Retirement Message from HP Greater China President Sun Zhenyao – Those who just want to muddle along should not read this

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Retirement Message from Sun Zhenyao, President of HP Greater China – Those Who Want to Muddle Along Should Not Read This I have an interesting observation: foreign companies are full of white-collar workers aged 25–35, with very few employees over 40. Employees in their twenties and thirties in foreign companies are full of energy, but managers around 40 years old in such companies find themselves in an awkward situation. The foreign company managers around 40 years old I’ve met **have mostly been changing jobs, and in the end most of them ended up working for private companies; for example, Tang Jun. The success of employees in foreign companies is largely a reflection of the company’s success, not their individual success. Siemens is indeed larger than Gome, but that does not mean that Siemens’ managers in China are better than Gome’s bosses; in fact, they are quite far behind. Those who work in foreign companies often fail to realize this early on; they attribute 90% of their success to their own abilities. In reality, simply replacing the general manager for the Chinese market in such companies does not have a significant impact on performance. Well, here’s the question: when these managers reach their 40s, they demand high salaries, yet their talents aren’t that outstanding. As the owner of a foreign-owned company, how would you make your choice? Some positions just require young people who are not highly paid but are sharp, capable, and full of energy; as for others, why use you at all? 　　From this example, we can actually see the trajectory of our lives: in our twenties and thirties, the pressures of life are relatively low, our health is good, our parents are still in good health, we don’t have any children, we don’t need to pay off a mortgage, and there are no children attending college. Working as a junior employee in a foreign company is a pretty attractive option; the salary may not be high, but it’s enough for our needs. But in the end, people have to get married and have children; they will eventually grow old. By the age of 40, one’s parents are older and need medical care and medication, as well as someone to take care of them. One also has to pay off mortgage loans, maintain a decent standard of living, and raise children... It becomes important to know how much money is needed to cover all these expenses. Therefore, when looking at work, one should take a broader perspective; temporary differences in who is ahead or behind mean nothing. 　　From this perspective, I am not in favor of paying too much attention to the salary of one’s first job; there is no need to compare the salaries of different first jobs either, and this is quite common among students who have just graduated from college. Normally, **in summary, it’s a 35-year journey, which is like a marathon. The difference from an actual marathon is that there are no professional athletes in this ‘race’ – everyone only gets one chance. It should be noted that many people don’t even manage to reach the finish line; most people do make it to the end, while only a few actually cross the finish line. Therefore, trying to take the lead at the beginning isn’t very meaningful. When first entering the workforce, if one gets a job at one of the Fortune 500 companies, they can expect to earn around 3k–6k per month; those with highly specialized skills might be able to earn up to 8k per month. But the question is, how much will they earn after 5 years? 5k-10k is considered amazing I guess. Although the starting point is high, the growth rate is limited, and moreover, the pressure from younger people catching up is increasing. 　　A couple of days ago I asked one of my salespeople: A newcomer can learn all these things in just 2 years, but they only ask for half of your salary. What will you do then? 　　A career is like a sports competition, with preliminaries, quarterfinals, and finals. During the preliminary rounds, everyone had just entered the working world, and most of them had average abilities. At that time, putting in extra effort and being diligent could help one stand out quickly; as a result, some people became managers in their twenties, while others managed to succeed in the preliminary rounds later on and became managers in their thirties. Then comes the knockout round; those who qualify for it are those who won the preliminary rounds. Everyone has certain skills, and there’s no issue with their intelligence. However, it becomes much harder to win at this stage – just a little effort and dedication aren’t enough. One needs strong perseverance, the ability to rely on the power of a team, the skill to win over people’s hearts, and a long-term perspective... It may seem difficult to win the knockout round, but it’s not that hard after all. For the rule of this world is to grant people a little success in order to make them proud and complacent. Those who have just won the preliminary round often don’t realize that what they’ve achieved is merely that of the preliminary round. With a small success, most people become proud and complacent, thinking they already understand everything and that they no longer need to work hard or learn more*. They believe that the reason they can’t go any further is not their own fault. Although they remain difficult to deal with, they lack patience, have no tolerance for others, and certainly no clear long-term vision. Just like an angry bull, though fierce, it will ultimately be defeated; whereas the winner of the rematch is like a matador, calm and unhurried, moving at his own pace to slowly drain the opponent’s patience and strength. After winning the knockout round, one has already become a highly accomplished professional manager, serving as the general manager of small to medium-sized companies or the deputy general manager of larger firms, overseeing businesses worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions per year. 　　The final match has arrived. To be honest, I haven’t won a final myself yet, so I can only guess what will determine the outcome of this final. In such situations, winning or losing might be just as described in martial arts novels – everyone is an expert, and one can only wait for the opponent to make a mistake; it’s impossible to defeat one’s opponent easily. One needs to use all their skills, along with a bit of luck and time. The laws of the world still hold true; those who win the repechage are not just full of pride and arrogance – they tend to be stubborn and unwilling to listen to others. Some of them become irritable, their mood deteriorates, and their health suffers. Their greatest enemy is themselves. In the final, all they need to do is avoid being defeated by themselves, and wait for others to be defeated by them. It’s the same as sports competitions; in the final matches between the best players, it’s the one who makes fewer mistakes who wins the championship. II. Root Causes Are you happy at work? Is your work going well? 　　Have you ever felt unhappy at work after working there for a while? Have you ever felt like you chose the wrong career? Have you ever felt that you haven’t been treated as you deserve? Do you feel like work is a mess and going to work every day is a pain? Do you really want to change jobs? Don’t you think that companies these days aren’t as good as we thought they would be back then? Have you ever felt that you took this job out of necessity due to financial pressures, and it’s really not right for you? Have you gotten what you wanted from your work? Are you happy every day? 　　There are many angry people in the world. Have you ever thought about why you aren’t happy? Why are you angry? 　　In fact, the reason you’re unhappy is that you don’t know what you want! You don’t know what you want, so you don’t know what to pursue; you don’t know what to pursue, so you get nothing. 　　I always feel that in one’s career, the first thing to focus on is oneself – what does one want? Most people **have never thought about this issue; their only thought is – I want a job, I want a good salary. I know everyone desires a good salary, but do you really want to go through the process of looking for a job again every few years? Do you want to spend every year in this anxiety over work and salary? If you don’t want to, think it through carefully. It’s like trying to quench thirst by drinking poison; one shouldn’t drink poison desperately just because they are thirsty. The more anxious you are, the more you feel the need to find a job; the more desperate you become, the less able you are to think clearly, and the easier it is to fail. Your work experience gets worse and worse, and future employers frown at your resume as soon as they see it. So the more you drink, the thirstier you get, and the thirstier you are, the more you drink, falling into a vicious cycle. In the end, one can only lament the unfairness of the world or the fact of being born at the wrong time; one can only go to distant places to vent one’s feelings, seeking a degree of psychological balance among those who have suffered failures. Most people face pressures to survive, and I am no exception. Such pressures bring a lot of anxiety; positive people use that anxiety as motivation, while negative people get lost because of it. Everyone has to make choices under pressure; that’s just the way the world is, whether you like it or not. 　　Generally, the tasks we handle are divided into important ones and urgent ones; if we don’t deal with the important tasks, we tend to focus on the urgent ones. For example, exercising to stay healthy is an important thing, while seeing a doctor is an urgent matter. If one does not exercise to stay healthy, they will often suffer from illnesses. Another example is that fire prevention is important, while firefighting is an emergency; if fire prevention is not taken seriously, firefighting will have to be carried out frequently. The same is true when looking for a job; it’s important to figure out exactly what you want. Finding a job is an urgent matter, and if you don’t decide ahead of time, you’ll end up having to keep looking for one. Urgent matters often exert considerable pressure, forcing people to act quickly, while relatively less important tasks do not create as much pressure. Most people are driven by pressure to act; under such pressure, they feel they must deal with the urgent tasks first, which results in being constantly busy dealing with emergencies with no time to rest. (Many people’s work is just as busy and stressful as that of a fire brigade, also because they fail to accomplish the important tasks at work.) ) Those friends who say they are living in difficult circumstances and don’t have time to worry about such things because they need to survive – the difficulty in finding a job today is due to the fact that you didn’t do what was important back then; it’s a consequence, not a cause. If you still refrain from thinking today because you are in a hurry to find a job, then you might have to continue suffering as you search for one in the future. 　　I’ve always felt that the topic I want to discuss is a bit heavy, requiring a lot of reflection; it’s far more dull than the topics discussed by Tang Xiao. But there is no easy way to achieve success – success comes at a cost. Please forget all the pressures of survival for a moment, and think about what you want most in life So, the most important thing is to first figure out what you want. III. What is a good job? Back then at Microsoft, there was Tang Jun, and many young people from universities thought that this was the kind of career path they aspired to. The posts I made on Tsinghua BBS were dismissed by those students; at that time they only wanted to go abroad or work for foreign companies. But looking back, I was right – Tang Jun went to Shanda, the company founded by Chen Tianqiao, a private enterprise. A highly educated returnee who earns a high salary at a Fortune 500 company is something that many young people dream of. The problem is that every year, new graduates have this dream, yet there are only 500 such good job positions available. 　　People care about their reputation and like to compare themselves with others; they even do this at work, whether it’s something they really want or not. Everyone thinks foreign companies are great, but what is so great about them? Well, they’re in a pretty good office building – is that what you want? They stay in nice hotels on business trips – is that what you want? Others will envy a job at a foreign company – is that what you want? It’s all for others to see; why do you have to live such a hard life just to show it to them? On the other hand, their salaries and benefits are average – nothing special – and they have few opportunities for promotion, making it difficult for them to reach high-level management positions. Although they dislike having to work overtime frequently, they don’t dare to avoid it, as there is always someone else who can do the work. In most cases, a Taiwanese or Singaporean will be assigned to supervise them, and these people often have an inexplicable sense of superiority. Have you thought it through? Is being among the top 500 necessarily good? When looking for a job, should you consider what you want, or what others want to see? 　　Most of my college classmates have gone to the United States; even though it’s been many years since graduation, some of them have recently left for abroad as well. Is going abroad really that good? Most of my university classmates are still struggling with doctoral, postdoctoral, or visiting scholar positions; to this day, only one of them has secured a proper teaching position at an American university. Is it difficult to be a professor in China? I have a few cousins who have also gone abroad; their parents are left alone in the country with no one to take care of them. On several occasions, they fainted at home without anyone knowing. Is going abroad really that glorious? As some people say, \"Many things are like watching porn; those who watch it find it enjoyable, but those who do it may not.\" ” 　　People always want to find the best one, but what is the best? Do you think it’s the best one because you truly understand it, or because others say it’s the best? Just because he is the best to others, does that mean he will necessarily be the best to you as well? 　　One should be the clearest about what one wants; other people’s opinions are not that important. Many people are often influenced by the opinions of others – their relatives’, friends’, colleagues’. The question is, whose life are you actually meant to live? One’s life is not a continuation of one’s parents’ life, nor a prequel to one’s children’s life, nor an appendix to one’s friends’ life. Only you are responsible for your own life; no one else can or should take that responsibility. If you make your own decisions, at least in the end you have nothing to regret. For most people with normal intelligence, there is no clear right or wrong in the decisions they make; whatever choice is made can be tried. For example, if you don’t get into the school you applied to or don’t enter this industry, can’t you go on living your life? Will it be a failure then? Not necessarily. 　　I think a good job is one that suits you; more specifically, it’s one that can give you what you want. You should use this as a standard to determine whether a job is good or not, rather than judging it based on the size of the company, whether it’s foreign or domestic, its reputation, or whether it’s listed on the stock market. A small company is not necessarily a bad one, and a job that pays well is not necessarily a good job. You still need to figure out first what you want. If you’re not clear about what you want, you’ll never find a good job, because you’ll only see the things you can’t get; everything you do get is something you don’t want. 　　