Readers Letter: Why Can't She Find a Job? Investing in Yourself is the Key
之前有位讀者她跟我說她看了我以前的文章：道別，是為了下次再見時更好的我們，覺得非常衝擊，覺得為什麼我跟我的朋友跟她差不多年紀，已經是有位階頭銜跟高薪 ，但是她從澳洲度假打工回來，三十出頭，卻想找個業務都工作都一直被拒絕。難道有外國學歷跟台灣的大學畢業註定有差？她說他很焦慮，覺得自己年紀大被歧視。
看完了她的信，我花了時間想了想？為什麼她找不到工作？她如果從澳洲回來，應該英文也很不錯，是大加分吧？難道是大環境不好？是因為她不適合當業務？不會面試？還是其他原因？
其實講到環境，我覺得台灣的環境相對算好，也許市場算不大，但是失業率相對低，比起歐洲很多國家，就算是德國。還是因為她不適合當業務，還是過去沒經驗，還是面試準備不足，也許這些都是原因。但是很重要一點是，我發現她沒有花時間投資自己。我這邊指的花錢是投資自己，不是買漂亮新衣服，而是教育。
我知道在台灣如水不高，要花錢投資自己，是一個很難的決定，但不願意花錢投資自己，就很難有進步！所以投資自己是你出線的唯一方法。
大部分的人都覺得，學習是在學校的事情，畢業後不用管了。也許大家看創業的人風光，不知道在前期的時候，我也過過非常苦的生活，當然也不敢跟台灣的家人說。
不過就算如此，我仍然投資我自己，我仍然花錢去上網路課程，或是預約Business Coach的時間，或者是詢問我的導師。甚至在人生或是感情上，當我有問題時，我一樣會跟專屬教練一對一時間付費跟他們聊聊。為什麼？
第一知識是有價的，時間也是有限，所以我從來沒想過想免費拿這些資源，另外，的確有時候我可以自己摸索，但也要浪費掉不少時間，有人可以請教，可以省下自己摸索的時間。雖然要花錢，但是我寧可花點錢先投資自己，但是未來卻可以回本。如果你問我，萬一回不了本？那我只能反問：人生如果沒有點風險去投資，怎麼會有收益呢？何況人生沒有失敗，只有經驗！
不過，我知道找到合適的教練不容易，所以下面提供幾個重點給大家參考：
看他的影片，音頻或是文章，喜歡他的教學方式嗎！記住：教練跟顧問是有差別，教練教導你專業知識，當你有問題時，他不幫你解決，而是使用誘導的方式幫你找出答案！與其給你火，不如教你怎麼鑽木取火，是吧？
通常教練都會提供免費內容，那這些內容你覺得對你有幫助嗎？
看看他過去做了哪些事情，以及他過去的故事，跟你想要走的方向類似嗎？
”術業有專攻“ 看他提供的課程專案，跟你現在的狀況符合嗎？如果你是剛開始創業，或是還沒開始，但已經有想法，你應該要找專門針對這方面的教練來幫你！如果你已經開始賺錢，想要的是擴張，那你應該就要找這方面的專業！
最後想提醒大家：因為唯有願意不斷學習的人，才能夠在機會來的時候，準備好踏上去。自我提升是一堂永遠沒有終點的課，投資自己很重要，唯一可以改變你現況，就是投資自己！
Why Can't She Find a Job? Investing in Yourself is the Key
A reader recently shared with me an article I had written previously, "Farewell, for a Better Us Next Time." She found it very impactful and wondered why she, around the same age as my friends who have established careers and high salaries, is struggling to find a job after returning from a working holiday in Australia. She's in her early 30s, but keeps getting rejected for sales positions. Does having an overseas degree really make that much of a difference compared to a local university degree in Taiwan?
She said she feels anxious and believes she is being discriminated against due to her age. After reading her message, I took some time to reflect. Why can't she find a job? Her English skills should be an advantage coming back from Australia. Is the overall job market that bad? Is she just not suited for sales? Is it an interview preparation issue? Or something else?
I believe the environment in Taiwan is relatively good, with a lower unemployment rate compared to many European countries, even Germany. So maybe it's not a broad market issue. Perhaps she's just not cut out for sales, lacks relevant experience, or isn't preparing well enough for interviews. But the key point I realized is that she hasn't been investing in herself.
By investing in yourself, I don't mean buying fancy new clothes, but investing in education. I know it's difficult to afford self-investment in Taiwan, where salaries aren't high. But without a willingness to invest in yourself, it's hard to make progress. Self-investment is the only way to improve your circumstances.
Many people think learning is just for school, and you're done after graduation. They see entrepreneurs succeeding and don't realize the struggles I went through in the early stages, struggles I couldn't even share with my family in Taiwan.
Nevertheless, I've continued to invest in myself. I regularly take online courses, schedule sessions with business coaches, and consult with mentors. Even for personal or relationship issues, I pay for one-on-one time with specialized coaches. Why? Because knowledge has value, and time is limited. While I could sometimes figure things out on my own, that would waste a lot of time. Getting guidance from experts can save me that exploration time. Yes, it costs money, but I'd rather invest in myself upfront than miss out on future payoffs. After all, there's no reward without some risk in life - failure is just experience.
Finding the right coach isn't easy, so here are a few tips:
Watch their videos, listen to their audio, or read their content - do you like their teaching style? Coaches vs. consultants: Coaches guide you to find your own answers, rather than just solving your problems.
Look at their free content - is it helpful to you?
Examine their background and story - does it align with the path you want to take?
Match their specialty to your current needs - if you're just starting out, find a coach focused on that, not one for scaling an existing business.
Remember, the only way to be ready when opportunities arise is to continuously invest in yourself. Self-improvement is an endless journey, and investing in yourself is the only thing that can truly change your circumstances. Don't wait - start investing in yourself today.