In the previous posts, we examined a job from the perspectives of "company health," "whether working conditions suit you," "learning from others' interview and work experiences," and "breaking down interview SOPs to understand company culture" to assess whether a job is "good" or "bad" from beginning to end. These are all external and objective observations and evaluations. Now we need to return to what's most fundamental—what I keep talking about: "adaptation," "fit," "liking," and "wanting."
(Article review: Work isn't actually difficult: it's only a matter of "fit" and "adaptation")
Job hunting is sometimes like putting together a puzzle. Whether you're fresh out of school or considering a career change, first ask yourself three questions in your mind:
One: What kind of person do you want to become in the future?
Two: What can this job teach you?
Three: What is your plan for this job?
If you don't know where you're going,
then where you are right now doesn't matter at all.
It's such a clichéd truth that I'm listing out questions to ponder, frankly because you need to first clarify your goals, then plan, move forward, and adjust your direction accordingly. That's why we must first think about "what kind of person we want to become," and once you have a rough outline, you can slowly fill in the things you can realistically achieve—work planning and learning—bringing yourself closer and closer to your goal.
Once you're clear about your goals, what you need to examine is your own intentions—the four keywords mentioned above: "adaptation," "fit," "liking," and "wanting." There's no prescribed thinking sequence; it's more like a capability distribution chart. An even distribution across the board is better than leaning heavily toward just one. Let's break down these four elements further.
↓ Give yourself a rough mental profile and rating to assess how well the job aligns with you:
- "Adaptation": Can you get used to the company's environment and culture?
For example, I personally prefer flexible working hours and shift-based work. So when I once switched from a shift-based company to one with standard office hours, I found it quite difficult to adjust. Five consecutive days of work left me gasping for air, and even going out on weekends meant dealing with crowds, which made me very unhappy. Additionally, the company culture was one where everyone worked late into the morning, obsessively revising things, but I'm someone who wants to finish things quickly and move forward toward goals once they're decided—I don't like revisions dragging on for weeks or months. This kind of culture made me unable to adapt in many ways.
Of course, for many people, working Monday through Friday is completely normal, so you can apply your own examples of things you can't adapt to. For instance, some companies require employees to address each other as "senior" to show respect. If you find such culture awkward and unwilling to follow, you'll experience adaptation problems.
- "Fit": Does your personality, work methods, and abilities suit this job?
Let's think about this from the three aspects mentioned above. If a job requires frequent interaction, communication, and relationship-building (like sales), but your personality makes you uncomfortable with small talk, you don't talk much, and others don't find you easy to chat with (applicable to those with self-awareness), then you might genuinely not fit this job. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't work at all—you should look for positions where you can work through office documentation and reports, communicating mainly with your team and supervisors, which would be more suitable for you and psychologically less difficult. (Conversely, if you naturally love interacting with people but end up in a closed environment, you'll feel the same discomfort.)
However, if you want to try changing yourself so you can adapt to a different environment, and you've chosen work that contrasts with your personality, my advice is "you need to intentionally change." Because you chose this company environment, group dynamics are created by individuals. Everyone does this, so you should integrate more with the team. For example, at a past company of mine, during lunch everyone would put down their work and gather in the common area to eat together, and even after finishing, they'd stay and chat with everyone. But if you only want to eat alone, you'll struggle with this. Of course, you can still eat alone, but since teamwork is inevitable during work, wouldn't it be a shame to miss opportunities to connect with others?
These examples are all "small things" in work, but like marriage, work requires mutual adaptation—there will inevitably be many times when you need to compromise. Otherwise, it becomes like "Raven" not enjoying the curry rice that her roommate cooks.
- "Liking" and "Wanting": Are the work duties your interests? Do you like this company? Is there a sense of achievement you're seeking?
I discuss liking and wanting together because both are very subjective matters. Regardless of how others evaluate a company, what matters is whether you actually like it and are interested, whether you get what you want from the work. To summarize an old saying:
"Passion is Everything"
The sources of passion are many, but ultimately it comes down to one thing: "a sense of achievement." When you put your interests first, no matter how tiring or difficult the work is, you'll be willing because this job lets you engage with your "personal interests" daily and get paid for it.
When what you're pursuing is "high salary," the day you get paid, all the hardship feels worthwhile. Even working late nights and sacrificing personal time feels meaningful.
Then there are those pursuing "visibility of their work," where even with low pay and little promotion, as long as your work gets exposure and high viewership, you feel fulfilled.
What you like and want depends on what you want to gain through work—"salary," "promotion," "ability to showcase talents," "networking," "benefits" are all elements worth considering. But also remember: life isn't just about work. Some people gain stability and means to support their families through steady jobs, not pursuing career achievement—which is also a form of fulfillment.
As mentioned earlier, the ideal state for these four key elements is an evenly distributed chart, not weighted toward any one. Because "you gain only by giving up something," and facing any situation—even life decisions—take time to calm down and clarify what you "want," what you "like," and what "suits" you. Once you decide, stick with it and you'll find your own path.
#Unavoidable Detours in Life There's one path everyone must take in life: the detours of youth. If you don't hit walls, take falls, and get scraped up, how can you build an iron will and grow?
【Five-Step Series to Finding a Good Job】
Two: Whether Working Conditions Suit You
Three: Learning from Others' Interview and Work Experiences is Essential
Four: Breaking Down Interview SOPs to Understand Company Culture
