣
Q. Can doing things you enjoy outside of work make you feel better when you're on the job?
問題：做些工作以外的愛好，這樣子工作時會比較快活嗎？
A. Absolutely. "Spend more time with family, take your dogs on long walks, do volunteer work," Ms. Kelly advises. Keep in mind that you are more than just your job.
答覆：那是一定的。凱莉說，正因現前的工作並不至於勞心費神，使得你有更多時間去做你以前想做卻無暇提起之事。凱莉建議｢多花時間陪伴家人，帶狗出去散步，參與社區志工，或是加入教堂唱詩班。｣我們經常用職銜來定位自己，但請記住，工作並無法代表你的全部。
Challenge yourself outside of work by taking on something you've always wanted to learn, by going to the gym or by dedicating more resources to a hobby or a side business. "You'll be a happier, stronger person and that will be reflected in your attitude every day," Ms. Ethun says.
著手進行你長久以來想學習的事物，例如你可以多上健身房，或是投入更多資源來培養嗜好或副業。伊森說：｢你的心靈將更開朗，體能更壯健，這樣的身心狀態將會反應在你每一天的處事態度上。｣
Q. How can you tell whether it's time to look for a position elsewhere?
問題：如何知道該是轉職時機了？
A. If the organization isn't promoting from within–or if others have been tapped for positions for which you were well qualified–it may be time to look elsewhere. It could be that there is a lack of opportunity for your particular skill set.
答覆：如果公司沒有內部升遷，或者別人早一步坐上你合適的的職位，那麼差不多可以考慮另覓高就。只是或許缺乏有適合你專屬才能的就業機會。
You may also find that the company’s culture or mission isn't a good fit, Ms. Weingarten says. Ask yourself whether you like the way the company is run and the direction in which it’s moving. "Can you see yourself there five years from now?" She asks.
韋加登說，或許你也會感到公司的文化或理念並不合己意。問問自己是否認同公司經營的方式以及目標走向。｢你能預見自己5年後還會待在這家公司嗎？｣
Q. How do you leave in a way that acknowledges your gratitude to the company and doesn't engender resentment?
答覆：離職的話，如何表達對公司的謝意，並且避免留下黑名？
A. Give as much notice as you can, — a month, for instance, is more considerate than two weeks, Ms. Pearl says. Meet privately with your boss and anyone at the company who has been important to you, and express gratitude for what you gained from the experience.
佩爾建議，盡可能多放消息，例如在一個月提離職比起二週前才提還要來得恰當。私下與老闆或公司內其他對你而言具有重要地位的人員會談，並對於你在工作中所獲得的經驗表達感激。
"Don’t tell them all the things you could have contributed or talk about how you were underleveraged all these months," Ms. Pearl says. "You want to keep all those bridges open. You never know who your next boss will be."
她還說：｢至於你認為你自己應該會為公司帶來更多貢獻、或是你在這幾個月以來感到有志難伸，等等諸如此類的話語，就請不必多說了。多留後路給自己，畢竟你將來的老闆會是誰，真的很難說。｣