How to find a job across majors?

The unspoken rule of "professional counterpart": I studied international politics but got into IBM

Narrator profile:

Wang Boyang, male, 22 years old, from Beijing, graduated from the Department of International Politics, School of International Relations, in June 2011. In June 2011, he joined IBM China Co., Ltd. as a customer representative.

Others may not believe it, but IBM was the first job I applied for! Some people may say that I am lucky, but this journey After walking down the road, maybe only I can understand that luck, this thing, will not happen to anyone for no reason.

I major in international politics. What can I do with this major in the future? I often joke with my classmates: Those who study this major will have to wait until the president of a certain country dies suddenly, and then we will become the president of that country. Otherwise, there seems to be nothing else to do. In our school, there are generally three ways out for our major: the first choice is to become a civil servant and go to some major ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Security; the second is to take the postgraduate entrance examination; if not, you can just find a job and stay in it.

At the beginning, I also wanted to take the postgraduate entrance examination. It can be said that I still had this idea until my junior year. During the winter vacation of my junior year, there was a family gathering. The elders asked me what I thought about the future. I said I wanted to get into graduate school. What else could I do? At that time, an uncle of mine asked me: "What are you going to take the exam for?" I said: "International politics." He asked again: "What next?" I said: "Take the civil service exam, or find a job." He said : "We can also take the postgraduate examination in the future, or study part-time. And to be honest, I don't think there is much difference between you looking for a job now and looking for a job after graduate school." Then he told me: "Now there are so many An opportunity, around March or April this year, IBM will have a "Blue Road" intern program, which is specifically for college students like you who have one year to graduate. You can pay attention to it. You are so young. Going to a foreign company will be of great benefit to your knowledge and development." - I felt a thump in my heart.

When I got home after the party that day, I kept thinking about this matter, but felt that there was no possibility at all. Firstly, my major is not suitable for me and I have no confidence in myself. Secondly, few graduates from our school go to foreign companies. Since everyone is like this, what qualifications do I have to get in? To be honest, I am not the best student in our school. The more I thought about it, the more impossible I thought it was, so I said to myself: Forget it, I don’t want to think about it anymore, this is too unreliable. However, even though I advised myself so in my heart, this thought would pop up from time to time, making me uneasy. I began to ask myself: "Do I really want to be a civil servant all my life? Do I really want to take the postgraduate entrance examination in international politics?" The answer is uncertain. I can't imagine that I will spend my whole life working in a big organization. Live a stable life and work part-time as an official when you retire. And I can’t say that I like the major of international politics. I was only 18 years old when I filled out my application form. At that age, I didn’t know what I really liked and what I really wanted to do, so I filled out this application in a daze.

When I was hesitant, what happened to one of my senior fellow students deeply touched me. After graduating, he joined PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the four largest accounting firms in the world. Everyone thought he was particularly powerful. I asked him: "How did you come up with the idea of ??joining a foreign company?" He said: "It seems that those of us who study international politics can only take civil service exams and postgraduate exams. I am tired of solving all problems through exams. I want to prove Let’s look at my true abilities. “My senior brother’s success made me feel that it is not completely impossible for me to enter a foreign company. Although it is a bit risky, it also stimulates my competitive spirit. I just want to accomplish things that others find difficult to accomplish.

When I told my mother my thoughts, I thought she would definitely object, but she said without hesitation: "I also think IBM is a good choice. You can give it a try."

Three In March, I submitted my resume online and applied for the position of customer representative, that is, sales. I chose this position, on the one hand, because I have an active personality and like to deal with people, which makes me very suitable for this job; on the other hand, because my mother is in sales, and when she encounters any problems at work, she will go home Tell me about it and ask me: "Son, what do you think we should do?" Sometimes the method I help her think of will get her approval: "Not bad, your idea is very good, why didn't I think of it! "This makes me very confident in my talents in this area, and I also used my holidays to work in a trading company during my vacation, and I also did sales-related work.

The days when I was waiting for the notification of the written test were very tiring. I had to check my mobile phone seven or eight times an hour on average, and I had to go back to the dormitory to check the Internet every time between classes to see if I had any emails. Although I have been telling myself that there is little hope and that I must keep a normal mind, I still devoted all my energy and enthusiasm during the waiting period. I kept going to IBM's official website to read some introductions to the company and products, and downloaded almost all relevant information about IBM's written exams and interviews that I could collect from the Internet, and actively prepared for it. In the end, the printed information from the Internet was almost as high as my knees. Every day I held a stack of information and muttered something. I was very, very tired. My classmates all joked about me: "It's over, this person is crazy."

Two weeks later, I received the written test from IBM. notify. The written test was held at Beihang University and it was crowded with people. It is estimated that several thousand people went there that day. The written test is in English and tests some math questions that are not difficult for a college student. However, those questions are not easy for me because we major in international politics and we don’t study math in college. We haven’t for a long time. contact, so the response is slower. Fortunately, I had been relatively well prepared before, otherwise I would have been dead. After the written test, I felt very bad and felt that I was definitely out of luck.

When I got home that day, my mood almost hit rock bottom and I didn’t want to talk to anyone. But I quickly adjusted my emotions and told myself this: I will never give up my efforts and hope until the last moment. So even though I was not sure whether I could pass the written test, I still cheered up and actively prepared for the interview that might pass me by.

A week later, I remember that day was the election of our department’s student union, but I had no intention at all. I was lying on the table, and suddenly my phone rang. When I looked at it, oh, it was this text message: " Congratulations, you have passed IBM's written test. Please log in to your email as soon as possible to learn the specific details of participating in the interview. "Oh my God, I am so happy. I passed the most difficult level. It is simply unbelievable." Later, I heard someone from IBM who participated in the examination said that I was the last among all the students who passed the written examination, which was just enough to pass the admission line. How dangerous! My mother said to me: "You are really lucky, kid." But I think that if I had not prepared very hard in those days, good luck would not have favored me.

Passing the written test greatly increased my confidence, and I knew that once I entered the interview, my ability to communicate with people would come into play. This is exactly what happened. I successfully passed two rounds of interviews and obtained the qualification to intern at IBM. Of course, being qualified for an internship does not mean you have got the job. In fact, only a quarter of all interns will eventually be hired. Moreover, many competitors are graduate students and doctoral students from famous universities. You can imagine that the competition will be very fierce, but I am not afraid!

On the first day of internship, the company assigned a training officer to take me, who is probably my master. He was very busy at work, so he had no time to take care of me on the first day. I sat there stupidly, feeling very uncomfortable. Looking at the other interns, they were all similar to me, sitting in front of the computer and bored.

I feel like this can't go on. Now that I'm here, I have to do things. I can't just sit around stupidly during the two months of internship. I decided to take the initiative. I asked my master: "Is there anything I can do for you?" He said: "Not yet." That day, I asked him almost every two hours, and he probably realized that I Unlike previous interns, I really wanted to do something. As a result, when he was about to get off work that day, he said to me: "We will have some sales to foreign banks in the future. You can go online now to learn about the specific situation of foreign banks in mainland China, as well as the names, phone numbers, and phone numbers of the heads of relevant departments. Email and other contact information, and then make a form and send it to me. "As soon as I heard that he arranged work for me, my eyes suddenly lit up. I like the feeling of being devoted to work.

In those days, I almost forgot to eat and sleep, and I never got up from my seat. Two days later, I gave the master a form. He was surprised: "It's so fast. I thought it would take you a week." I think by this time he must have deeply understood my enthusiasm for work and felt that It’s time to take me seriously. Next he arranged the work for me in a planned way. Every morning when I go to work with the notebook issued by the company, I really feel high-spirited. At this time, many interns who went with me had not yet entered the state.