Perhaps, the best thing is already right beside you; it’s just that you haven’t yet learned to cherish it. People always focus on what they can’t get, ignoring what they already have. IV. Ordinary people I’ve found that there is a significant difference between the concept of motivation in China and that in other countries. In China, motivation tends to encourage people to set great aspirations, to endure hardships, with the goal of becoming wealthy and successful one day. In contrast, motivational stories from abroad encourage people to face real life bravely and the challenges faced by ordinary people. Although the outcome in both cases is success and prosperity, the starting points are different. Relatively speaking, I think the latter approach is more practical in terms of implementation, while the former requires 999 failures to create one story of success. 　　We are all ordinary people, and by ordinary people, I mean that probabilities are quite accurate. Therefore, we won’t win 5 million in the lottery, we won’t become Bill Gates or Li Ka-shing, we won’t die in a plane crash, few of us will be successful in starting our own businesses, 30% of us will get divorced, and most of us will live past 65… So please be more realistic when thinking about what you want; if you say you want to be like Li Ka-shing, I’m sorry, I can’t help you with that. Becoming someone like Bill Gates or Li Ka-shing depends on fate; reading the article I wrote will by no means make you one of them, and even if you do become them, it certainly won’t be thanks to my article. “\"Are princes, dukes, generals, and ministers born with such status?\" Yet there is only one person who truly becomes an emperor, and the number of princes, dukes, generals, and ministers is not large. Setting high goals is beneficial for those who enjoy challenges, but for most ordinary people, it can easily lead to frustration and cause them to give up. 　　Looking back, Li Ka-shing is roughly 500,000 times richer than you – is he happier than you? Maybe. There is no one who is 500,000 times happier than you; definitely not. He is at most one or two times happier than you, and it’s even possible that he isn’t as happy as you. Finding what one wants is not about competing with others to get more or better, or to have greater goals than them. Although achieving the goal of becoming Li Ka-shing is an ambitious one, you won’t necessarily find happiness in that goal or in the process of striving to achieve it, and basically you won’t be able to do it. You must listen to your inner voice and find what can truly bring you happiness; that is what you really want. 　　What you desire, or what we might call goals, aren’t actually ranked as being higher or lower in importance. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed if your goals aren’t as ambitious as those of others; achieving your own goals is a form of success. Success can come in different sizes, but happiness remains the same. We pursue success; in reality, what we are chasing is the happiness that comes with it, not success itself. On the path of our careers, we are often blinded by a competitive mindset, forgetting what it is we are actually striving for and what can make us happier. 　　There are many news stories in society about people becoming rich overnight. Such news always creates ripples in our hearts; when there are too many such ripples, they turn into turbulent waves. These turbulent waves in our hearts will not only capsize the boat that carries your goals but also not make you rich overnight. “Only the thief eating meat is seen, not the thief getting beaten. ”We ordinary people neither have the courage to be thieves nor the determination needed for it; although we envy those who can eat meat, we are even more afraid of getting beaten. Occasionally, when we see a few thieves who haven’t been punished, we can’t help but feel upset, or think that it’s unfair, but if we were actually asked to become thieves, we wouldn’t dare. 　　I still lead an ordinary life, seeking the simple joys of everyday life; at least I can sleep at night. V. Changing Jobs and Building Experience It should be noted that working is a matter that requires rationality; therefore, don’t act in an eccentric manner at work. There might be people out there who think you’re unique and praise you for it, but gas companies and telephone companies won’t waive your bills just because you consider yourself unique. When you nicely fire your boss, or when you coolly tease the HR officer in charge of recruitment, the bills still have to be paid; you just have less time to earn money. No one other than you suffers any loss. 　　I’m not against changing jobs, but changing jobs is by no means a solution to problems. Moreover, frequent job changes give the impression of a lack of loyalty and prevent one from being able to work with focus. These days, many people look for jobs online, and many job search websites often give bad advice. After all, they are profit-driven companies, so they naturally act in their own interest to maximize profits. The more frequently people change jobs or look for work, the better business they do; therefore, encouraging people to switch jobs is part of their job. So they will often tell you that your salary is too low and that the benefits you receive are poor, with all these so-called \"salary updates\" and talk about \"free-spirited souls.\" As for whether this will prevent you from feeling at peace, whether changing jobs solves the problem or makes you happier, well, they have no say in that. 　　There must be some problem if one decides to change jobs. Generally speaking, once a problem arises, it cannot be avoided. Many people change jobs due to various sources of dissatisfaction, and if such dissatisfaction cannot be resolved in the current company, it is likely that it won’t be resolved either in the next company. You must believe that, in 90% of cases, the company you work for isn’t that bad, and the companies you think are good aren’t that great either. As it is said in The Siege, “The people inside the city desperately try to get out, while those outside the city desperately try to get in.” ”Every company has its own problems; there is no company that has no problems. In a different environment, you never know what problems you might encounter; rather than waiting, it’s better to solve the problems right away. Many problems, when you really want to solve them, might not be that difficult. Sometimes you think a problem cannot be solved, but in fact, that’s just what you think. 　　The trajectory of life should be one that rises in an upward curve; there may be dips from time to time, but the overall trend is upward, rather than returning to the starting point over and over again like pulse waves. I’ve met many candidates in their 30s who have had four or five jobs, with each tenure lasting anywhere from 1 year to 3 years. At that age, they have to start over from a junior position, earning a basic salary, and competing with younger people in their 20s – doesn’t that seem a bit tough? Are these days easy to get through? 　　I strongly disapprove of changing industries after working in one for more than 3 years. Basically, before the age of 35, our means of survival depend on hard work, while after that age it depends on accumulation – accumulation that includes interpersonal relationships, experience, networks, and a good reputation. If one keeps changing industries, all those years of accumulation are wasted and everything has to start over from scratch. If someone has changed industries twice, they will have accumulated less than 5 years of experience by the age of 35, whereas someone who has never changed industries will have at least 10 years of experience. Who has the advantage? After working for 2-3 years, many people feel that things are not going well at work; it seems they have reached a bottleneck, and feeling frustrated, they think about quitting or even changing industries, believing that this way they can get rid of all their troubles and things will be much better. In fact, doing this only means starting over; the same difficulties as in the original industry will still arise. If you manage to get through them, you’ll take a big step forward. You should know that everyone goes through this process – everyone encounters several bottlenecks in their career. If you manage to overcome them while others don’t, you’ll be ahead. Those who run long distances know that it’s easy at the beginning, but soon the first bout of discomfort sets in; after getting past that, one can run for a long distance. Then the second bout of discomfort occurs, and after overcoming that as well, one can run some more. This process repeats itself, with each bout of discomfort being more intense than the previous one, until eventually it becomes impossible to continue running. Most people can’t hold on on the first try; some manage to make it to the second attempt. By the third attempt, no one can hold on anymore, and not many people are left who have reached this point. This amount is enough for you to live a comfortable life for the rest of your days. 　　