A 10-year veteran PhD-holding corporate drone wants to share some workplace insights with everyone.
I. Work has no meaning; its sole purpose is to earn money. Stop pondering the meaning of work.
Political science has long taught us: “The proletariat survives by selling their labor power, while surplus value is appropriated by capitalists as capital accumulation.”
You work because you lack the means of production, forcing you to labor—it's that simple.
There are no grand narratives or personal pursuits—it's simply because you are proletarian.
So stop thinking, “My job is meaningless, I'm miserable, what should I do?” It's pointless. 95% of jobs are meaningless. Instead of dwelling on this, focus on accumulating primitive means of production to break free from the cycle of selling your labor.
II. Work may lack meaning, but job content varies
I still advocate taking career assessments before entering the workforce. Identify professions aligned with your interests and strengths while avoiding fields where you're completely inept. This will slightly reduce work-related suffering—though it won't vanish entirely—making the experience somewhat less painful.
III. Increase income and reduce expenses—increasing income is usually impossible, while cutting expenses is easier
For ordinary people, a primary job alone drains all energy. Side hustles are likely to fail or turn you into fodder for “how to start a side hustle” soft-sell articles on social media. For most, focusing on succeeding in your main job and avoiding scams is a wiser path.
Accumulating primary production resources means the first step for ordinary people is saving money. Practice forced savings. Once you hit your first 50,000 yuan, start learning basic financial management. Don't believe that “money spent is money enjoyed”—only those without money know the truth. Saving is painful, but once you reach a certain amount, saving itself becomes a pleasure. Develop the habit of saving early.
Don't equate spending power with personal worth, and don't use consumption as a quick fix for current hardships.
- Choose jobs with moderate barriers to entry and technical requirements
If you refuse to endure the hardship of learning, you'll endure the hardship of work. If you refuse to acquire professional skills and only want mindless tasks (typical roles: clerical/administrative), you'll end up competing with 1,000 others for the same job.
Regarding which professional skills to learn, consider your major, educational background, and consult the National Vocational Qualification Directory, then make choices based on current market conditions.
For instance, I hold certifications as a Chinese Patent Agent, Legal Professional, High School Teacher, and a PhD. With my current workload manageable, I'm considering pursuing an Asset Appraiser license. Regardless of circumstances, I believe I'll always have a means to support myself.
Born in the countryside, I endured genuine hardship through education for years. If you don't suffer here, you'll suffer elsewhere (except for those born with silver spoons).
V. Reflecting on Your Personal Career Clock
If you anticipate following society's clock—marrying and starting a family—your optimal career goal is securing a position within the public sector or a public institution. For most ordinary women, joining the system is the best choice. It guarantees job security during pregnancy and childbirth, provides a respectable career, and enhances your bargaining power in the marriage market.
If your social clock is all about making money, dive into whatever industry is lucrative now. Between ages 20 and 35—your golden years when even picking up trash pays well—don't let marriage and children sway you. Use these ten years to earn as much as you can. In my experience, while most people dislike sales, doing it well can offer a form of “working for yourself.” Women excel in sales—my long-term vendor partners consistently have female sales champions. Don't automatically dismiss this career path.
For the average woman, achieving both family and career success is rare. If you choose marriage and children at this age, your career will likely suffer 90% of the time. If you choose to focus on earning money, you'll likely face pressure from family to marry. You need to be clear about what you want.
- Don't obsess over your boss's evaluation of yo
A positive evaluation from your boss doesn't necessarily mean they approve of you as a person; a negative one doesn't necessarily mean they think you're incompetent.
Their feedback is merely a management tool that shifts with their current objectives—it doesn’t define you in the slightest.
As a newcomer, abandon the notion of seeking universal approval. As long as they don’t dock your pay, let these comments go in one ear and out the other.
- How to Overcome Work-Related Suffering
No job is without its hardships. Selling your time is inherently painful. Every job becomes a grind eventually. Don't assume switching jobs will solve it—the outcome is often the same.
Simply assess whether your salary justifies the suffering. If it does, endure it. If not, look for a new job while keeping your current one. Find a position where the pay makes the pain bearable. Or, if you have savings, take a break. Rest until you're refreshed, then seek a new role where novelty can dull the pain.
VIII. Can I take a gap year/quit without a backup plan/rest for a while?
Yes, but it all boils down to one thing: do you have enough savings?
Why do some people get anxious after a month off while others can take a year break? It all boils down to whether you have enough savings.
So if you want to take time off, I suggest saving as much as possible to ease the anxiety of not working. All that talk about “mental preparation,” “making peace with yourself,” “Mom, my life is a wilderness,” or “life is about experiences” is just self-comfort. Ultimately, it all comes down to how much money is in your account.
