80s: Satisfaction more important than money
Name: Jiang Yundou Year of birth: 1983 Current post: University teacher of Japanese language and culture in Liaoning province Length of employment: Seven years
Iwas fairly lucky compared with college graduates of recent years who experienced the so-called “most difficult period of hunting for a job”, because I landed my current job in early 2009 after delivering only five copies of my resume.
Over the past several years, I have heard from time to time that some people sent out dozens of resumes in the hope of getting a single opportunity for a job interview. I’ve heard that some people struggle to decide when facing a choice among several job opportunities.
This just sounded incredible to me, because I had never experienced things like that. For me, hunting for a job was a short and relaxing journey that I quite enjoyed.
At the time, Japanese enterprises were having their moment in China and were in desperate need of people who could speak Japanese. I was invited to join them and was offered a very good salary. But I refused as I had been dreaming of being a teacher since I was a young student.
I like schools where you are always around young people. That makes me feel fulfilled and full of energy.
I strongly believe that leading a pure and simple life on campus is a better choice than earning a lot but facing tiring sophistication every day. Not to mention that you will have lots of time and lots of freedom as a teacher.
Everything is just perfect, and I’m happy with my work and life. The only thing that undermines this perfection, I’m afraid, is the slender income. But I know this is life. You cannot get everything, just like you cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs.