Many years ago, when I started working in a Japanese company in Beijing, my big boss, Mr. Aomatsu had a short welcoming in a small meeting room with me. He asked me, "What do you want to do in this job?" I, came unexpected with this question, answered him, "anything I can contribute to the company development." He then spoke in his Japanese English accent for the next couple minutes which stuck in my mind for many years. "Josephine, for most of the people working, they don't get to do what they want to do in their jobs. Mostly, they get orders from their bosses, directions from their company management, and they have to follow. If they are lucky, maybe they get 20% of what they like to do, and 80% of what they don't want to do but have to do. Some luckier ones will get maybe 40% of what they want to do, and 60% they don't. I have a different philosophy, I hope people who work under me can do at least 70% of what they want to do, and 30% they don't and if possible, I like to reduce this 30% to 20%. BUT, in order to achieve this, I have a condition, you have to do your very best in that 30%. Now, welcome to our company and I hope from now on you can spend your time to think of what are the 70% you want to do because for the other 30% you will mostly get it from me."
From that day onwards, I had 5 thrilling years with this company doing mostly what I love to do.
It was until the year that unwanted assignments dominantly occupied my work hours and private life, I researched, quitted, and started my new full time status in CSSD.
Not long ago, we had a postgraduate induction day, it was another thrilling moment. We were in groups sharing what brought us here at this point. We were told, no mini-CV, no job-interview type of sharing. And thus, short and yet in-depth sharings were flowing around the rehearsal room. And to summarize what we all have in common, 3 words, "pursuit of happiness". Indeed, we are all very happy to be here doing what we love to do.
From Mr. Aomatsu to CSSD, I was, indeed, and still blessed. The advice that Mr. Ling shared with me when I graduated from GPA, "Do things that you like and be good at it, money will come." It has been the case and this piece of advice keeps coming back to my life when I need to make a call.
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