Lee Kaifu: disasters also help

YOUNG Chinese follow Kaifu Lee’s every move. His recent decision to leave Google and start Innovation Works Incubator just put him in the news again.
李开复，中国的年轻人对其一举一动都趋之若鹜。不久前，他离开谷歌创建“创新工场”，这一决策再度让他成为新闻焦点人物。

Apart from being a leader, he’s also known as a caring teacher and patient friend. He’s concerned about young people’s growth and he doesn’t mind going out of his way to help them succeed.
作为一名领导者之外，大众眼中的他还是一个关心体贴的老师以及富有耐心的朋友。他一直对年轻人的成长颇为关注，不遗余力地帮助他们走向成功。

Last week, 21st Century sat down for an exclusive interview with Lee in Beijing.
上周，李开复在北京接受了《21世纪英文报》的独家采访。

21st: You inspire many college students and they want to have a go at their own business. What kind of advice do you have for these students? Can just anyone start their own company?
《21世纪英文报》：很多大学生都受你启发，想尝试自己创业。对此，你有什么建议？是不是任何人都可以创立自己的公司？

Li: First of all, you need some basic elements - including a golden idea, a starting fund, a market, and a team to work with you. And you need a sense of responsibility.
李开复：首先，你需要一些基本的元素--一个金点子、一笔启动资金、市场以及一个能与你一起创业的团队。除此之外，你还要有责任感。

If a youngster has zero experience but wants to get some investment for a high-tech company, then I’m not so positive. Few tech geniuses can start a company like Baidu or Tencent, overnight and make money incredibly quick. Bill Gates is different because he got some early experience.
但是，如果一个毫无经验的年轻人想要投资某个高科技公司的话，我不完全持赞成态度。很少有技术天才能在一夜间创建像百度、腾讯一样的公司，并且迅速盈利。比尔·盖茨不一样，因为他有些早期经验。

Instead, I see lots of opportunities in the service industry in this country, including hotels, clothing, education and catering. There’s strong domestic market demand. If you set up a company in these areas, there’s a lot of room to grow. And it’s more feasible for young people without any experience. You can see many successful models, including Yu Minhong.
反之，我在国内看到的大量机会是在服务业，包括宾馆、服装、教育和餐饮业。它们目前在国内都有很大的市场需求。如果在这些领域创立公司，成长的空间会很大。而且这对毫无经验的年轻人来说也更为可行。这样的成功案例有很多，俞敏洪就是其中之一。

21st: Have you ever encountered frustrations or difficulties in your life? If so, what? And how did you overcome them?
《21世纪英文报》：你在生活中可曾遇到挫折或者困难？如果有，是什么？你又是怎样克服这些困难的？

Li: I’ve stumbled many times, in everything from designing an Internet browser to making a public speech. My lawsuit with Microsoft really got me in hot water. For a while, I felt that life was unfair and wished that this terrible thing had never ever happened. I wished I could erase that memory, if possible. But gradually my way of thinking changed.
李开复：我曾跌倒过许多次，从设计浏览器到做公共演讲，无所不包。其中，和微软的诉讼案曾让我陷入困境。有一段时间，我甚至觉得生活太不公平了，还妄想这样糟糕的事情根本未曾发生。如果可以，我希望抹去那段记忆。但后来，我的想法逐渐改变了。

First, I learned that, when you lose all rights to choose, in reality you can still choose your own attitude. Instead of giving up, I worked 18 hours a day to collect evidence, to see what could be changed, and saved time by recognizing what couldn’t be done.
首先，我认识到，当你失去了所有选择的权利，事实上你仍然可以选择自己的态度。而我非但没有放弃，反而每天工作18个小时来搜集证据，看看有没有改变的可能，当我意识到某些东西已不可为，就不再费时。

Second, I began to see who my pals and foes were. I’ve seen people who stand up for me with courage and I’ve discovered some with a hidden side. So I shouldn’t waste my time on them.
其次，我开始辨别敌友。我看到一些人鼓足勇气站在我身边，也看到一些人不为人知的一面。所以，我不会在他们身上浪费时间。