During the two-month internship, I basically found out whether some foreign banks have the intention to purchase large servers or computer equipment in the next time, which provided valuable information for other colleagues’ future work. information resources. More importantly, I learned how to adjust my mentality when facing setbacks. Sometimes when I call someone to learn about the situation, the other party's attitude is very bad. They will say: "What company do you work for? What does IBM do?" or: "Stop calling us all the time. Isn't it annoying?" Are you bothered?" Others will hang up the phone rudely. It can be said that since I was a child, whether at home or at school, I have been very popular. How can I be so angry! Too many rejections like this have dampened my self-confidence and made me afraid of making phone calls. At this time, I tried my best to cheer myself up, telling myself that there was no way out, and I would risk my life to complete what Master gave me. Task. At the beginning, I had to force myself to make a phone call. The feeling was no different from going to the battlefield with bullets in my head. Fortunately, I persisted. By the end of the internship, I had basically figured out some tricks. I could always ask for the information I needed before the other party hung up the phone. I had a full book of work notes alone. At the end of the internship, I joked with my master: "Do you think we can become colleagues?" He immediately answered me: "You are very good, I think there is no problem."

November 18, 2011 No. 1, IBM held a grand welcome reception for our group of more than 100 selected interns. The moment I, wearing a crisp suit, took over the offer from the company's senior management, I was really proud of myself.

This should be considered the most relaxing moment in my life. I will graduate in half a year and my job has been confirmed. I am much luckier than my classmates. So far, only two people in our class have a clear whereabouts, and the others are still being found. I decided to take this half-year to have some fun, because after graduation, what awaits me will be a challenging career that will last for decades!

My job search experience

Understand yourself, know what you are suitable for and what you like to do. You know, if you spend your whole life doing something you don't like, it will be very painful. Know the characteristics of your own personality. If you are an introvert, you should be more relaxed when applying. If you are a very extroverted person, like me, you should always remind yourself to be more restrained.

No aspect should be neglected: resume, written test, and interview, all should be carefully prepared. Try to think about the problems and difficulties you may encounter in advance, so that you can be prepared and know yourself and the enemy.

During the internship, everyone may be eager to perform and prove themselves, and often appear to be impatient when doing things. In fact, this is not necessary. Keep a normal mentality and do it step by step. You must know that during the internship, your work attitude, philosophy and learning ability are mainly measured, not your work results.

In the application process, some stages may not go well. You must quickly adjust your mentality and do not waste precious preparation time in unnecessary depression. Tell yourself: As long as I am not eliminated, I still have a chance, and I will go all out.

If you have rich network resources and can establish contacts with internal personnel of the company you are applying for, it will be of great help to your success in applying.

If you do not have a lot of experience in applying for jobs, you should communicate more with those who have experience to broaden your horizons and ideas.

My advice to young people

Establish goals as early as possible. Once determined, do not change easily, focus on it and go all out. This may be a bit risky, but the chance of success will be much higher. Many students in our class believe that we cannot put all our eggs in one basket and want to try everything. First, take the civil service exam. If you fail, then take the postgraduate exam. If you fail the postgraduate exam, then look for a job. This seems like It seems very safe, but it may lead to failure to do three things. Because any of these three things requires a lot of time and energy.

During college, if there is no financial pressure, then when working part-time after school, I should not consider how much money I can earn, but should consider whether the part-time job I am doing will help achieve my goals. If so, You can do it even if you don’t have money.

Think outside the box and don’t be bound by the thinking of people around you or some habitual thinking. Some students may think that my major should do this kind of work. How can I do that kind of work? Or I am not from a prestigious university, so what qualifications do I have to compete with others? etc. In fact, as the Adidas slogan says: anything is possible.

IBM Human Resources Director said: We will deliberately recruit some talents who are not from professional backgrounds

Interviewee: Guo Xiwen, Director of Human Resources Department of IBM Greater China Ms.

