Everyone has experienced job hunting. How do you search? How do you secure your dream position? From the recruiter's perspective, how do they select candidates? What yardstick do they use to measure each anxious interviewee? Here, several guests share their personal experiences: Without willpower, without resilience, without skill, without comprehensive qualities...How could a job come easily?
Li Bing, a business administration graduate with two years of work experience, was hired because her company valued her expertise in gathering, compiling, and analyzing economic data—a skill previous secretaries lacked. Yet she unexpectedly struggled with communication across departments.As a secretary, she was tasked with collecting monthly work summaries from departments, tracking progress, and ensuring follow-up. Yet she repeatedly hit walls with many department managers. Several managers even complained to the office director: "This Li Bing is arrogant! She dared to call everyone with an 'ultimatum,' threatening to report names to the CEO if reports weren't submitted on time, linking it to performance evaluations and bonus deductions!""When did we get another vice president?" Li Bing felt wronged, complaining to the director about the company's lax management, loose discipline, and department managers' bureaucratic attitudes. They delayed or ignored required reports and summaries, making it impossible for her to compile and analyze data—the resistance was overwhelming!It seemed both sides were locked in a standoff. Without a smooth communication channel between the office staff and departments, normal operations were impossible. Reluctantly, she had to make the painful decision.
Job Seeker Says: "Scouring for Work with a Taobao Mindset"
During my internship at the TV station, after months of running news stories alongside cameramen, I gradually realized my strength lay more in words than visuals. I was far more interested in uncovering the stories behind events and the inner lives of people. So I turned away from the TV station where I could already see the light at the end of the tunnel—a contract offer.I told myself: I'll become a magazine reporter. With this goal set, my mindset shifted completely. I spent my days scouring job listings online, and as soon as the sun set, I'd head out to eat, drink, and enjoy myself—never putting pressure on myself. Finally, in the vast sea of possibilities, I spotted a shining needle—I knew that magazine was where I belonged.
There's a famous experiment showing that you can connect with a complete stranger through just four or five intermediaries, even if they're on the other side of the globe. My approach was to find someone who could indirectly introduce me, aiming for a direct meeting with the decision-maker.Ha! This theory worked wonders for me. Through several unseen intermediaries, I finally obtained the email address and MSN contact of the magazine's editorial director. Next, I sent my carefully crafted resume and requested to add her as a contact on MSN. Luck continued to shine on me—she didn't reject me, and I smoothly connected with the director online.I greeted her politely, mentioning I'd emailed my resume. She always claimed to be busy. I told myself she was genuinely occupied, not rejecting me. I kept popping up online in front of her, hoping she hadn't forgotten my resume. Finally, she invited me for an interview. I went in relaxed and sincere. The interview felt positive—our energy seemed to align.Later, the editor assigned me a trial task—interviewing an author who’d just released a bestseller about her and her father, a renowned economist. I swallowed the urge to ask how to contact the author, remembering the editor’s earlier remark: a journalist must track down interviewees by any means necessary—it’s a fundamental skill. I felt I needed to prove I possessed that ability.I didn't ask for detailed instructions. She handed me several magazines, which I'd studied carefully before. I knew I had to grasp their requirements and style on my own. I also didn't ask about the deadline, because I would deliver it as quickly and as well as possible.
I was deeply grateful to the heavens for this opportunity and immediately began researching the author. She lived in the United States and had returned to China for her book launch, traveling between several major cities.Finding an individual is difficult, but reaching an organization is easier. The publisher of her new book would certainly have promotional needs and would likely be happy to arrange an interview for me. Sure enough, they were very enthusiastic. The catch was that the author had just returned from Shanghai, and her schedule before leaving Beijing was already packed. Time is made, and things are arranged—I conveyed this truth to them and, in the most concise language possible, explained our magazine's influence among female readers. They agreed to help coordinate.
Luck smiled upon me once more! I received a call from the author herself, and we scheduled the interview for the very day she was leaving Beijing. Her voice was truly delightful. I rushed to prepare: gathering as much background material as possible, drafting interview questions, and readying my camera and voice recorder. Everything was set!
But on the day of the interview, another twist arose.Before I even got out of bed, the receptionist handling the author's schedule called to say her previous engagement had run late. She had to rush off to record a CD and wouldn't have time for the interview. I leapt out of bed. Of course, the receptionist couldn't possibly understand how crucial this interview was to me. My tone was firm yet polite: "I understand. We all have to be flexible. We can compress the schedule, but I absolutely must meet her." The receptionist said she'd try to coordinate again.I started calling the author's cell phone, but she didn't answer. How could I let this opportunity slip away? I rushed straight to the agreed location, driven by one thought: I had to track her down and interview her before she left Beijing that day. Just as I got into a taxi, it hit me—why would she still be at the original meeting spot? I called the coordinator: "Where are you recording the CD? I'll wait there to interview her."
The person hesitated, asking me to hold on. Minutes later, they replied that the writer would meet me at a café in half an hour. Ecstatic, I raced there by taxi and found her—even more beautiful than her photos. I felt no rookie nerves; the interview flowed like a conversation. People kept urging us to hurry, and each time we shared a knowing smile: "Let's make the most of our time."After the interview ended, her tall figure vanished as she dashed away. My mouth stretched wide in a grin—what a relief!
The next day, I saw my editor on MSN. She asked if I'd encountered any difficulties. Difficulties? Quite a few, actually—but I'd already handled them!I said nothing, just sent her the manuscript I'd written through the night. Minutes later, she replied, "Come report for duty." I pumped my fist in the air with joy. Throughout the entire process, I felt a strong willpower driving me forward. This willpower kept telling me: both the process and the outcome are under my control. I could already taste the air of success!It's like shopping on Taobao—when you see something you love, you'll stop at nothing to get it. There's the desire to sift through the sand for gold, the will to overcome any obstacle, and the joy of seeing a rainbow after the rain.
One of my corporate clients is an electronics technology company. I previously helped them establish competency models and job requirements for technical positions, streamline recruitment processes, and build an assessment toolkit to accurately evaluate candidates and hire talent who meet the company's needs and can excel in their roles.The office serves as the nerve center of the company's management operations. While the secretary role may seem unassuming and behind the scenes, it functions like the lubricant in a bearing—invisibly determining the smoothness of its operation. Over the past four months, after resume screening, initial HR interviews, and departmental interviews, two candidates had reached the probationary stage. However, the outcomes were unsatisfactory.
Xiao Feng, a recent graduate with a master's in journalism, had been with us for two months. Several major articles he wrote earned praise from leadership. He was proactive and resourceful in his work. The office director was preparing to request HR to shorten Xiao's three-month probation period when, unexpectedly, Xiao submitted his resignation. It turned out he had secured an ideal position at a media outlet and preferred to return to his professional roots as a journalist.
Consequently, Hu Zihui approached the third candidate with heightened caution. I helped her analyze the reasons for the previous two recruitment failures and designed a practical work simulation assessment. This added components like official document writing, leaderless group discussions, and stress tests, evaluating candidates comprehensively across three stages.