If you say you have no savings, then sorry—you'll have to keep working like a beast of burden unless your material desires are infinitely low. See the Sanhe deities for reference.
IX. Must I work forever?
You can stop working when your passive income exceeds your material desires!
Return to the first question:
May we all accumulate the means of production, reduce the material cravings capitalism imposes on us, and strive to break free from the cycle of selling our labor.
Of course, if working is your passion, then continuing to work is naturally the best and most stable choice.
Wishing everyone in the group the life they truly desire!
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That's all I've got for now. Feel free to discuss amicably—no arguments, please. I genuinely can't win an argument, so please be kind.
Still adding more...
- Job Hunting: Once you meet basic entry requirements, the rest is luck
Job hunting is really about position determining capability. Put a monkey in a leadership role, and people will follow that monkey. It's the position that grants you capability, not the other way around. So when applying for jobs, if the job description looks appealing, high pay, or proximity to home—apply anyway. Don't insist on meeting every single requirement. You might land an interview for a top-tier role only to end up doing menial tasks. Start wherever they need you, learn on the job. Most roles become manageable within three months—nothing too challenging.
No response to your resume? It's not your fault. Often, those positions aren't actively hiring—they're just posting to collect resumes. Don't get discouraged by silence.
XI. (This one might be controversial) Don't rush into having kids outside the system
If you're not in the system and want to build a solid career, think twice—and then think again—about having children. Having a kid usually means a three-year career hiatus or stagnation for the mother.
One more thing (though this might be off-topic): Whether you can have children depends not on your in-laws' circumstances, but on your own family and personal readiness. Don't proceed unless you're mentally and financially prepared to raise a child solo or with your own family's support.
- My boss keeps asking me to revise a document without giving clear directio
Reply too quickly, then drag your feet until the deadline and submit the first draft.
If they're assigning this to a low-level employee like you, it means it's not that important.
If the boss keeps avoiding specific feedback, it means they don't know what to do either.
Combine these two points: the best approach is to make minor tweaks each time, then just submit whatever it looks like on deadline day.
The faster you work, the more you'll get done—and the more mistakes you'll make. Remember this. Newcomers to the workplace must control their work pace. Observe how seasoned colleagues handle tasks to gauge a realistic benchmark. If you work too fast, your boss might pressure the whole team to match your speed, creating trouble for them. If you're too slow, you'll get swept up in the pace. Keep your wits about you and observe carefully.
XIII. Should You Give Gifts to Your Boss?
Honestly, I don't advocate lavish gifts. Bosses these days are essentially senior foot soldiers—they won't bring you much benefit. However, I do suggest avoiding overly tense relationships with your boss. Maintain a decent rapport. For minor matters (attendance, leave requests), it's more comfortable if your direct supervisor is willing to cut you some slack.
No gifts before getting things done, no favors without gifts, and give gifts after the job is done.
Gifts should be given casually and regularly. Discard the mindset that gift-giving is “brown-nosing” or “flattery.” If your boss senses this attitude, it will make them uncomfortable. I once had a subordinate who flattered me so excessively it made me feel uneasy and itchy all over.
Treat your relationship with your boss as one of equals in daily life. Approach it with the mindset of maintaining a friendship. Observe their preferences and start small—bring over a cup of milk tea or some snacks when you grab something for yourself. If you're thoughtful, note their birthday and give a modest gift. Cultivate that friendship first, and things will become easier later.
You can also gauge your boss's character by how they react to gifts—whether they reciprocate, and what price range they choose.
When your boss genuinely helps you with a tough task, like securing a promotion, raise, or extended leave, it's best to show gratitude with a thoughtful gift.
However, the person who ultimately determines how far you advance in your career is your direct supervisor's superior—and those even higher up. Your direct supervisor has limited influence; maintaining a relationship with them is mainly to prevent them from actively undermining you.
- What if colleagues ignore me when joining a new workplace?
Actually, being ignored by colleagues when you first join a workplace is the norm. People don't know each other yet, and with so many weirdos in the workplace, who knows if you're even normal? Be wary of those who are overly enthusiastic about befriending you—they're usually trying to extract information about your background and family connections. Once they get what they want, you become useless to them.
Integrating new hires into the team is the manager's responsibility. Organizing a dinner after work hours is sufficient—it's not something the newcomer should worry about.
Honestly, unless you're exceptionally smooth and observant, I personally think it's better not to join any colleague cliques. These cliques are often made up of seasoned office veterans. Getting pulled in could mean you're being relentlessly grilled for information without even realizing it—and you'd have no clue who you've offended.
Why bother trying to be best friends with coworkers? Avoiding fights is success enough. Just be punctual and reliable in your work, and you'll naturally get along fine. God knows how much I wish I had a dependable colleague. Don't waste too much energy on maintaining workplace relationships—they don't control your paycheck anyway.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)