英语学习:Nonpareil job security对你重要吗?

加拿大都市网

文︰子慧

“男怕入错行,女怕嫁错郎。”这句老话已完全不合时宜。当年社会职业上不给女性机会,女性角色局限于家庭,女性没有独立经济能力,自然要靠丈夫供养。今时今日,男女平等,结婚产子并非女性唯一选择,自然没有什么“嫁错郎”的问题。不过选择行业和配偶,仍须慎重,男女都一样。

虽然今日入大学的机会愈来愈多,可以选择的科目多元化,但传统对行业观念仍未改变,律师、医生、会计师、工程师仍受追捧,因此同是大学科目的热门之选。与财经有关的学科也很受欢迎,起码在金融海啸投行倒闭、银行投资部收缩之前如是。

When you are selecting a career there’s a lot riding on your decision. You want to pick an occupation in which you can be successful for many years to come. While you can change careers, doing so can be effortful.

Ride on解depend on,赖于、取决于。 Career解职业、事业。 “There’s a lot riding on your decision”,选择职业的决定对你的前路影响深远。你当然可以转行,但这却会是effortful。 Effortful解requiring or exhibiting strenuous physical or mental exertion,劳心劳力。
职业顾问Dawn Rosenberg McKay说,选择职业不应只听别人的意见。

Many people think they should have a say in what career you choose – your parents, your friends, your significant other(配偶、伴侣). They don’t. In most cases, your decision will have little impact(影响) on the other people in your life. You, however, will have to deal with your choice for years to come. Make sure the career you choose is something you want to spend your day doing.

身边的人,包括父母、朋友都会提供意见,当然不是不听意见,特别是父母的忠告,但要清楚的是,选择职业的决定影响最大的是你自己,关乎你将来每天怎样过,所以这个决定不应是被动的。

工种大平反

事实上,很多大家向往的职业未必适合自己。另一名事业顾问Martin Nemko就认为,以医生、律师作为职业未必如想象中理想,这些行业是overrated(被评价过高的)。

The only health care careers I recommend are optometrist(验光师、视光师), audiologist(听力师), and orthodontist(牙齿矫正医师) because they have high cure rates and regular hours, and physician assistant because the training is much shorter than for an MD yet get to do much of what docs do, and earn a six-figure income.

他说的是美国的情况,医疗系统差劲,医生负荷过重,所以为医不易。同时他着眼稳定的工作时间、病人治愈率和收入。相信大部分选择做医生的都不是为了赚钱或工作轻松,但医生的训练、工作性质、工作环境是否适合自己的个性,必定是考虑因素。

律师的工作也不是像电视、电影描绘般有趣吸引。律师工作多涉及contentious(有争议的)事情,或须处理又长又闷的文件,工时又长。

相反地​​,有些工作是underrated(被评价过低的),像政府工。 “More often, people are satisfied working in government because of the pro-social mission, nonpareil(无可匹敌的) job security(职位保障), excellent benefits, relatively short work hours, and even good pay.”他的Careers for Dummies介绍了各行各业的实况。