After working at a job for two to three years, most people become proficient in their tasks. At this point, they often find themselves engaged in repetitive work, which can lead to boredom for many; some people think they have understood everything and thus stop striving for improvement. In many cases, changing jobs is because one loses interest and feels that they have already achieved their goals. In fact, the competition has just begun at this point. Those who have been working for two or three years still lack sufficient client relationships, networking, subordinates, and good relations with their supervisors; they also don’t yet have enough recognition within the industry. Yet those who have achieved some success tend to be overconfident, thinking that they have extremely strong relationships with their clients and that they enjoy a great reputation in the industry. It’s certain that it’s not the case; at this time, it’s still necessary to bring forth the same enthusiasm from the previous two years, to proceed steadily, as the process of accumulation has just begun. 　　Do you know your clients well enough? Do you know what his biggest worry is? Do you know your boss well enough? Do you know what his biggest worry is? Do you know your subordinates well enough? Do you know what his biggest worry is? If you don’t know, how can you think you’ve already accumulated enough? If you don’t even understand it, how can you ask them to help you do what you want them to do? If they don’t do what you want them to do, how can you achieve success? VI. Waiting This is a topic that impatient people dislike the most. I didn’t want to discuss it at all, as it tends to lead to many arguments, and I have no intention of arguing with anyone over such matters. However, considering the long-term planning of one’s career, it’s a topic that cannot be avoided; so I’ve decided to write about it. Those who don’t want to read this should leave. 　　Not every time you cross on a red light will you get hit by a car; not every criminal will be caught; not every mistake will be punished; not every corrupt official will be executed; not every effort you make will be rewarded; not every time you persevere will someone notice it; not every effort you put in will receive fair recognition; not every act of kindness of yours will be understood... Such is the way of the world. Well, the world isn’t good enough, but do you have the courage to change it? If not, do you have a better solution? Many times, people need a little patience and a little confidence. Everyone experiences unfairness a few times in their life, and usually, the best thing to do is to wait patiently. 　　There are many times when we need to wait, to endure loneliness, waiting for the moment that belongs to us. Jackie Chan has waited, Andy Lau has waited, Stephen Chow has waited, Faye Wong has waited, Zhang Yimou has also waited... Those who see their current success and fame – have you ever seen the patience and waiting they endured back then? Have you ever seen an Golden Horse Award-winning actor selling goods from a street stall? Have you ever seen a group from De Yun She performing cross-talk for an audience member in a theater? Have you ever seen a character portrayed by Stephen Chow who doesn’t have a single line of dialogue? Every successful person has had times of lowliness and distress; I can almost imagine them using alcohol to ease their sorrow, as well as the hardship they faced in struggling to survive. In the brightest and best days of their lives, they longed for success, yet came away with nothing, just like you do now. No one can guarantee that they will succeed in the future, and their choice is to endure loneliness. If they used to keep saying that “success belongs only to the privileged class,” what do you think they would be like today? 　　I used to not understand either why some people, who aren’t more capable than me, still try to hold authority over me; does just being older mean one has to be my leader? Why do some scumbags be able to make money without any effort? Why could people during the early days of reform and opening up make money so easily, while now everything has to be formalized when it comes to us? One day I suddenly thought: while I was still in school, they were already struggling to make a living in society. They worked hard there for a decade or two, and now that we newcomers have arrived, there are things I want that they already have. This isn’t about seeking fairness; it’s about robbery. Because I wanted it too urgently, because I couldn’t bear the loneliness. A man in his twenties, with no money, no career, but with vigorous desires. 　　People always encounter setbacks; they go through low points, there are times when they aren’t understood by others, and there are moments when they have to bow their heads in submission. It is precisely during these times that life becomes most critical, because everyone faces setbacks, and most people fail to overcome them. If you can do it, then you have succeeded. At such times, we need to wait patiently, with confidence, believing that life will not give up on you and that opportunities will always come. At least, you are still young; you haven’t been to prison, you don’t have any incurable diseases, and you don’t have any debts that you can’t repay. There are far more people who are less fortunate than you than those who are more fortunate, so what are you afraid of? The journey must be taken step by step; although the step that leads to the destination is exciting, most of the steps are ordinary or even dull. Yet without those steps, or without the patience to endure such ordinariness and dullness, it is impossible to reach those final, exciting moments. 　　Adversity is where God helps you eliminate your competitors. Remember, if you are struggling, so are others. If you can’t go on, they will be the same way. Under no circumstances tell others that you can’t continue – that will only give them the confidence to keep going, allowing your competitors to see your smiling face and lose confidence, thus withdrawing from the competition. Victory belongs to those who are patient. 　　At my most desperate times, I watch movies like \"The Pursuit of Happyness\" and \"Jerry Maguire\" to regain my courage, because no matter when, there is always hope. When everyone else leaves, I don’t lose hope; I don’t give up. Every day after work, sitting in the car, I like to hum \"Invisible Wings\" while looking out the window. I know that I’m waiting quietly, waiting for the moment that belongs to me. 　　I really like the comments from netizens Yiji in the original post; I’m copying them here: Everyone hopes to be a unique and special person. Events such as being born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth, being born into a good family, or getting a job at the power company with a monthly salary of 10,000 – such low-probability things – are certainly best if they happen to one’s own self. The 25,000-li Long March, being labeled as a right-wing counter-revolutionary, and having to struggle hard while sacrificing one’s dignity – these things are better left for one’s ancestors and predecessors. Of course, not everyone who endures hardships gets rewarded. But in every era, behind every person who benefits, there are those ancestors and predecessors who struggled, fought, and even sacrificed their lives. It’s fine to envy others for having a good father. The question is: will your own children have a good father? 　　As for why there can’t be the same probability of winning? I can only ask: why, in the competition among species, humans and monkeys cannot have the same chances of winning? 　　Survival of the fittest. The soul of a monkey is not necessarily inferior to yours, but you have behind you hundreds of thousands of years of primate evolution. VII. Enter the right industry and follow the right people In China, few people stick with the same job throughout their career. Nevertheless, there are still some things to keep in mind when starting one’s first job; two matters are particularly important: the first is entering the right industry, and the second is following the right people. The greatest impact of one’s first job is introducing them to a particular field. In modern society, the division of labor is highly specialized; we can basically only become experts in one industry, not in multiple ones. Many cases also show that even if a person is very successful in one industry, things are often quite different when they move to another industry. \"Do you want to change the world, or do you want to sell soda for the rest of your life?\" ”These were the words Jobs used when he invited PepsiCo President John Sculley to join Apple; as a result, John, who had been very successful at PepsiCo, performed fairly poorly at Apple. In fact, no industry is particularly good, nor is any industry particularly bad. There may be reports stating that the average salary in a certain industry is high, but what they don’t mention is that the average level of stress in that industry is also high. Industries that seem beautiful at first glance reveal many imperfections once you get involved, imperfections that are simply invisible to outsiders. 　　To be honest, I haven’t become rich myself, so my advice is simply about working happily, not about how to become rich. We’re only discussing the situation of ordinary workers. I don’t think it really matters which industry to choose; one shouldn’t look only at the present when considering things. For example, starting from the previous year, **efforts were made to restructure the healthcare industry; many pharmaceutical companies were unable to continue operating, and many sales professionals in this sector switched to other occupations. In fact, the downturn in the pharmaceutical industry affects all companies, not just one particular company; everyone is facing difficulties. It’s not worthwhile to leave at such a time. Most legitimate pharmaceutical companies can manage to survive for two or three years even if they don’t pursue new business opportunities, and most pharmaceutical sales professionals can also get by on their salaries for those same two or three years. It’s impossible to stick around in the pharmaceutical industry forever – things will eventually improve again. If others have left by then but you remain, life should be much easier for you. Sometimes I feel that my industry is on the decline. The thing is, even an industry that seems to be failing can turn into a good one when there are fewer people working in it; often, it’s at the worst times that it becomes the best. Everyone thinks the financial industry is great. Not only are the entry requirements high, but many people strive hard to get into it. The competition is fierce, and once inside, one must be on constant guard; a single mistake can result in being overtaken by others. The pressure is immense – how can there be any happiness in such conditions? It’s not necessarily a “good” job then. 　　Solar energy has not yet reached the stage of practical application, but in China, 7 companies related to solar energy are already listed on the NYSE. Companies such as Gome, Suning, and Yongle are actually trading firms that can also go public. Lutai Textiles has seen its profits increase by more than 50% for 10 consecutive years, while companies that sell tea like Yicha Yizuo and those that sell clothing like Hailan Home have also managed to go public... In fact, it really doesn’t matter what industry one chooses; what’s important is how one operates in that industry. Everything is done by people; the key lies in people. 　　One thing to keep in mind is that in this world, from ancient times right up to the future we can foresee, those who are successful are always a minority, and those who are rich are also a minority. The majority of people are ordinary, average, and not very successful. Therefore, the practices and views of most people are often not those that are closest to success. Therefore, things that most people say are good are not necessarily good, and things that most people say are bad are not necessarily bad. When most people start investing in stocks, it means that a decline is only a matter of time; the more enthusiastic everyone becomes, the closer the day of the decline gets. When most people buy a house, housing prices haven’t risen yet; it is only when prices start to increase that most people begin to purchase homes. There will never be anything that makes everyone successful and wealthy; it has never happened in history, and it won’t happen in the future either. There are things that, even if you get them by chance at one time, you will still lose them at some other time and in some other place. 　　At the beginning of their careers, young people should pay special attention to doing the right things, so as not to live in constant worry for the next few decades; it’s not worth sacrificing their youth for a job. My company is one that does not engage in bribery. In the past, many people did not understand this, including our own employees. But now, we are the largest company in our industry; customers are willing to do business with us. Especially during times of **crisis**, everyone knows of our reputation for conducting business without paying bribes, and they feel confident enough to do business with us. Companies that are willing to invest money either go bankrupt, flee the market, or suffer from poor sleep every day; one must think in the long term. Many times, the path that seems closest is actually the farthest, while the path that seems farthest is actually the closest. 　　Choosing the right person means, after entering the industry, having a good leader or mentor; those who are new to the workplace often lack experience and need guidance through words and actions. For a person's development, a good leader is very important. The standard for what is “good” is not that it allows you to do less work and earn more money, but rather the following three criteria. 　　First of all, a good leader must have a broad mind. If a leader gets angry every day, it’s almost certain that he is not someone with a broad mind. A leader who can refrain from getting angry at the right times is usually a very great leader. The biggest flaw of Chinese leaders is their inability to tolerate those who are more capable than they are. As a result, it is common to see leaders who are highly competent surrounded by a group of incompetent people or idle individuals. If you see such an environment, it’s better not to go there. 　　Secondly, leaders need to be willing to think from the perspective of their subordinates; this can actually be detected during interviews. If such a leader always thinks from their own standpoint and hardly listens to what you have to say, that’s a problem. Considering things from the subordinates’ perspective does not mean agreeing with their views, but he must understand their position and why they think that way; only then can he persuade them. Leaders who are only concerned with their own opinions often find it difficult to gain the trust of their subordinates. 　　Third, leaders who are afraid to take responsibility – pushing blame onto others when things go wrong and taking credit for themselves when things succeed – are not worth following. When choosing a leader, one should pick someone who can stand firm in critical moments and take responsibility for the mistakes of their subordinates, as that is part of their role as a leader. 　　