Yang: In the recruitment process, is our company more willing to recruit talents with professional backgrounds?

Guo: Not necessarily. Unless there are special requirements, we basically still have to see if you are suitable for this position. We still believe that interest is the best teacher. If the job applicant is applying for a position that is not the major he studied, but he likes this profession very much and is very passionate about this job, this will also impress us very much. Many of the marketing and sales personnel we are recruiting are born in engineering fields, and it turns out that they are also very good at sales. Therefore, I still suggest that young people today should pay attention to cultivating their own interests. Once you know what your interests are, don't lie there and dream about it. The most important thing is to take action. Full practice will be very helpful for you to change careers smoothly in the future. of.

In fact, sometimes we consciously recruit talents who are not professionals, because people from other majors have different perspectives and may be able to provide more unexpected surprises. Moreover, the addition of people from different majors will enrich the culture of the team and the knowledge structure of the entire company. This is what we would like to see.

Yang: But for some jobs, it might be better for someone with a professional background to do it?

Guo: You are right. For example, in technical and financial fields, it is better for people with a professional background to do it. But for other positions, such as sales, personnel, and administration. , the requirements for majors are not so strict.

Yang: Many people are very persistent and must find a professional job. Can you give these people some advice?

Guo: This is In an era of rapid change, if you are afraid of change and slow to accept it, you will live a very hard life. Because in the final analysis, you have to adapt to the environment, not the environment to adapt to you. There is no need to cling to your major. Some young people will take the initiative to create and welcome changes. When they are in college, they begin to think about their future career plans, understand what they are suitable for and like to do, and then consciously develop in this direction without limiting their vision to themselves. Professionally, such young people are very smart. If you don't know what you are suitable for, it is recommended that you find some professional career consulting organizations, listen to the advice of professionals or other people, and give yourself a correct positioning.

Yang: But in fact, there are really many people who are quite mediocre and don’t seem to have anything they particularly like to do. What should we do?

Guo: There is a saying in our industry: If you don’t know what you like and what you are suitable for, then first learn your major well and do well what you are doing.

Yang: Would it be a pity to give up some majors? What major would you not recommend them to change easily?

Guo: This completely depends on personal wishes, but you should be cautious when changing careers. Don’t wait until the change is completed, regret it, and want to come back. Often you can’t come back by this time. Repeating this over and over is a waste of your time and past accumulation, and it is also very detrimental to your career development. Relatively speaking, you should be more cautious when changing careers in highly professional industries, such as technology, medicine, law, etc. Don't give up your major easily, don't be easily tempted by other things, and shake your original choice.

Yang: Some young people may like their majors very much. So how can they do what they like after graduation?

Guo: Eight points depend on your own efforts, and only two points depend on timing. If you like your major very much, then you should do related work during your internship, or in normal times, you should pay attention to accumulating some network resources related to your major.

Yang: Through your recruitment work, what have you found to be the outstanding strengths and weaknesses of current job seekers?

Guo: We have indeed found that today’s job seekers have a very broad knowledge base, because now in the information age and the Internet age, everyone has access to all kinds of information in a very timely manner, so everyone’s accumulation of knowledge is richer than before. . In addition, we have also found that young people today are more academic than in the past and do not have much practice. Today's young people are different from before. They have participated in many practical activities in school. When they come to the company, their practical ability There is an improvement compared to the young people in the past, which is a very gratifying change we have seen. In addition, today's young people are very confident. They are more confident to express themselves and show their talents.

The more prominent shortcoming is that I feel that today’s young people are not resilient enough. Therefore, in addition to their own passion, everyone must also have resilience during the development process. When encountering difficulties and setbacks, they must not be discouraged and can continue to Work towards your goals. Also, today’s young people are not focused and persistent enough, so they will switch jobs in other companies if the salary is higher. In a rapidly changing environment, I hope everyone can be focused and persistent. You must know what your goal is? What do you really want? Don't be easily seduced by other things.