Yao Hong: From appraiser to foreign-related lawyer, at the age of 3, I finally got the job I love

3 women are in a critical period of career development and have multiple identities in the workplace and at home. How to complete career transformation at this stage is a concern for many women. Looking at other people's stories and thinking about our own lives, we interviewed five female friends from different industries who have successfully transformed, and recorded their transformation stories to share with you only from the interviewer's perspective. If you have learned anything, please leave a message. After the five interviews are completed, we will combine your comments to create a summary of key points of female transformation to share with more partners.

Shared by: Yao Hong

Occupation: Insurance lawyer and foreign-related lawyer at the largest law firm in the Asia-Pacific region

Coordinates: Shenzhen

Transformation experience: I have been working in the insurance adjustment industry for 12 years. At the age of 37, I decided to transform and passed the bar examination in one go. At the age of 39, I obtained the lawyer's practicing certificate and truly became a lawyer

The year the transformation occurred : 2013

Age during the transformation period: 37 years old

How long did it take for the transformation to reach a relatively satisfactory state: 4-5 years, from preparing for the judicial examination to taking on several cases and obtaining satisfactory returns< /p>

What I am most proud of: studying for more than four months and passing the bar exam in one go and practicing ballet for 11 years (both starting from scratch after the age of 30)

The most important thing in the transformation process Difficult things: completely changing careers, starting from zero experience, making many mistakes, being criticized and even abused by the parties involved, but I believe that setbacks teach people to grow, and it is important to manage your emotions and continue on the road.

The first half of your career——

What was your transformation experience?

Yao Hong: I studied science and engineering and came to Shenzhen after graduation. I started working as an insurance adjuster at the age of 25 and have been working for my previous employer, an insurance adjuster company. When I left, my employer was already the largest adjuster company in the country. I have been working in the company for twelve years. Later, due to various reasons, I felt that this job was not what I really liked. When I was 37 years old, I asked to leave my job. After more than four months of preparation at home, I passed the judicial examination in one go and became a lawyer.

The reason for your resignation?

Yao Hong: The company is developing very well. When I joined the company, there were only a few dozen people. When I left, there were 2,000 people. The boss was also very good to me. In the first few years, I was very motivated to do business. Later, especially after I turned 30, when my business became mature, I felt like I was just dawdling. Another problem was that I felt the limitations of the current development of this industry, so I began to worry about future development. ; In addition, I have loved foreign languages ??since I was a child, and I hope to take advantage of English. However, I don’t use it much in my current job, so I have plans to resign under this condition.

Transformation dividing line——

What made you decide to leave your job and study law?

Yao Hong: I was touched by several reasons. First of all, I have always been interested in English and kept learning. At that time, after our company became bigger, we began to expand overseas business. Because I knew English and knew the profession, the boss took me abroad to participate in these international businesses. Once, an accident occurred while a Korean company's goods were being transported in China. The Korean insurance company that insured the goods entrusted us to conduct an on-site inspection and damage assessment. I realized that we could not only help the Korean insurance company conduct an on-site inspection, but also help them provide services to the carrier. The logistics company filed for subrogation, and finally through my communication, I helped the Korean insurance company recover the compensation. During this process, because many matters were closely related to law, I came into contact with lawyers who were engaged in this business, which inspired me - I have professional experience and understand foreign languages, so I thought becoming a lawyer might be a good choice.

The final decision came from a German partner visiting China. On March 28, 2013, a German partner came to visit us. The founder was almost over 80 years old and gave us a wonderful business lesson. "A person of that age is still so passionate." This was a shock to me who was just "dallying around" at the time. Maybe years of confusion had accumulated to a point. Two days after finishing the class, on April 1, 2013, I sent a text message to my leader. , offered to resign.

Were you entangled in the resignation process?

Yao Hong: Of course, the leader thought it was a joke that April Fool’s Day.

I have been working hard together with my boss since he started his own business, and he still values ??me very much. When I received my resignation application, my boss also said that he would fully support me in whatever I wanted to do, as long as it was on the platform of the original company. I was a little entangled at the time, mainly because I had grown up with the company for so many years, watched it grow and develop step by step, and had feelings for the company, but in the end I still wanted to pursue the work status I wanted. Once this became clear, I no longer struggled. .

Transformation is risky. Have you ever thought that you might not be able to get admitted as a lawyer and wasted a year?

Yao Hong: I have thought about it, but I don’t care too much. First of all, I don’t have the support of a family. In addition, I have my own house, so I don’t have to worry about where to live. Although he is not rich, he has enough money to eat. I was prepared to take the exam for another year. You know that even among many people who study law, not many people pass the bar exam in one go, so I was mentally prepared.

Some girls care about their age when switching to a new field. You were 37 years old when you transitioned. Do you have any age concerns?

Yao Hong: As long as you want to learn, it’s never too late to start. I first came into contact with ballet when I was 30 years old. I had never practiced dancing before. At that time, I held the ballet pointe shoes and thought, "I will never be able to wear these in my life. It will be too difficult to stand." But through these After years of continuous practice, I can also dance some simple movements while wearing pointe shoes. As long as you want to learn, age doesn't matter. Thirty or forty is not considered old.

Opening a new chapter——

How did you become a foreign-related lawyer?