It’s possible that you might not come across good leaders, because in China, leaders often make decisions based on their own interests; since they hold leadership positions, their opinions are considered valid. This is a misconception stemming from the traditional concept of putting officials first. There are likely many such ignorant and incompetent leaders, but actually this is good for you – if one day you want to surpass them, would you prefer them to be smart or stupid? Relatively speaking, such a leader is not difficult to deal with; you just need to lower your pride. Meet more people and interact with those who are better than you; this way you can also find good teachers. Don’t spend time with a group of people who are just as frustrated, complaining about society and your bosses – that won’t help you at all and will only make you more negative. Interact with those who are better than you, see how they think and act, learn from them, and then deal with even stronger people. VIII. Choice 　　The thing we do most often on a daily basis is, in fact, making choices; therefore, this topic must be addressed when talking about careers. 　　I have always believed that, to a large extent, it is up to us to decide what kind of people we will become. Every day we make various choices: I could choose not to write this article and instead criticize others’ posts, or I could write these words to help others while also organizing my own thoughts. I could pay more attention to the format so that it’s easier for others to read, or I could just write in a messy manner; I could post it as is, or I could review it several times before sending it. You can choose to go to an interview without shaving, or you can choose to look in the mirror before going out… Every day, at every moment, we make such decisions. We can be careless, or we can put in more effort. Thousands of small choices, taken together, determine what kind of people we ultimately become. 　　In a sense, our future is not given to us by others; it is something we choose for ourselves. Many people say that their fate is unfortunate and that they have no choice. But if you consider choices like “going to Microsoft or IBM,” “going to Tsinghua University or Peking University,” or “becoming an assistant sales manager or a factory manager” to be real choices, then indeed you have few options – most people don’t have many choices at all. But every day you can choose whether to serve your clients more thoughtfully, whether to be more patient with your colleagues, whether to do your work more carefully, whether to understand situations better, whether to clarify any issues that are not clear… You can also choose whether to keep persevering despite suffering, whether to give up those negative thoughts of yours, whether to forgive someone’s mistakes, whether to believe in what I’ve written here, and whether to avoid making the same mistakes again… Life offers you choices every day, giving you the opportunity to change your life; you can choose to lie there and act stubbornly, or you can choose to stand up despite the difficulties. You always have a choice. Some choices do not yield immediate results; they require time to bear fruit. For example, farmers can choose to water the crops themselves or rely on nature to do so. It’s true that watering the crops today does not guarantee that they will grow right away, but with regular watering, most of the plants will eventually grow. If no watering takes place, the harvest will definitely be poor. 　　Life gives you opportunities every day; it won’t hand you a stack of cash or give you a great job right away, but in reality, it still offers you opportunities. My family is an ordinary one; we don’t have any notable social connections. After graduating from university, my father was assigned to live in a remote area. That small town had only one road. People from their generation actually had more reason to complain than we do – they got nothing; they couldn’t even study when they were young, as they were sent to work in those remote areas. And when they grew old, it was the turn of the younger people to get opportunities. He had every reason to sit there and complain, filled with resentment, just like thousands of other young people, about being born at the wrong time. However, after ten years assigned to the frontier, **admissions for graduate students were resumed, and he was able to return to his original school. After graduating with a master’s degree, he was assigned to a small institution in Anhui. Three years later, when the first class of doctoral students was recruited, he took the exams again and returned to his original university, becoming one of China’s first generation of doctors; at that time he was even older than I am now. Life did not give up on him, and he did not give up on life either. After 10 years of waiting, he made his own choice; he did not give up, nor did he resort to extreme measures. So when the right time came, he changed his life. The person you will eventually become is determined by each of your small choices. 　　What do you choose to believe? Who do you choose to be friends with? What do you choose to do? What do you choose to do? ……We are faced with too many choices, and among these, those of an ideological nature are far more important than those based on objective conditions. For example, it isn’t so important to decide what product to produce; what’s important is to decide how to produce it. It’s not important which people to choose, but it is important to know how to lead those people. Most of the time, it doesn’t matter which objective conditions are chosen; there is no right or wrong in making such choices. What matters is how one makes the choice. A college graduate has finished school; whether he goes to work at Microsoft, starts selling pork, begins his own business, or works as a game booster, as long as he doesn’t break the law or harm others, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is, once he makes a choice, how he does things well. 　　In addition to these, you can also choose the timing and circumstances. For example, you can decide to face the biggest challenges of your life when you have the most strength and energy, or you can take it one step at a time and wait until you’re 40. However, by that age, one is usually at the most vulnerable point in life – with elders to support and children to care for – so encountering a career crisis at that time would indeed be very troublesome. Rather than that, it’s better to endure some hardships in one’s 20s or 30s, so as to be able to face times of vulnerability with more ease. You can choose to grow in a greenhouse, or you can choose to be tempered in the wild; you can opt for a job with air conditioning in an office, or you can go meet your clients in 40-degree heat. Yet all of this will eventually add up and lead you to the future that you deserve. 　　I can’t say you have a choice in everything, but you do have a choice in most things; it’s just that often you don’t consider it to be a choice. Taking every choice seriously will lead to a better future. IX. Choosing a Career Generally speaking, career choices fall into several main categories: sales, marketing, customer service, logistics, administration, human resources, finance, technology, and management. An interesting fact is that among the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, the largest proportion come from sales backgrounds, followed by those with financial backgrounds; together, these two groups account for over 95%. In the modern IT industry, there are also those who became bosses with a technical background, but in reality they ended up doing a lot of work in sales and marketing as well, and performed excellently; it was only through their sales and marketing skills that their companies succeeded. Those who became company bosses solely based on their technical expertise are almost non-existent. There is a reason for this, as sales is a field that involves dealing with people, and management is also a field that involves dealing with people; there are many similarities between the two, and their common goal is to get others to do something specific. ”Finance, on the other hand, helps to understand the essence of a business at a numerical level, providing a macroscopic perspective on it; it offers the deepest insight into whether a business is profitable and able to operate properly. 　　When the company is small, it is driven by sales; when it grows larger, it is driven by finance. The limitation of sales is that it focuses only on relationships rather than numbers, while the limitation of finance is that it focuses only on numbers rather than relationships. In the early stages of a company, operating costs are low; it can survive as long as there are orders, and there’s no room for negotiation with customers – it’s already a blessing if they agree to do business. At that time, orders come first, and customer demands take precedence, so of course it’s necessary to consider relationships. As a company grows, everything needs to be standardized to avoid unnecessary risks resulting from lack of standardization. At the same time, operating costs increase, so it is necessary to boost profit margins and allocate limited funds where they can generate the greatest returns. For listed companies, shareholders don’t care whether your customers have gone abroad recently or whether there are strict enforcement measures in a certain province at the moment; what matters is delivering results, and if that’s not possible, the stocks will be sold off. At such times, numbers come first above everything else. 　　A couple of days ago, I heard someone say something that seemed very reasonable. At first, we thought, “What can we do?” ”When the company grows and reaches a certain scale, we think, “There are things we can’t do.” ”Many people at work wonder why their managers are so conservative, forbidding this and that, which causes many opportunities to be missed. Often, it’s because you are still young and think about what you can do, while as a company leader there are many aspects to consider, and he is more concerned with what cannot be done. 　　I’m not advocating that everyone should become a salesperson or work in finance. The choice of career is related to the kind of life one wants to lead. Some people prefer to go home on time after work, read books, and listen to music – which is great – but such people are not suitable for a sales job, as it would be a form of self-torture for them. Some people like to stand out and be the center of attention. If they choose to work in finance, they are likely not to stay in that role for long, as most bosses don’t like finance professionals who are too proactive or talk too much. First, decide what kind of life you want to lead, and then decide what kind of career to pursue. There is a lot of unhappiness, which actually stems from dissatisfaction. And dissatisfaction often arises from uncertainty in one’s mind; such uncertainty occurs because one does not know what they really want. As a result of not knowing what one wants, one tries to have everything, but in the end ends up with nothing. 　　I think we work because of life, not for the sake of work; life is what matters most, and work is just a part of life. I always feel that all aspects of life are interrelated; if life itself is in chaos, work will not go smoothly either. So one needs entertainment, social interaction, physical exercise, and a harmonious family… Most importantly, one needs to be happy. My two salespeople came to talk to me, full of complaints. I asked them: Two years ago, you had nothing – no high salary, no client relationships, no sales results, and you were on the verge of being fired. Now your conditions are much better than back then, so why are you unhappier now? If you become unhappier the better you perform, then why do you keep working? First and foremost, one must make themselves happy and maintain a positive mindset. Such an inner change will give you more patience, confidence, grace, and the ability to be more tolerant... Otherwise, look at yourself in the mirror – are you satisfied with what you see? 　　Some people might say, \"It’s easy for you to say that; I work overtime every day. If I don’t, my boss will fire me. I’m exhausted all the time – where do I find time for entertainment, socializing, or exercising?\" It’s because people set their goals too high. If you’re still on the verge of being fired by your boss at the slightest mistake, then of course you can’t set too high of goals. Do you really want to play golf every day? You don’t have time to go to the gym to work out, but you can take a few extra steps on your way to and from work, right? If there are stairs, you can use them instead of the elevator, right? It’s okay to twist your neck, stretch your shoulders, and do some push-ups during breaks at work, right? Who says you have to spend two hours a day at the gym to work out? You don’t have time for social activities, but you could go on an outing once a month, right? You could attend some music or painting classes on the weekends; it would be good to try meeting other people in the same field and find opportunities to communicate with them, right? It’s always a bit difficult at the beginning, but taking that first step will set things in motion toward a positive cycle. Working hard every day and spending the remaining time ruminating on that hardship only creates a vicious cycle that makes life even worse. Although it has only been fifteen days since I left HP, it feels like HP is already very far away from me. I’m focusing more on planning the second phase of my life; this doesn’t mean I have no affection for HP – it’s mainly to use that as motivation to move forward. 　　Wang Shi of Vanke’s experience of climbing Mount Everest has inspired me greatly; although a large amount of equipment was carried at the start, it was necessary to keep reducing the load during the climb, and in the end only one oxygen tank was with him when he reached the summit. This is true of mountain climbing; isn’t the long life just the same? 　　After I announced my retirement, I received congratulations from colleagues, friends, and classmates. Most people believe that it takes courage and is a blessing for me to be able to retire at such a position and at this age. 　　Some people also suspect that I’m using this as an opportunity to change jobs, and of course there are those who say I can’t continue working at HP and am taking this chance to leave. 　　Over the years, I’ve become used to people talking back at me, but when it comes to close friends, I really care about whether they truly understand my thoughts, and that’s why I wrote this article. 　　Affected by my father’s early death, I made up my mind at a young age to fulfill my own dreams during my lifetime. I did not want to end up like my father, spending my entire life busy with family duties and feeling sad and regretful in my final years for having so many unfulfilled aspirations. 　　An article in a magazine mentioned that we should think about our epitaphs while still alive, as it represents our own definition of a perfect life, one that we should strive to achieve as much as possible during our lifetime. 　　I hope that on my tombstone, in addition to things related to my family and friends, it will say the following: 1. This person worked for one of the world’s largest IT companies (HP) for 25 years, going through several major changes alongside it, and witnessing it transform from a company whose main business was electronic instruments into one of the world’s largest IT companies. 　　2. This person worked in **(China), the country with the fastest economic growth in the world, for 16 years, and served as President of HP in China for 7 years; they witnessed and experienced the key breakthrough stages of China’s reform and opening-up, growing alongside the country. 　　3. This person loves flying; he was once a licensed pilot with over X hours of flight time, and has taken off and landed at X airports. 　　4. This person holds a master’s degree in management; they pay special attention to the organizational behavior and performance of Chinese companies in terms of leadership, and have gained recognition in this field within the Chinese business community. 　　