A New Chapter at Work

Taking work seriously lays the groundwork for future opportunities. At the same time, being able to pick things up, let them go, and act decisively is an ability every man should have.

I had almost stopped writing for close to a month because of everything related to work. It wasn’t that I had no time at all, but when something important is hanging over your head, it feels like being tugged along by a rope. From head to toe, nothing feels settled. Under that kind of pressure, even gaming stops being enjoyable.

From resigning to officially starting the new job, everything came one after another: handover materials from the old position, interviews for the new one, medical checks, contract signing, company training, applying for the required work certificate during breaks in training, and then following the company’s internal procedures. It took roughly half a month of nonstop back-and-forth.

Every step was tightly packed together. Strangely enough, that feeling was familiar. I hadn’t experienced it in about ten years, and I actually found myself missing it. 🙃

On December 31, 2021, I completed all the required procedures and finally signed the contract. That was worth celebrating. The effort paid off.

Still, this only counts as getting half a foot in the door. There’s no room to relax yet. At best, I can pause and catch my breath for a moment. What comes next is a six-month probation period, along with company evaluations, internal certification exams, and a whole series of tests still waiting ahead.

At least I finally shook off the restraints of the old workplace and stepped into the shackles of a new one. It’s like jumping out of a mud pit and into a deep pool. A pit is still a pit, sure, but compared with being covered in mud, the water is a much better place to be.

My hope for the future is simple: one day, I want to be strong enough to fill in that pool myself.

A Few Thoughts About Work

I had already mentioned my resignation before, but there are still a few things worth adding.

When I first entered my previous workplace, I signed a third-party contract. At the time, I was told that maybe in 2–3 years there was (~~not~~) a (~~possible~~) chance (~~at all~~) to move onto a direct company contract. I went in with a try-and-see attitude, never expecting that I would stay for 7 years and 6 months.

Looking back, a few things kept me going:

• I was still young and believed I still had time to wait for an opportunity.
• I wasn’t married and didn’t have heavy financial pressure.
• The rules were relatively loose, and I had a fair amount of personal freedom.
• The workload existed, but it wasn’t crushing.

By the seventh year, the company finally had a rare wave of direct contract signings. Several younger employees got lucky and made it through in one shot. I wasn’t among them.

It was disappointing, of course, but not surprising. Deep down, I had expected that outcome.

From the day I entered that workplace, my goal had always been clear: secure a direct company contract. If that didn’t happen, then before turning 30, I would have to find another path. During those years, I treated the job as both work and preparation. I gained practical experience and also looked for chances to improve my academic qualifications.

Because I had already thought through my direction, I was mentally prepared for a busier life after changing jobs. What surprised me was the opposite: the new workplace turned out to be more relaxed, while the income is roughly on par with the formally employed staff at my previous company.

Maybe that really does prove the old saying some former colleagues liked to repeat: what is meant for you will come eventually, and what isn’t cannot be forced.

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Career planning matters. A lot.

You really do need to think carefully about what kind of work you want to do and where you want to go. Once you take the wrong road, changing fields can feel like crossing a mountain range. Suddenly, everything has to start over from scratch, and that process is painful.

If you’ve already chosen a direction, then don’t give up on it easily. Keep learning, keep improving, and become truly skilled at what you do. If your work reaches a level where replacing you is difficult, that’s when you’ve really built something valuable.

千万别入第三方的坑！千万别入第三方的坑！千万别入第三方的坑！重要的事情说三遍！！！

Wishing everyone a smooth year at work in 2022, and peace and happiness along the way.