Third, I discovered how to deal with stress and not get beaten down. All this became my wealth for my future work at Google and now at the new company. So I have to say thanks for this disastrous experience. This is the attitude that everyone should adopt towards their frustrations.
最后，我学会了如何与压力打交道而不被它们击败。所有这些都成了我后来在谷歌以及现在在新公司工作的一笔财富。因此，我要感谢这些挫败的经历。这也是每个人面对挫折时应该采取的态度。

21st: How can students perform better during job interviews?
《21世纪英文报》：学生们如何才能在求职面试中表现出色呢？

Li: I’ve recently had some face-to-face interviews with job applicants for my new company. To my surprise, they showed huge differences as individuals. This is hard to see just by looking at a resume or written test. To be honest, some grads, even those from top universities, are bookworms and are a bit out of tune with reality.
李开复：我最近刚为新公司亲自面试了一些应征者。让我惊奇的是，他们看起来和简历上写的有很大差别。光看简历或笔试很难看出一个人到底如何。坦白讲，一些毕业生，甚至是一些一流学府的毕业生，都是书呆子，与现实很不合拍。

The wise thing is to intern early while in college. Keep your eyes open for opportunities. Send your resume to companies with good reputations. If you don’t get anything there, try medium or small-sized companies. And if this still doesn’t work out, why not start your own website with a group of students? Work on easy-to-handle or feasible projects. Getting your hands dirty with real work can make you a totally different person.
比较聪明的做法是在学校期间就开始实习，随时留意身边的机会。还可以发简历到一些有名的公司。如果没有收到任何回信，你可以再尝试一些中型或小型的公司。如果仍然没有结果，何不尝试与一群学生开个自己的网页呢？尝试一些易操作的可行的项目。努力做些实事能让你整个人焕然一新。

21st: Many of our readers struggle to choose between domestic and foreign companies. Could you give them some advice?
《21世纪英文报》：很多学生在国企和外企间犹豫不决。你能给他们一些建议么？

Li: I have to say that Chinese enterprises are rising very quickly now, but they have a long way to go. The two types of companies have very different working styles and cultures. Instead of thinking only about pay and stability, you have to compare them in all possible ways. Then decide which better suits your values and your personality.
李开复：我不得不说，现如今，中国企业成长得很快。但它们仍有一段漫长的路要走。这两种类型的企业在工作方式和文化上都存在很大差异。你要尽可能全面地来做个比较，而不要单从薪酬和稳定性出发。再三考虑后，再决定哪个更适合你的价值观和性格。

21st: Is a master’s or PhD a "must"? What’s a degree’s weight in the present job market?
《21世纪英文报》：一定要有硕士或博士学位么？在如今的工作市场上，学历的份量到底有多重？

Li: It depends on your specific situation, including your major and your career goals. To work in some areas, further academic training is required, so a degree will prove to be of great value. But in other areas, there’s no such requirement, and practical experience counts more. So, first, you have to analyze the prospects in your field to decide if you want to invest in a higher degree.
李开复：这取决于你的具体情况，包括你的专业和职业目标。例如：在某些领域，深入的学术培训是必需的，这样一来学历价值就很高。但在另外一些领域则没有这些要求，而实践经验更为重要。因此，首先你要分析一下自身所在领域的期望值，然后决定是否要在高学历上投资。

21st: Could you give some career advice to our 21st Century readers?
《21世纪英文报》：能不能给《21世纪英文报》的读者们一些职场建议？

Li: When it comes to work, you need to adopt a very down-to-earth attitude, and you can’t just pursue fancy or impulsive ideas. A lot of factors have to be taken into consideration when looking for a job - for instance, the chance to learn, or the chance to display your aptitude. Making money is certainly one of them. But, after all, the most important thing is to follow your heart and pursue what you really want to do. Even your parents will be happier if you can engage with something that genuinely interests you.
李开复：谈到工作，你要培养一种脚踏实地的态度，而不要仅仅耽于幻想或一时冲动。找工作的时候要考虑很多方面的因素，例如学习的机会，展现自己才能的机会。赚钱当然也是其中之一。但是，最重要的还是倾听自己的心声，追求自己真正想做的事情。如果你能切实投入一番自己感兴趣的事业，相信你的父母会喜出望外的。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪英文报》，详情请见《21世纪英文报》826期