It took me 25 years to achieve results 1 and 2; I don’t know how much longer it will take to fulfill goals 3 and 4, especially since achieving the fourth goal requires academic training in order to turn my experience into knowledge. Otherwise, my experience will not be able to effectively influence and impart knowledge to others. Therefore, it is necessary to return to school to study and obtain a management degree, especially since it is a very important desire of mine. 　　On the other hand, I spent 25 years in the field of operations, working diligently as a professional; it was a good job, especially at HP. It also helped me build a financial foundation to support my family. 　　But I don’t want to spend my entire life stuck in the field of operations. I imagine being an entrepreneur, with the opportunity to make money through ideas – although the risks are high, it’s worth trying. Even if I fail, it will still have been worthwhile; this is also part of my fourth wish. 　　Carly Fiorina once told me, “There are many people in this world who have good ideas, but few who have the ability to bring them to fruition.” On May 21, 2007, during a speech at Peking University, when I was asked about the books that had had a significant impact on me, one of the books that influenced my worldview is titled “TriggerPoint.” Its main idea is that what’s most needed in life isn’t planning, but rather seizing opportunities at the right time and taking action. 　　These desires have been growing in my heart for a long time. At first, I might think about them once or twice a year, and then I would forget about them. But gradually, that voice within me grew louder and appeared more frequently. When it started to speak to me almost every week, I knew the time was right. 　　But like anyone else, to give up what one has now – the environment one is familiar with and a stable income – and embark on a path that one has never experienced before and which involves unknown risks, it requires tremendous courage, as well as the support of family members and the encouragement of friends. You must give up something to gain something else; it’s easy to understand but hard to put into practice. I’m glad that I have finally taken the first step. 　　I would like to thank HP’s early retirement incentive program; it was one of the key TriggerPoints. Another important factor was what happened last May and June. 　　At that time, my eldest child had graduated from university and my second child had graduated from high school; it was a golden period before they started working or furthering their education, allowing our whole family to be together for an extended time. I planned ahead to take a long vacation to take them on trips to various places. 　　But this plan had to be canceled due to an important matter at work (Mark Hurd’s visit to China). This incident made me realize that I need to take that voice in my heart seriously – will I continue to miss out on many important opportunities? I’m already over 50; will I end up following the same path as my father? Charles, the head of the Human Resources department, told me that many people still miss their opportunities even when all the factors in their favor are aligned. 　　I know the reason, because I understand how difficult it is to let go and make changes. I believe that most people have their own ideals for life, but I also believe that many end up treating these ideals as mere fantasies, constantly finding excuses for why they can’t be realized. South Africa’s former president Mandela once said, “It’s harder to change yourself than to change the world,” and that’s truly insightful. 　　What is a happy and meaningful life? I believe everyone has a different definition; for me, it is achieving what is written on my epitaph that constitutes my definition. 　　Being the president of HP in China certainly attracts a lot of attention, but my wife and my closest friends all know that’s not what I strive for; it’s merely something that needs to be done well in order to fulfill that role. 　　Being a person without a business card, although it’s only been a little over ten days, I’ve found that much space and energy have been created in my mind, allowing me to calmly conduct thorough research and make plans for my new life in Chapter II. 　　I have scheduled two years to prepare for the transition and to spend more time with my family. Over these two years, I hope to obtain a pilot’s license, a master’s degree in management, improve my English skills, build new networks, meet people from different industries, and maintain connections with the mainland. I hope that in two years, I will be able to return to the mainland successfully to fulfill my fourth wish. 　　Unsurprisingly, in my daily life, I found many areas that needed adjustment. 　　For over two decades, the pace and rhythm of my life have been almost entirely determined by my company and work; the constant stream of deadlines and tasks shaped my daily schedule. Once I leave such an environment, the first thing I need to adjust is to rely on my own discipline and willpower to drive my daily activities. The attitude of sleeping until one naturally wakes up is definitely incorrect; it’s also wrong to relax without setting goals or schedules for tasks, or to care little about missing those deadlines. Likewise, it’s not right to have no annual, quarterly, monthly, or weekly plans. 　　Having served as a senior manager for many years, I have developed a certain way of handling tasks; I spend my time mainly on thinking, making decisions, and monitoring the progress of projects, relying instead on a large team to carry out the actual tasks and on secretaries to handle various coordination tasks and routine matters. 　　After arriving in the United States, there were many things that required calling a 800 number to handle, but those lines were very busy, often forcing one to wait for a long time on the waiting line. While waiting, I was able to understand the difficulties of working as a secretary in the past; at the same time, it reminded me to change my attitude at this stage and to develop greater patience as well as the ability to do things on my own. 　　I also need to make significant changes to my lifestyle: spend more time exercising, pay more attention to my family, spend more time with my friends, and take more time to try out different recreational activities as well as flying. Step by step, I hope to get my life on the track I desire, and I look forward to having a life that is fulfilling, enjoyable, and meaningful over these two years. 　　The first joyful experience was preparing for and attending my eldest son’s wedding; it was wonderful to be fully engaged without having to worry about work metrics. At the same time, I rented an apartment, bought some furniture and a car, and went to Reno and Lake Tahoe with my family over the weekend. I have been to Lake Tahoe many times before, but this time was different; I truly appreciated its beauty. 　　But at the same time, I am also accelerating my research efforts to prepare for applications to universities and flight schools; during this period I have also met with friends in Silicon Valley as well as some venture capital firms to learn about different industries. 　　My philosophy of life is that \"perfection comes from thorough preparation,\" that \"it’s important to be willing to change oneself to adapt to a constantly changing environment, as opportunities will keep arising,\" and that \"a happy and meaningful life comes from fulfilling one’s own desires, rather than external praise.\" 　　When I left, two good friends gave me two different messages of blessing: Baron’s was \"May all past merits and demerits turn to dust over the years,\" while Yang Hua’s was \"In early spring, go to the dance grounds, sing there, and then return.\" They represented my feelings as I left Huipu and moved forward into the future. 　　I summarize life into three stages: one stage is to find a job to meet practical needs, another stage is to work for practical reasons but still be able to choose a job that one is willing to devote oneself to, and the final stage is to do things for one’s ideals. 　　I cherish my good fortune and am grateful to HP, my colleagues, and my good friends for their support, encouragement, and assistance. I share this article that expresses my thoughts with my friends.