Yao Hong: I resigned at the beginning of April 2013. The handover was completed in one month, and I started to really prepare for the exam on May Day. I had never had any experience with law and was starting from scratch. From May to mid-September when I took the national exam, I almost never left the gate of my community. I study for more than ten hours every day and don't dare to slack off any day. I reviewed it three times. In a real sense, the first time was not a review, but a beginner's learning; the second time was to familiarize myself with it, and the third time was to consolidate it. I did the real exam questions from previous years about ten times. I remember that November 21st was the day when the results were released, so I called to check - I passed! Very happy! I remember that day, I walked along the path in the community that I had to walk every night during the review period (at that time, I wore headphones every night while listening to the lectures given by the exam training teacher), walked around in a circle, and recalled the experience of preparing for the exam for more than 4 months. It was hard and very touching.

Passing the bar examination was only the first step. After one year of internship, I obtained my lawyer's license and then transferred to the largest law firm in Asia-Pacific. I have been a lawyer for almost three years now.

How is it developing now?

Yao Hong: I basically spent the first three years in this industry learning, and I was just making a living. Gradually, as the business increased, my income also improved qualitatively. Let me tell you something happy. In a successful case I handled before, the losing party contacted me this morning to confirm that the compensation would be paid as soon as possible. After nearly three years of hard work, I was finally able to help foreign clients obtain a considerable amount of compensation, and at the same time, my own attorney fees were also paid.

How does this development speed compare with the industry?

Yao Hong: I don’t compare with others, I only compare with my past self. It can be said that I feel much better now than at my previous job! But still have to work hard.

Are there any pain points in the transformation and how to overcome them?

The first is financial pain. I used to work in a company and have a fixed monthly income, but when I switched to being a lawyer, I had no income for more than half a year during the review and preparation period. As a trainee lawyer, because you can't practice independently, you can only work for others, and the income is almost negligible. The stage lasts at least one and a half years; after passing the internship and obtaining a lawyer's practicing certificate, but having no case source means that there is no income, and you have to bear your own social security fees, booth room fees, law firm management fees, and lawyer association membership fees. Wait, there are a lot of expenses, and the pressure can be imagined. Therefore, if you change your career as a lawyer, you should not have too high expectations for your financial income at the beginning. First, make plans to have no income and live a hard life for three years;

Secondly It’s a blow to self-confidence. Starting from scratch is bound to take a lot of hard work. My coping method is to spend money to take classes, cooperate with others, and sum up more experiences to get through this accumulation stage. I spent tens of thousands of my first year's income as a lawyer on classes. If I make progress, I feel it's worth it. Secondly, I mostly cooperate with experienced lawyers on the cases I receive. Although I have to share the income with others, I can get it from the experienced lawyers. Learn valuable experience; finally, think more on your own, constantly summarize experience, improve business level, and enhance self-confidence.

Finally, there is the pain of being a novice and customers questioning your ability. Sometimes clients take their grievances against the other party to the lawsuit to you; sometimes the client's demands are not supported by law, but they blame you for being incompetent; sometimes you make mistakes due to lack of experience, and clients question your ability... This The process still requires self-direction. Whenever this happens, I think: "You should be happy. The mistakes you made this time will never be made again in the future. Your ability to adapt will improve."

Self-evaluation——

Do you like the legal profession?

Yao Hong: I am very satisfied. Although being a lawyer is very hard, I firmly believe that I made the right choice at the age of 37.

In addition to professionalism, what abilities do you think need to be strengthened at present?

Yao Hong: In terms of marketing ability, you have to let more customers know your abilities, and you also have to do a good job in customer maintenance; you also need to have breakthroughs in public speaking, writing, and reading, which are also my goals for next year. .

What previous experiences have helped you as a lawyer?

Yao Hong: First, be able to endure hardship and know how to pay. You must understand "delayed gratification" and try to do as little or as little as possible to do things that can bring you "pleasure and satisfaction" immediately. Only your previous efforts and efforts will lead to a satisfactory life in the future.

Also, he is good at discovering opportunities at work and finding possible ways out for transformation in the future. My experience of going abroad to discuss business in my previous company not only expanded my horizons, but also accumulated some relationships, which laid the foundation for transformation.

What qualities in you have helped you successfully complete the transformation?

Yao Hong: I am very self-disciplined. Never slack off when preparing for the bar exam. During those more than 4 months, there was not a day when I could relax. Now that I am a lawyer, I try to get up early and arrive at the office before eight o'clock to read, study English or handle cases. I feel that I have a lot more time in the morning and can do a lot of things.

What advice do you have for women over 30 who are exploring the path of transition?

Yao Hong: First of all, you cannot blindly transform. You must choose based on the resources and experience accumulated in your previous work, as well as your hobbies and expertise. Secondly, switching to a new field will inevitably go through a very difficult period of loneliness. You must persevere. .

Finally, I would like to leave you with a message: Your current life is determined by the person you were five years ago. Think about the life you want five years from now, and then make a decision now.

Okay, thank you for sharing, it’s wonderful!

Interview remarks: Someone once described ballet as "the brilliance on the tips of the toes is the magnificence carved by the years." Every elegant stand, turn, and jump on the stage is the result of countless hard work in the audience. Back. The impression that Yao Hong gave me was just like the ballet she likes - gentle and elegant. For example, she was very approachable and always took care of my interview rhythm. She handled the grievances and tangles in the entire transformation with a very relaxed tone. At the same time, she has the power of ballet - she has excellent logical ability, firm goals and self-confidence. I hope her story inspires you too.