By Hui Gu’niang

I

When I was a child,a girl living next door was particularly fond of watching films.At that time,most of the cinemas in China were barely profitable.She never missed any new films in the cinema,and sometimes she would even watch the same film twice.As for the foreign films that were not released in Chinese cinemas,she would buy pirated DVDs from the video stores nearby to watch at home—spending all her pocket money on movies.I often went to her home to rummage through her DVD collections and borrow some from her.Ranging fromGodzilla,toBattle Royale,toThe Big Lebowski,she had just about everything you could ask for.

Later,she was enrolled in a university in Shanghai,majoring in finance.Yet her love for films never faded away.She watched one film after another in her spare time.Since the Douban APP released a “checkpoint” function,she had been completing checkpoints by watching,grading,and commenting on a new film every night.She kept to the routine for years without a day off.

During her senior year,a wellknown bank was seeking three employees,and thousands of candidates were applying for it.She aced the interview and got the offer.Before long,she was promoted to manager,and her wages,bonuses,and benefits were simply too good to be true.

We thought that it must be her lifelong career.However,one day after two years,I heard that she quit the job and went to be a film journalist for a website in Beijing.

The news came as a great shock to everyone,as there was a huge gap in her wages,and her major did not match up with the new job.Moreover,she barely scraped through the interview,and she had to start from the bottom,so no one believed that she could do it well.Her parents were so angry that they even wanted to sever all ties with her,claiming that they would never give her any financial aid at all,and saying that she might starve to death in Beijing.

But I had an inexplicable confidence in her.I knew that she would not only survive,but thrive in her new career.

A few years later,she was promoted to associate editor,and to chief editor soon after that.She became a well-known film critic in the film industry.Every year,she would be invited to attend the major film festivals both at home and abroad,and sometimes she would show up in TV programs as a guest judge.Besides,she was also a sought-after script editor among the producers.By just making a few comments,she could get a fair amount of pay.In her spare time,she also wrote scripts herself,and two of which were turned into films and released in the cinema.Unlike the mundane life in her previous years,she felt content with her current life and always wore a smile on her face.I chatted with her once.When talking about her career choice,I said,“Since you like films,it’s a good choice to build your career in film.”

She said,“It’s not simply because I like them.But I feel that they are my strength.”

Feeling a bit confused,I asked,“Didn’t you study finance in college? So I think finance should be your strength,shouldn’t it?”

She said,“Do you know how many years I’ve loved films?”

I thought for a while and said,“It must have been over twenty years.”

She said,“That’s right.But I studied finance for just four years.”

Smilingly,she added,“Films are not only my interests,but the real support for my life.You may say that I am skilled in doing finance,but I took to film like a duck to water.”

I got her point.It is reasonable to rely on your professional skills for living,but the key is to find out what your “professional skill” is.

Your professional skill doesn’t necessarily depend on your diploma,but rather on your interests and strengths.

Otherwise,it is only a “skill,” not your “strength.”

II

A media company posted a job vacancy,and lots of welltrained college graduates applied for it—some were postgraduates who did very well academically.Later,the interviewers asked all the potential candidates,“Do you like reading and writing? When did you begin to love these activities?”

There were basically two answers.One was,“I began to read and write when I was in college,as they were a course requirement.” The other one was,“I’ve loved reading and writing since I was a child.They’re my hobbies.”

Relatively,the second answer tends to get more attention.

Be it a scriptwriter,or a script doctor,it is critical to have a sharp sense of language.In order to pick out good projects from a wide range of novels,they must have superb reading skills and judgment to extract key points by simply scanning ten lines at one glance.Of course,solid writing skills are also a must.Only in this way can they analyze and reorganize such voluminous works,like reeling silk from cocoons,and produce excellent scripts.

The nature of the job is something that can only be perceived,yet not conveyed by words.

In terms of the basic skills,compared with those who began mass reading from childhood,the students who just started reading what was required in college,unless a genius,are lagging nearly twenty years behind.

In a society where the fittest survive,there are simply too many skilled people.As the saying goes,he who pays the piper calls the tune.It is natural for them to choose the one who plays better.

Your “strength” is not the skill that you are good at,but the one that you really master.

Otherwise,the so-called skill can only be your weakness.

III

Once I went to a business specializing in feminine hygiene products to negotiate a deal.During the presentation,I was impressed by their wellmade PowerPoint.I gave a few compliments,and the girl who designed it smiled and thanked me.

“Have you studied fine art for a long time?” I asked.

“How did you know? I’ve studied traditional Chinese painting for 15 years,but I stopped painting long ago.” She said in surprise.

It suddenly dawned on me.It didn’t matter if she still painted,or if she is still engaged in a related profession.The skills and artistic perceptions that she acquired long ago are not only vividly shown in her work,but deeply integrated in her life.They’re valuable assets that no one can take away from her—no matter where they are and what they do for a living,they have a better taste in art than ordinary people.One’s accumulated strength will be reflected through their works,like a beacon of light,so bright that are hard to ignore.

The aesthetic feeling you reveal spontaneously with every movement will be the strongest support for your work and life.That is the real “strength.” It may guide you through your youth,or a large part of your life,witnessing the painstaking efforts you made,and the sweat and tears you shed.

Having a skill is nothing special,but turning it into a “strength” makes a big difference.

Only if you hone your skills until they’re razor-sharp can you earn a good living,and be secure with a stable job wherever you are.

(FromNothing to Care,Nothing to Fear,China CITIC Press.Translation: Zhu Yaguang)