The second thing I learned was to do my own due 9)diligence and not blindly trust so-called experts. In today’s world it is difficult to know when to trust even your financial advisers. You have to do your own due diligence, even with experts. Due diligence is hard work and costly, but you have no choice.
我学到的第二课是要认真做好自己的功课,而非盲目相信所谓的专家。当今世界,你甚至连什么时候去信任自己的财务顾问也很难知道。即使有专家帮助你,你也必须得自己做好功课。这样做很辛苦且代价巨大,但你别无选择。
Finally, I learned that young people need to take stepping-stone positions when they start their careers. Something like 70% of Harvard graduates start out in consulting or investment banking, not just for the money but because those jobs provide good training. If you narrow your focus too early, you risk being 10)pigeonholed. For that reason I am critical of specialized programs in subjects like financial engineering or e-commerce. You’re better off getting a more well-rounded degree.
最后,我认识到青年人在开创自己的事业时需要打下坚实的基础。大约70%的哈佛毕业生选择咨询行业和投资银行业作为起点,这样做并非只为了金钱而是因为那些工作能够提供良好的锻炼。如果你过早地限定自己的目标,你就有被束之高阁的危险。基于这个原因,我并不看好如金融工程学或电子商务这样的专业化培训课程。你最好能够获得一个更全面的学位。
Young people sometimes ask me what kinds of jobs they should take right out of college. My advice: Do something that won’t limit your opportunities as your career progresses. Don’t worry about money until you’re 30. Until then, find great mentors and make sure you do things that give you exposure to different industries—and, importantly, a little sales experience.
有时年轻人会问我在毕业后应该马上从事什么样的工作。我的建议是:从事那些随着事业发展而不会限制你机遇的工作。30岁前不要担心钱的问题。在此之前,找些良师益友,确保你从事的工作能够让你接触到不同的行业——不光如此,一些销售经验也是很重要的。
I learned all those things while I was at Harvard, but I didn’t learn them in the classroom.
我在哈佛时学到了这些,但并非在哈佛的课堂中。
作者简介
肖恩·雷恩（Shaun Rein）在哈佛大学取得硕士学位，主攻中国经济。Shaun是战略市场情报公司中国市场研究集团（China Market Research Group）的创始人和董事总经理。他也是美国《商业周刊》亚洲专栏的撰稿人，并且定期在《福布斯》领导者板块和首席市场运营官板块上发表文章。